Good news for deer managers who want to take a HAD Humane Animal Dispatch (HAD) Course.
Initially, it appeared that DMQ’s Humane Animal Dispatch course was going to be the only course available to deer managers interested in supporting the Police at emergency incidents involving injured deer.
Concerned at the lack of choice being offered to the consumer, we raised our concerns with the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire & Isle of White Constabulary who have been spearheading this initiative and received the following response from the force solicitor.
“BASC/DMQ have not been engaged by the constabulary. Furthermore, their course is highlighted as currently being the way of obtaining the qualification but there is no requirement for this to be done through BASC/DMQ.
Any other provider can offer a course that will match the requirements then this would be accepted by the constabulary as the starting point as to whether a person undertaking the course could be accepted as a volunteer.
There is no exclusivity in respect to BASC/DMQ’s offer and no contract has been entered into with them for them to be a preferred supplier”.
Pretty clear there from the force solicitor and something that highlights, firstly, the UK consumers right to make a choice, and secondly that DMQ do not have a monopoly on deer management training, and the police cannot and will not show preferential treatment to one training provider over another.
As such, look out for a Humane Animal Dispatch Course (HAD Course) coming soon to the ‘Shooting & Hunting academy’.
In the meantime, for those interested in deer management training the academy also hosts the PDS1 & PDS2, and Large Game Meat Hygiene Course that provides trained hunter status, and UKDTR’s course on the recovery of shot and injured deer.
Courses that now sit alongside the UK’s first nationally available LANTRA accredited Airgun Proficiency Course (APC), various courses and masterclasses delivered by industry experts in shooting and food preparation, and for those that require support with WS3 funding, coming very soon, a Grey Squirrel Control & Management Course.
Check out the Shooting & Hunting Academy for more details: shootingandhuntingacademy
