News for some. Scottish deer stalking compulsory testing scrapped.

BASC press release

Planned compulsory testing for deer stalkers in Scotland has been scrapped after lobbying led by the UK’s largest shooting organisation, the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) and supported by other land management organisations. The move would have meant the estimated 20,000 people actively involved in deer management in Scotland having to pass a mandatory test.

This proposal had been expected to be part of the Wildlife and Natural Environment Bill but after successful lobbying these proposals have been shelved. The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) is one of the main providers of deer stalker training in Scotland but was a principal objector to the introduction of mandatory testing.

The Government proposals could have made existing qualifications redundant. Thousands of stalkers will now be spared the cost of taking new examinations. It will also save considerable amounts of public money which would have been incurred in establishing a register for deer stalkers in Scotland. It will also prevent stalkers resident in Scotland from requiring a higher standard of testing than elsewhere in Europe.

BASC Scotland’s press and policy officer, Nicolle Upton, said: “BASC Scotland uncovered misleading guidance regarding deer stalking fatalities in the consultation document for the Wildlife and Natural Environment Bill. BASC's own research showed that three fatalities referred to in the consultation document were not associated with deer stalking, deer stalkers or indeed Scotland. The guidance given to the public in the consultation was misleading and undermined the already weak evidence supporting the argument that deer stalking represents ‘a potential risk to public safety’.”

“After months of lobbying we are relieved that the Scottish Government has recognised our concerns and removed the requirement for competence testing. Scotland already has one of the best safety records in the world; attributable to the high standards adhered to by our experienced stalkers and the voluntary training taken up by newcomers. We support industry-led voluntary training and believe that, in this area, Government control is both unnecessary and would act as a disincentive for vital deer management.”

The little contact I'd had with BASC had lead me to think of them as an up themselves bunch of self serving oiks, but it seems they have done good. Well done the BASC.

There are a good few around who would agree with you, especially in regards to the one or two who sit in the top branches of the BASC tree, looking down their beaks at the rest of us poor sods

This certainly seems like good news for a lot of people in Scotland and a considerable amount of credit has to go to BASC and all the others who fought this.

It must be said that while I understand the criticism of the BASC one of their representitives has recently been posting quite a lot on another forum called the Stalking Directory. As you can imagine he hasn't always had an easy time of it but he seems keen to engage with the "man in the street" and that is a good thing.

I also have to report that my experiences of BASC have been positive. I don't agree with everything they do and I fully understand the problems with the top people appearing to spend most of their time living it up at charity balls and the like. However, some time back I was going to do my DSC1 with BASC and a few weeks before the testing had to call to ask if I could borrow a rifle for the shooting test as my FAC application, which had been in for about 9 months or more, still hadn't been processed. Dispite my not asking for help with the FAC application I had the local firearms people on the phone within 20 minutes of my call to BASC and I had all the paperwork back with me in a matter of days and in time to complete the shooting test with my own rifle. The BASC folks in my local office, in Northern Ireland, also followed up on their assistance to ensure that I got my certificate conditioned for transport outside of Northern Ireland and also conditioned for deer here in NI. This all happened in a few weeks and it should be pointed out that FAC applications usually, certainly at that time, took about 12 months and could not infrequently take 24 months.

So, I appreciate the image problem BASC have but they do good work both for all shooters and also for individuals and in fact I know of several other people that they have helped recently here in NI with firearms matters. So, all told I think they are worth the annual subscription and the more of us who join them the stronger they are when fighting for our rights, something that is important here in the UK at present.

+1

Now that the dust has started to settle it looks as if we only have a temporary stay of execution.

It will all be back in the political arena in 3 years time.

What a complete waist of money and this will i am sure garantee that the DCS all keep jobs trying to mess up the ameature deer stalker way of life dont you just love politics.

quote:

Originally posted by SLDG:
What a complete waist of money and this will i am sure garantee that the DCS all keep jobs trying to mess up the ameature deer stalker way of life dont you just love politics.

What....????

What was a waste of money?
What will guarantee the DCS all keeping jobs?
What amateur stalking way of life?

Politics is a part of modern life, love it or hate it, you can't get away from it. All you can do is learn to deal with it and make the most of it.

quote:

Originally posted by Victor T:
What....????

What was a waste of money?
What will guarantee the DCS all keeping jobs?
What amateur stalking way of life?

Politics is a part of modern life, love it or hate it, you can't get away from it. All you can do is learn to deal with it and make the most of it.

Any one else getting deja vu here?

Pete, is that even a serious question?
I never believed in reincarnation until I joined this site!

quote:

Originally posted by Pete E:
......
Any one else getting deja vu here?

Sadly, I already noticed an unpleasant resemblance a couple of days ago

quote:

Originally posted by wildboar:

quote:

Originally posted by Pete E:
......
Any one else getting deja vu here?

Sadly, I already noticed an unpleasant resemblance a couple of days ago

What a suspicious bunch you lot are.

More interested in looking over your shoulders and peering around corners looking for a phantom, than a debate on the political process that may decide the future of deer stalking in Scotland, and there was me think this was a site about stalking.

Conscious as you now are of your error, how about flouncing off in disgust eh?

Go on, you know you want to.

Can the load data for Barnes be used for all metal bullets? Like silver bullets for example?

quote:

Originally posted by Ghubert:
Conscious as you now are of your error, how about flouncing off in disgust eh?

Go on, you know you want to.

Are you talking to me?

No, I'm wrong, it's Robert De niro.

At least it is not me being accused of being a troll

quote:

Originally posted by brass thief:
No, I'm wrong, it's Robert De niro.

John Wayne.

There's a new sheriff in town, apparently.

quote:

Originally posted by DJM:
At least it is not me being accused of being a troll

Dave

Looking at the majority of the posts on here from the girls, all they do is bitch about trolls.

Must be a change for them from making posts about hair, boys and the latest nasal sounding black fella to have a hit record.

BT,
I think DRG has the silver bullets! they travel fast and always hit the mark, unfortunately some of these critters just don't know when their dead!!

regards
Griff

Unfortunately DRG has no silver bullet; when he hits, the annoying character falls, then he gets up again and resumes to bother us using another identity. I would suggest you (the good guys) to be suspicious on very new members, especially if they don't show their location.

Shit...so soon
The next thing will be a lecture about the world changing, and we don´t.

quote:

Originally posted by wildboar:
Unfortunately DRG has no silver bullet; when he hits, the annoying character falls, then he gets up again and resumes to bother us using another identity. I would suggest you (the good guys) to be suspicious on very new members, especially if they don't show their location.

Xenophobia rules on AR's European Hunting section.

Lets hope its not contagious. Those of us normal, well balanced people left in the real world might have cause for concern if it is.

quote:

Originally posted by Victor T:

Xenophobia rules on AR's European Hunting section.

Lets hope its not contagious. Those of us normal, well balanced people left in the real world might have cause for concern if it is.

There's no Xenophobia when we know your IP address...

quote:

Originally posted by Pete E:

quote:

Originally posted by Victor T:

Xenophobia rules on AR's European Hunting section.

Lets hope its not contagious. Those of us normal, well balanced people left in the real world might have cause for concern if it is.

There's no Xenophobia when we know your IP address...

Pete

IP addy's change, with the wind mate.

Hell I could even be running it thru a proxy for all you know, But I ain't.

So you're all barking up the wrong tree on this one.

Like Catherine Tate would say "Am I bovvered?"

But if that is all you girls have to worry yourselves silly over,life must be bloody boring where you're sat looking out of the window.

So we can either put this aside and move on or you can keep on bitching like a bunch of old fishwives

so victor

Who are you then, with all of 15 posts and most of them trying to piss on somebody, how about you introduce yourself, since people are barking up the wrong tree, i am sure you would like to prove them wrong.

by the way we try as much as posible to refrain from the juvenile name calling, that your posts are full of, please try a little harder to humor the rest of us.

best

peter

quote:

Originally posted by Victor T:

quote:

Originally posted by Pete E:

quote:

Originally posted by Victor T:

Xenophobia rules on AR's European Hunting section.

Lets hope its not contagious. Those of us normal, well balanced people left in the real world might have cause for concern if it is.

There's no Xenophobia when we know your IP address...

Pete

IP addy's change, with the wind mate.

Hell I could even be running it thru a proxy for all you know, But I ain't.

So you're all barking up the wrong tree on this one.

Like Catherine Tate would say "Am I bovvered?"

But if that is all you girls have to worry yourselves silly over,life must be bloody boring where you're sat looking out of the window.

So we can either put this aside and move on or you can keep on bitching like a bunch of old fishwives

Another bullet sent to the mark.....I didn't even have to stalk you....you came right out into the open there pal.

Don

bye bye

thanks don

best

peter

Thanks Don, this character is really beyond redemption.