Perhaps if I was correcting someone else's typos you'd be justified in calling me a pedant, but in this instance I was correcting my ownPedant!!!!
David.
PS I am aware that you weren't really being pedantic.
BASC Wild Boar Course
- Thread starter Stalker62
- Start date
Stalker62
Well-Known Member
Well now.
Not long back from the course.
Full day of lectures, with slides (really wish I had realised the 'Memory Stick" that BASC sent me, had these slides and data on).
Fun fact. Half of the course were Vets.
Anyhoo.
History, pathology, disease, habitat, breeding, types of hunting, identification - the list was comprehensive.
Then at the end of a long day, the exam/quiz/questions.
Section 1
Ten slides of Boar. You must age (young, juvenile, adult) and sex each slide.
For me, the trickiest part. Some pre-study (ie the stuff BASC sent for printing) would have be useful - although I did read two books on Boar in preparation for this course, but that was about a year ago. Revision, revision, revision!
Section 2
Fifty questions on the entire course contents. Multi-choice (four options) - "C" is always a favourite ...
Section 3
Shooting Test
Couple of things about the shooting test. If there is time, you will/can, complete this on first day of the course.
However, the more candidates (more questions), the more likely the instructors will run out of time.
Also the time of year when you take the course - winter = shorter hours, so you will likely lose the light by the end of the first day, and so be obliged to take the shooing test on the second day.
The target is a (no surprise) life size Boar. There are two 'targets' on this Boar target. The heart/lung target and the brain target.
These are drawn onto the black Boar target in faint white outline. They are not (they were not for me) easy to see.
Matters where not helped by the low setting sun - but that just reflects 'real world' testing.
You can start with a couple/three 'check zero' targets if you wish - then off you go.
100 yards prone off bi-pods, two shots into the heart/lung target.
70 yards off sticks, two shots into the heart/lung target.
20 yards off sticks, two shots into the brain target.
Then the long drive home and wait for the results...
Not long back from the course.
Full day of lectures, with slides (really wish I had realised the 'Memory Stick" that BASC sent me, had these slides and data on).
Fun fact. Half of the course were Vets.
Anyhoo.
History, pathology, disease, habitat, breeding, types of hunting, identification - the list was comprehensive.
Then at the end of a long day, the exam/quiz/questions.
Section 1
Ten slides of Boar. You must age (young, juvenile, adult) and sex each slide.
For me, the trickiest part. Some pre-study (ie the stuff BASC sent for printing) would have be useful - although I did read two books on Boar in preparation for this course, but that was about a year ago. Revision, revision, revision!
Section 2
Fifty questions on the entire course contents. Multi-choice (four options) - "C" is always a favourite ...
Section 3
Shooting Test
Couple of things about the shooting test. If there is time, you will/can, complete this on first day of the course.
However, the more candidates (more questions), the more likely the instructors will run out of time.
Also the time of year when you take the course - winter = shorter hours, so you will likely lose the light by the end of the first day, and so be obliged to take the shooing test on the second day.
The target is a (no surprise) life size Boar. There are two 'targets' on this Boar target. The heart/lung target and the brain target.
These are drawn onto the black Boar target in faint white outline. They are not (they were not for me) easy to see.
Matters where not helped by the low setting sun - but that just reflects 'real world' testing.
You can start with a couple/three 'check zero' targets if you wish - then off you go.
100 yards prone off bi-pods, two shots into the heart/lung target.
70 yards off sticks, two shots into the heart/lung target.
20 yards off sticks, two shots into the brain target.
Then the long drive home and wait for the results...
Stalker62
Well-Known Member
Thanks for this - it sounds like it was an interesting day.
Out of interest, how many attendees were there? Just tying to work out if it was just you and one vet, or if there were 10 vets and 10 "others"!
Stalker62
Well-Known Member
Just back from the course, and thought I would post a wee picture of how we celebrated the shooting test results...
timbrayford
Well-Known Member
The reason for the faint white outline is purely to assist the assessors in deciding a pass or fail when they assess the target from close up, they are not there to assist the candidate in aiming during the test, there are no such lines on a real boar.
Looking at that breakfast I'm now wondering if the targets on the shooting test were similarly "super-sized".......
Stalker62
Well-Known Member
I do understand that real Boar (or deer) do not come with a target pasted on them.
My point (perhaps clumsily made), was that there was a ‘target’ on the ‘target’, although you may (like me) struggle to see it.
You are in effect, being judged against a “target” you cannot see.
No complaints from me - just an observation
Stalker62
Well-Known Member
Super-sized? Hardly that.
In real life, its toast and yogurt (with fruit).
However: if you are overnight (and unsupervised), then most local by-laws state you have to have a “full English/Scottish/Welsh (although devolution may say otherwise) breakfast.
Here is what the bylaw said I had to have for supper…
I know - I am as furious as you!
7 Candidates, two of whom were vets. The shooting test started at around 15.30, sunset was 19.30. The range points due south.
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Stalker62
Well-Known Member
@HME
I very much enjoyed the day.
I have only ever shot one Boar, and it is unlikely that I will ever shoot another - but that is not the point.
The only (real) option to shoot Boar in the UK is over bait stations - and that is not for everyone.
You can stalk them on foot, but that is not common in this country.
As for driven Boar aboard - dependent on your Outfitter (always the case), that can be a wee bit (forgive) 'hit and miss'.
Also not a cheap thing to do, for anyone (me) of limited means.
Anyhoo, always fun to learn.
Dunwaters
Well-Known Member
Trawl through the foreign colleagues you encountered over the years.
Theres bound to have been at least one shooter and organise a swap hunt. That’ll both keep your costs down and broaden your horizons.
Didn'y know there was a minimun calibre, is that a legal requirement?
Stalker62
Well-Known Member
Not a legal requirement, rather 'best practice' from (in this case) BASC.
“Many people believe that there is a law against using anything smaller than .270 on boar, which in fact is not quite the case. The .270 is the minimum ‘recommended’ calibre for boar, not a legal requirement."
.270Win was Franz Albrecht's preferred cal for many years, I think he alternates with something else on & off though now.
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