Thoughts on BDS 1

[Guest]

Archived from groups: uk.rec.shooting.game (More info?)

I have been doing the online training version of the course. The course
materials also includes a handy 'Word' list of all the questions and also of
all the safety test questions.

I am enjoying the course but am finding it hard to remember all the dates
for the close seasons around the UK and also some of the other technical
info on ballistics. I am of the opinion that these questions are a waste of
time, surely you'd look up the relevant dates based on where you were at a
given time? The other section I find hard is the section on Law again across
the UK. I understand the basics, storage etc but the your brother's ex-wife
who is the daughter of the landowner wishes to borrow your rifle on the last
Tuesday in April in NI stuff gets me every time! Again I would use the 'if
in doubt ask your FLO or don't do anything you are unsure of' approach.

Been a while since I studied mind you!

Dave

 

[john]

Archived from groups: uk.rec.shooting.game (More info?)

"Dave P" <davepnojunk@hotmail.com> wrote in
news:2t46rqF1sc6m1U1@uni-berlin.de:

> I have been doing the online training version of the course. The
> course materials also includes a handy 'Word' list of all the
> questions and also of all the safety test questions.
>
> I am enjoying the course but am finding it hard to remember all the
> dates for the close seasons around the UK and also some of the other
> technical info on ballistics. I am of the opinion that these
> questions are a waste of time, surely you'd look up the relevant
> dates based on where you were at a given time?

The information isn’t a waste of time. What would happen if you were out
in Devon on a cold winter’s morning, you spotted a hind, could you shoot
her?
A short while after a Muntjac comes wandering past, could you shoot it?
Later that same day a Roe buck is feeding on some stubble could you
shoot him?
The plain fact is that stalking is very hard to predict, if life was
simple we would all zero at ten years and be done with it.
You’ll find that seasons are all basically the same for Males and
similar for females. Roe are different but remember the Roe buck is a
joker (1st April open) and a bit of a monster (31 October close). You
might be asked about recommended closed seasons for Mutjac & CWD.






> The other section I
> find hard is the section on Law again across the UK. I understand the
> basics, storage etc but the your brother's ex-wife who is the
> daughter of the landowner wishes to borrow your rifle on the last
> Tuesday in April in NI stuff gets me every time!

IF you don’t live in NI you will not be asked any questions relating to
the NI section.



>Again I would use
> the 'if in doubt ask your FLO or don't do anything you are unsure of'
> approach.

Your missing the point, you are studying to become a qualified stalker
and as such you should know these things.

John

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: uk.rec.shooting.game (More info?)

> The information isn't a waste of time. What would happen if you were out
> in Devon on a cold winter's morning, you spotted a hind, could you shoot
> her?
> A short while after a Muntjac comes wandering past, could you shoot it?
> Later that same day a Roe buck is feeding on some stubble could you
> shoot him?
> The plain fact is that stalking is very hard to predict, if life was
> simple we would all zero at ten years and be done with it.
> You'll find that seasons are all basically the same for Males and
> similar for females. Roe are different but remember the Roe buck is a
> joker (1st April open) and a bit of a monster (31 October close). You
> might be asked about recommended closed seasons for Mutjac & CWD.
>

If I was in England I'd read up before hand was what in season at that time
so I knew what I could shoot on that day. Commiting the whole shabang to
memory still seems pointless.

> IF you don't live in NI you will not be asked any questions relating to
> the NI section.
>

Good. The course hasn't made that bit clear. Seems as I would be shooting in
Scotland mainly that a Scottish course/assessment would best suit me.
..
>
> Your missing the point, you are studying to become a qualified stalker
> and as such you should know these things.

Not sure being able to regurgitate facts is a good assessment of anybody in
any field.

Dave

 

[john]

Archived from groups: uk.rec.shooting.game (More info?)

"Dave P" <davepnojunk@hotmail.com> wrote in
news:2t4u25F1rj73vU1@uni-berlin.de:

>> Your missing the point, you are studying to become a qualified
>> stalker and as such you should know these things.
>
> Not sure being able to regurgitate facts is a good assessment of
> anybody in any field.

I don’t really want to argue with you over it but I’m not sure they are
that difficult or uncommon not to know.

Would you lend your mate a rifle if he was out shooting with you?
Would you let your mate shoot at a deer?

These are all common things that do happen day to day in shooting
sports, are they legal?
Is it legal for a professional stalker to take you out stalking and let
you use his rifle?
Is it legal for you to go unaccompanied using the stalkers rifle?
If you were in the darkest of glens in Scotland and a stalker told you
to shoot a stag out of season because he had a licence granted by the
DCS, would you do it?

These are all things that you should know. Ignorance is no excuse and
IMHO everyone who goes shooting should have a good firm grasp of the
legislation that governs their sport, if only to defend against
unjustified allegations made by bobbies and anti’s.

Knowledge is power and fore warned is fore armed as they say. If you
know the law and you stay with-in current legislation then you protect
shooting as a whole and secure its success for the future.

John

 

[john]

Archived from groups: uk.rec.shooting.game (More info?)

Jonathan Spencer <jms@NOTMEjonathan-spencer.co.uk> wrote in
news:M0+gBpANkrbBFwV6@salvage.demon.co.uk:

> No chance involved. At any given time, I know what I'm
stalking for
> and what is in or out of season. Mainly that's roe, and I
know their
> seasons without looking it up. And Muntjac which are also
on the
> ground. I'll never have a need to know the season for CWD.


No legal season for Muntjac or CWD.

> If I
> ever get to stalk fallow, or Sika, I'll check the season for
them.

Well if you ever over this way, there are plenty of Fallow,
Sika are short on the ground (none) but could be arranged in
Ireland and there are quite a few Red’s this year. Of course
the reds will never compare to Devonshire stock.

> BTW, I'm off to stalk Scottish red stags *and* hinds next
week;
> relax, I've checked the seasons. 🙂

You’ll be hitting the tail end for the stags but should get
some fine hinds.
I’ve never understood the fanatics not valuing hind stalking.
Stags especially during the rut, taste bloody terrible.

>
>>The seasons are very simple to learn.
>
> But I have no need to learn more than I need to know. The
old grey
> stuff has finite capacity. And since I bought a boat, I'm
now having
> to learn to read charts, and navigation, and all manner of
stuff that
> really matters. 🙂
>

I have a small speed boat here, going cheap! (Needs some
attention but the trailer is fine).

Good luck on the stalk. Don’t forget to report back with your
observations.

John

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: uk.rec.shooting.game (More info?)

On 14 Oct 2004 18:25:04 GMT, John wrote:

>I’ve never understood the fanatics not valuing hind stalking.
>Stags especially during the rut, taste bloody terrible.

If all you want is a hat rack, then you don't care what they taste
like. 🙂
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

 

[john]

Archived from groups: uk.rec.shooting.game (More info?)

Phil Cook <u-r-s-g@p-t-cook.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in
news:fottm0leqofulrc0n09kr3rqbd6ottphg7@4ax.com:

> On 14 Oct 2004 18:25:04 GMT, John wrote:
>
>>I’ve never understood the fanatics not valuing hind
stalking.
>>Stags especially during the rut, taste bloody terrible.
>
> If all you want is a hat rack, then you don't care what they
taste
> like. 🙂

I have always been of the frame of mind that the hat racks
look better on the deer and the hats look better on me


John

 

[Pete]

Archived from groups: uk.rec.shooting.game (More info?)

Having watched this discussion with interest - isn't it god the way we
shooters can disagree amicably - I reckon it comes down to this:

You may be like me - stalk one place, shoot known species without the
slightest risk of new species/mate wanting a go/doing it out of
season. In which case you'll probably think that all that stuff about
other species at the other end of our potentially-two-time-zone island
is just so much bed-time reading.

Or you might take the view that rolling out of the Euro zone is layer
upon layer of imposed regulation intended, in some way, to level the
playing fields of Europe (see Mussolini's Revenge) and that, sooner or
later, if you don't have a Euro zone recognised training assessment,
you won't be permitted to scratch your backside. If you don't believe
me, see the press release this week about relaxing the periods of the
year in which dead/frozen game can be sold. Bright idea by our rural
affairs-loving Government? Or harmonisation with France and the rest.

So in the end, we stalkers either roll over and die or we play their
game, grit our collective teeth and go for the BDS's answer to NVQ.

Me? Oh next year I'll be getting my school bag out.


From Pete

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"Being eaten by a crocodile is just like falling asleep in a blender"
Bart Simpson