Deer poaching prolific in Donegal

Deer Hunter DL

got this from my local paper

Published Date: 26 November 2009

The Chief Executive of the Countryside Alliance in Ireland has said that deer poaching has now reached epidemic proportions in many parts of Ireland and is "prolific in Donegal".


CEO of the Alliance, Lal Plant told the Donegal Democrat, "The border counties of Donegal, Fermanagh and Tyrone have one of the highest populations of wild deer in the whole country and unfortunately, in these times of recession, some people see this as an easy way of making money.

"Hundreds of deer are lawfully and humanely culled each year to keep numbers down and when they are causing damage to farms but many more are being cruelly killed by poachers looking to sell the meat on the black market.

"There would be a general fear that this situation will escalate in the run-up to Christmas as demand rises for venison on the black market.
"Wild deer are a delicacy - much more so than farmed deer and are highly sought after by upmarket restaurants and hotels. They are quite expensive, around twice the price of beef and would net a tidy profit for indiscriminate poachers.

"I would urge members of the rural community and indeed restaurants or hotels who are offered venison through the 'back door' to report it to the Gardaí immediately."

Donegal Town butcher, Ernan McGettgan told this newspaper: "It is no secret that there are deer poachers in the county and in the present financial climate, there will obviously be an increase in this activity.
"The demand in Donegal is not great - it is quite an acquired taste and consequently we don't stock it, however there would be a strong demand for it in the more urban centres like Dublin and Belfast.

"Apart from the cruelty and illegality what would concern me most is that many of these deer could be diseased or contaminated. There is no control and people do not know what they are eating.

"We are all aware of recent food scares and all meats in butcher shops and supermarkets are subject to intense regulations - the same does not apply for illegal poaching and unsuspecting consumers should be on their guard."

meathstevie

Poaching is a problem but this smells like vested interest crap from a mile away. If people are that stuck for cash I'd rather have them using a gun for unlawfully killing and selling the carcass of a wild animal than for anything else. And as for the cruelty that butcher is on about, the turkeys he's selling have lived the life of Reilly have they ? And as for contamination, I'd rather eat wild venison than Asian chicken from the shop.

Again, I don't condone poaching but neither do I condone hysteria.

Dusty87

meathstevie wrote: »

And as for contamination, I'd rather eat wild venison than Asian chicken from the shop.

I replyed to this elsewhere. My questions sounded stupid but the part above about contamination is what i found funny.
If theres such a chance of it being 'contaminated', why has nothing been said before and all the people eating wild deer???

Also how serious do the Gardai take poaching??
Id like to think fairly serious but from other reports and some posts on here it dosnt seem they take it too serious.

Hill Man

What Garda is going to walk through the country side to catch deer poachers. There is an onus on us all to control deer numbers, but not to wipe them out. As for the quality of the meat, what healthier than the deer roaming our hills.

Dusty87

Hill Man wrote: »

What Garda is going to walk through the country side to catch deer poachers.

No garda is, what i mean is whats there reaction time like? How seriously do they take it?

cavan shooter

A couple of months back there was some poaching carried out around us, of course the local gun club were blamed immediately :mad: It is all ironed out now with details of the person that actually is doing it (including reg and name) was given to the Gardai.:)

clivej

Deer Hunter DL wrote: »

................"Apart from the cruelty and illegality what would concern me most is that many of these deer could be diseased or contaminated. There is no control and people do not know what they are eating................... "

I think the point made here is that we as stalkers make it our business to be able to identify a diseased or contaminated deer and if it is not to let it into the food chain.

Where as a poached deer is grolloched any which way just and sold on to the unsuspecting public.

rrpc

clivej wrote: »

I think the point made here is that we as stalkers make it our business to be able to identify a diseased or contaminated deer and if it is not to let it into the food chain.

Where as a poached deer is grolloched any which way just and sold on to the unsuspecting public.

+1

It's in our 'vested' interest that this is clamped down on. Anything which gives shooters a bad name should be of great interest to us especially if the upshot is that rifle licences are harder to acquire for genuine stalkers.

It wasn't me!

clivej wrote: »

I think the point made here is that we as stalkers make it our business to be able to identify a diseased or contaminated deer and if it is not to let it into the food chain.

Where as a poached deer is grolloched any which way just and sold on to the unsuspecting public.

This really is the absolute kernel of the matter. Well put.

BryanL

Deer Hunter DL wrote: »

got this from my local paper

Published Date: 26 November 2009


"Hundreds of deer are lawfully and humanely culled each year to keep numbers down and when they are causing damage to farms but many more are being cruelly killed by poachers looking to sell the meat on the black market.

all a bit dramatic really, why don't they just say they don't want people poaching their deer?

rrpc

BryanL wrote: »

all a bit dramatic really, why don't they just say they don't want people poaching their deer?

Newspapers invented adjectives :rolleyes:

ivanthehunter

hype
Hysteria and complete over sensationalism!!

What donkey is reading this and doesn't know that restaurants are going to the wall every day!!
There was more demand for poached deer during the boom!!

foxshooter243

ivanthehunter wrote: »

hype
Hysteria and complete over sensationalism!!

What donkey is reading this and doesn't know that restaurants are going to the wall every day!!
There was more demand for poached deer during the boom!!

One thing I find strange about all this is that in order for me to get to my permissions, myself and another lad have to drive an hour and a half through the Donegal countryside in the middle of the night, on most of these trips we hardly ever meet a car, but we see plenty of deer on the roadside..there is some poaching going on , of that I have no doubt, but its hardly on the scale theyre talking about. I will say this though Hoteliers are not being offered deer for sale at the back door-they are actively looking for it and a quick look in the cold rooms of border hotels and chinese restaurants would reveal all;)

Shoot2kill

they are actively looking for it and a quick look in the cold rooms of border hotels and chinese restaurants would reveal all[/quote]

Well said....

BryanL

foxshooter243 wrote: »

that in order for me to get to my permissions, myself and another lad have to drive an hour and a half through the Donegal countryside

Well here's 24,000 acres you can't hunt on, so i can see why you have to drive and hour an a half. It also expalins why the British deer soceity sponsor the IDS anti poaching campaign.:)

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1204/1224260043208.html

jwshooter

It also expalins why the British deer soceity sponsor the IDS anti poaching campaign.:)

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1204/1224260043208.html[/QUOTE]

where ?

kakashka

Very Little poaching going on this season,less than i've seen for years..
Lot of top IDS boys are also BDS boys and all snug buddies:rolleyes:
As for humane killing-some hypocracy coming from the so called "top deer men" :rolleyes:

kakashka

clivej wrote: »

I think the point made here is that we as stalkers make it our business to be able to identify a diseased or contaminated deer and if it is not to let it into the food chain.

Where as a poached deer is grolloched any which way just and sold on to the unsuspecting public.

In my experience of this Clivej i find that most poachers either have a licence or sell through another licence to dealers who have to have all carcases's checked and certified

DR6.5

Have to disagree with you kakaska, this year has been particulary bad in wicklow, there have been a lot of incidents this year, there is lads out nearly every night of the week lamping, with the increase in unemployment there are a lot of lads lamping to make a few quid.
Not only are they lampimg a lot of them are using quads to go out onto open hill where they have no permission.

dr6.5

kakashka

CEO of the Countryside Alliance, Lal Plant told the Donegal Democrat, "The border counties of Donegal, Fermanagh and Tyrone have one of the highest populations of wild deer in the whole country and unfortunately, in these times of recession, some people see this as an easy way of making money.

"Hundreds of deer are lawfully and humanely culled each year to keep numbers down and when they are causing damage to farms but many more are being cruelly killed by poachers looking to sell the meat on the black market.

"There would be a general fear that this situation will escalate in the run-up to Christmas as demand rises for venison on the black market.
"Wild deer are a delicacy - much more so than farmed deer and are highly sought after by upmarket restaurants and hotels. They are quite expensive, around twice the price of beef and would net a tidy profit for indiscriminate poachers.

"I would urge members of the rural community and indeed restaurants or hotels who are offered venison through the 'back door' to report it to the Gardaí immediately."

Donegal Town butcher, Ernan McGettgan told this newspaper: "It is no secret that there are deer poachers in the county and in the present financial climate, there will obviously be an increase in this activity.
"The demand in Donegal is not great - it is quite an acquired taste and consequently we don't stock it, however there would be a strong demand for it in the more urban centres like Dublin and Belfast.

"Apart from the cruelty and illegality what would concern me most is that many of these deer could be diseased or contaminated. There is no control and people do not know what they are eating.

"We are all aware of recent food scares and all meats in butcher shops and supermarkets are subject to intense regulations - the same does not apply for illegal poaching and unsuspecting consumers should be on their guard."

Someone correct me if i've taken it up wrong but as far as i can understand it he's saying that this poached venison is ending up unchecked and uncertified in "up market restaurants and hotels"what a thing to say and what a load of absolute rubbish

kakashka

DR6.5 wrote: »

Have to disagree with you kakaska, this year has been particulary bad in wicklow, there have been a lot of incidents this year, there is lads out nearly every night of the week lamping, with the increase in unemployment there are a lot of lads lamping to make a few quid.
Not only are they lampimg a lot of them are using quads to go out onto open hill where they have no permission.

dr6.5

Not seen it myself DR6.5 to be honest but you know your area i'm sure,
Either way as i've said a while ago-i've yet to see a poacher actually make anything out of it,how many deer would you need to shoot to pay for a quad etc(a hell of a lot according to your local dealers scales by all accounts:eek:)..

jwshooter

kakashka wrote: »

Very Little poaching going on this season,less than i've seen for years..
Lot of top IDS boys are also BDS boys and all snug buddies:rolleyes:
As for humane killing-some hypocracy coming from the so called "top deer men" :rolleyes:

did you not see some one poaching on the gap earlier in the season

jwshooter

kakashka wrote: »

Not seen it myself DR6.5 to be honest but you know your area i'm sure,
Either way as i've said a while ago-i've yet to see a poacher actually make anything out of it,how many deer would you need to shoot to pay for a quad etc(a hell of a lot according to your local dealers scales by all accounts:eek:)..

very few are going to the local dealer this year with a few new markets opened up.

kakashka

jwshooter wrote: »

did you not see some one poaching on the gap earlier in the season

Yeah lanky chap driving a Disco!!

kakashka

jwshooter wrote: »

very few are going to the local dealer this year with a few new markets opened up.

Have always been popular with the Hounds as you know JWya

jwshooter

kakashka wrote: »

Yeah lanky chap driving a Disco!!

him again.