National Deer Best Practice Events

[Ratel]

Only ever seen one best practice day, when it first came out and we were all told how to perform. It was at a place called Glen Feshie in Scotland. Video produced by Gamekeepers showed it all.
How to handle helicoptors.
How to gralloch where fuel and helicoptors were landing, without gloves.
How to shoot deer using contractors.
A terrific show by the SNH as one of their cull programmes.
I sincerely hope things are better down here, and looking at names, no doubt they will be.

 

[Alastair Boston]

Any being organised In the Nottinghamshire or South Yorkshire area.

Hello Terrier 1

We have one at Dalby Forest next month.We may hold some again next year,depends on funding and if the interest is there amongst the deer stalking community,thanks for your interest.

 

[Stirlinggundogs]

I attended the Best Practise event in Chester on Friday. I have been to few of these events over the years, this was the best yet!

Not just because there were the biscuits and lunch! The inputs from Simon Roch re copper ammunition was informative, clear and without a hard sell, was a highly compelling case for people to move to lead free (Copper) it with specific operational advice and results shared.

Peter Green's input re deer anatomy was quite simply outstanding. His unrivalled knowledge and evident in-depth experience of deer and their management had everyone gripped. His practical demonstration in the larder was simply phenomenal. I have been stalking and controlling deer for many year but learned a great deal from his input, every day is a school day!

These BP/ CPD days are, in my view, a must to attend, it is testament to Alistair and the quality of inputs and guest speakers he has contributing that they are quickly oversubscribed. I believe that we as a sector must ask for these days to be put on as we all need to keep up to date and relevant in our stalking/ deer management practices, I am very confident that everyone who attended learned a great deal as everyone I spoke with was raving about the day. And as I said biscuits and lunch, always a winner!!

Big THANK YOU to Alistair for putting this day on, sign me up now for your next one please!!!

 

[rob4586]

I attended the Best Practise event in Chester on Friday. I have been to few of these events over the years, this was the best yet!

Not just because there were the biscuits and lunch! The inputs from Simon Roch re copper ammunition was informative, clear and without a hard sell, was a highly compelling case for people to move to lead free (Copper) it with specific operational advice and results shared.

Peter Green's input re deer anatomy was quite simply outstanding. His unrivalled knowledge and evident in-depth experience of deer and their management had everyone gripped. His practical demonstration in the larder was simply phenomenal. I have been stalking and controlling deer for many year but learned a great deal from his input, every day is a school day!

These BP/ CPD days are, in my view, a must to attend, it is testament to Alistair and the quality of inputs and guest speakers he has contributing that they are quickly oversubscribed. I believe that we as a sector must ask for these days to be put on as we all need to keep up to date and relevant in our stalking/ deer management practices, I am very confident that everyone who attended learned a great deal as everyone I spoke with was raving about the day. And as I said biscuits and lunch, always a winner!!

Big THANK YOU to Alistair for putting this day on, sign me up now for your next one please!!!

I also attended the same day and I echo everything said above. The quality of knowledge and the way it was delivered by both Simon and Peter made the day highly enjoyable and informative. It was by far the highest standard of event I’ve attended during my deer stalking time.

The venue was also an experience on a truly beautiful day - we had to go inside to prevent sunburn!!! Anyway, for those who are sceptical or just too slow I’d urge you support these events in future!

Thanks to Alastair and the team, top job including the marvellous lunch!

 

[white van man]

Attended today.....BRILLIANT..... dont miss it.
Steve.

 

[Alastair Boston]

Attended today.....BRILLIANT..... dont miss it.
Steve.

Glad you enjoyed.

We have one more left in a few weeks time in Yorkshire,which is full.They have proven to be very popular,all have been full aside the one in the south west where we had one spare place.We may hold some more in the future thinking about the midlands, Northampton and Cumbria.If anybody has any thoughts about Best Practice events, please feel free to message me,thanks to all those who attended and sorry if you may of missed out.

 

[Alastair Boston]

Please see below with details of how to book

Something for everyone here

On behalf of myself and my fellow Deer Officer colleagues at The Forestry Commission thanks to all those who attended one of recent national deer Best Practice events.A special thanks must also go to Forestry England (for hosting us) Peter Green,Simon Roch and Andy Papworth who gave some very interesting and informative lectures.We hope to hold some more deer Best Practice events in the future.

 

[25 Sharps]

Yes, I was at the New Forest event, too. I really enjoyed it. Jamie covered Dogs and apparently any dog can follow up a deer. (I will need to remind my wife's Cavaliers of that!) And Peter covered Bovine TB and Deer Anatomy, including dissecting a frozen roe in front of us. The heart lies right up against the rumen (with the diaphragm in-between) which means that following a line up the back of the front leg, a third way up as many of us were taught, might not be the best approach. Up the middle of the leg would be better. Peter cut the head off from underneath, in line with the mandible and back to the Atlas joint, pushed the head back and broke it and cut the rest off.

Are you saying the deer’s heart is against the rumen separated Only by the diaphragm when the deer is alive and stood up??

That we should be pulling the shot forward by an inch or so because the the rumen is tight to the rear of the front leg?

If so where are the lungs and the liver?

The heart hasn’t sat against the rumen on any deer I’ve ever shot…

 

[NewForester]

Are you saying the deer’s heart is against the rumen separated Only by the diaphragm when the deer is alive and stood up??

That we should be pulling the shot forward by an inch or so because the the rumen is tight to the rear of the front leg?

If so where are the lungs and the liver?

The heart hasn’t sat against the rumen on any deer I’ve ever shot…

I think that the reason for the dissection of the deer frozen as soon as it was shot was to show us where the organs would be with the deer alive and upright versus how we normally see them, half an hour plus after shooting on and on its side.

So, yes to your first question. Low down on the heart, the rumen is against the heart separated by the diaphragm.

And, yes to your second question: we should go up the middle of the leg rather than the back was the guidance, probably a bit more than a third of the body.

And on the lungs and liver: the lungs of course are higher and slightly forward of the heart. One of the things we were shown was the difference in size between the right and left lungs, the left lung being smaller because of the space occupied by the heart. And we were shown that the lungs actually extend around each side of the animal, covering part of the area where the liver and rumen would be. I think that Peter was trying to show that it is a fair bit more involved that what we see in diagrams of lungs, followed by heart, liver and intestines, with the rumen occupying a much bigger proportion of the animal than would be suggested.

 

[25 Sharps]

I think that the reason for the dissection of the deer frozen as soon as it was shot was to show us where the organs would be with the deer alive and upright versus how we normally see them, half an hour plus after shooting on and on its side.

So, yes to your first question. Low down on the heart, the rumen is against the heart separated by the diaphragm.

And, yes to your second question: we should go up the middle of the leg rather than the back was the guidance, probably a bit more than a third of the body.

And on the lungs and liver: the lungs of course are higher and slightly forward of the heart. One of the things we were shown was the difference in size between the right and left lungs, the left lung being smaller because of the space occupied by the heart. And we were shown that the lungs actually extend around each side of the animal, covering part of the area where the liver and rumen would be. I think that Peter was trying to show that it is a fair bit more involved that what we see in diagrams of lungs, followed by heart, liver and intestines, with the rumen occupying a much bigger proportion of the animal than would be suggested.

So he froze the deer stood up, alive did he?

To clarify again, you are saying the rumen is behind the front leg, in the chest cavity?

 

[308rws]

What I think NewForester is trying to explain is that there is often a misconception created by many drawings of deer anatomy that the diaphragm lies as if in a linear plane within a deer's chest cavity.

When in fact the diaphragm is an indented curved/domed muscle which moves as the deer breathes.

At it's base the diaphragm sits next to the heart on or around the 7th rib and and it joins the base of the spine on or around the 13th rib.

The base of the lungs overlap the dome of the diaphragm between the rumen and the chest wall.

In summary, the diaphragm is domed, not straight and the rumen sits close to the base of the heart behind the 7th rib (and remember that the ribs are curved as well).

As Hunters we gralloch deer lying on their back, side or suspended with empty lungs etc. - not stood on all fours. So, we seldom see their anatomy as nature designed it.

 

[Buchan]

Just to be clear, it is the reticulum, part of the rumen that sits against the diaphragm, close to the heart.

There's many a post on here of the stuff folk have found in the rumen of deer. I've operated on cows for, "wire" where literally a wire has penetrated the wall, the diaphragm and is not in the peicardium, creating infection. Pull the nail out the cow can live, miss it and it's Goodnight Vienna. So yes, there isn't much room.