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Should DSC1 be manditory  

412 members have voted

  1. 1. Should DSC1 be manditory for professional deer stalkers

    • Yes
      245
    • No
      172
  2. 2. Should DSC1 be mandatory for the stalkers who shoot recreationally for thier own consumption and not for financial gain

    • Yes
      147
    • No
      269
  3. 3. Do you think that having these qualifications will make you a better stalker

    • Yes
      178
    • No
      237


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DSC what a con just like CSCS, a qualification that is almost insisted upon by the police but an unregulated money making con the police should hang their heads.

what a load of rubbish at least have a regulated qualification that is run by the government for acceptable money.

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No, he has to work under the parameters of the law surely.......IF DSC is not a legal stipulation then it's not a legal stipulation.

I'm not convinced a DSC is of any great relevance!!   I suggest a shooting test (accuracy) and safety knowledge should be explored!!   Many people have a .243 or bigger and quite legitimately take

The problem i have with DSC1 and the whole FAC thing is that there are a lot of us that have many years of experience with firearms and shotguns have been forced to take this qualification . When i d

Hi guys.

When it comes to deer stalking i am a novice this will be my second year,I did the d.s.c.1 the cost however was a little more than i bargained for with travel cost and b/b this is in scotland by the way the 30 pounds for the book was a bit much i thought to start with,However i do think that the D.S.C.1 should be taken by all new comers to the sport i found deer identification there diet and habits ect ect a must,As for stalking itself i have a friend who has D.S.C.1/2 he tells me where i am going wrong and gives me good advice on where to look for deer useing the binos and taking half steps he says if you are moveing you are going to fast he says my stalking ability is now good enough to get me within range of a deer and dispatch it humainly i have plenty of experience with shooting rimfires/shotguns/air rifles so safety is not a problem,Now to the meat of my post i have been wrestling with the dilemma of if should take the D.S.C.2 the cost alone could be with everything thrown in at least a thousand pounds and as i have no intention of deer stalking for a living recreational stalking is all i would be doing so i just cannot see the benifit and as my friend said the only advantage would be to access F/C land to me it`s a lot of money just to access land,The D.S.C.1 should be a must for first timers the cost however is a rip of D.S.C/2 should be optional for recreational stalkers as they will take a deer for their own consumption selling to game dealers would be left to the professionals,With the cost associated with deer stalking the working man will have no chance,I have noticed all the stalkers i have come into contact with have been either professionals business men self employed my friend was in business as well i think as allways in the U.K.deer stalking will have the arse kick out of it and a lot of people will have to give it up,Those involved in deer stalking as a business don`t seem to have heard there is a recession on,Sorry if i seem to be whinging but i could be giving deer stalking up before i have even got started,In 2 years i have shot 2 deer what deer there are have i think gone noctural because of over stalking even hours spent in a high seat produced nothing,As i only get up to Scotland maybe 5 or 6 times a year for 3 days at a time to be honest i am not that surprised at my lack of success and as for meeting cull numbers and deer managment as a recreational stalker it has to be a joke a rather expensive one at that,Your thoughts and any advice would be greatly appeciated.

Regards

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  • 6 months later...

Every day's a school day...

 

I was forced into getting my DSC1, as its now pretty much mandatory for foresty rented shooting in Scotland.

 

Did I learn anything? Absolutely

Did it help me out stalking? of course! Youre always learning arent you?

 

Setting aside the safety & practical shooting aspects, the food hygene, disease id, gralloching and preparations were all really helpful.

 

Ive shot red & roe for 30+ years, and I found the study and one day course & exam very useful.

 

Only downside is the cost, but you can save cash by staying away from.BASC etc.

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I have recently compleated my DSC2 so hopefully at the end of the process. I agree that for us average earners its an expensive route but with the way society as a whole is becomming more concerned with qualifications for everything i feel a lot more landowners will want to be seeing evidence before letting stalkers loose on their land. That aside i enjoyed the process and learnt a lot along the way. Also met some great blokes to boot. So i feel it was worth it but glad its done so is the bank manager.

Nigel

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  • 4 months later...

Sadly it would appear we are trying to halt the tide on this issue . I cannot speak for what is happening in England but in Scotland many landowners are now demanding a minimum of DSC Level 1. The new law of making the landowner responsible for the actions of their employees has them making all attempts to cover their posteriors. As a recreational stalker it could be debated that you are not an employee but untill a case goes through the courts this is a grey area. I have no wish to be the first to test this. So it would appear that compulsory Level 1 is on the cards. I have NSCC, Level !, Level 2 and the Advanced Stalkers Certificate. Does this make me a better safer stalker, I don't know but I'm certainly poorer than I could be. This debate is going to continue and will most likely be decided by those who govern us, knowledge of the subject most likely will not be necessary.

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I have various permissions in Scotland and have never been asked once whether or not I have any DCS certificates, most landowners will ask if you have Insurance and on every letter of permission I have the landowner is indemnified should any claims arise from my activity. As far as I am aware it is only the forestry commission that insists on DCS certification. I have some farms that surround commission land, I don't go into the trees the deer come out to feed in the crops...no cash to the commission ...no unnecessary certification...works fine for me and the landowners.

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  • 2 months later...

I have various permissions in Scotland and have never been asked once whether or not I have any DCS certificates, most landowners will ask if you have Insurance and on every letter of permission I have the landowner is indemnified should any claims arise from my activity. As far as I am aware it is only the forestry commission that insists on DCS certification. I have some farms that surround commission land, I don't go into the trees the deer come out to feed in the crops...no cash to the commission ...no unnecessary certification...works fine for me and the landowners.

Scottish Woodland, Tilhill have DSC 1 as mandatory conditions for leases. Forestry commission now insist on DSC 2.

Will it become mandatory elsewhere? Almost certainly. The Police are already pushing for it as part of FAC approvals.

 

I've mixed feelings as its a helluva imposition for folk who have been shooting for years. On the other hand I learned quite a bit from it.

 

Every days a school day...

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  • 4 months later...
  • 5 months later...

Well lads I started this post back in 2009 amidst rumours and scaremongery that DCS certs were to become law and that I would not be able to shoot deer if I did not cough up a chunk of my hard earned cash and sit the course.

I can only say that to date my shooting remains unaffected and I still have all my hard earned cash securely in my bank I have never been asked wheather or not I have these certs by any landowner or have they been insisted upon by the local constabulary, so unless you are going to be paying for shooting on forrestry commision ground that has been previously shot out by the commision stalkers then to date there has been no change so I am glad I stuck by my guns and refused to follow the trend of scaremongers who were spreading the rumours to extort cash from the stalking community.

I would like to add that I have had numerous conversations and correspondance from MPs regarding this matter and not once have I been told that this is to become law and many were in aggreement with myself.

So if your FEO is insisting upon these certs before issuing your firearms licence it appears he is stepping over the mark and you should be asking why and under whos authority are these certs required also do not be fobbed off take the matter further. Apparently according to what I am being told ...If you are of sound character and mind and can proove that you have the requirement for legal possesion of a firearm then they can not realy refuse providing your security comes up to the required standard.

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Well lads I started this post back in 2009 amidst rumours and scaremongery that DCS certs were to become law and that I would not be able to shoot deer if I did not cough up a chunk of my hard earned cash and sit the course.

I can only say that to date my shooting remains unaffected and I still have all my hard earned cash securely in my bank I have never been asked wheather or not I have these certs by any landowner or have they been insisted upon by the local constabulary, so unless you are going to be paying for shooting on forrestry commision ground that has been previously shot out by the commision stalkers then to date there has been no change so I am glad I stuck by my guns and refused to follow the trend of scaremongers who were spreading the rumours to extort cash from the stalking community.

I would like to add that I have had numerous conversations and correspondance from MPs regarding this matter and not once have I been told that this is to become law and many were in aggreement with myself.

So if your FEO is insisting upon these certs before issuing your firearms licence it appears he is stepping over the mark and you should be asking why and under whos authority are these certs required also do not be fobbed off take the matter further. Apparently according to what I am being told ...If you are of sound character and mind and can proove that you have the requirement for legal possesion of a firearm then they can not realy refuse providing your security comes up to the required standard.

I think you'll find the Chief Constable can do more or less as he pleases. Hes the judge jury & appeal court! If he considers it a good requirement then he has the powers to insist on a competency certificate.

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Well lads I started this post back in 2009 amidst rumours and scaremongery that DCS certs were to become law and that I would not be able to shoot deer if I did not cough up a chunk of my hard earned cash and sit the course.

I can only say that to date my shooting remains unaffected and I still have all my hard earned cash securely in my bank I have never been asked wheather or not I have these certs by any landowner or have they been insisted upon by the local constabulary, so unless you are going to be paying for shooting on forrestry commision ground that has been previously shot out by the commision stalkers then to date there has been no change so I am glad I stuck by my guns and refused to follow the trend of scaremongers who were spreading the rumours to extort cash from the stalking community.

I would like to add that I have had numerous conversations and correspondance from MPs regarding this matter and not once have I been told that this is to become law and many were in aggreement with myself.

So if your FEO is insisting upon these certs before issuing your firearms licence it appears he is stepping over the mark and you should be asking why and under whos authority are these certs required also do not be fobbed off take the matter further. Apparently according to what I am being told ...If you are of sound character and mind and can proove that you have the requirement for legal possesion of a firearm then they can not realy refuse providing your security comes up to the required standard.

I think you'll find the Chief Constable can do more or less as he pleases. Hes the judge jury & appeal court! If he considers it a good requirement then he has the powers to insist on a competency certificate.

 

No, he has to work under the parameters of the law surely.......IF DSC is not a legal stipulation then it's not a legal stipulation.

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So how much does this dsc1 cost then ???

Hi Dax17

on average about £300

and your weekend

I did mine with Jelen, glad i did because it was very enjoyable and learned a lot

Other DSC training providers have some excellent write-ups too

Andrew

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  • 4 weeks later...

I have been following these replies which I add gives me a wry smirk.

with having been in the position of stalking many years I have seen the goal posts moved so many times and even uplifted from the field on more than one occasion

 

Is it a money maker well without doubt it can cost you dearly depending on the circumstances if your follow the p rocedure and complete your DSC1 then on to DSC2 it can and has in many cases cost multiple thousands of pounds in meeting the required ICRpending on how many deer you have on your ground and also trying to tie those outings with a registered AW and one Assessor as there arnt that many who are prepared to take you out for nothing. initially it cost me a considerable sum and a lot is to do with luck on these outing.

 

Fortunately I found a regional assessor who only charges his fuel expenses only to come out as a witness other wanted to charge over £100 plus expenses seem not only can these qualifications be time consuming and some time costly and seem unsuccessful

 

Does it make you a better stalker than the person who hasnt got them depends it might and it might not experience is the key to the answer on that one.

 

What it does do however is it provides you to comply with legislation especially for Scotland where shortly it will become a compulsory requirement for all unaccompanied deerstalker to have DSC2 ( other countries have a similar qualification which will be acceptable by SNH ) this obviously covers overseas visitors

ts been previously muted by another postee that EU directives will make the rest of the UK follow suit and in my view this is more than likely to happen even you havent got the right piece of paper deer calibre rifles are likely to be withdrawn , (In the laws eyes you wont have a legitimate need for possessing one) just my own personal take on it.

I hear moves are afoot to make the DSC1 harder in relation to the shooting

Its imperative to those who intend to continue in deerstalking that they obtain these qualifications because they are here to stay land owners insurance providers are insisting that those who carry out deerstalking and wildlife control are competent and can prove it so the landowners themselves are becoming more insistent that you are certificated, the police through home office guidelines are given more backing on conditions imposed when issuing FC especially to novice deerstalkers.

In some respects personally its a good thing in others its an infringement on what some have been doing for years and its a rub. (Says he whose a alright Jack)

 

What I will say you will find its evolving constantly and deerstalkers before obtaining leases in their own right will need other certification including first aid, ATV.mech handling etc and eventually a trained deer dog handling certificate (Not here yet but will be the next piece of paper stalkers will need )

Enjoy

Stuart

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