permission for a deer rated caliber 308 6.5x55 etc ??

[Redgum]

Gloucestershire Police have just done a 'U' turn with the All other legal quarry term now due to advice from their legal department, it does get complicated with the deer laws etc and large animals like Goat and Boar that have no legal calibre limit. As Al4X said, the DSC1 is a worthy certificate, everyone knows how to deal with a dead or injured deer, that is until they have one in front of them or dissapearing into a bush with a dangling leg. Selling deer without a large game hygiene ticket is against the law, and even with the ticket you, in theory, can only sell the deer in the jacket to a game dealer unless you have premises that meets current hygiene laws.

[kent]

Firstly although I see DSC1 as worthwhile, it is not compulsory. Secondly it is "theory" this particularly applies to carcass inspection imo, If you take a newly qualified and inexperienced stalker onto a beast and pass them the knife very few indeed will be able to find and positively identify the lymphatic system with a knife in hand, those that can will take a terrible long time in doing it. Of course if you consume all the deer you shoot yourself ..............! Now Level 2 allows a candidate to prove what he has learned at level one, yet carries no higher level in game handling yet it is at least hands on - allowing the candidate to prove it note not learn but prove!.

When I took my own level 1 there was no wild game handling qual attached, I had to confirm to DMQ I had read the guidance notes on-line and was issued another Level 1 with the game handling qual attached. At the time I did this I had already held a level 2 some time, yet this was an immaterial fact in the decision to do this, anyone with a level 1 who made this statement got one FOC.

DCS proves to me a stalker has taken the first steps on the road to knowledge, it should not be a re-requisite for grant or variation of a FAC. If the shooter already lamps foxes he is no more danger to the public shooting deer in daylight. As far as sale of carcass goes again public safety is not at risk as he is effectively not permited to sell the meat till he has the qual.- again what if he wishes to eat his own kills? Security is not going to be an issue as long as the firearms held are concerned unless numbers call for extra security conditions (which the FEO is not complaining about). Therefore the OP has two options 1. appeal and the most likely outcome will be a success on the grounds above or 2, do dcs1 as requested. The later is of course the easy route and IF the OP knows enough he might only need pay for test only (dangerous ground for the unwary)

[njc110381]

It's still only ACPO recommending it rather than actually going to happen. Individual departments still have the ability to make it up as they go along

 

The latest Home Office guidance was published on the 15th of this month - it's now written into a more solid document in chapter 13.9, although I fear they may still not want to do it. The letter I have sent in to the firearms department could go one of two ways but I hope they take it on the chin and accept the points I have made.