Trained hunter status reverts to DSC1

[8x57]

My DSC1 was issued in March 1998 this was 1 of the very first if not the first new style DSC1 courses and yes we all did gralloching meat hygiene and all the required checks though it was not written on the beige coloured certificate very early days and in its infancy, then in 2006 it was an easy FREE upgrade to the blue certificate which had the meat handling added.

Out of interest can I ask who you did the course with patjack?

I didn't do the course just an assessment through BASC of which I was a long term member.

 

[patjack]

I also was a member back then of BASC they did a pilot course well loosely speaking in 1996 then by late 1997 - 1998 it would seem they had designed and written the course syllabus it was a 3 day event at Thetford Peter Watson was the then deer officer for BASC. I was unaware you could do the assessment back then thought it came much later when they started to dilute the whole DSC1 learning experience somewhat.

 

[8x57]

So DMQ flip-flopping or simply constantly moving the goal posts even back then!
You got a free upgrade but others, myself included, only offered a chance to buy an upgrade.

I only met Peter Watson twice. once where he gave a talk to an audience which seemed to be dominated by guys who were biased against him. The second time when he turned up unannounced at a DSC1 test day and ate the lunch that was pre-ordered for me. I absolutely hated him for that.

 

[chriswjx]

So DMQ flip-flopping or simply constantly moving the goal posts even back then!
You got a free upgrade but others, myself included, only offered a chance to buy an upgrade.

I only met Peter Watson twice. once where he gave a talk to an audience which seemed to be dominated by guys who were biased against him. The second time when he turned up unannounced at a DSC1 test day and ate the lunch that was pre-ordered for me. I absolutely hated him for that.

Out of interest, back then, did you do an test on LGMH for the DSC1?

Only wonder if that the original ones did not - hence why they needed to charge a bit and ask people to fill out a question paper?

With the current ones, my understanding is that the course content did not change from after they stopped awarding TH status till now, so effectively it's just bringing parity back with the newer people having done tests.

 

[Bo Diddley]

My nephew is spitting bullets about this. He did his DSC2 a couple of months ago, got dicked about with dates & times with various AWs, but he passed and was chuffed, then two days after his certificate dropped on the door mat, I sent him this link
The cost is probably what put a few off from doing DSC2.

 

[8x57]

Out of interest, back then, did you do an test on LGMH for the DSC1?

It's so long ago now that I honestly can't remember much about the contents of the written exam.

All I know is that I obtained a copy of the 300 sample questions that were in use at that time and revised them. I do recall that there had to be a certain number of questions on the paper regarding deer seasons relevant to your country, and permitted/lawful firearms but that's about the limit of my memory of the exam.

I also recall that I got one of the deer recognition photographs wrong. I correctly recognised the sex as being a buck but carelessly wrote down doe.

 

[Woodwalker1]

An excellent thread for me, I completed my DSC1 after the trained hunter status element was removed.
I have now filled in the form for the upgrade, saving the cost of a course.
Thanks to all for posting on this thread.
Woodwalker1

 

[Buchan]

I think the current DSC1 would form a good basis for development into a more comprehensive, all-encompassing, training & qualification option, if it ever were to come to that.

Or if DMQ were open to new ideas

 

[EddieArran505]

DMQ have decided that a DSC1 certificate now awards `Trained Hunter` status to successful candidates from July 1st.
So now a DSC2 is awarded on the basis of a single stalk and assessment rather than the three stalks as was historically the case, and DSC1 attains `Trained Hunter` status again, as it did prior to 2021, after which the Food Standards Agency required it to be attained on successful completion of DSC2 for competence reasons.
So someone who has never actually stalked or gralloched a single deer is qualified to inspect and pass deer for sale to AGHEs and a single, perhaps the only, stalk completed gives the award of DSC2.
Is there an argument here that while we all wish to encourage new stalkers to the sport/profession that we have just dumbed the whole qualification down to achieve this?

 

[8x57]

DMQ have decided that a DSC1 certificate now awards `Trained Hunter` status to successful candidates from July 1st.
So now a DSC2 is awarded on the basis of a single stalk and assessment rather than the three stalks as was historically the case, and DSC1 attains `Trained Hunter` status again, as it did prior to 2021, after which the Food Standards Agency required it to be attained on successful completion of DSC2 for competence reasons.
So someone who has never actually stalked or gralloched a single deer is qualified to inspect and pass deer for sale to AGHEs and a single, perhaps the only, stalk completed gives the award of DSC2.
Is there an argument here that while we all wish to encourage new stalkers to the sport/profession that we have just dumbed the whole qualification down to achieve this?

That sounds like a pretty good summation of the situation to me.