Help please.

[teyhan1]

Hi. I feel I may have to get DSC1 & 2.
I have been stalking for 20 years and shot and gralloched more deer than I care to remember. (During a recent February clearout I accounted for 2x Sika and 5x Roe in a week and I have a full time business that I run!! I even used to take out clients professionally.) Is there anyone willing to help me as an accredited witness. I have an Advanced Stalker cert and Meat Hygene cert. Thanks

 

[Eric the Red]

Talk to Jelen. I'm sure they'll be able to tailor something for you to account for your needs.

 

[prometheus]

Teyhan1, an approved witness is no good to you until you have taken and passed your level one first. When you apply for level two you will be given a list of all the approved witnesses in the country.

 

[bogtrotter]

I think there was a deadline on it and you have probably run out of time, at one time your advanced stalkers certificate would have granted you DSC1

 

[teyhan1]

I think there was a deadline on it and you have probably run out of time, at one time your advanced stalkers certificate would have granted you DSC1

Yeah. Fancy being told as you finished your advanced course ( which had compulsory accommodation as well as a hefty course fee ) that there was a new qualification coming out and if you paid a further £35-00 you could have the certificate. It was that action that turned me against the BDS. At sometime they seemed to turn from a charitable organisation driven by the welfare of deer into one that was commercially driven by money. To me it was a con and since that day they have never had any money or my support.

 

[User00001]

Are you sure that it was the Advanced Deer Management Course that could be converted to DSC1? I recall that many people, me included, converted their WSCC to a NSCC and then, in due course, to a DSC1 but I wasn't aware that the Advanced was ever involved. If I recall correctly the admin fee was only £10 or £15.


I have to say that if a person is cynical about voluntary qualifications then they are probably best staying away from them; why spend money on something that you don't believe in or feel is worthwhile?

Glyn.

 

[teyhan1]

Are you sure that it was the Advanced Deer Management Course that could be converted to DSC1? I recall that many people, me included, converted their WSCC to a NSCC and then, in due course, to a DSC1 but I wasn't aware that the Advanced was ever involved. If I recall correctly the admin fee was only £10 or £15.


I have to say that if a person is cynical about voluntary qualifications then they are probably best staying away from them; why spend money on something that you don't believe in or feel is worthwhile?

Glyn.

I got the NSCC and then progressed to the Advanced version two years later. I have to say that I am cynical about the qualifications but i am involved in a deer stalking business and would like to become an accredited witness so as to expand the business. I order to do this I would need to have DCS1 & 2. What bugs me is that I can show very easily that I can and have done this for the last 20 years with some very credible people within the industry, yet without a piece of paper becoming a AW will be impossible.

 

[User00001]

I got the NSCC and then progressed to the Advanced version two years later. I have to say that I am cynical about the qualifications but i am involved in a deer stalking business and would like to become an accredited witness so as to expand the business. I order to do this I would need to have DCS1 & 2. What bugs me is that I can show very easily that I can and have done this for the last 20 years with some very credible people within the industry, yet without a piece of paper becoming a AW will be impossible.

Given your experience and the fact that you are already in the industry, it should be simply a case of registering for 'assesment only' DSC1 (not sure what this costs but it will be the cheapest option) then register for DSC2 (£90-£120?) and shoot three deer with an AW.

If the only goal is to achieve AW status in order to expand your business then I recomend that you look very closely at the business plan, the only reason that I say this is that the limited ammount of AW work that I do as part of my job is, without doubt, the least profitable part of the business and the very small ammount of income is truely hard earned.

Don't forget that you can start accumulating evidence for you DSC2 portfolio up to three years before you register.

Glyn.

 

[teyhan1]

To Glyn from Glynn (aka Teyhan1)
Regarding the business plan it merely another string in you bow to be able to advertise to clients that AW is available. The main bulk of the stalking is done with Danish clients and therefore leaves a number of does to be culled every year too. Of course it is quicker and easier to do it yourself, but income from stalking fees is income none the less and there are always people who want to gain the experience. I do not want to make a fortune (as if ) from being an AW just be able to offer another service.

 

[Glen Cadwallader]

I feel your pain fella, I was a professional stalker for 3/4 seasons and have shot 6/700 red deer and various others, plus stalked for guests to shoot hundreds more, 2 years at Gamekeeping college in Thurso got all my NVQ's and SVQ's .. Means nothing!

Have to say though, the DSC1 I did it in just the one day.. However I spent 2 solid weeks learning the manual which is pretty hefty and I am glad I did as I actually thought it was a LOT to remember, so I would certainly advise a good bit of studying.

In the process of doing my DSC2 my witness is going to be a bit tense at some of the places I am going to take him! 3am pitch black up a mountainside on the back of the quad .. Hope he isn't reading, looking forward to it though, I'm sure I have picked up bad habits which rightly so need to be adjusted for deer entering the food chain.