DSC1

[Shorty]

Hello Folks

Got my DSC1 on April 14th, I just wondered if anybody got any tips as the manual etc. seems very indepth.

Cheers

Shorty

[Vipa]

Hello Folks

Got my DSC1 on April 14th, I just wondered if anybody got any tips as the manual etc. seems very indepth.

Cheers

Shorty

 

Mine's on the 7th!

 

The only advice my trainer gave me was to concentrate more on identification than the other areas without obviously excluding them!

 

Paul

[Dunkield]

Do the questions on the CD over and over and over again, and then over again some more.

If you do that, and don't miss the target you should be fine.

[goldypurple]

your on the same one as me at watton

[Vipa]

your on the same one as me at watton

 

Nahh, up in Hexham, Northumberland for mine

[Frenchieboy]

Good luck with it guys. I am thinking of doing my DSC later this year, can either of you tell me roughly what it is going to cost please?

[SimonT]

Good luck with it guys. I am thinking of doing my DSC later this year, can either of you tell me roughly what it is going to cost please?

 

Im also looking at doing mine, current costs with the basc are 285 and i think the bds are charging 295

[Dekers]

Good luck with it guys. I am thinking of doing my DSC later this year, can either of you tell me roughly what it is going to cost please?

 

 

Usually between about £300-£350 plus accommodation if required. Don't forget to factor in travel costs, etc if you want a real price for the whole malarky!!

 

Also depends who you do it with and if there are any deals going!!

[mikee]

Hello Folks

Got my DSC1 on April 14th, I just wondered if anybody got any tips as the manual etc. seems very indepth.

Cheers

Shorty

 

 

"read it"

I did it last year and read the manual cover to cover several times and passed with 100%, those that couldnt be bothered struggled and a few failed

 

mikee

[Vipa]

Good luck with it guys. I am thinking of doing my DSC later this year, can either of you tell me roughly what it is going to cost please?

 

Hey Frenchieboy.... My first house was in Lumb, my second was in Newchurch and my third in Haslingden!! How is old Rossendale? haven't been back for about 15 years!

 

Mine's £330 plus ammo plus accomodation or diesel (bout £70)

Edited March 24, 2010 by Vipa

[mikee]

your on the same one as me at watton

 

I did mine at Watton last year, the grub in the sports hall is first rate, dont bother with sarnies use the canteen, the rifle tests were at Kynamco's under ground range at mildenhall, 100yds down that tunnel looks like 300yds, they might be on the Euston estate now though, the BDS have been using the estate range for range days lately, its in a sort of chalk quarry with 100ft sides and 100yds dont seem quite so far and the natural light is much nicer, i did a zero test when stalking there a couple of weeks ago

 

mikee

[Beardo]

has any one done it with Reeves near Aylesbury?

[Shorty]

"read it"

I did it last year and read the manual cover to cover several times and passed with 100%, those that couldnt be bothered struggled and a few failed

 

 

Thanks Mikee, this is probably the best advice

cheers

Shorty

[Dekers]

"read it"

I did it last year and read the manual cover to cover several times and passed with 100%, those that couldnt be bothered struggled and a few failed

 

mikee

 

Hard work usually pays off, but just the same 100%

 

Its a strange one all this, and perhaps better as another thread, but I don't have DSC at all.

 

Yet I am a Deer Mentor for Thames Valley, the Met and now Wilts Police, I have been asked to shoot Deer on Highly sensitive MoD land and I fairly obviously have a Fully Open FAC For all deer with the tools to do the job as well.

 

Yet certain organisations will not let me near their land without DSCII

 

So the Police consider me competant to train people, the MoD are happy for me to literally take control of a RN Helicopter base whilst shooting, when they do not trust their own people to shoot deer, whilst other organisations won't even let me shoot on their land.

 

I struggle to get my head round that!!

[Dunkield]

It's been done to death a million times here and on just about every other shooting forum, but it is just a piece of paper that say you have attained a certain standard.

One the one hand you can pass the DSC1 without ever having seen a deer let alone shot one, on the other hand there are people that have 'been doing all my life laddie so I don't need it' who are still useless stalkers, and some of them can't hit a cows backside with a shovel - it's a funny old world.

[Redgum]

I've just completed my DSC1, I did it off my own back without a course. All the questions and answers can be found in the British Deer Society's ( and no I'm not a member) Training manual for deer stalkers feb 2009 along with exam criteria.

As for idents of deer, the internet is a great place to search but don't always believe the info, as your knowledge gets better you will notice some have no idea what the differance is between a CWD and a Red deer.

As for the benefits of the course, well when I went to take the exam I walked into a room full of chaps who had spent the last 3 days studying to pass with instruction. Some were stalkers, one a game dealer, mostly having slayed a few deer, my gut tightened and I thought maybe I have done this all wrong.

Even after three days of training I wouldnt have picked any of these chaps to be by my side on a survival weekend, our six species of deer all have physical differances that are pretty unmistakable but not to these fellows.

And as for the shooting, well I head shoot rabbits with .22lr and .17hmr but you would expect a stalker to be able to put 3 shots in a 4 inch target at 100yds with a nice stable 100gr 243 round and put 2 shots in a 6inch target standing with a bipod. Maybe it was nerves but most had to take up the second chance option and three failed. Before you all start panicking, the shooting test is easy or should be, you get three chances on each target, and if you do fail you can do the module you fail on again on another day and will not have to pay for the whole lot again. The modules are 1) deer ident, 2) 50 questions on general deer, 3) 40 questions on big game handling/hygiene 4) safety assessment{questioning and demonstating rifle safety}. 5) shooting assessment.

If you fail on any part you only have to retake that part.

It is a good course, some will not need it but for shooting on forestry commission land you now need 1 and 2. Some one who has land with deer on it wont know if your a cracking shot with excellent safety record or if your a nutter but the DSC1 proves that you have a bit of knowledge. Having a dental degree doesnt make you a good dentist but try getting a job in that field without one.

[Bazooka Joe]

The only advice my trainer gave me was to concentrate more on identification than the other areas without obviously excluding them!

 

Identification is only a small part of the DSC-1 Vipa, there was 300 questions when I took mine, & out of all of them, not many on identification were included in the final exam.

 

BJ.

[Big Stu]

Passed level 1 last weekend cost £235 + £35 to register for level 2

Go through the new questions on the DMQ website and you won't go far wrong

Deerquest cd is handy but out of date on some of the open seasons and 22cf changes

Most of all enjoy the course and you will be fine

GOOD LUCK

[scolopax]

I spoke to an assessor and he said most fail on the deer ID pictures and also on the shooting. He said a surprising amount of experienced shots struggle to shoot straight when under assessment.

[Redgum]

There are over 400 questions you have to learn the answers on but you definetly only have to answer 50 on general deer ( pass has to be 40 correct of the multiple choice answers) and 40 questions on large game handling ( will need 32 correct to pass). As for deer ident, the trick is to remember the points that seperate these species, fallow and Sika both have spots but see them side by side ( which doesnt happen often! ) and they look pretty differant but Sika have a distinguishing feature that will set them apart from a melanistic when they are all does.

Get anyone of the ten safety questions wrong and you will fail that part.

As for the shooting, get plenty of practice before hand, you are allowed to zero before doing the first part of the test,do it even if your gun is lazer accurate as it will help to settle you. This is even more important if you have to use the assessors gun, he may say its been zeroed, it may not shoot straight for you. If you have a rimmy then get some cheap standing shot ( you can use a bipod,even if its a pair of hazel wands strapped together for the day ) practice in on targets at 40yds, sounds easy doesnt it. Also 70yd shots kneeling, also with bipod if you prefer( use a bipod )

[Vipa]

Identification is only a small part of the DSC-1 Vipa, there was 300 questions when I took mine, & out of all of them, not many on identification were included in the final exam.

 

BJ.

 

Visual assesment is 20 slides of the 6 species, candidate must identify and sex the beast in the slide. Pass mark is 16/20

[Bazooka Joe]

Visual assesment is 20 slides of the 6 species, candidate must identify and sex the beast in the slide. Pass mark is 16/20

 

I know...!!!

 

You must have misread my post, I have already passed my DSC_1.

 

As stated by RedGum there are now 400, makes the odds even greater with another 100 questions added.

 

My post was advise to you before you take the test, going in concentrating on Visual assessment, although needed, won't get you far.

 

BJ.

[Redgum]

I know...!!!

 

You must have misread my post, I have already passed my DSC_1.

 

As stated by RedGum there are now 400, makes the odds even greater with another 100 questions added.

 

My post was advise to you before you take the test, going in concentrating on Visual assessment, although needed, won't get you far.

 

BJ.

Agree with Bazooka Joe, getting 16 out of 20 on the ident is easier than getting 80% correct out of the 100 questions you will be asked, but you have to pass it all. Not sure how it works for the courses but you need to start revising the answers well ahead of the test( a month before and getting a mate to test you on em) then you will walk it, its not hard. If anyone is due to go for the test in the near future and needs a bit of help then give us a shout on here.

[steve0146]

I did mine last year as I already had the old National Stalking Competence Certificate and nobody would let me stalk with it as the money spinners had introduced the DSC, but thats another story.

 

Three guys failed mine. One went to Africa each year to shoot plains game but could not pass the shooting assessment. Unreal! Awful shot. Another just thought he could turn up and would get a pass as he had shot deer all his life but failed, and the last guy, a doctor, constantly argued with the person running the course over the hygene parts of the course. What a c*ck. Most of the other lads passed easily as they had the right attitude and wanted to learn.

[Big Stu]

DMQ Assesment for DSC1

Full bank of questions on there website www.dmq.org.uk

 

The DSC1 assessment tests knowledge and skills in the following areas:

 

 

 

1. Deer biology and ecology.

2. Legislation.

3. Stalking techniques and taking the shot.

4. Deer identification.

5. Safety.

6. Shooting.

7. Large Game Meat Hygiene.

 

 

DSC1 assessments are carried out by Assessment Centres accredited by DMQ. The DSC1 assessment has the following 5 modules:

 

1. Written. This has 50 multiple choice questions which are taken from a bank of written questions. To pass, at least 40 questions must be answered correctly.

 

2. Visual. Candidates are shown 20 images covering the 6 species of wild deer in the UK. The species and the sex have to be identified for each image, and both must be correct to gain a mark. To pass, candidates must obtain at least 16 marks out of the possible 20.

 

3. Safety. Candidates are walked round a course during which they are shown 4 deer targets and asked to specify whether they would shoot at them or not. Candidates are also asked a number of questions on safety, and all have to be answered correctly.

 

4. Shooting. This has 2 parts. First, the candidate must put 3 shots inside a 4 inch circle on a zero target from 100 yards. Three attempts at this are allowed in any one day. When that has been achieved, the candidate can then have 3 attempts (in any one day) to put:

 

 

(a) 2 shots into the killing area of a deer target from 100 yards (in any position using normal stalking aids such as rucksack or bipod);

( 2 shots into the killing area of a deer target from 70 yards sitting or kneeling (again normal aids such as bipod or sticks may be used);

© 2 shots into the killing area of a deer target from 40 yards standing (sticks may be used).

5. Game Meat Hygiene. This has 40 multiple choice questions taken from a bank of hygiene questions. These cover areas such as recognising normal and abnormal behaviour, common diseases, signs of ill-health, possible sources of contamination and hygienic working techniques. There are also food hygiene questions on risks to human health, use of veterinary medicines on wild deer, food safety and notifiable diseases. To pass, at least 32 questions must be answered correctly.

 

Any candidate who holds a VRQ in Wild Game Meat Hygiene, or the NGO certificate in Game Meat Hygiene, may elect not to take this module but they will be required to produce their VRQ or NGO certificate at the DSC1 assessment.

 

Any DSC1 holder registered before 1 May 2006, who has not converted to Trained Hunter, may do so by sitting a Game Meat Hygiene assessment (by arrangement with any Assessment Centre) and paying the appropriate fee to the Assessment Centre. This fee will include the re-assessment cost plus a payment of £15 to DMQ for the re-issue of the certificate.

 

If you have any complaint about the assessment process, it should be directed in the first instance to your assessment centre.

 

 

REASSESSMENT

 

If you are unable to complete all of the 5 modules in the DSC1 assessment you will have to re-sit only those modules you did not pass. You can do such re-sits at any Assessment Centre, with their agreement; you do not have to use the Centre you are registered with. You can expect to have to pay a fee for a re-assessment, and the re-assessment must be completed within 3 years of the date of registering for DSC1.