DSC1
DSC1 is the Deer Stalking Certificate Level 1, awarded by Deer Management Qualifications and delivered here under BASC. It is assessed in five modules — written, game meat hygiene, visual, safety and shooting — over an evening and a day at the Berkenhorst facility in the Netherlands. It is the same certificate issued in the UK.
Older pages on this site, and older correspondence, called this qualificationDMQ1 — a name that pointed at the awarding body rather than at the certificate. If you were certified under that name, you hold DSC1, and nothing about your qualification has changed.
The art of stalking
Many continental deerstalkers hunt roe and red deer in their home country. Most of the time they hunt from a high seat and sometimes on a driven hunt. But being able to successfully approach deer, select the right animal and cull it correctly and safely from a shooting stick, is for many hunters a new and challenging experience. This art of stalking is both active and exciting. By using all the elements like wind, terrain and the knowledge gained during the Deer Stalking Certificate study, this culling of deer will surely become an unforgettable experience.
The five modules
DSC1 is assessed in 5 modules. You must pass all of them. If you fail one, you retake only that one, on another assessment day of your choice; the modules you passed stand.
| Module | Form | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Written | 50 questions multiple-choice questions, drawn from a bank of 480 questions | Deer species, habitat and management; English, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish deer law; firearms law; stalking technique. |
| Game meat hygiene | 40 questions multiple-choice questions | General and large game meat hygiene: rendering each carcase as clean as possible, with optimal hygienic care, into the food chain. |
| Visual | 20 images, each asking for species and sex | 16 correct. The module candidates find hardest; the evening training session before the assessment is where that ground is made up. |
| Safety | A walk of the premises with an accredited witness, answering 10 questions selected on the day from a set of 24 questions issued in advance | No faults are permitted. You are deemed safe or unsafe. |
| Shooting | 6 assessed shots, fired at a roe target | Two shots at each of 100 m, 100 m and 50 m — two stages at the shoulder, the last a head shot at the shorter distance. Shooting sticks are used for two of the three stages. |
The six species
Almost every continental big game hunter is familiar with roe, red and sometimes fallow deer. But in the UK there are a big number of sika deer and muntjac. These species of deer are little known by continental hunters, especially the Chinese water deer. When you sit DSC1 you expand your hunting knowledge, learning to identify the six species of deer, their daily behaviour, exterior physiology and all relevant legal issues pertaining to hunting them.
The difference between summer sika and fallow, and between winter sika and red, is what makes the visual assessment difficult. Each species has its own sex and age terms, and they are not interchangeable: roe are buck, doe and kid; red and sika are stag, hind and calf; fallow are buck, doe and fawn; muntjac and Chinese water deer are buck, doe and fawn. Theglossary carries all six.
Why UK landowners require it
In the UK you find an extremely good, sustainable population of deer. Almost all landowners, both private and government, demand that all hunters who cull deer on their properties are trained hunters. Therefore possession of both DSC1 and DSC2 ensures that deer are managed to a high welfare standard. This gives the owner a guarantee of optimal safety, a high standard of handling, hygiene and presentation of all carcases from shooting to collection. When you are, as a continental European hunter, in possession of DSC1 and DSC2 there are many hunting opportunities available for you — especially through BASC and The Forestry Commission.
Common questions
What is DSC1?
DSC1 is the Deer Stalking Certificate Level 1: an assessment of deer knowledge, game meat hygiene, identification, safety and marksmanship. It is awarded by Deer Management Qualifications. Passing it shows a landowner that you handle a rifle safely and bring a carcase into the food chain properly.
Is the certificate I get in the Netherlands the same as one earned in the UK?
Yes. DSC1 is awarded by Deer Management Qualifications and delivered here under the British Association for Shooting and Conservation. It is the same certificate issued in the United Kingdom, with the same standard and the same recognition by landowners.
What is the difference between DMQ and DSC?
Deer Management Qualifications is the awarding body. DSC1 and DSC2 are the qualifications it awards. Older pages on this site called them DMQ1 and DMQ2, which named the body rather than the certificate. If you were certified as DMQ1, you hold DSC1.
What are the five DSC1 modules?
Written, game meat hygiene, visual, safety and shooting. The written and game meat hygiene modules are multiple-choice papers. The visual module identifies deer from images. The safety module is a walk of the premises with an accredited witness. The shooting module is fired on the range.
How long does the assessment take?
An evening and a day, not two full days. You arrive the evening before for dinner, a briefing and visual training, stay overnight at the hotel, and are assessed through the following day from the morning onwards. Most candidates travel home that evening. The assessment-day page gives the hours.
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