Where eagles dare

alan123

Whats the latest on the eagles killed in Kerry? Has anyone the inside track? Cause of death?

bitemybanger

alan123 wrote: »

Whats the latest on the eagles killed in Kerry? Has anyone the inside track? Cause of death?

Looks like poison, dont think they were shot, would have been said on the news but its not always obvious when a bird has been shot.
Thats the dangers of AlphaChlorolose and the likes and leaving baited rabbits.
Shame, Really beautiful bird

alan123

Last Updated: 19/02/2008 13:21
Two rare eagles found dead in Kerry
Piaras Murphy

Two of the 15 white-tailed eagles that were reintroduced to Ireland last August have been found dead in Co Kerry.

It is not known how the two birds of prey died, but there is a suspicion they may have eaten poison. Tests will be carried out on the birds remains to determine the cause of death.

Last August, Minister for the Environment John Gormley released the white-tailed eagles into Killarney National Park after an absence of the bird for 80 years.

The bird, which can have a wing span of over 8ft and weigh up 16lbs, became extinct in Ireland around 100 years ago. It is one of the world's largest birds of prey and was once native to Kerry.

Minister for the Environment, John Gormley today expressed his regret and concern at the news that the two White-tailed Eagles have been found dead in Co Kerry.

Speaking today Minister Gormley said, "I travelled to Kerry last August to release a number of these Eagles in to the wild, under a reintroduction project that the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department is carrying out with the Golden Eagle Trust. I understand that they were adapting well to their new environment so this is unhappy news."

The birds were imported as chicks from Norway in June. They were met by protests when they arrived at Kerry airport in Farranfore from 100 farmers over the threat the eagle could pose - to lambs in particular.

The birds were expected to disperse over the Kerry coast, and one eagle was seen preying on a gannet colony on Skellig Michael last September by a Kerry ferryman.



.... the farmer may be unhappy but wouldnt be an awesome sight to see one take a lamb!!

johngalway

alan123 wrote: »

.... the farmer may be unhappy but wouldnt be an awesome sight to see one take a lamb!!

No it wouldn't when you depend on farming to feed your family.

Invincible

johngalway wrote: »

No it wouldn't when you depend on farming to feed your family.

+1

Mellor

to be fair, Is it even possible, i know then can prey on rabbits and hares. But a lamb is a bit heavier. I believe they will introduce more this summer and again until 2011 (at that stge the original 15 (well 13) will be mature)

alan123

johngalway wrote: »

No it wouldn't when you depend on farming to feed your family.

But I dont!!! I think Id pay to replace the lamb. Everyone is happy!

Mellor

I would have no problem if it carried off a wild animal, rabbit, hare, small fox
But I wouldn't like tp see it near lambs


Was another article in the Times today complete with a picture.


Bare in mind that these birds are still quite young and not yet close to fully grown. It takes 4-5 years to fully mature, these are about a year old I think.

It wasn't me!

Quite a pity. I suppose it highlights the inherent dangers of alpha chloralose and perhaps will encourage people to either use it more carefully or consider an alternative approach. Such magnificent birds.

spideog7

They are fuppin huge :eek:
But they aren't everywhere only in very confined area's. That said doping is a bit undiscriminatory I used to pin mine to the ground and watch them from upstairs, can usually see Mags and Grey's gathering on nearby trees.

Trojan911

alan123 wrote: »

Whats the latest on the eagles killed in Kerry? Has anyone the inside track? Cause of death?

I heard it may have been poison.

Double Barrel

No it wouldn't when you depend on farming to feed your family.

No question about it farmers Definitely need to be compensated.

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/47060/0014566.pdf

alan123

I just read the first few paragraphs, seems they arent doing any major damage, surely there can be a system set up that the farmer is compensated the price of the lamb on inspection of the carcass or something similar? You can just say "No" to the eagles becasue it effects farming. They were here first remember and after all... they are only eating!

How do they do it in Africa? the locals must be compensated for livestock killed by predators in game reserves or crops damaged by elephants.There must be a happy medium?

Are there any suggestions the eagles were poisoned intentionaly?

cavan shooter

There are a pair of buzzards knocking around my part of the world. I personally think it's great to see them back, sure to God their is room for us all:
shooters, Farmers, peasants (sorry pheasants):D and lambs etc

BryanL

maybe the minister should have signed the derogation a bit quicker,so more vermin could have been control by shooters during the season rather than poison?
Bryan

NoNameRanger

Birds were found near a sheep carcass. Take what you like from that, I don't need to hear the test results to figure that one out. They don't seem to have much trouble with losing lambs in Scotland in fairness. There have not been any reports of lambs being taken here yet and even if they did, they have brought enough money to Kerry tourism since their release to more than pay a few lambs if they did decide to take them.

To me it just proves how intolerent farmers are to losing anything to wildlife and I don't think farmers in Ireland would starve at the loss of whatever the eagles would take from them, it probably cost them more to protest than the birds would cost them in 10 years. But it's only by protesting will you get grants and compensation and it is this that is keeping farming alive in Ireland. REPS for example: paying farmers to tolerate wildlife and farm in an environmentally friendly way. Any other industry would just be told to clean up or face the fines.

Killing those birds was a total act of selfishness.:mad: I only hope there is enough evidence to prosecute who ever did it. Whoever did this owes the people of Ireland an apology and the people of Norway who are generously donating the birds to Ireland. They have sheep in Norway too you know.

tiny-nioclas

thats very true, its a shame, embarrasing even that they were poisioned, ignorance is bliss for some i suppose.

Mellor

Out of the fifteen, how many remain.
I know of three that died, where there any more?
The paper said there were 5 females left

robp

Their is 12 left.

Norway has the biggest population in europe and they have no problems with taking sheep over there. Compared to the amount of foxes around they really can't do that much.

alan123

NoNameRanger wrote: »

Birds were found near a sheep carcass. Take what you like from that, I don't need to hear the test results to figure that one out. They don't seem to have much trouble with losing lambs in Scotland in fairness. There have not been any reports of lambs being taken here yet and even if they did, they have brought enough money to Kerry tourism since their release to more than pay a few lambs if they did decide to take them.

To me it just proves how intolerent farmers are to losing anything to wildlife and I don't think farmers in Ireland would starve at the loss of whatever the eagles would take from them, it probably cost them more to protest than the birds would cost them in 10 years. But it's only by protesting will you get grants and compensation and it is this that is keeping farming alive in Ireland. REPS for example: paying farmers to tolerate wildlife and farm in an environmentally friendly way. Any other industry would just be told to clean up or face the fines.

.

Thats a brave attack on the farmer, but unfortunately...... true!! Point well made.

cavan shooter

A prosecution would be very difficult to prove without direct evidence, the corpse only proves there was a death

alan123

Mellor wrote: »

to be fair, Is it even possible, i know then can prey on rabbits and hares. But a lamb is a bit heavier. I believe they will introduce more this summer and again until 2011 (at that stge the original 15 (well 13) will be mature)

This aint no rabbit..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXQE7C1CPWM&NR=1

I gotta get one of these!!

johngalway

It's very possible that a bird that size could carry off a lamb, they don't weigh all that much when they're born. And as you say Mellor, they're only going to get bigger.

Conclusions are being drawn that the poisioning was intentional. Perhaps it was, perhaps not, I don't know. If it was it was a stupid thing to do.

As a farmer myself I don't want compensation, I'd rather not have seen them reintroduced in the first place. But there you are, they're here now. Compensation is just another thing I'd have to "prove" to the Government, I have more than enough paper work, and proper work to do as it is.

Rant ahead.

I'm rather sick of the farmer bashing that goes on in the shooting section in general. Seen it since I first joined on here. Part of the rich irony is that a lot of folks on here depend on farmers for their sport, full stop. And since I won't change anyone's opinion, because as Sparks' cartoon in another thread implied "everyone is right on the internet" all I'm going to say is that when we're finally done away with as a menace to society and our new Green Ireland I hope I'll still be around to hear of and read threads about the good old days when Ireland's farmers produced excellent quality food at very competitive prices and weren't reliant on untraceable food of uncertain quality imported from abroad. A person gets the feeling in Ireland today that being a farmer comes in just behind being a Revenue offical after you've had an audit.

There are people in my local area, who would like nothing more than to see all us farmers pushed out so they could frollick with the butterflies in a much expanded Connemara National Park. At least people were given the choice long ago of to hell or Connacht, seems that's gone too.

Someone said on another thread about "us" voting in the Greens. Well, I certainly didn't. I'm quickly coming to the conclusion that a good number here did though, as it entirely their right. Just remember boys & girls ye reap what ye sow. As this spot seems to have gone distinctly Green.

And another thing, since I'm at it, bring back Clare Gunner. Since the voice of reason has left this place has gone to the proverbial. I'm half expecting to see a thread on "best moisturiser to use after coming home from the field" next.

And do I care if I get slated or whatever for this post, no I bloody don't.

Goodnight, God bless and last one out turn off the lights.

Invincible

Fair play to you Johngalway,well said!

IRLConor

Well, they'll probably slap a carbon tax on food soon enough. Then Australian/New Zealand lamb will be a lot pricier here and the price you get for yours should go up. That should compensate you for any lost to eagles, hopefully.

At least until they decide to reintroduce wolves. :eek:

tiny-nioclas

cad a tharla clare gunner?? well said john, its a shame that the birds were killled, but nobody can say much when its not gonna be us suffering,its the farmers.

Trojan911

John,

I love it when you have a rant, get it off your chest fella, fair play & well said & yes "Would the real Clare Gunner please stand up, please stand up, please stand up"...

IRLConor

tiny-nioclas wrote: »

cad a tharla clare gunner??

He got site banned back in August. A heated discussion in After Hours got out of hand. I can't quite remember what happened after that, I think the ban was lifted but CG stayed away.

Mellor

John, Im not sure exactly what you meant by Farmer bashing.
I would of thought shooters are farmers get on quite well, I know they do up here.
But as farmer, im sure you'd "pick up" on these others might miss,
I wouldn't take any of this personally, it happens everywhere, just only the people involved notice.
For example im a mod on the C&P forum, I see alot of builder bashing, and architect bashing. They don't mean anything by it, its just they way laypeople refer to them. You will find this on any forum with a set topic, (you should see the bashing on the poker forum)

Rovi

I think what gets up farmers' noses in this sort of situation is the earnest entreaties to them to 'think of the tourism benefits to the local economy' of having large predators in the area (as in this case) or of public access onto private lands to scenic/archaeological sites.

That's all fine and dandy and no-one doubts that the local pubs, filling stations, guest houses, etc, all derive extra income from the people attracted to the 'attraction' (big birds, cliff views, etc); but, unless the individual farmer whose lambs (might) be taken or over whose land the the public are walking also happens to have a stake in one of these 'extra income' businesses, the 'attraction' is merely a nuisance to be mitigated as much as possible.

While we'd all love to live in an altruistic world, expecting someone to suffer an ongoing loss (big or small, real or perceived) for the good of everyone else for which they personally see no 'return' is somewhat unreasonable, in my opinion.


None of the above is in any way condoning the poisoning of the eagles, and I sincerely hope that those responsible are brought to book.

alan123

Sure we all know farmers, we all depend on them for hunting and some of my best pals are farmers... but... they are always complaining. Its not a viable income in Ireland any more, produce can be sourced much cheaper from elsewhere. Thats not a slight on the Irish farmer its simply fact, labour, feed, giant retail chains, etc all make it impossible to earn a living. Any farmer will tell you he couldnt survive without the subs etc.

So why dont the farmers diversify? Why not set up Jimmy Joes eagle tours?! I know this is a very simplistic view and John Galway is probably seething, but to us non farmers, it seems farmers want to work for no profit and have the government pay them a wage? In any other industry you would go bust and get into renewable fuel instead of cattle or organic produce instead of selling grain to Tesco. When are the farmers going to say "To hell with this, I cant live off subs, Im setting up Irelands first wild boar farm, rough shooting for beginners course, butterfly farm etc". I wouldnt do a job that didnt pay. we all love farming and its tradition in Irelad but you have to be competitive or get out if you are feeding a family!

(logging off immediately pending JohnGalways retaliation!!!)

ShowAndGo

alan123 wrote: »

Sure we all know farmers, we all depend on them for hunting and some of my best pals are farmers... but... they are always complaining. Its not a viable income in Ireland any more, produce can be sourced much cheaper from elsewhere. Thats not a slight on the Irish farmer its simply fact, labour, feed, giant retail chains, etc all make it impossible to earn a living. Any farmer will tell you he couldnt survive without the subs etc.

I am not too sure if I agree with you Alan, farming in Ireland definitely has its place. Maybe, what farmers need to do is to educate the public and market their produce better.

People seem to be obsessed with buying cheap food for some reason…they’d spend a fortune on the latest designer jeans but skimp when it comes to buying quality food that they are going to eat.

Irish farmers can’t compete on price…but they can when it comes to quality. They need to change peoples way of think so that they can see the value in the food that they produce compared to the cheap imports. We have been hoodwinked by the big supermarkets in to thinking that cheap is best. The only way they can get the cheap price is to reduce the quality and we think we are getting a great deal.

I am prepared to pay extra for good quality fresh food. People moan that they can’t afford it but if took all the over priced, processed crap out of their shopping trolley they’d have a lot more money in their pockets.

Banjax

People farm because they want to, many of the smaller famers would from a pure business point of view be better off selling the 80 acres to a bigger concern and finding a job doing something else.

Instead, many sell of the dairy herd and change to dry cattle, thereby allowing them to get a day job either full or part-time.
I know there is a lot of guff about diversification, open farms, agri tourism etc, but the way people sue the hole off you in this country for tripping over a stone, the EHS getting involved, and the rest of it, many are loathe to consider such an undertaking.

And, if business was business, no farmer would allow anyone on their land for recreational hunting, and farms would consist of 200+ acre praireland.

IRLConor

ShowAndGo wrote: »

I am prepared to pay extra for good quality fresh food.

+1

Particularly for meat. I shudder to think of the s*** that goes into some of the cheap meat you see in the supermarkets.

Farmers can't compete on price alone the same way as my company can't compete on price alone as a software developer. There are millions in India and China (and plenty of cowboy operations here) who can undercut our prices easily so we have to compete on quality (and for American customers: closer time zones and the fact we speak good English). True, it's a harder sell to the customer but it is more rewarding.

alan123

Ok. thats why I mentioned organic food. But when it comes to Argentinian beef and Irish beef for example, people dont care. We all saw Hugh Fernesly and Jamie Oliver trying to convince people free range chicken is better. When it comes to the crunch people want value for money. When you look in the cabinet at the butcher you see a leg of lamb. Very few people care to ask where it came from.

Dont a lot of people here internet shop to the states for cammo, even Austrailia for Lightforce gear? Why arent you supporting Irish concerns? Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone!!!!!!

tiny-nioclas

i suppose its the same for fishermen and the massive seal problem, i was a fisherman for 4 years and come from a fishing background and for that four years i probably lost 40% of my income to seal damage to nets and gear and also the seals taking the fish out of gill nets drift nets etc,so i had to give it up i wasnt earning a living mainly because of the damage the seal population is doing to the fishing industry,but we never hear about it in the papers or news, there is actually thousands of seals there,i cant understand why they cant be culled, its bull, farmers can get badgers deer foxes etc culled while fishermen get nothing but quota cuts fines etc. so were on the same level here i think.

and before anone assaults me i wasnt fishing one of those massivly huge boats that rape the ocean bottom and kill all the young fish and move on....lol.

NoNameRanger

By JohnGalway

There are people in my local area, who would like nothing more than to see all us farmers pushed out so they could frollick with the butterflies in a much expanded Connemara National Park. At least people were given the choice long ago of to hell or Connacht, seems that's gone too.

So over grazing is not a problem in the West of Ireland then is it?
When headage payments were about, farmers seemed to think that they could just keep lashing sheep onto the mountain and everything would be fine, the more sheep the more money you got. Absoultely destroyed the Mountains in Galway and Mayo. Stripped everybit of vegetation there was from these wild lands and turned them into mountains of sludge and rock. Almost wiped out the Grouse! European court is actually fineing our government for allowing this to happen.

And when they are told to stop because they are destroying the environment they need to be paid to put less sheep on the mountain.
Modern farming has destroyed this country, intensified farming methods have wiped out many species and has more on the brink.

We are down to a handful of Grey Partridge left breeding in the wild and they wouldn't be there if it wasn't for the efforts of conservationists.
Corncrake is nearly gone only a few holding on where farmers are being paid to manage the land in a tradional way.
The Buzzard was wiped out by strychnine laid by farmers and only when it was banned did they make a return.
I could go on listing species. I could write a book on it.:rolleyes:

The one that interests people most here is most likely the pheasant. Well why don't the pheasants do as well in the wild as they used to 30+years ago?
The biggie is sillage harvesting. Superfast machines, cutting throughout the night, 2-3 cuts per year. No hope for nesting birds.:mad:
So why don't they do as well in the tillage anymore? Spraying pesticides kills all the insect life that young chicks need and it is a total monoculture with no weeds that the birds also need. More and more hedgerow is being destroyed every year, a pheasant or partridge won't find much cover under an electric fence.

And you know the thing that pisses me off the most is the hat tipping by hunters to the farmers and thanks for letting us hunt on your land, instead saying it as it is, jaysus yer wreackin the place, where are all the ditches gone? NARGC have a go at every Government organisation and Non- Government organisation but the ones they never touch are the farmers.

Farmers may own the vast majority of the land but it doesn't mean they can do what they like with it, this country and its wildlife belongs to the people of this country and farmers need to cop on to this and stop being so selfish, you only have the land on loan.

Now JohnGalway i expect you or some of your fans will have a cut at me,:D but as far as i'm concerned you are not a hunter, you are simply a farmer protecting his sheep and you haven't been at it long by all accounts.;) Nothing wrong with that! I was also a farmer(family farm) and i do the same around lambing time. I am a member of the IFA. But i'm also a hunter and a conservationist. Farmers attitudes to wildlife need to change, it's not all about you ya know!:eek:
Go for a frolick with a butterfly in a National Park you might even enjoy it.:D
I speak my mind and say what i believe to be true. And that was my rant!:D;)

Mac Tire

Just to get kinda back on track, i think i'm going to sell up and get me one of these!!!

http://www.yirticikuslar.de/

johngalway

IRLConor,
lol I was actually going to mention wolves in my last post and I agree with you that they'll get reintroduced eventually as well. More bad news but since that just affects farmers who gives a toss eh?

Hi Mellor,
what I object mostly to is the language and mentality directed against farmers. We, and when I say we I mean those who were in the business before me, had to work miracles to negotiate what we're getting now. And all of that is constantly under attack both by our own Government and the EU, even after contracts which are legal documents are signed. But it's fine for other sectors to complain about one condition or another, then forget about it after they recieve a pay rise. The galling bit is when I hear things like ah sure it's only a few lambs. I don't raise my stock to be eaten by predators, of course I realise they need to eat, but like I say I was against reintroduction from word one. I'm sure some here realise that more than money and time go into rearing livestock, care goes into it as well, working away all year and being proud of what you have in the end of it rather than a field full of bodies by a rogue fox or whatever.

Rovi,
I agree 100% with all of your post above, well said

Alan123,
ShowAndGo, Banjax and IRLConor have answered you much better than I could. As for buying lamps from Australia, I don't know why you didn't just say that was me. The difference being that I dislike being ripped off for something here which I can get of equal quality elsewhere, and I'm not planning on eating my Lightforce lamp so it's very different from food.

tiny-nioclas,
Before this came up I was going to post a question about seals, as I'd seen NoNameRanger mention seals I think as protected in another thread. I don't fish but my dad, uncle (now deceased) and a friend of theirs used to run a small inshore fishing boat. Local to me there are a couple of bays salmon use to get up into a river, when they start coming in it's scary to see the amount of seals who camp out at the narrow entrance to one bay in particular. But, who got balmed, not the seals, the one and two man currach operations. Just another way people in rural areas in general are treated, now even the lifboat radio with Valentia and Malin head (I think) radio being relocated to an urban area :rolleyes:

NoNameRanger,
I don't know why you'd think I'd have a cut at you? I don't know you or where you operate in the country. There has been damage done to commonages by greedy individuals, just as you don't consider me a hunter (you're entitled to your opinion even though you don't know me) I don't consider them farmers and anyone who knows me knows that. But, again, that illustrates the mentality I'm talking about, the big brush that's brought out to tar all farmers. Or hunters by anti's, and no, that's not a cut at you either. When I hear these arguments and wildlife tacked on at the end, it's amusing to me how the increase in ariel vermin numbers don't get mentioned as a contributy factor either. Again, it's all the farmers. I'll not go frolick with the butterflys in the Park, thanks for the invite, as I know the kind of people who run it. I won't either get into what I know about those people as DeVore will, rightly come down on me like a ton of bricks for saying it (I'd also have to refer to past legal cases). But, I have said certain things to Park officials openly at public meetings not in a corner of a pub, which would be libelous if untrue, and I'll tell you this, I've never been sued because I can prove what I know instead of guessing

Anyway in conclusion I'll again refer to Sparks brilliant cartoon, I'm not trying to convert or convince anyone of anything. I'm just saying my piece as I see it, everyone is always right on the internet

NoNameRanger

johngalway wrote: »

NoNameRanger,
I don't consider them farmers and anyone who knows me knows that. But, again, that illustrates the mentality I'm talking about, the big brush that's brought out to tar all farmers. Or hunters by anti's, and no, that's not a cut at you either. When I hear these arguments and wildlife tacked on at the end, it's amusing to me how the increase in ariel vermin numbers don't get mentioned as a contributy factor either. Again, it's all the farmers. I'll not go frolick with the butterflys in the Park, thanks for the invite, as I know the kind of people who run it. I won't either get into what I know about those people as DeVore will, rightly come down on me like a ton of bricks for saying it (I'd also have to refer to past legal cases). But, I have said certain things to Park officials openly at public meetings not in a corner of a pub, which would be libelous if untrue, and I'll tell you this, I've never been sued because I can prove what I know instead of guessing

Anyway in conclusion I'll again refer to Sparks brilliant cartoon, I'm not trying to convert or convince anyone of anything. I'm just saying my piece as I see it, everyone is always right on the internet

I'm not near you but know that part of the country well, know the officals you refer to also and there are some real gems there and i don't doubt what you say.

I'm usually the first to start with don't tar all with the one brush debate. But in this case i'd be tarring myself and i know i'm not a bad farmer, so therefore it would follow that not all farmers are bad. I do know some great farmers but i know alot more bad ones i'm sorry to say!

So if everybody is always right then we're sorted i suppose.:D

alan123

johngalway wrote: »

Alan123,
ShowAndGo, Banjax and IRLConor have answered you much better than I could. As for buying lamps from Australia, I don't know why you didn't just say that was me. The difference being that I dislike being ripped off for something here which I can get of equal quality elsewhere, and I'm not planning on eating my Lightforce lamp so it's very different from food.

I actually didnt realise it was you but thanks because I found the site and Im buying one €89!!! Furthermore, how much land do you have, whats on it and are we all invited to come shoot on it, just like the Germans and Brits playing football on New Years Day!

As for you Showandgo... why is it always the ones you love the most that hurt you the most?! Quality meat... I thought that was camel you served up to us at your wedding. Et tu Brutus??

(new shooting partner required please pm a cv!)

johngalway

NoNameRanger wrote: »

So if everybody is always right then we're sorted i suppose.:D

Lol, we are No point in falling all over ourselves to fall out about it

johngalway

alan123 wrote: »

I actually didnt realise it was you but thanks because I found the site and Im buying one €89!!! Furthermore, how much land do you have, whats on it and are we all invited to come shoot on it, just like the Germans and Brits playing football on New Years Day!

Good man, they all come from Australia anyway, using that auction site cuts out the middle men. I do like to buy and support Irish, since I'm a producer of Irish items, but I dislike being anyones fool. It's a bit like the price I get for a butcher quality lamb versus the price that's charged for that same lamb once it's offered for sale to the consumer. We all get screwed, just in different ways.

I don't have a big farm myself, and I'm curtailed from expanding sheep numbers due the overgrazing that NoNameRanger has referred to. I volentarily reduced sheep numbers on the commonage that was damaged off my own bat, told nor ordered by anyone. Yet, thanks to officialdom I'm still unable to increase my sheep numbers on seriously undergrazed commonage in a different area, again, that big brush. So I work three jobs at the moment

What's on my land, well hares, rabbit, pigeon, snipe, woodcock, phesant, duck, as well as otters, some type of hawk(?), mink, badgers, foxes, ravens, the usual suspects on the vermin list and I'm sure a few others I don't know about. Oh, and SHEEP All in all plenty of wildlife, and there does seem to be more songbirds about compared to other years.

If I invite ye all there'll be nothing left to conserve :D I don't shoot game myself, vermin mostly.

Rovi

johngalway wrote: »

NoNameRanger wrote: »

So if everybody is always right then we're sorted i suppose.:D

Lol, we are No point in falling all over ourselves to fall out about it

Jeeez guys, get a room!

IRLConor

johngalway wrote: »

IRLConor,
lol I was actually going to mention wolves in my last post and I agree with you that they'll get reintroduced eventually as well. More bad news but since that just affects farmers who gives a toss eh?

I don't know if there's anywhere in Ireland big enough to support wolves. I can't find any figures on a quick search but if I remember correctly they need a large area to roam over and I don't think there'd be a big enough sparsely populated area to introduce them into.

Maybe instead of just protesting the (re)introduction of wild predators farmers could press for conservation groups to fund the compensation of farmers for livestock losses themselves. It has worked in the US apparently.

alan123

johngalway wrote: »

alan123 wrote: »

What's on my land, well hares, rabbit, pigeon, snipe, woodcock, phesant, duck, as well as otters, some type of hawk(?), mink, badgers, foxes, ravens, the usual suspects on the vermin list and I'm sure a few others I don't know about. Oh, and SHEEP All in all plenty of wildlife, and there does seem to be more songbirds about compared to other years.

If I invite ye all there'll be nothing left to conserve :D I don't shoot game myself, vermin mostly.

I can read between the lines (wink, wink), you have a song bird problem. Waking you up in the morning, crapping on the clothes line.... we can take care of song birds, I 'll have to blow the dust off the ol wren gun and Im a bit rusty on how much lead a blue tit need but if the worst comes to worst we can Alphachlorose some sunflower seeds!!!!!!!!

tiny-nioclas

johngalway wrote: »

tiny-nioclas,
Before this came up I was going to post a question about seals, as I'd seen NoNameRanger mention seals I think as protected in another thread. I don't fish but my dad, uncle (now deceased) and a friend of theirs used to run a small inshore fishing boat. Local to me there are a couple of bays salmon use to get up into a river, when they start coming in it's scary to see the amount of seals who camp out at the narrow entrance to one bay in particular. But, who got balmed, not the seals, the one and two man currach operations. Just another way people in rural areas in general are treated, now even the lifboat radio with Valentia and Malin head (I think) radio being relocated to an urban area :rolleyes:

exactly, and in canada the salmon population was going downhill savagely a few years ago too, everyone blamed the fishermen again as usual, but a seal cull is now taken place very year, and now the salmon industry is booming, had the fools here realised this in ireland we wouldnt have a way of living taken away from us like last year from the drift netting ban, it was like telling farmers they could no longer milk their cattle, and just give them all a few grand to shut them up.:mad: ok rant over.....

tiny-nioclas

was there two eagles more killed? i heard there was?