Forestry commission qualification requirements?

[6pointer]

Bo but a lot for get Daz that learning about deer makes you a good manager and you will get as much stalking as you want.

 

[DazT]

Learning - every day is a school day!
I've yet to meet anyone that knows everything about anything.
The point of this post was to find out which qualifications are required by the FC for deer stalkers.
It looks like its gone off track slightly.

Daz

 

[Shabz]

Judging by the paperwork that I've seen, it's just as important to have the right vehicle, a dog, a moderator and the ability to visit the site as often as necessary, stuff like that. Experience counts for 25% of the mark. So you need a bit, but you don't need to be the great white hunter. I'm going to get DSC two, not because I need it or I think it'll help me in any way, but because I won't be immediately excluded from the list.

Sounds stupid too, but you need to be able to read the tender form properly. If it asks you for three copies of your FAC and you only put two in, your tender will go straight to the bin.

 

[Cut+Squirt]

I can kind of see where your coming from here Daz . . . .

I have been shooting the shotgun for the past 17 years and had unlimited access to over 2000 acre of ground soley for vermin control. However seven years ago we moved house and a neighbour was well into his deer stalking and took me out on a regular basis. I discovered that I much prefered stalking and rifles to shotguns and vermin.

The problem was however I couldn't find ground for love nor money, vermin control, yes, deer control not a chance !!!

What I found was I was forced to do things a bit arse from elbow - I spent a lot of time getting all the tickets that you mentioned, which got me all the stalking that I could wish for, and in turn gave me ground to learn to stalk if you see what I mean.
Because the truth of the matter was, I was a well qualified novice.

Experiance is all well and good, however I found that to get some ground to gain some experiance you had to have the qualifications to get the ground..

Its not the way it should be, but in my experiance that is exactly how it is.

 

[DazT]

Yep it is very important that you are able to "tick all the boxes" AND have the "paper" qualifications required AND fill out the forms properly enclosing the correct information! It will probably boil down to "who you know" too.

I want to have the best chance of obtaining a lease and will leave nothing to chance

Daz

 

[PointBlank]

not wanting to be a protagonist in this thread but imagine if you wanted to turn up in 2012 on any major construction site in the UK and you didn't have your manual handling, abrasive wheels, confined spaces, lifting and rigging, first aid, IPAF, IOSH, NEBOSH, fire safety, etc, etc or any other of the countless qualifications available. You would be laughed off site!

Paper rules in this day and age!

 

[DazT]

Yep its the way everythings going these days!
Time to get ahead i think

Daz

 

[PointBlank]

Yep its the way everythings going these days!
Time to get ahead i think

Daz

Too right!

I have got to book some first aid at work courses for my employees and for the first time ever I will book myself on one as well

 

[Steyer 6.5]

So what does DazT need as I think this is an interesting read for the like of DazT and others who are looking at making bids. I might already have the relevant bits of paper. I got first aid, I'm a risk assessor and probably the manual handling if that's what's needed. Come surely someone can answer the OP.

 

[ELRIG]

i'd say. L1&L2 + game meat handling.best practice subscriber.first aid. manual handling. if your using an atv then lantra and/or nptc. A lone working awareness course is worth doing to.

 

[SDM]

Its 11 00pm just sat reading all the comments and heres my 2p ive been stalking now for twenty years started out pay per stalk never asked for any paperwork sometimes not even a look at your fac as i got more engrossed into stalking wanting my own ground so of i go and do my level one to get fc ground the next thing they want level two so of i go level two done to use your quad lantra atv of i go, basic first aid, manual handling,risk assement,hazards working alone,got a quad got a four wheel drive got me dog the thing is this is the way its going to go if you want to have a chance at getting on with some forestrys do the paperwork once its done its done i have done mine over the last eight years and to be honest none of it can get you any closer to deer than the time spent out in the field.The qualifications are all worth doing especially the first aid sorry but thats my 2p

 

[Cut+Squirt]

So what does DazT need as I think this is an interesting read for the like of DazT and others who are looking at making bids. I might already have the relevant bits of paper. I got first aid, I'm a risk assessor and probably the manual handling if that's what's needed. Come surely someone can answer the OP.

The FC tendering process works on points.

The more qualifications the more points, the more points the better chance of interview and subsequent lease.

L1 + L2
SNH - FAC
First Aid
Manual Handling.
ATV
4x4
Dog trained to deer.
A fully qualified and experienced deer control syndicate ready to rock and roll.

Previous experiance on FC ground?
Previous experiance managing a deer control lease?
How often you will visit the ground?

And how much you are willing to pay for the pleasure?

Just to mention a few of the requirements.

If you have all the above in play, you might have a chance of a lease.

 

[PointBlank]

Its 11 00pm just sat reading all the comments and heres my 2p ive been stalking now for twenty years started out pay per stalk never asked for any paperwork sometimes not even a look at your fac as i got more engrossed into stalking wanting my own ground so of i go and do my level one to get fc ground the next thing they want level two so of i go level two done to use your quad lantra atv of i go, basic first aid, manual handling,risk assement,hazards working alone,got a quad got a four wheel drive got me dog the thing is this is the way its going to go if you want to have a chance at getting on with some forestrys do the paperwork once its done its done i have done mine over the last eight years and to be honest none of it can get you any closer to deer than the time spent out in the field.The qualifications are all worth doing especially the first aid sorry but thats my 2p

This is pretty much the way of the world these days, if you can't/won't sit the assessment then you will not get the job. You have to remember that you are performing a job on Forestry Commission land therefore they have have to satisfy themselves that you are competent and have received appropriate training using "work equipment" (rifle, extraction equipment/vehicles) under the PUWER regs otherwise they would be held responsible.

This isn't paper chasing by the FC but a requirement under the regulations the rest of the working world has to operate under.

 

[DazT]

Here is how i see it:

Lvl1 (inc large game hygiene)
Lvl2
FAC - current with deer legal calibres and moderators
SNH - F&C (apply for with completed lvl2)
Health and safety - risk assessments
First Aid - Basic
Manual Handling
Lone working
ATV/Quad - NPTC qual with own atv/quad
4x4 - own for extraction/access to remote areas
Dog trained for tracking deer

Feel free to add to the list

Daz

 

[sikamalc]

I have to say I have never ever had a FC lease. However I and 3 others off this site applied for a reasonable tract of land in the SE of England some 2 years back and was rewarded with a long interview and a shooting test.

Having forfilled all the criteria laid down, including writing a risk assesment and deer management plan, we then discovered hidden in the lease a caveat which said that only 20 deer (Fallow and Roe) were to be taken between 1st April and the 30th October

Waste of time!!! or what. Even though I have ground to the north and south of the area they proposed letting and when I told them there was more than 2 species present they told me before taking anyhting else out I had to phone them first that is my one and only experience of the FC.

However on the other hand I agree with getting the paperwork, as despite whatever others may agree or disagree it is hear to stay, and it aint going to change!!

 

[westpoint]

Surely the answer lies in who pays the ferryman! If people are unhappy about the way deer are managed on public land take it up with the Scottish Government. Deer are a national resource how they are managed and what it costs the taxpayer can and should be debated land reform is again on the agenda maybe we (deerstalker full and part-time) should ask for a review with the intention allowing models like North America and New Zealand to be piloted in Scotland to increase community involvement and reduce the burden on the taxpayer. Remember it costs the FC and SNH to kill deer on your behalf you gentlemen are the answer to the problem, no government will overlook the chance to reduce costs improve delivery and add value sustainably to a natural resource whilst involving the people this is what competence is about, let the FC of tomorrow adminster the opportunities rather than increase the tax burden.

Soar Alba

 

[Paul at Fechan]

Here is how i see it:

Lvl1 (inc large game hygiene)
Lvl2
FAC - current with deer legal calibres and moderators
SNH - F&C (apply for with completed lvl2)
Health and safety - risk assessments
First Aid - Basic
Manual Handling
Lone working
ATV/Quad - NPTC qual with own atv/quad
4x4 - own for extraction/access to remote areas
Dog trained for tracking deer

Feel free to add to the list

Daz

Daz,

general deer control policy

Includes working with controllers, additional training inc L1's being accompanied working towards L2, meeting with the public, incident management, a full list of equipment and when in use to aid in controlling like moderators, lean-to / freestanding highseats etc etc. Links out to Risk assessment, Lone working policy and Industry best practice. They love that!

 

[andibrains]

too many people on here just wanting to have a whinge about the FC. I have a current FC and have an interview and skills test for another lease next week. I have never had a problem with the FC and found them to always be reasonable. Yes to apply for leases you have to jump through some hoops but that is for the same reason you have to for a job interview aswell, if the application can cut down the numbers it all makes their job easier when it comes to choosing three for interview. As for those people who constantly go on about the FC being all about how much money you bid, if you look at their scoring process on the lease applications the value of the tender represents only a small percentage of total points available. It may not be the greatest system in the world but it does seem to be pretty transparent and gives people like myself and the lads in the syndicate access to land that we probably wouldnt get otherwise.

 

[Chanty Wrassler]

if you wanted to turn up in 2012 on any major construction site in the UK and you didn't have your manual handling, abrasive wheels, confined spaces, lifting and rigging, first aid, IPAF, IOSH, NEBOSH, fire safety, etc, etc or any other of the countless qualifications available. You would be laughed off

You've omitted the CSCS card, without that you wouldn't even get on to be laughed off!

 

[straightbetweentheeyes]

if you wanted to turn up in 2012 on any major construction site in the UK and you didn't have your manual handling, abrasive wheels, confined spaces, lifting and rigging, first aid, IPAF, IOSH, NEBOSH, fire safety, etc, etc or any other of the countless qualifications available. You would be laughed off

You've omitted the CSCS card, without that you wouldn't even get on to be laughed off!

Unless your a polak.....