Hello Klenchblaize.
When I started out in stalking, 18 - 20 years ago, I had real trouble getting the information needed to put myself in contact with people from whom to decide whether stalking was for me - and it was a real struggle to become involved. For me BDS was the organisation I contacted, and thankfully, there were some good people to talk to who put me on the path, which allowed contact with stalkers, the odd outing, and then L1 / L2 / and BDS DM qualifications over the subsequent years. Even that relatively short time ago, stalking was a closed shop, unless you had the contacts.... Much has changed with regards to stalking access, related information access - ie S/D, Best Practise guides, internet etc, and the sheer number of people involved in stalking these days. However, what I find amazing, is that with ( don`t hold me to these !!!! ) approx 20000+ L1 holders, 4000 - 6000+ L2 holders, and 750 - 1000+ DM holders, nationwide, and plenty of people who stalk but do not hold the paperwork, there is a significant number of people willing and able to get out and shoot / cull / manage deer + boar. Considering wild deer belong to no-one, other than the landowner whose ground they end up on when shot dead, many people are making significant sums out of something they have not bred / purchased ( like stock ). Yes, some work is done to `manage` the herd - but for what purpose, to generate further income from shooting deer........ If we end up in a national position where there are too many deer, then I can only say that there has been much research over a long time to validate this, but the flip side is that research is nothing without a goal / end result / QED moment, as to what that research is to be used to for.
K - don`t get me wrong, I am a staunch supporter of the BDS when I can be, as all my training, insurance, membership is / has been purchased via BDS over many years, but take a look at the advert in this latest edition of Deer, for the Niggeloh Ultra Blood tracking collar.... trialled by Graham Downing ( I presume ).... Nice piece of kit, but at £38.95 for the collar, and £52.95 for the 12M tracking lead, but when compared to Stalkers UK for the same kit - £32.95 for the collar, and £38.95 for the tracking lead.... a saving of £20.00... Which may not be much, but these days to `the average stalker` that saving could be put towards paying for a stalk / DMQ qualification / BDS Insurance / ammunition etc.....
If BDS is working for the `common effort` then it is annoying little things like this that need to be consistent with market value, otherwise the image persists of BDS being an organisation run for the benefit of the people who have no idea what `average` may mean. I would love to buy the above items via BDS for my GWP to be purchased soon, however, Stalkers UK will probably end up with the money due to simple economics..... When put like this deer management as a whole becomes very simple..... IF there is a `problem` with deer numbers, which lots of expensive research indicates, then the way forward is to encourage vendors to drop prices ( understanding that they have a `living` to make ), engage more people, and the numbers will fall in to place for everybody, stalker, deer manager, deer, research.
Good thread, and very thought provoking, but I apologise if I am not as eloquent as some.....
All the best.
Neil.