I probably cling overly to the past and remember the words of my predecessor as a Branch Chairman BDS when he said, in the mid 1980s, that our generation had probably enjoyed the easiest ride as stalkers. There were expanding ranges of most of the British species and a benign legislative regime. This was at the time when the WSCC became the NSCC and DMQ was not thought of or invented. I became involved later in stalker training but only because I had been well initiated into the sport, mentored in my learning by some genuinely knowledgeable people, and encouraged to maintain a strict ethical code with respect for the quarry.
As the training regime enlarged, and bear in mind that it was always based on the voluntary principle - the analogy we used was that of the Yacht Master's Certificate, without which insurance is more difficult/expensive - the NSCC later became the DSC and later again DSC 1. During all these years the fundamentals of the shooting test did not vary; it was always about as quick a death as possible and the three pillars of Safety, Humanity and Legality in that priority order was maintained. Before formal Training became competitive between the organisations as to cost it was relatively leisured and time could be found for discussions on ethics, on humanity (reduction of consciousness in the animals) and on the courses I ran we also visited the county veterinary centre for lectures on diseases (recognise the variation in the normal before all else), carcass examination and how to report disease when found. We also found time to practice for the non FAC holders (usually with a .22 away to the side) on the practice range day which was also included in the course. I believe we put a moral stamp on the courses as well as delivering quality.
Ronin's original question was about the ethics of qualifying inexperienced firearms users with "assistance" on the range test. We did not assist people during the test UNLESS there was firearms problem in which case safety was paramount. I believed then that was as it should be and that it is the commercial drive to get people passing the test which has degraded both the quality of instruction and depth of knowledge imparted. The original course aim was to impart as much knowledge as time allowed which included also more than enough to pass the 4 modules, shooting, safety, identification and the multiple choice questionnaire. I believe it is also fair to say that the attitude of candidates has changed over time and the "qualify and go" mentality is now more prevalent than was then the case. The ease of finding a stalking mentor was also a factor. Everybody has to start somewhere and I still believe DSC1 to be the best starting point BUT the test rules must be rigorously applied and I made many visits as an Internal Verifier to other people's courses to ensure that was the case. I encouraged novices to stalk behind as many professionals as they could afford and to learn the best from each; or find a good mentor.
On the second question of practice and longer range shooting I do believe practice to be vital. I calculated once that I fired more than 4 bullets at paper for every deer killed. That practice at longer ranges is vital as on one occasion when a friend shot a hind [within an inch of perfection for a heart lung shot but the bullet failed to expand properly (in the early days of Nosler Ballistic tips)] and in a howling gale I had to shoot the animal at about 450 yards steeply downhill but fortunately head-to-wind. I aimed just upwind of its ears on the grounds that the wind would carry the round down a long diagonal of the neck and chest to the brisket and killed it with a perfect low neck shot. It was, I freely admit, "by guess and by God" but I would claim it to have been an educated guess because I had practised out to 300 metres, practised my range estimation, and knew my ballistic tables fairly well as a home loader. So yes, practice is good and practice in adverse (windy) conditions also. Equally I thought I knew my limitations but failed miserably to shoot accurately when invited to a very famous estate on Deeside and kill the calf alongside the hind I had just shot. We are not perfect and we can all fail. So yes do try the longer range stuff, but temper it with knowledge of your own capabilities.
