BASC launches register of competent deer stalkers

[tarponhead]

I can't see what difference this will make to most. If you have stalking and the owner/person granting your permission is happy then they will probably only worry you have insurance because they are happy. If you have the bits of paper then bonus.
We all see posts on here about I've knocked on doors, put letters through doors etc etc and everywhere has stalkers or don't want anyone on there ground so where is all this magic land full of deer that nobody has tried to get stalking on?

The magic land fully of deer is held by those land owners, Deer managers/stalkers who tie up thousands of acres of private land which they then charge others to access, making it a much more expensive and exclusive sport than it would be if we also allowed shooting over public land, with proper controls, as in other countries. If I owned that land, I probably would too. A rethink is required if we are serious about land and wildlife management and I include our rivers and waterways in that, as an avid angler that lives on a boat.

 

[User00047]

This is the paragraph that caught my eye:

"Upon successful completion of this eLearning course you can go on to take the ‘Level 2 Award in Wild Game Meat Hygiene’ certificate accredited by Lantra Awards, City and Guilds or other Awarding Organisations that are approved for this qualification. The course covers only the theory aspects preparing trainees for their assessment"

Which suggests to me that the £35 / 40minute e-learning course is just a preliminary to doing the LANTRA qualification. And I'm pretty sure it's the LANTRA one you need to give you the "trained hunter" number required for selling to an AGHE. But I may be wrong, of course.

So where in the heck does one go for the Lantra Qualification for LGMH if not doing a DSC2?
Didn’t NGO run these meat hygiene courses at some point?

 

[baguio]

I have also known a fair few very well qualified idiots ! I tend to take a few but only for the sake of not missing something because somebody asks for a particular thing 99.9% of the time they ask for the deer or some of the deer shot . I have produced my level 1 and level 2 ,i think no more than three times in what might be 20 years now . First aid and forestry? Never !

Sorry Bowland but it's not that long ago that you were claiming on here that the heat signature from a culled deer disappeared quickly when we all know that's totally untrue. Now you're calling people qualified idiots. Bit rich don't you think and totally un-called for. No one knows everything and DSC1 and 2 are only a minimum standard. They don't claim to make people a genius in deer or deer management.

 

[Deerkeeper2]

.

 

[User00047]

I have heard of some chancers getting away with this £35 online course but good luck if questions were ever asked.

It either is the right qualification or it is not.
I personally would not entertain the idea of trying to get away with putting carcasses into the food chain without the minimum legal requirements.

 

[VSS]

, making it a much more expensive and exclusive sport than it would be

Deer stalking in the UK is neither expensive nor exclusive, which is one of the nicest things about it.
True, there are "expensive and exclusive" options available for those that like that sort of thing and are prepared to pay for the privilege, but in reality anyone from any walk of life with a budget of £500 can get themselves fully kitted out with everything they need, and start stalking.

be if we also allowed shooting over public land, with proper controls, as in other countries.

Shooting already takes place over some public land in the UK. If it was more widely available (as in other countries), I don't think it would result in any more affordable opportunities for the recreational stalker. And I think it would be a bit of a disaster from the point of view of both wildlife management and legislation.

The magic land fully of deer is held by those land owners, Deer managers/stalkers who tie up thousands of acres of private land which they then charge others to access,

There is indeed a problem with individual stalkers taking on more land than they can realistically hope to manage the deer on. Greed and ego.
But I don't think that it is the ones who then charge others for outings who are the principal culprits here.

. If I owned that land, I probably would too.

If you owned land you would very definitely want to maintain control over who shoots there, when they shoot there, and what they shoot. Believe me: I've got the T-shirt!

. A rethink is required if we are serious about land and wildlife management

Yes!

 

[Morkai]

So where in the heck does one go for the Lantra Qualification for LGMH if not doing a DSC2?
Didn’t NGO run these meat hygiene courses at some point?

@Buckaroo8 @VSS

The stuff moved from DSC1 to DSC2 does seem to get confusing.

I did my DSC1 in November '22.

It was the basic DSC1, however at the end of the exam the option to complete an additional LANTRA qualification was given.

My course was funded by TSD, this LANTRA part was included. BDS also gave others on the course the option to do the additional LANTRA course for a fee.

I came away with a DSC1 cert and a LANTRA Level 2 Award in Wild Game Meat Hygiene.

From the LANTRA site PDF it would seem that I do have the ability to put carcasses into a game dealer without having to do DSC2 and not having the old DSC1.

If I am reading everything correctly, then I have trained hunter status without doing DSC2.

Don't want to derail this thread so happy for you to message me if I have this wrong.

 

[Morkai]

So why would I need DSC2 to register in the scheme if what I have posted above is correct?

I would assume a lot of land owners want DSC2 for the foodchain/game dealer supply element, if this is true then what about the pre change DSC1 qualifications?

 

[Morkai]

What LANTRA say and what DMQ say are different.

 

[VSS]

So why would I need DSC2 to register in the scheme if what I have posted above is correct?

Yes, what you have posted is correct.
As I've stated earlier, you need the LANTRA qualification. It used to automatically be part of DSC1. Now it's not. It's included as part of level 2.
So, we've gone from a situation where DSC1 used to be all that was required to sell to an AGHE, and that is no longer the case. Which is the point @Buckaroo8 wanted clarification on.
So, you have to either do DSC2, or do the LANTRA course as a standalone qualification. (As you have done. Albeit at the same time as doing your DSC1).
In post #199 in this thread I acknowledged that there were other options, but DMQ remains the most popular and the most widely recognised. And if the DMQ route is chosen then DSC1 is no longer sufficient. DSC2 is required.

 

[Morkai]

Yes, what you have posted is correct.
As I've stated earlier, you need the LANTRA qualification. It used to automatically be part of DSC1. Now it's not. It's included as part of level 2.
So, we've gone from a situation where DSC1 used to be all that was required to sell to an AGHE, and that is no longer the case. Which is the point @Buckaroo8 wanted clarification on.
So, you have to either do DSC2, or do the LANTRA course as a standalone qualification. (As you have done. Albeit at the same time as doing your DSC1).
In post #199 in this thread I acknowledged that there were other options, but DMQ remains the most popular and the most widely recognised. And if the DMQ route is chosen then DSC1 is no longer sufficient. DSC2 is required.

Thanks, pal, cleared it up for me.

 

[Deerkeeper2]

@Buckaroo8 @VSS

The stuff moved from DSC1 to DSC2 does seem to get confusing.

I did my DSC1 in November '22.

It was the basic DSC1, however at the end of the exam the option to complete an additional LANTRA qualification was given.

My course was funded by TSD, this LANTRA part was included. BDS also gave others on the course the option to do the additional LANTRA course for a fee.

I came away with a DSC1 cert and a LANTRA Level 2 Award in Wild Game Meat Hygiene.

From the LANTRA site PDF it would seem that I do have the ability to put carcasses into a game dealer without having to do DSC2 and not having the old DSC1.

If I am reading everything correctly, then I have trained hunter status without doing DSC2.

Don't want to derail this thread so happy for you to message me if I have this wrong.

View attachment 346945

Yes, the Lantra Qualification that you did give you Trained Hunter status. Use your Lantra certificate number on tags not your DSC1 number.

 

[Morkai]

Yes, the Lantra Qualification that you did give you Trained Hunter status. Use your Lantra certificate number on tags not your DSC1 number.

Sound, thank you.

 

[Dickie]

The magic land fully of deer is held by those land owners, Deer managers/stalkers who tie up thousands of acres of private land which they then charge others to access, making it a much more expensive and exclusive sport than it would be if we also allowed shooting over public land, with proper controls, as in other countries. If I owned that land, I probably would too. A rethink is required if we are serious about land and wildlife management and I include our rivers and waterways in that, as an avid angler that lives on a boat.

You appear to have missed my point. All the ground is taken or the owners don’t want stalking/shooting, so where is BASC register going to magic up available ground from? Unless someone kicks the bucket, dead man shoes.

 

[tarponhead]

You appear to have missed my point. All the ground is taken or the owners don’t want stalking/shooting, so where is BASC register going to magic up available ground from? Unless someone kicks the bucket, dead man shoes.

Hi, thanks for the correction - I agree with you to a point - dead man shoes- or accessed by an exclusive group who keep it to themselves unless you can afford (or want) their time and additional fees. I really value learning from the guides I go out. I would also like the ability to take my gun for a walk in woods or parkland on my own from time to time, for nothing more than the cost of my time and any ammo used. I guess a syndicate is the only route to that, unless zi win big the lottery! The BASC idea is likely to funnel more land to those who already have some, than open up land to those that don’t. I might still have a go at joining the register, as I’d rather spend time fixing my problem, than complaining about that which I can’t change. I think we are broadly on the same page.

 

[shortshot]

It looks a good initiative. I would see it as increased access to provide a specific targeted service. It will involve work both field and deskwork but will likely be chargeable.
Doubtless it will also allow the FC to fill high seats on specific day to cover there lack of employed wildlife rangers.
A lot of new tree planting is being grant encouraged on farmland. Deer will suddenly become a problem where previously they were not, as a condition of the grant a lot more deer will need to be shot in these new plantings, they will need regular local active input.

 

[shortshot]

Assuredly FC regional offices are going to hold this register of fit and competent. I doubt that you “need to be a BASC member” as long as insurance is in place to be listed.

 

[Dickie]

It looks a good initiative. I would see it as increased access to provide a specific targeted service. It will involve work both field and deskwork but will likely be chargeable.
Doubtless it will also allow the FC to fill high seats on specific day to cover there lack of employed wildlife rangers.
A lot of new tree planting is being grant encouraged on farmland. Deer will suddenly become a problem where previously they were not, as a condition of the grant a lot more deer will need to be shot in these new plantings, they will need regular local active input.

I don’t see how the FC will be able to do as you suggest unless they have a change in policy. I believe FC rangers and others who shoot on FC land have to do an annual shooting test taken at a FC range and verified by FC staff where they check your ammo is factory and non lead, FAC and DSC qualified.
The admin for all this doesn’t fit with the odd high seat session.

 

[finnbear270]

Assuredly FC regional offices are going to hold this register of fit and competent. I doubt that you “need to be a BASC member” as long as insurance is in place to be listed.

BASC Register of Competent Deer Stalkers
Required
1.Name

2.BASC Membership Number

3.Phone number

4.Post Code

5.County

6.Email address

7.What qualifications do you hold?

DMQ Deer Stalking Certificate level 1

DMQ Deer Stalking Certificate level 2

DMQ Wild Boar Certificate

DMQ/BDS Deer Management Certificate

Emergency First Aid (minimum of +F)

Manual Handling Certifiate

ATV qualification

Wild Game Meat Hygiene Certificate

Any Other- list below

 

[Dickie]

Hi, thanks for the correction - I agree with you to a point - dead man shoes- or accessed by an exclusive group who keep it to themselves unless you can afford (or want) their time and additional fees. I really value learning from the guides I go out. I would also like the ability to take my gun for a walk in woods or parkland on my own from time to time, for nothing more than the cost of my time and any ammo used. I guess a syndicate is the only route to that, unless zi win big the lottery! The BASC idea is likely to funnel more land to those who already have some, than open up land to those that don’t. I might still have a go at joining the register, as I’d rather spend time fixing my problem, than complaining about that which I can’t change. I think we are broadly on the same page.

Hi,
It sounds like you need to join a syndicate and they cost. The BASC scheme is for people with a deer problem to approach them and get the problem sorted by BASC passing on details of local registered stalkers. By your own words you want to be part of the same problem you complain about “ take my gun for a walk from time to time for nothing.”