How many stalks to achieve three completed ICR's for the DSC2?

[Erik Hamburger]

Thank you all for your contributions: Some great advice, and useful to know that not everybody completes their DSC2 in just one morning stalk with three perfectly head-shot deer
Reading through the various comments I have concluded that it makes a lot of sense to book your AW Stalks with a professional with access to excellent and productive land as in the end this will be the cheapest and quickest route to completing the DSC2 portfolio.

 

[Tackleberry270]

Excuse my ignorance but what's an ND

Stands for Negligent Discharge

 

[simon1979]

im looking at doing my DSC2 this year, but its sounding costly, any tips or advice welcome

 

[DAThornley]

Hi Simon, best to either go with a outfit like Jelen deer on one of there packages, good value and they have the animals needed or if you want to do it the hard way and book stalking, try mike dickinson at calton moor range, he is quite handy for you, really helpful guy, has the animals and knows where to find them, his prices are very reasonable, just done my last two to complete mine, cant recommend his services high enough, plus he has any kit or ammunition you might need

 

[Sinistral]

Thank you all for your contributions: Some great advice, and useful to know that not everybody completes their DSC2 in just one morning stalk with three perfectly head-shot deer
Reading through the various comments I have concluded that it makes a lot of sense to book your AW Stalks with a professional with access to excellent and productive land as in the end this will be the cheapest and quickest route to completing the DSC2 portfolio.

That's the reason I'll never do DSC2. I would have to buy paid stalking, as the little stalking I have is so unproductive. I'm just not willing to tag along as a tenderfoot to comply with an officially accredited imposed training regime. If DSC2 ever becomes a dominant requirement, let alone compulsory, then I'd give up stalking straightaway.

I think it would cost me around £1000 to qualify. The 'numbers' stipulation, and the financial cost of AW's are just part of an unseemly gravy train you're compelled to hop aboard.

I don't sell carcasses, and only shoot enough to feed me and the family. I'm constantly importuned by people offering AW witnessing for a hefty recognisance plus expenses, so this has soured the whole process for me. Not all are like that but I seem to have met more than my share of the wrong sort.

 

[finnbear270]

That's the reason I'll never do DSC2. I would have to buy paid stalking, as the little stalking I have is so unproductive. I'm just not willing to tag along as a tenderfoot to comply with an officially accredited imposed training regime. If DSC2 ever becomes a dominant requirement, let alone compulsory, then I'd give up stalking straightaway.

I think it would cost me around £1000 to qualify. The 'numbers' stipulation, and the financial cost of AW's are just part of an unseemly gravy train you're compelled to hop aboard.

I don't sell carcasses, and only shoot enough to feed me and the family. I'm constantly importuned by people offering AW witnessing for a hefty recognisance plus expenses, so this has soured the whole process for me. Not all are like that but I seem to have met more than my share of the wrong sort.

It's just a need to better yourself, nothing to do with compliance!........... If I can keep at it, then anyone can!

 

[sikadog]

My DSC2 was completed in 2003 I did it over 3 days and it cost £385 + hotel+ travel costs.
It was completed With Mike Allison before he took over Jelen Deer Services.

 

[Wingers243]

3 stalks, a single roe deer from each of 3 different locations, and just over 90 minutes one morning from start to finish! It probably took the rest of the day to write up all the questions and answers!!

It was done in March on does when they tend to move a great deal more and obviously feed for longer and after the shooting season that does upset the reliability of their presence in a particular area. I knew the area well, was well praticed and competent already and had stalked with AW's and instructors before in general terms and knew I was at the necessary level and so it was easy enough.

Now comes the important part....... Once all the recon was done, kit organised, lymph nodes brushed up on etc I gathered up all the luck I was going to have that year and blew in all in one morning!!!!

Essentially, going at the right time, to the right place, preparing properly, being well practiced and competent then having the luck to have access to an area I can stalk for free and having one extremely lucky morning was what made it a short, cheap process for me.

 

[Big Kev]

I managed mine in 3. I ;m not sure what the exact crieria is but I was led to beleive by my AW that a witnessed stalk, cull and prep was just that, any relevent questions should be asked before the witnessed stalk started after that he was there as an observer, I was given a map and asked where I would like to go. Reading through the replies to this thread unless I;ve picked it up wrong it seems that some AWs do a little bit more than observe, all being fair if the candidate can;t find his or her own deer what chance have they got of becoming a stalker.

 

[Heym SR20]

A lot will very much depend on the ground and how well you know it. I did do three or four stalks on my own ground with an AW, and whilst we saw deer and got close to them on each stalk lack of safe shots meant it was going to be difficult to complete without a lot of stalks. To be fair the ground is tricky, quite small and there are only a few places where safe shots are available and over the years I average about one beast for every three or four stalks. But then a stalk takes me two hours from my front door to being back at my front door.

After chatting things through with the AW, I then got i touch with another AW who has his own piece of ground - a 1,000 odd acre forestry block with lots of Roe Deer. I achieved my three culls over a two days last winter. On the first day I had first doe on the ground within 30 minutes. We stalked the rest of the day but did n't achieve another cull. To be honest I should really have had another doe, but conditions were not ideal - bright sunshine, minus 5 degrees and no wind. Not knowing the ground I did spook a couple of beasts and failed to get close enough to another. However I was also treating it as reconaissance and getting to know the ground as well as possible and certainly asked lots of questions of the AW about the ground.

The AW certainly understood it was new ground to me, what he was looking for was how I approached it, how I built up the knowledge and understanding of the ground, including asking pertinant questions how I assimulated and then used that knowledge, and most importantly how I used my experience gained elsewhere to work the piece of ground.

Day 2 was very much easier as I knew the ground, where deer were likely to be and potential approaches to them. I did have a frustrating time morning in that the only beasts I saw were bucks, or does at the far end of rides. After an early lunch I went back to one of the spots where I had seen does in the morning, but from a different approach - cull two completed. Still 40 mins of daylight - stalked into another spot again where I had seen deer earlier, cull number three completed.

 

[finnbear270]

Got the "Call" late evening Sunday, ten questions, it's now on its way back to internal verifier

 

[bambislayer]

I did mine in 2 days , I shot 4 fallow on the 1st day only to be told that only 2 animals can be assessed in any one day.

2nd day I shot 3 Reds..........

Why dont people do their homework and go where you have the best chance of getting the required animals in the shortest timescale?

Where does it say "only 2 animals in 1 day"????

Glad you got it sorted, but there is nothing within DMQ that states that you can only be assessed on 2 deer in one day?????????

Or after god knows how many years as an AW and heaps of part 2s done in 1 day, have I got it completly wrong?????????????

 

[mereside]

finnbear, what sort of questions did you get asked ,if you dont mind me asking
atb wayne

 

[finnbear270]

finnbear, what sort of questions did you get asked ,if you dont mind me asking
atb wayne

Recognise / describe a possible Anthrax carcase, a few on high seats, must admit rocked me on my heels a little, I was wrapped around a bottle of red, & about to go up the wooden hills!

 

[Moray Outfitting]

BambiS - you are not wrong ( on that at least ). There is no such stipulation.

 

[bambislayer]

BambiS - you are not wrong ( on that at least ). There is no such stipulation.

Makes a change

 

[csl]

Got the "Call" late evening Sunday, ten questions, it's now on its way back to internal verifier

Well done Steve.

I was in hospital when I got my call. Not ideal, but went for it anyway as I didn't want him to think I was making excuses

 

[Cry Havoc]

im looking at doing my DSC2 this year, but its sounding costly, any tips or advice welcome

Hi Simon
have you contacted Prometheus, he's very local and has some very good ground and plenty of it right on your doorstep?

 

[Erik Hamburger]

Acting on the excellent advise after I started the thread, I booked a full day + a half day provisionally with a professional hunter/AW with excellent land in Fife, Scotland, to complete my elusive DSC2 portfolio. Despite atrocious weather conditions last Tuesday (22nd.January) my AW worked very hard to get me in area's where I could get my stalks and the two culls I was looking for, in fact I got just one cull after a full days' hard hunting and epic last light stalk in the snow on day one, but two relative straightforward culls the next morning in more benign conditions. So thank you for all your advise- and to anybody who is struggling to complete their portfolio I can recommend to pay the fee for a good PH/AW with good land as in the long term it will be the cheapest route to completing the DSC2 portfolio.

 

[Wingy]

Reading some of these threads think I've not done too bad. Registered and spent over 2 years trying to find a good deal, price etc. almost gave up then was put on to a top bloke AW reasonable costs etc
Stalk 1) 4 suitable animals spotted but no way of getting a shot at any
Stalk 2) almost at end of stalk spotted, stalked, dealt with cull animal ICR1 done
Stalk 3) 2 x cull animals stalked and dealt with very quickly. AW would only sign one off as he said he wanted me to find someone else to do my third. Fair enough ICR2 done
Out for a walk on my syndicate intention to do some work on high seats etc. lease holder decided to have a walk around with me quick chat - take rifle out for an hour as he could act as CW. 20 minutes later ICR3 done
Paperwork sent off - now awaiting
"THE CALL"
Wingy