Your Dsc 2 experience s how did you find it ?

[Nots so bad lad]

Good afternoon gentlemen and ladies shortly I will be registering to do dsc level 2 any advice welcome please ? How did the experience go for you ? Was it as expected? Did you find it easier? Or harder been witnessed and assessed? One thing I am trying to get my head round is the lymph nodes ? Which ones are they likely to ask you about please ?

 

[long_range_rob]

I found it three times as hard as you will

Don’t sweat it, you know it all and if you don’t get it all on the first outing you can do another one to catch the rest. Every days a school day as they say.

 

[Fabnosh]

I thoroughly enjoyed mine. I used three different AW's and, apart from one whom I considered ill equipped on many levels to do the job, I learned a lot form some very knowledgeable folks. If you just get on a do what you do, you'll be fine. I found each AW had a different slant but I think they pick up stuff from you about where there is doubt and ask more around those areas - just a perception.

 

[tom308w]

Book a stalk with a aw and have pre level 2 with him .he will go through it with you.the dreaded phone call is the hard bit lol

 

[takbok]

The biggest challenges for me were:

1. Finding an AW.
2. Finding deer.
3. The editable pdf documents are a pain.

Once those challenges were overcome it was great, and I've made new friends and learned lots. It took a lot of perseverance to get it done but I expect that it will be a bit quicker with the new 1 stalk system.

 

[ColinBr]

The BDS best deer practice book/booklet helped me no end for the dreaded phone call

It also details the lymph node, along with actual pictures and description on how to find them

 

[takbok]

@Nots so bad lad this is where I got all my learning:

Home | Wild Deer Best Practice Guidance

www.bestpracticeguides.org.uk

Submaxillary, retropharyngeal and mesenteric lymph nodes are the ones that you need to locate.

 

[ColinBr]

@Nots so bad lad this is where I got all my learning:

Home | Wild Deer Best Practice Guidance

www.bestpracticeguides.org.uk

Submaxillary, retroharyngeal and mesenteric lymph nodes are the ones that you need to locate.

Yea thats the 1

 

[Nots so bad lad]

Yea thats the 1

Thanks very much

 

[Nots so bad lad]

@Nots so bad lad this is where I got all my learning:

Home | Wild Deer Best Practice Guidance

www.bestpracticeguides.org.uk

Submaxillary, retroharyngeal and mesenteric lymph nodes are the ones that you need to locate.

Thank you pal

 

[willie_gunn]

Good afternoon gentlemen and ladies shortly I will be registering to do dsc level 2 any advice welcome please ? How did the experience go for you ? Was it as expected? Did you find it easier? Or harder been witnessed and assessed? One thing I am trying to get my head round is the lymph nodes ? Which ones are they likely to ask you about please ?

First of all - well done for considering DSC2, and best wishes as and when you embark on the process.

As to your question, during the gralloch you will be expected to check the mesenteric lymph nodes when inspecting the gralloch.

As part of your Individual Cull Record (ICR) you will also be required to remove the head and hooves of the deer, so you should also be comfortable locating and inspecting the sub-maxillary and retropharyngeal lymph nodes.

The Witness needs to see the above.

You are also expected to know where and how to locate and inspect the portal, gastric, bronchial and mediastinal lymph nodes for any abnormalities.

https://www.thedeerinitiative.co.uk/uploads/guides/159.pdf

If you can work your way from head to tail on the deer finding, examining and describing the above lymph nodes, you should be fine.

IMHO the best way to do this is to become familiar with locating the lymph nodes beforehand from a practical - rather than a theoretical - perspective. The witnessed stalk is not the time to be digging around trying to identify lymph nodes for the first time, not least because as a Candidate you have to be able to find the lymph nodes without prompting or guidance.

My other three tips would be as follows:

First, there is a lot of information on DMQ's website. Download it and spend some time reviewing it well before you go on your witnessed stalk, as it will help you to understand fully both what you need to do as well as what the Witness will be expecting to see.

Second, become as familar as possible with all the Performance Criteria (PC's) and their respective key features. As stalkers there are lots of things we tend to do automatically, born out of familiarity. However on a witnessed stalk you are being witnessed as to whether you meet the pre-defined criteria or not - so be confident you know the criteria and can show them as having been met.

My final tip would be to spend enough time preparing for Element 4 "Transport and Store Dead Deer". For obvious reasons the primary focus on an outing tends to be on successfully finding, identifying, stalking, shooting and gralloching the deer. Then we all tend to breathe a huge sigh of relief. However......there are a large number of PC's in the ICR that follow on from that, including transporting the deer back to the larder, lardering the deer, the use of the larder, and maintaining accurate cull and larder records. These criteria may not be as glamorous as the stalk itself, but they are criteria that have to be met just the same. Become as familiar with these as you are with the task of grassing the deer.

Best of luck.

 

[Dunwaters]

It’s a lot to cram into a single stalk. It took me 4 outings and we went into overtime on one of them, it’s a fair practical test to confirm that you can do what the certificate says that you can

 

[foxinmad]

I had lots of good experiences doing my level 2, my AW had plenty of ground available for me to do my 3 stalks and there was no pressure
time scale-wise, I used to get a phone call or a text asking, what are you doing this evening after work, do you want to go out stalking?
Well yes was the answer obviously from me.
The hardest part for me was doing the portfolio, I'm not very good at getting things down on paper, and my spelling is schite at the best of times anyway.
Take your time and enjoy it the same as I did .

 

[Utectok]

I loved it but I had two excellent AW who are good friends and I learnt a lot. I’d practice finding lymph nodes of half a dozen deer on your own first it helps.

 

[Nots so bad lad]

First of all - well done for considering DSC2, and best wishes as and when you embark on the process.

As to your question, during the gralloch you will be expected to check the mesenteric lymph nodes when inspecting the gralloch.

As part of your Individual Cull Record (ICR) you will also be required to remove the head and hooves of the deer, so you should also be comfortable locating and inspecting the sub-maxillary and retropharyngeal lymph nodes.

The Witness needs to see the above.

You are also expected to know where and how to locate and inspect the portal, gastric, bronchial and mediastinal lymph nodes for any abnormalities.

https://www.thedeerinitiative.co.uk/uploads/guides/159.pdf

If you can work your way from head to tail on the deer finding, examining and describing the above lymph nodes, you should be fine.

IMHO the best way to do this is to become familiar with locating the lymph nodes beforehand from a practical - rather than a theoretical - perspective. The witnessed stalk is not the time to be digging around trying to identify lymph nodes for the first time, not least because as a Candidate you have to be able to find the lymph nodes without prompting or guidance.

My other three tips would be as follows:

First, there is a lot of information on DMQ's website. Download it and spend some time reviewing it well before you go on your witnessed stalk, as it will help you to understand fully both what you need to do as well as what the Witness will be expecting to see.

Second, become as familar as possible with all the Performance Criteria (PC's) and their respective key features. As stalkers there are lots of things we tend to do automatically, born out of familiarity. However on a witnessed stalk you are being witnessed as to whether you meet the pre-defined criteria or not - so be confident you know the criteria and can show them as having been met.

My final tip would be to spend enough time preparing for Element 4 "Transport and Store Dead Deer". For obvious reasons the primary focus on an outing tends to be on successfully finding, identifying, stalking, shooting and gralloching the deer. Then we all tend to breathe a huge sigh of relief. However......there are a large number of PC's in the ICR that follow on from that, including transporting the deer back to the larder, lardering the deer, the use of the larder, and maintaining accurate cull and larder records. These criteria may not be as glamorous as the stalk itself, but they are criteria that have to be met just the same. Become as familiar with these as you are with the task of grassing the deer.

Best of luck.

Thank you for your help

 

[norma 308]

Had an enjoyable time I felt like I was show casing my experience you arnt supposed to learn anything from the Aw whilst actually doing the stalk or stalks in my case ! He’s there to access you
I did mine this time of year when deer were plentiful on ground I knew like the back of my hand
Like the driving test I’d do it again but probably need to iron out a few bad habits

 

[Tazz]

In my experience of doing the 3 stalk version ( The proper version! I am not bitter !) the admin was the biggest challenge and the chasing BASC to chase it through the system

 

[willie_gunn]

Had an enjoyable time I felt like I was show casing my experience you arnt supposed to learn anything from the Aw whilst actually doing the stalk or stalks in my case ! He’s there to access you

For the sake of the reputations of AW’s everywhere, I am really hoping you meant to type “assess”!

 

[terrier1]

I did my dsc2 when it was three stalks. Did three different species of deer with three different AW. Now it is only one stalk the only tip I would give you is do it on a large deer species as the lymph nodes are easier to find in a red or fallow than in a muntjac. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the experience and you will be surprised how much you will learn if you have picked the right AW.

 

[sikamalc]

Don't go rushing into it. Make sure you are well prepared. Ask an AW to undertake a pre level 2 stalk to see where you might need improvement. You will be asked to name and point out the lymph system. Also what you would do in a wounded deer scenario, along with notifiable diseases and what action you would take.
Level 2 is based on experience in the field , coupled with what you learnt on Level 1. You will be questioned closely by your Assessor and the summary you present at days end should be the same as the AW's.

Good luck