Checked 6 November 2026. Registration fees and arrangements are each assessment centre’s own and change. On 6 November 2026 the BDS said new DSC2 registrations were paused while DMQ moves DSC2 to a new assessment platform, expected to reopen in early 2027; check with your centre. Rules are from DMQ’s DSC2 page, FAQ, Individual Cull Record (October 2024) and witness guidance (August 2025), read 6 November 2026.
DSC2, the Deer Stalking Certificate 2, is the practical follow-on to DSC1. There is no course and no exam: you register with a DMQ assessment centre, then a DMQ Approved Witness watches you stalk, cull, gralloch, inspect, transport and larder a deer, and records it on an Individual Cull Record for your Assessor. DMQ says it is usual to do the cull in a day; you have three years from registration to submit, and assessment and verification can take up to 14 weeks after that. The BDS charges £180.00 to register, and any witness or stalking fees are extra, agreed with the provider. One thing to know now: on 6 November 2026 the BDS said new DSC2 registrations were paused while DMQ moves DSC2 to a new platform, expected to reopen in early 2027.
ProSyllabus is an independent study site, not affiliated with Deer Management Qualifications (DMQ), BASC or the British Deer Society (BDS). Every rule and fee below is attributed to the page it comes from, read on 6 November 2026 and listed in the sources at the foot of the page; the timeline estimate, the readiness tool and the worked examples are ours.
DMQ, Deer Stalking Certificate 2 and FAQ, read 6 November 2026.
What DSC2 is
Deer Management Qualifications (DMQ) awards both stalking certificates. DSC1 is mostly knowledge, tested in five modules. DSC2, in DMQ’s words, is “entirely practical”: you show your skill and knowledge in the field while an Approved Witness observes you. DMQ says DSC2 “is not a course but a collection of appropriate evidence”, mainly a single stalk witnessed by an Approved Witness, written up and submitted through your Assessor to an online portfolio (the ePortfolio). The Assessor checks it against the DMQ standard, an Internal Quality Assurer verifies it, and the assessment centre asks DMQ to issue the certificate.
DMQ also says there is no pass or fail: it is a matter of collecting enough evidence to show you are competent. If something is missing, your Assessor will tell you what extra evidence is needed. DSC2 is also the step to DMQ’s Trained Hunter qualification: DMQ’s FAQ says DSC1’s game meat hygiene module covers the underpinning knowledge, and the Trained Hunter qualification itself is only achieved after DSC2.
DSC1 vs DSC2 at a glance
| DSC1 | DSC2 | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A largely knowledge-based first qualification, with safety and shooting at simulated targets | An entirely practical award: evidence of a real stalk and cull, observed by an Approved Witness |
| How you are assessed | Five modules: written (40 of 50 to pass), visual (16 of 20), game meat hygiene (32 of 40), safety and shooting | An Individual Cull Record completed by the witness, your own description of the stalk, and questions from the witness and your Assessor; no pass or fail |
| Course? | Courses are optional; assessment-only days exist | No course: the award is candidate-led |
| Entry | None stated by DMQ | DSC1 with the Wild Game Meat Hygiene assessment |
| Time limit | Three years from registration to pass all five modules | Three years from registration to the final submission of evidence |
| Where | At an assessment centre’s venue | Anywhere in the UK where you can arrange stalking, with an Approved Witness |
From DMQ’s DSC1 page (read 5 November 2026) and its DSC2 page and FAQ (read 6 November 2026). For DSC1 itself, see our DSC1 guide, how the DSC1 tests work and the DSC1 exam page.
The witnessed stalk: what the Individual Cull Record covers
The key document is the Individual Cull Record (ICR). Your witness completes it, not you, and emails it straight to your Assessor; the candidate sees it once the Assessor uploads it to the ePortfolio. DMQ advises you to download a blank copy and study it so you know exactly what you must do. The October 2024 ICR has four elements:
| Element | What the witness looks for (our summary of the ICR) |
|---|---|
| 1. Stalk Deer | Photo ID if the witness does not know you; safe working and suitable clothing; agreeing the cull animal (species, sex, age group in season); a legal rifle and ammunition; serviceable kit; locating previously unseen deer and leading the stalk to a safe, humane shot; confirming the animal meets the cull plan |
| 2. Cull Deer | Safe rifle handling throughout; a pre-shot check of the backstop and stating the shot placement; reloading and applying the safety after the shot; reading the deer’s reaction and planning the follow-up; approaching the shot deer safely; humane dispatch if needed; checking the cull and dependent young; bleeding and gralloching hygienically |
| 3. Prepare and Inspect Dead Deer | Hygienic work and safe lifting; dressing the carcass for the food chain; inspecting the carcass, organs and lymph nodes without prompting; acting on any abnormality; disposing of waste; recording the carcass status (the hunter declaration if you are a Trained Hunter); cleaning tools |
| 4. Transport and Store Dead Deer | Clean, suitable kit; hygienic, legal transport; a suitable storage area; storing at the right temperature and ventilation; cleaning the larder and tools; keeping cull and larder records |
From DMQ’s ePortfolio Individual Cull Record, October 2024 (performance criteria 1.0 to 4.6), read 6 November 2026. Some Element 3 and 4 criteria can be covered by your Assessor’s questions where the witness could not see them.
Rules for the outing
- The witness only records. DMQ says witnesses may not lead, help, steer or train you, or tell you what kit to carry or how to gralloch. On ground only the witness knows, they may brief you on the day’s cull plan, where stalking might be worthwhile and, if asked, the lie of the land.
- You are never left alone. The witness must stay with you through the stalk, the gralloch and transport, close enough to see your safety catch and backstops, and able to step in.
- More than one outing is allowed. If you cannot complete every criterion on one stalk, DMQ says the rest can be completed on another occasion, witnessed by any DMQ Approved Witness. Every criterion must be done before the portfolio is submitted.
- High seats. A deer shot from a high seat counts for Element 2, but you must stalk into range of a deer on another occasion for Element 1.
- Seasons and the law. DMQ recommends timing your outings to the open season for the species and sex you plan to cull. A deer shot illegally is not accepted, and every other piece of evidence in that cull record has to be redone.
- Expect questions. The witness may ask questions to test your knowledge, and after you submit, your Assessor will usually phone you and the witness; DMQ warns these calls can be long.
- Hygiene. You must show hygienic practice and avoid cross-contamination, for example with clean gloves, washing, or wipes for knives.
From DMQ’s DSC2 page and FAQ, read 6 November 2026. BASC’s DSC2 page adds that if a witness feels you are not up to standard they may stop the assessed stalk and offer to carry on as a training stalk.
Who can be your Approved Witness
DMQ manages its Approved Witnesses, who are volunteers. To be one, DMQ asks for, among other things, DSC2 itself, a relevant Large Wild Game Meat Hygiene qualification, a current firearm certificate for a deer-legal rifle and relevant experience, plus a DMQ briefing and assessment. Once you register, the list of current witnesses is in the resources area of your ePortfolio, by county. You can pick one near your stalking, one who offers stalking for the outing, or one you already know. BASC’s page says your cull can also be witnessed by an Assessor from an assessment centre.
Check the name is on DMQ’s current list on the day: DMQ’s witness guidance says only an Approved Witness current at the time can witness any part of an ICR, and DMQ issues new lists quarterly.
What DSC2 costs
| Cost | What the official pages say |
|---|---|
| Registration with an assessment centre | Set by each centre. The BDS’s DSC2 page gives £180.00. DMQ says its own element of the fee is the same at every centre and covers administration only |
| Approved Witness | Not included in registration; agreed directly between you and the witness. DMQ’s witness guidance asks a witness who charges to say so, and how much, before the outing, so you can choose another |
| Stalking for the outing | Depending on your circumstances you may pay for stalking, witness fees, or both; any such fee goes to the provider, with no DMQ charge |
| Re-registration (after three years) | At extra cost. BASC’s page gives £175.00 for re-registration (an older answer on the same page says £150.00) |
| Optional training or experience | Some centres arrange experience with a professional stalker; a witness who offers training must tell you the level, time and cost |
Fees from the BDS and BASC DSC2 pages, rules from DMQ’s FAQ and witness guidance, all read 6 November 2026. BASC’s page did not show a first registration fee. DMQ: “It is up to you to find out what different people charge and decide what suits you.”
How long DSC2 takes after DSC1
| Stage | Time (official) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1. DSC1 certificate | DMQ: normally within a maximum of eight weeks after passing all five DSC1 assessments | Your DSC1 number becomes your DMQ number for life |
| 2. Experience | No fixed time. DMQ recommends gaining experience and confidence before registering | Our view: this is the stage that takes longest for most new stalkers |
| 3. Register and contact your Assessor | Starts your three years | You receive an ePortfolio login and guidance notes; an Assessor is already allocated |
| 4. Witnessed outing | DMQ: it is usual to do the cull in a day | Missing criteria can be completed on a later outing |
| 5. Submit, questions, verification | DMQ: assessment and verification can take up to 14 weeks from submission, longer if evidence is missing | You write your description of the stalk; the Assessor usually phones you and the witness |
| 6. Certificate | Issued by DMQ once the centre advises it | Your Assessor tells you if more evidence is needed |
From DMQ’s DSC1 and DSC2 pages and FAQ. BASC’s page adds that evidence must be three years old or less to count, and that after your narrative the witness’s questioning goes to the Assessor, the Internal Verifier and in some cases an External Verifier and the awarding body.
In our estimate, a stalker who is already culling and lardering regularly could go from registration to certificate in roughly four months: a day in the field, then up to 14 weeks for assessment. Someone new to stalking after DSC1 should expect to spend a season or more gaining experience first, which is why DMQ suggests getting it before you register and start the three-year clock.
The 2026 registration pause
Check before you plan
On 6 November 2026 the British Deer Society’s DSC2 page said new DSC2 registrations were temporarily paused while DMQ moves the qualification to a new, more user-friendly assessment platform, with registration expected to reopen in early 2027. The BDS says candidates already registered need do nothing: they will be moved to the new system and assessments in progress continue.
DMQ’s and BASC’s DSC2 pages did not mention a pause on the same day. Ask your chosen assessment centre whether it is taking new DSC2 registrations. If you are still working on DSC1, the pause costs you nothing: pass DSC1 now and use the time to build experience.
From the BDS DSC2 page, read 6 November 2026. DMQ lists six assessment centres: BASC, the BDS, Sparsholt College, the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation, the Scottish Gamekeepers Association and Orion Wildlife Training.
Do you need your own rifle and firearm certificate?
No, says DMQ. You may borrow a rifle for the cull if it is borrowed from the owner or occupier of the ground being stalked and the firearm certificate holder accompanies you. DMQ says the candidate must be over 17 (18 in Northern Ireland), unless over 14 and holding a firearm certificate, whose conditions must then be met. DMQ’s witness guidance asks you to bring your firearm certificate, or photo ID if you are shooting under a section 16 Firearms Act exemption, plus proof of stalking insurance, your Assessor’s name and email, and your DMQ candidate number.
From DMQ’s FAQ and witness guidance (August 2025), read 6 November 2026. Firearms law is not covered here; check your own certificate’s conditions.
Two worked examples on the DSC2 rules
These two questions are our own and test the rules above. The DSC2 has no written test, but the witness and your Assessor will ask questions, and knowing the rules saves a wasted outing.
Worked example 1 · the high-seat rule
On a witnessed outing you shoot a roe buck cleanly from a high seat. Your witness stayed with you in the seat throughout. How does DMQ say this cull counts towards your DSC2?
- (A) It counts for Element 2 (Cull Deer), but you still have to stalk to within range of a deer for a safe and humane shot on another occasion for Element 1 (Stalk Deer)
- (B) It does not count at all, because deer shot from a high seat are never accepted
- (C) It completes Elements 1 and 2 together, because the witness was present
- (D) It counts only if the witness waited at the foot of the seat while you shot
Show the answer
Answer: (A). DMQ’s FAQ says a deer shot from a high seat counts for Element 2 (Cull Deer), and that the candidate will have to stalk to within range of a deer where a safe and humane shot can be taken on another occasion for Element 1. It also says a candidate may not be left alone up a high seat: the witness must accompany you throughout and be able to intervene, so (D) is wrong, and (B) and (C) contradict the FAQ.
An original ProSyllabus question written from DMQ’s FAQ (DSC 2 section, read 6 November 2026). Not a DMQ question.
Worked example 2 · help from the witness
During the gralloch you cannot find the mesenteric lymph nodes. Your witness stops the assessment, shows you where they are, and you then inspect them yourself. What happens to that performance criterion (PC 3.3)?
- (A) It cannot be signed off from this outing; you must inspect the lymph nodes unaided on a later occasion in front of a DMQ Approved Witness
- (B) It is signed off, because you did the inspection with your own hands
- (C) It is signed off if the witness writes down that the help was brief
- (D) The whole DSC2 registration ends and you must re-register
Show the answer
Answer: (A). DMQ says witnesses are not permitted to lead, help, steer or train candidates. Its witness guidance says that if a witness gives training, witnessing must stop first, and a PC learnt with that help may not be signed off until the candidate has completed the task unaided on a later occasion. PC 3.3 on the Individual Cull Record asks for the lymph nodes to be found and inspected without prompting or guidance. Nothing in DMQ’s pages ends the registration over this: criteria not completed on one outing can be completed on another.
An original ProSyllabus question written from DMQ’s DSC2 page, its Individual Cull Record (October 2024) and its witness guidance (August 2025), read 6 November 2026. Not a DMQ question.
Is DSC2 for you yet?
Answer four quick questions. The tool only adds up your answers: it is our rule of thumb, not DMQ advice, and your assessment centre or Assessor can tell you more.
Where are you on the road to DSC2?
Not passed DSC1 yet? Start here
You cannot register for DSC2 without DSC1, so DSC1 is the real first step. DMQ’s pass marks are high: 40 of 50 on the written test and 32 of 40 on game meat hygiene, with the visual, safety and shooting modules on top. Our DSC1 guide compares routes and what BASC, the BDS and Sparsholt charge; DSC1 vs PDS1 explains why only DSC1 leads to DSC2. You can try five free DSC1 written-test questions here:
FreeTests: Legislation · Safety, rifles and ballistics · Deer biology and ecology · Stalking and taking the shot
DSC1 · Free sample (5 questions): free sample
Answer 5 questions against the clock, like the real exam. You then see the right answer, the reason and your time on each. About 6 minutes · free · no sign-in.
5 questions to answer
Start nowThis one is free · no sign-in needed
Your result shows how long each question took you.
The free questions come from the ProSyllabus DSC1 Exam Pack: timed written and game meat hygiene mocks scored against DMQ’s pass marks, with the reason behind every answer. The questions are our own, written from the law and official guidance, not copied from DMQ’s banks.
New to stalking altogether? A separate beginners’ guide to kit, costs and finding stalking is on its way; until then, DSC1 is the place to start.
Frequently asked questions
What is DSC2?
Deer Stalking Certificate 2, DMQ’s practical award after DSC1. An Approved Witness observes you stalking, culling, preparing and lardering a deer and records it on an Individual Cull Record for your Assessor. There is no course and no written exam.
Do I need DSC1 before DSC2?
Yes. DMQ says DSC1 with the Wild Game Meat Hygiene assessment is a mandatory prerequisite. The BDS adds that a DSC1 issued before 2006 also needs a Lantra or NGO Large Game Meat Hygiene certificate.
How much does DSC2 cost?
Registration is set by each assessment centre; the BDS gives £180.00 (6 November 2026). Witness and stalking fees are extra and agreed with the provider, with no DMQ charge for them.
How long does DSC2 take?
DMQ says it is usual to do the cull in a day, you have up to three years from registration to submit, and assessment and verification can take up to 14 weeks after submission.
How many stalks do I need for DSC2?
DMQ and BASC describe the evidence as mainly a single witnessed stalk. If you cannot complete every criterion on one outing, the rest can be completed on another, witnessed by any DMQ Approved Witness.
Can I fail DSC2?
DMQ says there is no pass or fail: you collect enough evidence to prove competence. A witness can stop an assessed stalk, and your Assessor can ask for more evidence.
Can I register for DSC2 now?
On 6 November 2026 the BDS said new DSC2 registrations were paused while DMQ moves to a new assessment platform, expected to reopen in early 2027. Ask your chosen assessment centre.
Does DSC2 make me a Trained Hunter?
DMQ says its Trained Hunter qualification is only achieved after DSC2; DSC1’s game meat hygiene module covers the underpinning knowledge.
More in this series
Sources
- official — DMQ: Deer Stalking Certificate 2 (enrolling, registration, gathering evidence, assessment, certificate; read 6 Nov 2026)
- official — DMQ: FAQ, DSC 2 section and Trained Hunter (cost, where, how long, rifle, questions, seasons, high seats, witness rules; read 6 Nov 2026)
- official — DMQ: DSC2 ePortfolio Individual Cull Record, October 2024 (PDF; read 6 Nov 2026)
- official — DMQ: Candidate and Approved Witness guidance, August 2025 (PDF; read 6 Nov 2026)
- official — DMQ: Becoming a DMQ Approved Witness (requirements; read 6 Nov 2026)
- official — DMQ: Assessment centres (read 6 Nov 2026)
- official — DMQ: Deer Stalking Certificate 1 (modules, pass marks, prerequisite for DSC2; read 5 Nov 2026)
- official — British Deer Society: DSC2 (registration update, £180.00 registration, pre-2006 DSC1 rule; read 6 Nov 2026)
- official — BASC: Deer Stalking Certificate 2 (DSC2) (one witnessed stalk, re-registration fee, FAQ; read 6 Nov 2026)
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
