Deer School

by First Light

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First Light: DSC1 Study Aid

This training module is an independent study aid designed to test knowledge of the public UK Deer Management Qualifications (DMQ) syllabus.

It is not an official DMQ product and does not replace the British Deer Society (BDS) Training Manual. All users are strongly encouraged to study official materials in preparation for their assessment.

Usage of this app does not guarantee a pass.

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Deer School

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Quick Reference

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England & Wales — Deer Act 1991

Species & Sex	Open Season
Red Stag	1 Aug – 30 Apr
Red Hind	1 Nov – 31 Mar
Fallow Buck	1 Aug – 30 Apr
Fallow Doe	1 Nov – 31 Mar
Sika Stag	1 Aug – 30 Apr
Sika Hind	1 Nov – 31 Mar
Roe Buck	1 Apr – 31 Oct
Roe Doe	1 Nov – 31 Mar
Muntjac (both)	No close season
CWD (both)	1 Nov – 31 Mar

Scotland — Deer (Scotland) Act 1996 (as amended 2023)

Species & Sex	Open Season
All males (all species)	No close season
Red / Sika / Fallow Hind	21 Oct – 15 Feb
Roe Doe	21 Oct – 31 Mar

Male close seasons abolished Oct 2023. Female seasons unchanged.

Northern Ireland — Wildlife (NI) Order 1985

Species & Sex	Open Season
Red Stag	1 Aug – 30 Apr
Red Hind	1 Nov – 31 Mar
Fallow Buck	1 Aug – 30 Apr
Fallow Doe	1 Nov – 31 Mar
Sika Stag	1 Aug – 30 Apr
Sika Hind	1 Nov – 31 Mar
Roe, Muntjac, CWD	Not present — no NI season

Only red, fallow and sika (and their hybrids) occur wild in NI. There are no wild roe deer, and muntjac and Chinese water deer are not established — report any sighting to DAERA. DAERA, not Natural England or NatureScot, is the NI licensing authority.

Legal Shooting Hours

All regions	1 hour before sunrise → 1 hour after sunset
Night shooting	Only with written Natural England / NatureScot / DAERA authorisation, or emergency welfare dispatch

The same one-hour window applies in all three jurisdictions — Deer Act 1991 s.3 in England and Wales, Deer (Scotland) Act 1996 s.18 in Scotland, and Wildlife (NI) Order 1985 Art. 19(2) in Northern Ireland. Night vision does not grant authority to shoot outside legal hours.

England & Wales — Deer Act 1991

Species	Min Calibre	Min Energy	Other
Red, Fallow, Sika, Roe	.240" (6mm)	1,700 ft/lb	Expanding bullet
Muntjac & CWD only	.220"	1,000 ft/lb	Min 50gr expanding

In England & Wales .222/.223 may be used on Muntjac and CWD only — never Roe or any larger species. Scotland sets its calibre rules separately (next card) and permits these rounds for Roe.

Scotland — Deer (Firearms etc.) Order 1985 (as amended 2023)

Species	Min Weight	Min Velocity	Min Energy
All except Roe	80gr	2,450 fps	1,750 ft/lb
Roe only	50gr	2,450 fps	1,000 ft/lb

Scotland sets no statutory minimum calibre at all — the Order specifies bullet weight, muzzle velocity and muzzle energy only, so a correctly loaded .222 is lawful on roe there while it is not on roe in England and Wales. All deer bullets must be expanding; FMJ is illegal throughout the UK. Scotland’s 2023 amendment cut the minimum bullet weight to 80gr, which brings most non-lead (copper) loads inside the law.

Northern Ireland — Wildlife (NI) Order 1985

Species	Min Calibre	Min Weight	Min Energy
Red, Fallow, Sika	.236" (6mm)	100gr	1,700 ft/lb
Muntjac & CWD only	.220"	50gr	1,000 ft/lb

Larger-species figures are Schedule 11 paragraphs 2, 7 and 8; the muntjac/CWD exemption is Article 20(8A), inserted by the Wildlife and Natural Environment Act (NI) 2011. Expanding bullet required throughout. Rifles only — NI has no shotgun provision for deer of any kind, unlike England and Wales. Note the 100gr floor: a .243 loaded with an 80gr bullet is lawful in Great Britain but not in NI.

Common Legal Calibres (UK-wide)

.243 Win	Legal all species, all regions. Most popular UK deer calibre.
6.5 Creedmoor	Legal all species, all regions. Excellent ballistics.
.308 Win	Legal all species, all regions. Classic stalking round.
.270 Win	Legal all species, all regions. Flat-shooting.
.222 / .223	E&W: Muntjac & CWD only. Scotland: Roe only. NI: Muntjac & CWD only — neither is established there.

“All regions” above is a statement about the calibre, not about the load. Northern Ireland additionally requires a 100gr bullet for red, fallow and sika, so a .243 in 80gr — perfectly lawful in England, Wales and Scotland — is not lawful in NI. Check the bullet weight, not just the headstamp, before you stalk across the water.

Key Legislation

Deer Act 1991	England & Wales. Seasons, legal hours, vehicle/lamp offences, sale of venison.
Deer (Scotland) Act 1996	Scotland. Similar provisions + NatureScot powers to order deer control.
Wildlife (NI) Order 1985	Northern Ireland. Seasons, legal hours, firearms minima (Sch. 11), vehicle offences, DAERA licensing.
Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996	Great Britain only. Prohibition of intentional cruelty to wild mammals, including injured deer.
Animal Welfare Act 2006	England & Wales. Duty to take reasonable steps to end unnecessary suffering. Scotland: Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006; NI: Welfare of Animals Act (NI) 2011.
Food Hygiene Regulations 2006	Requires carcass chilling to ≤7°C. Applies to venison entering food chain.

DSC1 — Exam Structure

Written paper	50 MCQ — 80% pass mark (40/50)
Wild Game Meat Hygiene	40 MCQ — 80% pass mark (32/40)
Visual ID	20 slides — species & sex (16/20 to pass)
Safety walk	Simulated stalk with safety scenarios (10/10)
Shooting assessment	2 shots at 100m prone · 2 at 70m off sticks · 2 at 10–20m humane dispatch
DSC2	Portfolio — witnessed stalk with DMQ Approved Witness. Must complete within 3 years of registration.

DSC2 grants Large Game Trained Hunter (LGTH) status — required to supply venison to an Approved Game Handling Establishment (AGHE).

Gralloch & Carcass Obligations

Chill temp	≤7°C (Food Hygiene Regs). Target ≤4°C.
PPE required	Gloves always — zoonotic risk (leptospirosis, E. coli)
Notifiable finding	bTB, CWD, FMD, anthrax — must report to APHA immediately
Condemn carcass if	TB lesions, extensive pneumonia, anthrax, severe peritonitis
Declaration required	LGTH declaration needed when supplying venison to game dealer

Rut Calendar

Species	Rut Period	Peak	Call
Red	Sept – Nov	October	Roar / bellow
Fallow	Oct – Nov	October	Belching groan
Sika	Oct – Nov	Nov	High-pitched whistle/scream
Roe	July – Aug	Late July	Bark — also roe rings
Muntjac	Year-round	No peak	Repetitive dog-like bark
CWD	Nov – Jan	Dec	Whistle / squeak

Roe is the only UK species with a summer rut. Muntjac breed year-round — no fixed season.

Antler Cast Dates

Species	Cast	In Velvet	Hard Antler
Red Stag	Mar – Apr	Apr – Jul	Aug – Mar
Fallow Buck	Apr – May	May – Jul	Aug – Apr
Sika Stag	Mar – Apr	Apr – Jul	Aug – Mar
Roe Buck	Nov – Dec	Dec – Mar	Mar – Oct
Muntjac Buck	May – Jun	Jun – Jul	Aug – May

CWD: neither sex carries antlers — bucks have visible tusks instead.

Size at a Glance

Species	Shoulder	Weight (male)	Key ID feature
Red	Up to 140cm	90–190kg	Tawny rump, no white flash
Fallow	85–100cm	46–94kg	Palmate antlers, spotted coat
Sika	70–95cm	40–70kg	White rump flares when alarmed
Roe	60–75cm	10–25kg	White kidney rump, no tail
CWD	55–65cm	11–18kg	No antlers, large round ears, tusks
Muntjac	45–52cm	10–18kg	Hunched, reddish, dark V-face

Notifiable Diseases — Must Report to APHA

Disease	Signs
bTB	Enlarged caseous lymph nodes (jaw, shoulder), lung lesions
CWD	Weight loss, lost fear of humans, salivation, abnormal gait — FATAL
FMD	Lameness, blisters on feet and mouth, excessive salivation
Bluetongue	Facial swelling, nasal discharge, blue tongue, lameness
Anthrax	Sudden death, massively enlarged black spleen — DO NOT HANDLE

Suspicion alone is sufficient and legally obligatory to report. Do not wait for confirmation.

Common Non-Notifiable Conditions

Liver fluke	Pale fluke tracks / damage in liver. Needs mud snail habitat.
Lungworm	Worms in airways. Heavy burden = poor condition, condemn lungs.
Sarcoptic mange	Hair loss, thickened skin, intense scratching.
Deer keds	Flat wingless flies in coat. Can bite humans.
Leptospirosis	Zoonotic — wear gloves. Carried in kidneys/urine.
Elaphostrongylus	Muscle worm — affects muscles and nervous system in Red/Sika.

Gralloch Inspection Checklist

Lymph nodes	Should be small and pale. Enlarged / caseous = possible bTB
Lungs	Pink-red, spongy. Grey lesions or miliary spots = TB
Liver	Deep red-brown, firm. White spots or fluke = condemn liver
Spleen	Normal = small red organ. Massively enlarged, black = anthrax — do not handle
Gut	Peritonitis, unusual odour, widespread lesions = condemn carcass

Key Contacts

UKDTR	ukdtr.co.uk — free wounded deer trackers, 24/7
APHA England	03000 200 301
APHA Wales	0300 303 8268
NatureScot / SASA	0131 244 8890
BDS	bds.org.uk · DSC training, species surveys
BASC	basc.org.uk · DSC courses, legal advice, insurance

If You Wound a Deer

1. Reload	Immediately — then wait 20–30 min (heart/lung) or longer (gut)
2. Mark	Mark firing point and strike site before approaching
3. Read	Bright red frothy = lung (20 min). Dark = heart/liver (30 min). Green/foul = gut (4+ hrs)
4. Stop	If uncertain — stop searching. Call UKDTR. Random searching pushes animal further.
Legal duty	You must make every reasonable effort to find and dispatch a wounded deer (Deer Act 1991)

Zoonotic Risks — Protect Yourself

Leptospirosis	Always wear gloves — contact with urine/kidneys
Lyme disease	Check for ticks after every outing. Remove promptly with tick tool.
E. coli / Salmonella	Gloves + hygiene at gralloch and in larder
bTB	Avoid inhaling dust near TB-suspect carcass. Report to APHA.

Study aid only — always verify against current legislation before acting.

Deer School

First Light: DSC1 Study Aid

Deer School

Exam Readiness

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Performance by Category

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Breakdown by Category

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Category Drill

Quick Reference

England & Wales — Deer Act 1991

Scotland — Deer (Scotland) Act 1996 (as amended 2023)

Northern Ireland — Wildlife (NI) Order 1985

Legal Shooting Hours

England & Wales — Deer Act 1991

Scotland — Deer (Firearms etc.) Order 1985 (as amended 2023)

Northern Ireland — Wildlife (NI) Order 1985

Common Legal Calibres (UK-wide)

Key Legislation

DSC1 — Exam Structure

Gralloch & Carcass Obligations

Rut Calendar

Antler Cast Dates

Size at a Glance

Notifiable Diseases — Must Report to APHA

Common Non-Notifiable Conditions

Gralloch Inspection Checklist

Key Contacts

If You Wound a Deer

Zoonotic Risks — Protect Yourself