Hunting in the UK

[JLA1990]

24 minutes ago, Paul in the woods said:

Rabbits are quite hard to find in lots of places, also most farmers will either have someone sorted for the rabbits or expect someone experienced and insured etc.  Grey squirrels might be easier to get but hard to skin and not a great deal on them. 

 

Do you have much shooting experience? You might be better off joining a shooting club for a while to gain experience and to meet people who do hunt. 

 

 

I used to shoot quite abit for rabbits and done a fair amount of clay shooting (air rifle, shotgun), I’ve never shot a true rifle though and it’s something I would like to do especially due to my love for venison. Im fairly new to my area so as you say im going to speak to a few locals and see what it leads to. 
 

I’ve looked into my dsc1 but I wasn’t sure if it was a pretty meaningless qualification as I hear mixed things about how mandatory/necessary it is. It seems this convo somewhat backs up that theory (it does seem it’s a good place to start if you don’t actually know anyone who hunts)

Edited May 9, 2022 by JLA1990

[waz77]

Dsc 1 is definitely worthwhile if you plan to get into stalking, it will give you fairly good knowledge about deer, law etc, and some places will want to see evidence of it to book a stalk, think of it like cs30/31, you don't have to have it to fell a tree, but if you plan on doing it a lot it's definitely a good idea to have it

[Paul in the woods]

I'm glad I did my DSC1, despite not needing it as I have my own land. I was granted an open cert after passing it.

 

There's also the practicalities, buying a rifle, ammo, safe etc; and the extracting of the carcass, refrigeration, processing and storing all the meat. I'm still a vehicle and freezer away from eating the red deer on my woodland.

[Guest Gimlet]

1 hour ago, JLA1990 said:

I used to shoot quite abit for rabbits and done a fair amount of clay shooting (air rifle, shotgun), I’ve never shot a true rifle though and it’s something I would like to do especially due to my love for venison. Im fairly new to my area so as you say im going to speak to a few locals and see what it leads to. 
 

I’ve looked into my dsc1 but I wasn’t sure if it was a pretty meaningless qualification as I hear mixed things about how mandatory/necessary it is. It seems this convo somewhat backs up that theory (it does seem it’s a good place to start if you don’t actually know anyone who hunts)

If you've never shot a cartridge rifle, you definitely need to be taken under someone's wing, at the very least to learn gun drill. It's a whole other level of risk from airguns and shotguns and one mistake can be catastrophic. Shotgun shot and airgun pellets travel 300 - 500 yards before all their energy is expended and they fall out of the sky like raindrops. A bullet from a deer-legal cartridge could travel 5000 yards and could still be lethal when it hits the ground. No FEO is likely to grant an FAC for any kind of rifle for someone who has never shot one before unless it's for exclusive club use. 

You need to go out shooting with someone experienced and it would be a good idea to do a firearms handling training course. But even then, you're highly likely to get a mentoring restriction for your first five years, meaning you can only shoot under the supervision of an approved individual. Mentoring restrictions are less common than they once were but AFAIK they are still in the guidelines.  

If you've had a shotgun certificate before that will help you greatly because at least you will have a clean track record with firearms licensing. If you've been a long term member of a clay shooting club or game shoot,m that will help too. At least you will be a trusted person, if not one experienced with rifles. If you've never had any kind of firearm license before, you definitely won't get a deer rifle at the first attempt. You need to think about getting experience and a track record. That might start with training and paid stalks if you don't know anyone to mentor you.  

Edited May 9, 2022 by Gimlet

[AHPP]

I’m glad I didn’t do my DSC1. For every one course put on by someone genuinely interested in stalking, there will be a thousand put on by third-tier dolescum looking to exploit the regulated nature of firearms ownership.

[Guest Gimlet]

3 minutes ago, AHPP said:

I’m glad I didn’t do my DSC1. For every one course put on by someone genuinely interested in stalking, there will be a thousand put on by third-tier dolescum looking to exploit the regulated nature of firearms ownership.

I don't think that's quite true. DSC1 instructors and assessors have to offer their course under the auspices of an approved body, like the BDS or BASC. It is those bodies that write the certificates, not the instructors, who will need have to hold DSC2 themselves and well known to their approved body before they can run a course.  

Some are far better than others, it is true, but they won't be dolescum charlatans. 

[JLA1990]

Am I right that the dsc1 is part theory (online) and part rifle handling/proficiency and you can take the two separately? not that I was looking for a quick fix but it seems there’s a long road ahead and I agree I want to start right. 

[JLA1990]

Apologies just realised the company I contacted was recommending PDS1 not DSC1 presumably there is a difference? Why do I feel like this is a can of worms I might be opening here 🤣

[waz77]

Pds1 is the Lantra course, dsc is more recognised in stalking circles although lantra is obviously bigger/better known in land based training circles 

[AHPP]

I don't think that's quite true. DSC1 instructors and assessors have to offer their course under the auspices of an approved body, like the BDS or BASC. It is those bodies that write the certificates, not the instructors, who will need have to hold DSC2 themselves and well known to their approved body before they can run a course.  
Some are far better than others, it is true, but they won't be dolescum charlatans. 

So you have a hierarchy of backscratching dolescum. Organisations like BASC and BDS (and noteworthily the NRA) have every opportunity to push for real change to promote their members’ interests but all they actually do is form working parties, consult, draft papers, hold meetings, propose, discuss, revise, report back, redraft, etc (months of fruitful work…). I’m sympathetic to those caught twixt principle and commercial reality but men shouldn’t lie down for this sort of thing and a lot of men lie down rather too easily.