Now it's Dave the deadly deer stalker

David Cameron has a secret love of stag shooting it emerged last night, and is considered an expert at one of the most controversial blood sports. The Conservative leader is said by those who have hunted with him to be a keen shot who can fell two deer at once.

Mr Cameron has spent 20 years deer stalking and was introduced to the sport as a young man. He takes family holidays on the Scottish estate owned by Viscount Astor - his wife's stepfather - on the island of Jura, in the inner Hebrides, which has 6,000 deer.

Bruce Anderson, the political columnist who stalks with Mr Cameron, said that the Tory leader had a knack for shooting.

"David has been stalking deer for 20 years or more. He is very good with a gun. I have seen him shoot a stag. He has the 'right-left' knack whereby you shoot two deer in one go before they run off. Only the best stalkers can do that," he said.

When stalkers shoot their first stag, the marksman is "blooded" with the animals' blood smeared on their face.

Mr Cameron has not denied shooting in the past, but has not advertised his involvement in the sport. Asked about hunting, shooting and fishing when he was selected as Conservative MP for Witney, in rural Oxfordshire, he said: "I take part in the first two but haven't got the patience for the third."

Mr Cameron goes shooting on the island of Jura with Gordon Muir, a professional deerstalker in charge of shooting parties on the Astor family's 20,000 acre estate.

The disclosure about Mr Cameron's involvement in deer stalking comes after the Independent on Sunday revealed that he was disciplined at Eton for smoking cannabis and also published details of Mr Cameron's membership of the elite Oxford drinking society, the Bullingdon Club.

The exclusive, all-male dining society was notorious for drinking and high jinks. Mr Cameron was photographed in 1987 with other members of the society wearing a royal blue tail coat with ivory lapels. Labour intends to use the group photograph in its general election literature.