I was lucky enough to grow up in the countryside with a dad who loved shooting. Before I was even old enough to carry a gun, I was out beating, picking up and spending weekends following him around the fields. At ten years old I was granted my shotgun certificate, one of the youngest in the country at the time, and like most lads who grow up in the countryside, I spent countless hours belly crawling through fields with an air rifle trying to get close enough to rabbits.

That obsession with the outdoors never really left me.

After school I joined the British Army, but whenever I came home I'd always find myself back in the countryside. Over time, my interests shifted away from traditional game shooting and towards deer stalking. Somewhere along the way it stopped being just another hobby and became something I genuinely looked forward to every chance I got.

The more I got into deer stalking, the more I realised how difficult it was for somebody new to get started.

Firearms licensing, DSC courses, permissions, equipment, game handling, butchery... the information was out there, but it was scattered across old forums, Facebook groups and dozens of different websites. It felt far more complicated than it needed to be.

Later, while managing one of the UK's biggest shooting retailers, I noticed something else. We had websites dedicated to airguns, clay shooting and game shooting, but there wasn't really a modern brand focused entirely on deer stalking.

That was the moment The Hunting Project was born.

My vision has always been much bigger than selling clothing or equipment.

I want The Hunting Project to become the home of British deer stalking. The place people visit when they're taking their very first steps into the sport and the place experienced stalkers trust when they're looking for equipment, advice or inspiration.

Over time I hope we'll build something that gives more back than it takes. Through articles, films, podcasts, training days, butchery workshops, local events and community meet-ups, I want to help bring people together and make deer stalking more accessible than it has ever been before.

As the business grows, so will our commitment to the countryside. Every year we intend to give back by supporting conservation projects, educational initiatives and the organisations that work tirelessly to protect Britain's countryside and the future of sustainable hunting.

If, in ten years' time, The Hunting Project has helped thousands of people discover deer stalking, inspired more respect for the countryside and played even a small part in securing the future of hunting in Britain, then I'll consider it a success.

SEE YOU AT FIRST LIGHT.

IEUAN JONES, FOUNDER