Training Courses
At Shooting.sh we encourage and subsidise our syndicate members to undertake nationally recognised deer stalking qualifications as part of their journey to become responsible and ethical hunters. Our highly experienced team also offers a range of in-house courses available exclusively to our members. Even if you have no experience whatsoever, we can put you on the mentoring scheme for new members or beginners, and support you in the process of acquiring your UK Firearms Certificate. In short, we provide the full package.
Shooting.sh support the Proficient Deer Stalking Certificate Level 1 (PDS1) and Proficient Deer Stalking Certificate Level 2 (PDS2) training schemes delivered through the UK Shooting & Hunting Academy. These deer management qualifications are nationally recognised by the Police and UK Forestry organisations and are accredited by both LANTRA and UK Rural Skills (UKRS).
Proficient Deer Stalking Certificate Level 1 (PDS1)
The PDS1 is the introductory, nationally recognised deer management qualification which teaches the novice stalker how to identify the UK’s 6 species of deer, deer ecology and management, meat hygiene regulations, firearms and firearm safety, shooting technique and the law as it relates to stalking activities.
- There are several good reasons and benefits for taking the PDS1:
Firstly, it provides participants with the skills and knowledge they need to stalk deer successfully.
- Secondly, it helps to build confidence in those who take the course, giving them the ability to safely and confidently pursue deer in the field.
- Thirdly, although not essential, it is often a prerequisite qualification demanded by Police Firearms Departments before they will permit a firearm to be authorised for deer stalking.
- Fourthly, many deer guides and landowners will insist the client possesses the PDS1 qualification and suitable insurance before they will agree to allow the individual out stalking as it demonstrates a minimum level of competence and knowledge.
Accredited by both LANTRA and UK Rural Skills (UKRS) and recognised by the Forestry Commission and NatureScot, the excellent ‘Proficient Deer Stalking Certificate’ (PDS1) enables beginners to achieve ‘Trained Hunter’ status, at a time and place that suits, through the completion of an online theory course and a practical assessment in the field.
Candidates are guided through the PDS1 syllabus through a series of online modules, classes and exams delivered by a professional deer stalker and ‘LANTRA Approved Training Provider’. Included with the course is the ‘Large Game Meat Hygiene Certificate’ that complies with Food Standards Agency guidelines for placing shot venison on the market for human consumption.
Upon completing the online theory element of the PDS1 course, candidates then undertake a practical shooting assessment and a carcass examination with a PDS Approved Verifier (AV) to complete the course. Shooting.sh has in-house AVs who will deliver both the shooting and carcass examinations Free of Charge!
The PDS1 course cost is £395 available from the UK Shooting & Hunting Academy. Shooting.sh members benefit from an exclusive £30 discount from the UK Shooting & Hunting Academy and in addition will receive £50 cashback upon completing this course as a benefit of syndicate membership. If you would like to enrol on the PDS1 course and to obtain your Discount Code and cashback information contact our Chief Instructor Mike.
Proficient Deer Stalking Certificate Level 2 (PDS2)
The PDS2 is a nationally recognised advanced Deer Stalking Qualification that is designed to follow on from the foundation skills achieved during the PDS1. The Level 2 course consists of two elements, a taught element delivered by the UK Shooting & Hunting Academy through a series of online modules and classes, and a practical demonstration of skill by the candidate, that is observed by a PDS Approved Verifier (AV) in the field.
The initial taught element builds upon the candidate’s knowledge in key areas, including advanced understanding of firearms and optics, ageing and assessing the condition of deer, deer ecology, how to assess the suitability of land for stalking, how to carry out risk assessments, record keeping and deer management plans and is assessed through multiple choice examinations.
Upon completion of the taught element, candidates may download their practical assessment Logbook, which covers four key areas that include, the preparation and safe handling of equipment, competence at stalking and dispatching deer humanely and safely, the ability to be able to inspect and gralloch deer, and hygienically handle deer in line with Food Standards Agency guidelines.
Through both taught modules and classes and the practical demonstration of skill that must be demonstrated on at least two occasions, the PDS2 sets the gold standard in UK deer stalking and is ideal for those who may wish to join our Cull Team, apply for an ‘open’ Firearms Certificate, or simply for those that wish to advance their knowledge to the next level. Our syndicate has PDS AVs who can help you successfully complete this advanced deer stalking qualification.
The PDS2 course cost is £120 available from the UK Shooting & Hunting Academy. If you are interested in enrolling on the PDS2 contact our Chief Instructor Mike.
Deer Stalking Certificate Level 1 (DSC1) & Deer Stalking Certificate Level 2 (DSC2).
The DSC1 and DSC2 are equivalent deer management certificates delivered through BASC, BDS and the NGO, and accredited by the Deer Management Qualification body (DMQ).
The DSC1 is generally run as a 3 day classroom based course followed by a 1 day exam and is delivered at training centres around the UK. The DSC1 covers similar learning content to the PDS1 but does not include the award of the Large Game Meat Hygiene Certificate upon successful course completion. If required this has to be taken as a separate course. If you wish to take the DSC1 in preference to the PDS1 you will need to contact a suitable training provider for further details and costs. The Syndicate will award a £50 cashback upon successful completion of the DSC1.
The DSC2 is a higher level practical deer stalking assessment intended for experienced deer stalkers who already hold the DSC1 to demonstrate that they can successfully stalk, shoot, gralloch and extract a deer carcass in the field in line with best practice and food hygiene regulations. It is equivalent to the PDS2. Upon completion you are also awarded the Large Game Meat Hygiene Certificate if you have previously passed the DSC1. The DSC2 requires an DMQ Accredited Witness (AW) to observe and document the practical element of the assessment. The practical element is followed by an oral exam with a DMQ examiner. Shooting.sh has qualified AWs who can assist members who wish to undertake this qualification.
Where are the Courses Held?
The DSC1 course is run online over 6x 2.5-hour sessions using Teams – one session a week on a weekday evening from 7 pm.
This saves you time and money on travelling and hotel bills. The maximum number of participants is 10 per course. Courses are run throughout the year when there is sufficient demand.
The course also includes a 1-day session at an indoor 100m rifle range where you can practice the shooting test with your own rifle or with one provided by the instructor.
The DSC1 examination is an all-day event held in Monmouth and includes 3 written papers, a deer identification test, a shooting test, and a safety test. If you pass all sections of the exam you are awarded the DSC1.
If you fail any section of the exam these can be retaken at another exam session within 3 years.
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In House Training Courses
An Introduction to Deer Stalking (Pre PDS1 / DSC1)
If you are a complete beginner and do not have a UK Firearms Licence, we offer a one day course with our Chief Instructor Mike designed to introduce you to this exiting profession during which you will be taught how to apply for your UK FAC, UK firearms legislation, what deer stalking involves, basic firearms safety, weapon handling, learning how to shoot and how to get the most from your syndicate membership. It will provide you with a solid understanding and practical training which will be invaluable should you then decide to purchase a hunting rifle or enrol for the PDS1 or DSC1 course. The actual course content will be tailored to your individual needs and experience. It is delivered near Monmouth and costs £175. Syndicate members can claim £50 cashback upon completion of the training course.
If you are interested in attending the Introduction to Deer Stalking course contact our Chief Instructor Mike by clicking here.
Mentored Stalks and Gralloching
If you would like to develop your knowledge of how to deer stalk and to learn how to gralloch a deer in the field, we offer a 1/2 or full day experience with our Chief Instructor who will take you out on an accompanied stalk where he will teach you basic fieldcraft, deer behaviour and habits, tracking skills, range estimation, safe weapon handling in the field, how to take a ‘safe’ shot, and general safety considerations when hunting.
If during the course of this tuition focussed stalk a deer is harvested by the trainer, he will then demonstrate how to carry out a field gralloch and how to extract the carcass back to the vehicle or chiller. These stalks are conducted on private hunting land near Monmouth and cost £95 for a morning or evening session or £175 for a full day. Syndicate members can claim a £25 / £50 course cash back upon completion.
Skinning and Butchery
Once you have shot your deer, you will often be offered the opportunity to purchase the carcass by your stalking guide, or if shot on one of our leased grounds, you can take it home free of charge. But how do you turn your deer carcass into delicious venison ready for the freezer? Unfortunately skinning and butchery are not taught as part of the PDS1/2 or DSC1/2 syllabus. This stage of the deer hunting experience is often left down to you to figure out!
This 1/2 day practical course delivered by our qualified stalkers will teach and give you hands on experience of how to skin a deer and how to confidently section a whole deer into its prime cuts and learn what each cut can be used for (eg fillets, steaks, diced, braising, slow cook joints). You will also be taught how to mince the meat ready to make burgers, meatballs or sausages. This course requires a freshly shot deer which once butchered can be purchased by the student, so will need to be booked and delivered in consultation with our trainer. The course can be run in Monmouthshire, Denbighshire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Devon and Hampshire. The course cost is £95 plus carcass purchase.
An Introduction to Reloading
Hunting ammunition is expensive, however we will never improve our shooting skills if we don’t practice regularly. As your knowledge and interest in shooting and hunting develops, you might decide to start making your own ammunition to try to save money. Reloading your own cartridges can substantially reduce your ammunition spend and more importantly can enable you to develop your home loads to maximise the accuracy of your rifles.
But how do you go about this and do it safely? This half day practical course will introduce you to the whole process, step by step of safely making your own ammunition and customising your cartridge to achieve the best possible accuracy from your rifle. You will learn how to set up and use reloading equipment correctly, what reloading equipment to buy, choosing suitable reloading components, how to develop a custom load for your rifle and actually load 50 cartridges to shoot with your rifle. The course is run in Monmouth and costs £95 (excluding ammunition components).
Game and Rough Shooting Training
This course is designed to ensure that you are fully compliant with safe practices and have a good working knowledge of what to expect on a variety of shoot ‘types’ and how to deal with game, understand when to shoot and when not to shoot. We like it to be fun and we do expect you to ask questions with our knowledge and experience over many years we hope you go home with confidence and have good safety protocols to consider, as well as respect for your game.
Shotgun Training
We also run an in house 2 day shotgun course to improve your safety, etiquette, shooting ability and general knowledge of how to go forward for a safe hunting future.
Fly Fishing Training
Meet with and spend a day learning how to fly-fish with our Chairman Bob who is a national GAIA instructor. This course is suitable for both novice and experienced fly fisherman. As an exclusive benefit to members, this course normally costs £175, but is totally FREE to attend for syndicate members.
How Much Are The Courses?
Shooting.sh are able to provide its members with in-house DSC1 training. The course cost is £300 per person. This includes all learning materials – DSC1 manual, Deer identification DVD and Gralloching DVD. It also includes a one day range session and registration for the DSC1 exam.
For experienced stalkers who just wish to take the DSC1 exam with no other teaching support the cost is £175.
All our deer stalking syndicate members also receive £50 towards the costs of acquiring these licenses as a benefit of joining our syndicate.