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Well oomans, we're just back from doing our DSC1 course at Donington Deer Management. We thoroughly enjoyed it ! The course is run by David Stretton who manages the deer herds at Donington Park and we rather suspect that there isn't a thing about deer that he doesn't know.

The course is held around the dining table in his farmhouse and David gives freely of his vast knowledge ! It's a far more enjoyable venue than some cold, clinical classroom and the lunches, provided by his wife, are amazing ! This is a cut far above your standard sandwich and a bowl of crisps ! Think good, wholesome farmhouse cooking: roast beef / pork / lamb / venison with taters, cabbage, peas, carrots, stuffin' and trimmings, followed by a classical puddin' - apple pie, rhubarb crumble, treacle sponge and so forth. No skimping on portions either !

David talks you through the BDS course notes but expands upon them greatly, offering the benefit of his 30+ years as a stalker and deer manager. Aided by his son, Mark (who we also liked because he is a fellow archer, capable of pulling a warbow twice the power of our 100lb yew stick), the practical sessions are expertly done too. We learned to recognise the different types of bambi, how to select a prime beastie for the cull, how to skin and gralloch it, how to register and record it.

Others may offer the same course but we'd wager none do it so well...

Good news Mr Brock. I was in on the grand-daddy of them all, the BDS Woodland Stalker's Certificate back in the mid-1980s originally as a trainee, then examiner/RCO and my involvement continued through eleven years as a trustee/director of the BDS.

Pleased to hear you enjoyed the course so much, will DSC2 be next?

*Pats waistline*

Not sure, ooman, we may have to spend a few weeks on the treadmill first...

Congrats on doing the course.

I've been thinking of getting into deer for a while, do you reckon it's better to get some practical stalking experience before doing the DSC1 or better to get the training before starting stalking?

Well ooman, we had plenty o' practice stalking afore we did the course, but that was stalking oomans and not deer...

On reflection, we'd suggest doing the course first. It's not essential, but we did learn a lot...

I'm just wondering how difficult can it be to stalk a deer around a dining table?

The practical stalking sessions are done in the afternoons spent at Donington Park, burnin' off a few thousand calories...

Well done on your success - it requires a lot of hard work to get the result.

Oh indeedy, but worth the effort we think. We know far more about cervine retropharangeal lymph nodes and their associated pathology than even wikipedia now. It must come in useful one day...