I would just add that whoever you go out with, it would be advisable to have direct experience with both species and sex that will comprise your cull. On that very specific note, I would also concede that a single cull when there are key handling differences between different species and sex does leave 'some' room for controversy around the qualification. Equally, that controversy would exist whether a single or multiple culls, if only dealing with the same species/sex. However, if one should only be experienced with the smaller species for example, yet can process those into the food chain without incident, if they then come to handle one of the bigger species the principles are still the same and should they make any error with their first encounters with larger species (or vice versa), then the carcass simply doesn't enter the food chain. Having achieved DSC2 standard in the first place, they would know precisely what would and would not mean that carcass can or cannot enter the food chain, so I struggle to understand the controversy.
I only have Muntjac and Roe on my grounds and as experienced and confident as I may be with those, I had zero experience of the Fallow I would expect to encounter with Ian at the time of year I undertook the assessment stalk (mid March). I took a guided stalk to get direct experience a few weeks prior, resulting in a Fallow Doe and wholly successful completely clean gralloch. However, I hadn't actually gralloched a Fallow Buck prior to the DSC2 stalk and that did concern me. In practice, I needn't have worried. If one can confidently handle the irksome nature of extracting the urethra from a Muntjac/Roe buck (big bloke with big hands that struggle to fit inside the groin of smaller bucks) without 'incident', even though my first Fallow Buck, boy was it easy in comparison and so net result, completely clean carcass fit for the food chain, which is all DSC2 is actually there to test. Does one need to shoot hundreds of deer to be able to successfully process a carcass into the food chain? Any sensible and reasonable person would argue not and exactly how many culls that needs, is entirely down to the individual. Either one is confident and can meet the standards, or one is not and whether after five or fifty culls, is entirely down to the individual. For me, I was simply not confident until my cull count exceeded the 20-25 recommend before applying for DSC2. However, one of the chaps I took guided stalks with prior, needed considerably less for his.
sieve that goes with it!
for all I care, bollocks to them 
