I see from you first post you have never been stalking yet so i reckon someone to impart their experience on you would only be a good thing. Don't rush things and have fun learning about your quarry and respect what are beautiful creatures and do not just think of them as targets but as a living breathing asset to harvest humanely and you will learn about the welfare an not just wipe them all out as you do with vermin.
And what has any of that got to do with the firearms licensing dept?
Their remit is safety and need, not animal welfare. They don't get anal about rabbits, hares and foxes so why do they take the high ground when it comes to deer? It's not a mythical creature that demands we give it special treatment - and if it is than the same special treatment should be applied across the board. Rabbits (even rats) are entitled to a humane and proper dispatch. After all, they've all got heart's, lungs and brains. They all hop about on 4 legs. They're all beautiful creatures in their own way.
They possibly do what they do and get away with it because we as stalkers encourage it by in turn being elitist (note the highlighted part of Red Dot's post No offence RD, just using it as an example). I'm sure we've all drawn the line between deer and other species at times, so really we're in no position to complain when the police do the same, encouraged by representative bodies that have a vested financial interest to keep it that way.
