The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

We're thinking that our shooting is now good enough to allow us to hunt, and so we're planning on asking Mr Plod for an appropriate rifle and variations (our existing rifles are mainly pre-1919 battle rifles). We're also contemplating a DSC 1 course, though we have heard conflicting reports on whether or not they are actually useful. What do the members of these esteemed fora think about them ?

Never done one and I don't shoot anything but targets anymore so don't envisage doing one, however, talk amongst friends and club members is that at least Kent police are requiring DSC1 as a pre-requisite for a stalking condition.

I would argue that it shouldn't be regarded as a pre-requisite for getting stalking on your FAC as it is a "paper course" and not "hands on" , there is also no support in legislation (as far as I am aware) for any "requirement" to possess DSC1 before being allowed stalking on your FAC,it does however entitle you to put Venison into the food chain as you have proven you can pass a test on meat hygiene
that said, I found it a very interesting course and enjoyed doing it, it doe's give you a lot of information about Deer and their habits, and is a place to meet like minded people. it is not the Holy Grail so don't go there expecting it to be life changing.
the shooting test is easy peasy (unless you are one of the two tits on my course who couldn't even hit the paper ) and the written tests themselves do require you to be able to retain information! so chose a supplier that gives you the resources to practise tests in advance of the actual course.

If you're shooting for the table a couple of times a year you don't need a DSC1.

If you plan on taking stalking to the next level then you will need large game hygiene which comes as part of the "trained hunter" status.

I chose a DSC1 that was run over a weekend, which suited me with regards to how much time I had to take off from work.

A lot of it is pre-learning the question bank.

I wouldn't shoot on any land that required me to have a DSC qualification.

We're in two minds about the course from what we have seen / heard of it, hence our questions,

In its favour, we can see that formal training in carcase preparation could be useful, and also that possession of the DSC 1 qualification may well assist in establishing 'good reason' for applying for a deer / boar calibre and expanding ammunition.

Against it, we're not overly impressed by the level of the questions asked in the exam: the shooting related ones do seem a little 'dumbed down' and the non- shooting related ones a tad irrelevant: why might we need to know which hormone induces the loss of velvet from antlers unless we were a vet ?

If you want to get hands on a carcass try here-
http://www.doningtondeermanagement.co.uk/courses/

Most DSC1's don't get you anywhere near a deer and are mostly classroom based.

Donnington Deer Management was one of the two places we had shortlisted if we decide to go down the DSC1 route.

I have DSC 1 and 2 and found them to be very useful. I can, however, see the arguments for and against. With the forest owners demanding level 1 or 2 to get a sporting lease there seems to be benefit in it.
Greenlea between Newcastle and Carlisle do a good course.

do you need to have done lvl1 to do lvl2?