How many have done DSC ?

[Lloyd90]

Just wondering how many of you guys have done your DSC ? I hear the police are very reluctant to give you deer on a FAC without it although some do have it, my mentor hasnt done it and had to argue alot with the police to get deer on his ticket

 

Just looked on BASC website, £275 Seems a tad expensive putting it lightly Im looking to pick up a rifle for around that much haha!

 

Just wondering how many of you guys have done it ? Any good ? If its something you have to do then I suppose it'll have to be done. Don't suppose I'll be doing any stalking any time soon lol

[M ROBSON]

I believe there are over 11,000 DSC1 certificate holders in the UK.

 

You can do the test day on it's own without the course for a lot less, £130 when I did it.

 

Mark.

[Dunkield]

I did it years ago and enjoyed it.

Don't do it because you feel you have to, do it because you want to.

It is a good course, unless you think you already know everything there is to know about deer you will learn something.

There is no practical side to it though, it is all theory, if you really want to learn the art get out with an experienced stalker or two.

[Lloyd90]

I did it years ago and enjoyed it.

Don't do it because you feel you have to, do it because you want to.

It is a good course, unless you think you already know everything there is to know about deer you will learn something.

There is no practical side to it though, it is all theory, if you really want to learn the art get out with an experienced stalker or two.

 

i would like to do it, looks interesting and be good to get some more knowledge, its just so bloody expensive lol

 

have to wait till i can save up more dosh, still saving for my rifle atm

[dan browning gts]

i have just booked on it with dave stretton on the 8th 9th 10th 11th of june not planning on doing no deer shooting yet but it will be there for when i do

[magman]

But is it a legal requirement

[markbivvy]

But is it a legal requirement

 

rumour has it it will be in less than 5 years.

by the way , so will meat hygiene courses.

for the rabbit and pigeon shooters.

Edited April 7, 2009 by markbivvy

[lapwing]

Like most training courses, one size has to fit all but you seldom learn nothing. You may know a lot of it, but speaking personally I found it interesting to meet like minded people and picked up a few tips on the way. A well spent 3 days in my view as a relative novice to stalking having only been after bambi for a decade, but maybe some experts would disagree.

[markbivvy]

A mate of mine did it a few years ago, never shot a deer before the course,

and as never shot one since the course.

but he has a bit of paper that says he is an Experienced hunter

[Suffolk shooter]

Mate of mine is an accredited witness and he said there's no substituiton for the real thing and getting out with somebody who is experienced. Whilst he did say that you will pick up bits and pieces, as someone else pointed out its a course designed to suit everyone, rather than individually tailored. Therefore it will be of use to some and not to others.

 

Same with anything in life, just because you have a bit of paper, doesn't mean to say you can actually do the job.

 

As to the Meat hygiene, only applies if you are putting meating into the foodchain by way of sales. However, if like most on here, you shoot for the pot, then it doesn't apply.

 

Do you think Farmer Brown is going to be bothered if Joe Smith has been shooting on his farm for years controlling the rabbits, corvids , foxes and pigeons and he hasn't got a Meat hygiene cert?

 

IMHO, the DSC1 is worth doing, but its not the shooting at deer that should be taught, but the actual handling of firearms and various scenarios of safe shooting and safe distances. After all as my FEO said, its not the quarry you're being mentored on its the calibre of the gun! A DSC1 pass shouldn't guarentee you get granted a deer calibre rifle, just because you managed to put a couple of shots in a four inch circle at 100 yards, surely

 

SS

[markbivvy]

a chap on another forum is a mentor for deer calibre rifles in his area

and was saying the other week.

that his firearms department dont want him signing people of unless they could field dress a deer, and all the other bits that go with it.

unbelievable but true.

was quite put out when i asked what field dressing had to do with the firearms department.

[Lloyd90]

A mate of mine did it a few years ago, never shot a deer before the course,

and as never shot one since the course.

but he has a bit of paper that says he is an Experienced hunter :o

 

Ye that's why I think it's a bit stupid Suppose it would be nice to learn all about the deer though :o I have already been granted a 243 for fox :o

[CZ550Kevlar]

i got deer calibre on my licence without the DSC, i already had .308 & 7.62 for target shooting and clocked up literally 1000`s of rounds on paper asked my FEO about getting deer added as we were thinking of a hunting trip in scotland, FEO said yep no problems. It`s only when we got up there DSC was mentioned but we never thought about doing it.

[choke it]

i have both level 1 + 2

[Dunkield]

that his firearms department dont want him signing people of unless they could field dress a deer, and all the other bits that go with it.

unbelievable but true.

was quite put out when i asked what field dressing had to do with the firearms department.

That is the worrying part mark, it has definity been misused by some firearms departments, that is the problem but that isn't the fault of the BDS or BASC or whoever runs the courses.

[toka_shigazu]

Hi...can you just buy the reference material and pay for that and the cost of the test???

i will struggle to finance both this and the meat hygiene course if it meant £300 for the DSC1, but if i can just get the reference material and sit the test i should be able to do both this year. My FEO also said that by my next renewal it would probably be a legal requirement to have a DSC1.

[Browning]

Hi...can you just buy the reference material and pay for that and the cost of the test???

i will struggle to finance both this and the meat hygiene course if it meant £300 for the DSC1, but if i can just get the reference material and sit the test i should be able to do both this year. My FEO also said that by my next renewal it would probably be a legal requirement to have a DSC1.

 

Toka,

 

Yes you can just do the test....but you would still need to fork out for the study material, which would need to

be up to date.

 

DSC1 covers you for large game hygiene (Deer), so you would only have to do the meat hygiene course if you also wanted to sell small game.

[toka_shigazu]

thanks Browning....i have just seen on the BDS site they do a manual i think for the DSC1...i take it that will be all i need?

 

 

ta for the advice!!!

Edited April 8, 2009 by toka_shigazu

[Baldrick]

I don't have DSC1, but I have meat hygiene ticket. I approached deer stalking from what seems now a rather unorthodox route: shadowing my father and the local keeper from the age of about 10, and simply qualifying by experience. Quite a lot of varied experience, in retrospect.

 

DSC1 opens barriers that would probably have kept new entrants out of the game. But it is no substitute for experience and practical involvement.

[Macnab]

I did the DSC1 last week via BASC in West Sussex under Nick Lane, who was fantastic. It is not easy but it's not difficult, and obviously rather depends on your level of experience before you start. A few guys tried to get through it by just turning up on the course alone which is not advisable. If you put in the graft beforehand you will pass no problems. I have been stalking for a few years, mostly in Scotland and shot several stags and hinds but I got a hell of a lot out of the course and really enjoyed it, and met some good guys.

 

I didn't have to do it as I have mentoring on my ticket for my deer calibre in Sussex and Scotland. But I wanted to do it for myself and so when I want to go out on a Sat morning at 5.30 I don't have to call my mentor days before and ask him if he minds an early start. As a matter of interest I can use the same rifle on the same land in Sussex for fox (in the pitch black) without any supervision, but as soon as deer are involved the mentor must be there. Answer me that.

 

You also get the trained hunter (not experienced hunter) ticket for large game so can sell venison in your area.

 

If you rate yourself as an expert you can just do the assessments, or you can do it via web based distance learning through BDS for £95 or you can just buy the coursebook for £27. Just watch out for the old Deer Quest as it is pretty out of date by now, although BDS say they are working on the equivalent of a new one.

 

I'm not saying everyone should have it to get a deer calibre and you certainly couldn't say it makes you a more experiended stalker, but for me it was worth doing and I have no complaints.

 

M

[al4x]

you'll be ****** in the future if you get told you have to have it then Baldrick

 

my only beef with the concept is that they will give you the caliber weapon to shoot foxes without a DSC yet to move on and shoot deer suddenly you need a DSC what its got to do with the firearms department your ability to field dress deer is another matter and as MB says whats the difference between needing a qualification to dress deer to any other animal. It just seems to be seized upon by some firearms departments who are being educated that its a good idea by people who just happen to make a living running courses. But we've been here before and its a murky situation in the "boys" club.

 

Obviously no one is suggesting its a good idea to just go out and shoot a deer but fundamentally the mentoring procedure is a far better one and in fact its probably fairly rare to get the opportunity to shoot deer for the first time without some form of either going with an experienced stalker or paying to go with a guide.

[fullbore]

A mate of mine did it a few years ago, never shot a deer before the course,

and as never shot one since the course.

but he has a bit of paper that says he is an Experienced hunter

 

Bit like the driving test and motorways then eh? But did he learn enough to make him feel like he could if he wanted to?

[Baldrick]

you'll be ****** in the future if you get told you have to have it then Baldrick

 

Yes, I will be shafted, but only until I take the DSC assessment, which I would hope to find pretty straightforward!

[fullbore]

IMHO, the DSC1 is worth doing, but its not the shooting at deer that should be taught, but the actual handling of firearms and various scenarios of safe shooting and safe distances. After all as my FEO said, its not the quarry you're being mentored on its the calibre of the gun! A DSC1 pass shouldn't guarentee you get granted a deer calibre rifle, just because you managed to put a couple of shots in a four inch circle at 100 yards, surely

 

There is more to the DSC 1 course than just "put a couple of shots in a four inch circle at 100 yards" The safe handling and loading of firearms, carrying same safely, crossing obstacles, a simulated stalk etc etc

[al4x]

Yes, I will be shafted, but only until I take the DSC assessment, which I would hope to find pretty straightforward!

 

 

the financial sting though would be a bit of a pain though putting it mildly,

 

funnily enough looks like less people have been doing the DSC certainly in 2007 their turnover was down about a third,