DSC 2 - worth it?

[4616Oxon]

Yes, it changed on 1st April 2021, see Changes to Deer Management Qualifications (DMQ) – Deer Management Qualification

Prior to that date DSC2 required 3 Individual Cull Reports (ICR's) to be completed by the Candidate, over as many outings as necessary to meet the performance requirements. Post that date the requirement was reduced to 1 ICR, on the proviso that all the requirements were to be completed in one outing.

Ok thanks! In reality this would probably be 2 or 3 stalks I guess unless you were very lucky and organised with your time.

 

[Jamouk]

After doing my assesor "call" this very evening , I raised to the assessor the difference between 3 and 1 stalks and his opinion on it , he said that now you have to meet all the performance criteria on one stalk whereas before you could manage them over 3 ie do a bit on 1 and then a bit more on the next and over the 3 manage all of them ...... so id argue that the one stalk is actually the new gold standard !

 

[willie_gunn]

Ok thanks! In reality this would probably be 2 or 3 stalks I guess unless you were very lucky and organised with your time.

Do you mean with the new scheme?

If so, then no, the recommendation is that the entire ICR is is completed on a single outing.

Some individual Performance Criteria, such as "Candidate to provide proof of identity" may be completed prior to an unsuccessful stalk, but Elements 2 (Cull Deer) and 3 (Prepare and Inspect Dead Deer) should be completed in one go.

Where there is some flexibility is in "Element 4 – Transport and Store Dead Deer", as if neither the Approved Witness nor the Candidate have access to a legal larder then this element may be completed via questioning by the Assessor. However it is clearly much simpler if a legal larder is available.

Likewise if a deer is not wounded then Performance Criteria 2.6 (Dispatch Wounded Deer Humanely) and, if no abnormalities are found, Performance Criteria 3.4 (Take appropriate action when carcass abnormality is identified, according to legal requirements) may also be completed via Assessor questioning.

 

[Heym SR20]

I would suggest yes. Having a DSC2 is a recognised level of competency, and recognised by many different organisations.

You don’t need DSC2 to apply for say SNH’s fit and competent register. If you have DSC2 its simple, if you don’t you need to have referees and provide evidence of competence etc etc.

Many stalking leases and syndicates stipulate DSC2 as a requirement to be a leaseholder etc.

 

[huntwithhounds]

Never ended up doing my dsc2, enjoyed the dsc1 mind

 

[Nots so bad lad]

I spent a year practising for the required dsc 2 standard if your not ready the witness will tell you so if you meet the criteria in one stalk why do you need to do 3 ? It’s quiet nerve wracking have ing a stranger witness you learn the lymph nodes and gracloc techniques. Glad I did it and proves I can stalk and shoot to the required standards for health and safety and putting into food chain . The people that run DMQ at Basc were brilliant .

 

[Pete6.5]

The short answer to if DSC 2 is worth it is what is your end goal in deer management.
If you only want to go out with a guide a few times a year and fill your fridge it's not worth it.
If you want to gain a small amount of stalking for your self it's probably not worth it and it's more important who you know.
If you want to manage a syndicate of stalkers it's probably worth having but in this instance money talks every day.
If you want ground to take out paying clients it's probably worth it but again money talks in this situation.
If you what to manage a relatively large area on your own and get paid it's almost a must.
And the last one is like when I started I just loved learning about what was a hobby at the time and I've enjoyed every course I've been on.

 

[Bowland blades]

When I did DSC2 it held a lot more value as regards the std of client that finished it . Planning stalks and at least ( as in no less than 3) beasts and no park culling . Just three was a bit edgy so most put 4-5 minimum in .
All about money at the end of the day when its one and it can be penned in
(even tame enough to eat from your hand !) will do now
I haven't been asked to prove i had dsc2 ( other than one Aran booking that i ended up getting a place but cancelling as it clashed date wise ). Think before you do it ! My original reason was taking certain leases on and progressing further . Honestly i am a fan of most training but only high quality training that is not just a pay and pass with minimum effort
A stalk with some really great guys way better than myself in many regards , none of those have DSC2 . Again be sure of your own " Reason "

 

[SRG]

Learning and qualification never hurts for personal competency, but also for FAC. Show yow are serious and always moving forwards.....

 

[Bowland blades]

Learning and qualification never hurts for personal competency, but also for FAC. Show yow are serious and always moving forwards.....

I agree about further learning but i dont think it makes a jot about FAC because you will have to already done that process and then a DSC1 .
The problem if there is one is all it does is prove the learning you have gone through at level 1 . Only now we have park culling being ok, drive up to the fence shoot one off the bonnet , do the gralloch and your all good . yeah they de-graded its value right there and then to be fair ! Three beasts minimum was the standard and you could easily get your portfolio back and told to gather more evidence then if DMQ assessors didn't like how you interviewed.
In my opinion DSC2 should have remained pretty much as was and the further level of what i remember was called the "management course" covering counting , quality improvement processes etc in deer management etc . Should have had more effort put into it . If it had we might have better people advising government etc