Category: Uncategorized

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For Government guidance on meeting with others safely and Social Distancing please see the following link,

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-meeting-with-others-safely-social-distancing

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1. Deer Stalking, Practical Training and Marksmanship Coaching

How we are operating,

We will be applying the guidance on social distance.

We will arrange to meet at a location that does not require us to share transport.

Where the estate rifle and other equipment is shared we will be using disinfectant wipes to ensure cleanliness in addition to good hand hygiene.

PPE such as facemasks and gloves will be used where required.

What we respectfully ask of you,

Those at high risk or vulnerable category,

If you are within a ‘high risk’ category, the guidance may differ by geographical area and your personal circumstances. We ask that you read the guidance and assess the risk to you as an individual and make an informed decision on whether you book with us.

Advice for those at high risk,

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/people-at-higher-risk/advice-for-people-at-high-risk/

General advice for staying safe outside your home,

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/staying-safe-outside-your-home

Experiencing Covid symptoms,

If you have even the mild symptoms of coronovirus within 10 days prior you must cancel your booking with us unless you are tested with a negative result. You can find guidance on symptoms at the following link.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/symptoms/

Please join us in being concious of maintaining suitable distance and good hand hygeine.

Please bring personal protective equipment in the form of face covering and gloves (darker colours preferable for stalking)

By entering into a contract with us as service providers we will be asking that you understand and accept the control measures used by Deer Central for the purposes of safety and during the COVID-19 period and we will explain any futher details on safety measures on your arrival with us.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-phased-return-of-sport-and-recreation/guidance-for-the-public-on-the-phased-return-of-outdoor-sport-and-recreation

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2. Formal Training and Courses

Categorised as Training and Education we are exempt from the limit of 6 people gathering. However, we have planned to meet guidelines and requirements for a ‘Covid secure venue’ to reduce risk to the lowest reasonably practicable level by taking preventative measures.

How we are operating,

We are moving our venues where required in order to ensure that social distancing can be applied which includes distance between seating in classrooms.

We are providing hand sanitiser as well as access to handwashing facilities and putting other measures in place to ensure cleanliness of surfaces.

We will provide you with a copy of our risk assessment and will be providing an exlplaination in our initial course briefing on the measures in place along with clear signage to remind and encourage everyone to join in with adhearing to the measures.

What we respectfully ask of you,

 At the point of application we will ask you to understand and accept the control measures used by Deer Central for the purposes of safety and during the COVID-19 period.

Those at high risk or vulnerable category

If you are within a ‘high risk’ category, the guidance may differ by geographical area. We ask that you read the guidance and assess the risk to you as an individual and make an informed decision on whether you book with us.

Advice for those at high risk or vulnerable category,

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/people-at-higher-risk/advice-for-people-at-high-risk/

Advice for staying safe outside your home,

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/staying-safe-outside-your-home

Experiencing Symptoms,

If you have even the mild symptoms of coronovirus within 10 days prior you must cancel your booking with us unless you are tested with a negative result. You can find guidance on symptoms at the following link.,

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/symptoms/

We will ask you to sign a declaration on arrival with us that you have not come into contact with anyone with Covid 19 to the best of your knowledge within the past 10 days and that you yourself have not experienced symptoms in the last 10 days. That you have not been required to self isolate under track and trace. That by attending you are not in breech of any other self isolation requirement.

We will require a temperature check on entry to the classroom every day.

We will require you to keep the reccomended social distance and good hand hygeine.

Please bring your own stationary

Please bring your own sanitiser and PPE in the form of face coverings.

For more information on our training and courses please click here to visit our website training section.

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3. Online Shopping

How we are operating,

In addition to all the workplace measures we are all becoming familiar with we minimize direct contact with or contamination of your products and packaging through use of PPE.

Although we are close to our local village post office we are reducing the frequency of visits in preference of one visit per week in order to limit face to face interaction.

Please click here to visit our online shop

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Please feel free to give us a shout via Messenger, email or phone. If in doubt about anything coronivirus related please refer to the government guidelines found at the link below.

The protection of all of our health is highest priority. Stay safe and well and we hope to see you soon.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

Following the current advice available we will be continuing our training and courses and will still be planning ahead and taking bookings. If government advice changes we will adapt accordingly. However, if you feel unwell especially with any of the symptoms please do not attend training or courses. You can find futher advise in the NHS link,

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

Whether you are completely new to sporting rifles or deer stalking or have a level of experience that you wish to develop, Deer Central can help you progress.

Led by a BASC approved trainer and assessor, the team has an excellent track record in assisting deer stalkers achieve and exceed the standard required for the Deer Stalking Certificate Level 1 and 2.

Firearms Awareness Course

A Firearms awareness course is a great introduction to Sporting Rifles and is run over the course of a day with the essential theory covered in the classroom before some practical application on the shooting range.

Deer Stalking Certificate Level 1

The Deer Stalking Certificate Level 1 is a great foundation on which to build your deer stalking experience and skills but don’t be fooled, it is not an attendance course. You will need to study a comprehensive manual to be prepared for the course and the assessments. The shooting assessment also requires a minimum standard and if you have little or no experience of shooting a deer caliber rifle in prone, sitting/kneeling and standing positions then it is well worth booking in for some marksmanship coaching in advance of the course.

Training & Mentoring

Many assume the natural progression from DSC1 is Level 2 but don’t be too hasty in signing up. The theory of the Level 1 course has to be built upon until you are confident and suitably experienced in every aspect of deer stalking from the preparation and planning stage, location and selection, the stalk, the shot, the follow up, carcass process and inspection right through to extraction and lardering. This takes some time becoming familiar with the process through repetition of good habits. The most ideal learning environment will be in the field under the instruction of an experienced deer stalker and teacher rolled into one.

Deer Stalking Certificate Level 2

Once you are ready and have applied for your Deer Stalking Certificate Level 2 you will have 3 years in which to collect enough evidence that you meet the standard required for the award. This is done by undertaking 3 seperate stalks accompanied by an Approved Witness and compiling and online portfolio. You will be thoroughly briefed on every aspect of the assessment and just like a driving test you will demonstrate your competence against a list of Performance Criteria (PC’s). The Witness will record the completed PC’s along with a narrative of how you achieved them and this will be sent to your Assessor who will ensure that the evidence is complete, and who will ask you questions where needed to strengthen the portfolio evidence.

Additional training and progression

Every day is a school day and Continuous Professional Development is a current phrase in most industries. Best Practice Days, The annual British Deer Society meeting and publications of studies can all help keep us progressing in our knowledge. There is always more to learn and skills to develop and I always take the opportunity to get on the range or out on a stalk with other experienced professionals to cross pollinate ideas and methods.

Visit the Deer Central website or our Facebook presence for more information on the training we can provide and feel free to join the social group ‘Deer Central Forum’ which is open to all who are looking to learn and progress.

From Dog & Field’s ‘The Tracker Range’

First Impressions

The Tracker Jacket is designed for the working dog that requires added protection. I can see it doing a good job minimising the risk of puncture wounds or lacerations but ultimately it will be most valuable offering protection when facing the risk of injury during a track and follow up for wounded, dangerous quarry. The protection comes in the form of three layers of Aramid fabric, a material found in the products of well known brands of military spec body armour. I intend to put it to the test in due course (without the dog inside it!) but by all accounts it should handle tusks, antlers, hooves and the many other hazards faced during a track and follow up of wounded large game.

 

The Tracker Jacket has a durable canvass exterior which is described as being made of a thorn proof G7 Polyester and has a soft breathable fabric on the interior. As with all the product range it is in a very visible blaze orange but also has a reflective strip down each side.  The fixings are thick Velcro fastenings down the length of the jacket and around the neck. The tracking collar works well with the Jacket and there are loops to facilitate its use. I can see the drawback of not having a body harness type design to relieve stress on the neck for stronger pulling dogs but the collar is well padded over the top of the jacket so I will see how my GSP gets on with it.

It has the feel of a stab vest. The Tracker Jacket is a good combination of protection to core vital organs and comfortable, flexible free movement of limbs.

It comes in 5 sizes to cover most breeds and has a removable strip/panel that decreases the girth size for a slimmer dog.

 

The build quality looks good and by comparison to other similar products offering the same level of protection I would say the Jacket is priced very competitively.

For more info and sales please visit www.dogandfield.co.uk

Further field testing to follow!

From Dog & Field’s ‘The Tracker Range’

First Impressions

Out of the box of kit sent to me by Colin to review and test it makes sense to start with the collar. The Tracker Collar is made of a tough biothane material. To those in the dark (as I was), biothane is a polyester webbing with a TPU/PVC coating. This should make it strong, durable and easy to keep clean. Buckles look sturdy. It has a black rubber backing and is all held together with heavy duty stitching.

 

 

As a tracking collar for use with a line I would prefer something wider to spread the pressure around the dogs neck but it is well padded and I will use it for some blood tracking practice as well as some daily use and will report back and update the blog in due course.
They come blaze orange and in 3 sizes to cater for neck sizes from 34 to 60 cm.

 

 

Also available is the 10 Meter Tracking Line. Made of the same tough Biothane construction it is heavier in weight (about 800 grams) and more rigid that the polypropylene webbing style lines that I have used in the past but I can see there being advantages with this. It has a heavy duty trigger clip on a swivel and 4 rivets to keep it attached there is not much to go wrong. It looks and feels like a good quality product. I may be asking for a longer line with my fast working GSP but I will see how we get on! Field test to follow.

 

For sales and enquiries please contact Dog & Field direct through their website www.dogandfield.co.uk