temporary closure of the hunting season.

jwshooter

just received a text from the country side alliance.

(quote) temporary closure of the hunting season for waterfowl is now in force

dwighet

jwshooter wrote: »

just received a text from the country side alliance.

(quote) temporary closure of the hunting season for waterfowl is now in force

just got the same meself

Grizzly 45

Same here..Wonder will they EXTEND the season then into Feb for us to compensate????considering that this has been a most crappiest season in years with the liscense [EMAIL="F@@kups,that"]F@@kups,that[/EMAIL] half of us have missed most of 2009.That this would be some compensation.But dont hold yer breaths.....:mad::mad:

Sparks

From the NARGC website:

HARD WEATHER - SHOOTING BAN

Following discussion with the NARGC and Birdwatch Ireland, it is understood that the Minister for the Environment, Mr John Gormley, T.D., will today (Wed. Jan 6th) issue an Order banning the shooting of certain species for a period of ten days, effective from Thursday, January 7th 2010.

We understand that the Order will prohibit the shooting of Waders and specifically mentioned in the Order will be Woodcock, Snipe and all duck and goose species. The ban will not apply to Pheasant, Red-Legged Partridge, Woodpigeon or any mammal species.

We will issue further information when it becomes available.

jwshooter

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Same here..Wonder will they EXTEND the season then into Feb for us to compensate????considering that this has been a most crappiest season in years with the liscense [EMAIL="F@@kups,that"]F@@kups,that[/EMAIL] half of us have missed most of 2009.That this would be some compensation.But dont hold yer breaths.....:mad::mad:

no, would not think so , foot and mouth and other closures before thay did not.
ducks will be nesting in feb any way.

stevoman

all hunters should stand up and agree with this IMO. we all carry ourselves as conservationists.

i for one am glad to see this ban as its just not fair on wading species so its not. the shooting is too easy in places and wild stocks SHOULD be given as much a chance as possible, espically after all out wet summers that has affected breeding.

Grizzly 45

Didnt know ducks use calenders Dwight.That they immediately start nesting on Feb 1st to 7th....:) Or that they only start mating around early March first off
This is daft...So everything else can be shot as it isnt botherd by cold weather???Either ban the lot or non at all..:(

jwshooter

why not have a total ban ,why just waders .

jwshooter

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Didnt know ducks use calenders Dwight.That they immediately start nesting on Feb 1st to 7th....:)
This is daft...So everything else can be shot as it isnt botherd by cold weather???Either ban the lot or non at all..:(

we have a big pond near us , its called the still pond. ideal for nesting fowl. a duck hatched out a brood last feb on it.

Grizzly 45

That is a freakof nature JW..Mallard or some other species??

jwshooter

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

That is a freakof nature JW..Mallard or some other species??

Mallard , iv heard of a few birds nexting in late jan.

BoarHunter

these species are using most of their forces to fight against the cold and it takes a lot of energie. The rest is used to find easy food ( the one that takes the less energie to get ). That's a good thing to leave them alone.

make them fly too much and stress is not the best we can do ATM.

As for the pheasants, they are out of a pen. Most of them cannot even breed ( the hens rared in captivity are mostly not fertile ). they are paid for by the clubs. I think it is up to the clubs to decide what they want to do with them.

Bananaman

You don't allow 'Gormley' and 'total ban' onto the same page no matter what the circumstances - otherwise it may never come back.

B'Man

touchyie

I agree as dishearting as it is so close to the end of the season it is a good thing in the long run, I just wonder how many people will actually take head of it....... also clubs run end of season competitions perhaps they should be thinking of cancelling these also even if the ban is lifted in time.
The other thing is we should take advantage of it in the sense of vermin control, it is a lot easier to call in foxes or attract grey's and mag's. maybe this is where we should put our effort, as this will potential help to offset the damage to the population caused by the harsh weather.

johnner1

i seen a cock woodpigeon strutting his stuff to a hen he fancied while out walking last week:D

Pkiernan

While this ban may be justified, it is a little scary that the Minister can simply decide to ban hunting.

This power could well be abused.

jwshooter

Pkiernan wrote: »

While this ban may be justified, it is a little scary that the Minister can simply decide to ban hunting.

This power could well be abused.

over our dead bodies !.

Half-cocked

The Minister has always had that power. Every year he issues an order outlining species that can be shot and open seasons and any regional exemptions. All he ever had to do was not issue the order and all we'd be left to hunt would be unprotected species ie vermin:(

Would he ever excercise that power? I suspect he would be motivated more out of concern for the rural vote than concern for game species, especialy with the Greens facing meltdown at the next election.

Sparks

From the NARGC website:

TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF THE HUNTING SEASON FOR WATERFOWL
January 6th 2010

The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has today brought in a temporary closure of the hunting season for waterfowl due to the continuing freezing conditions across the State.

Dr Ciaran O'Keeffe, Director of the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department said "These birds depend on lakes, ponds, reed beds and marshy ground to find food, shelter and refuge, but these are now frozen and have been since mid December."

Met Éireann has confirmed that this cold spell will continue for some time.

The Department has consulted with the National Association of Regional Game Councils (NARGC) and BirdWatch Ireland. Mr Des Crofton, Director of NARGC, said "The Association supports and welcomes this measure as in current conditions it is necessary and beneficial." Alan Lauder, Head of Conservation at BirdWatch Ireland said: "reducing hunting pressure will allow wetland birds to conserve their energy resources", he added "we would also advise others in the countryside to take extra care to avoid any disturbance of wetland birds while the freeze continues"

The temporary closure is to protect wild ducks, geese and waders, including the woodcock, until Friday the 15th of January. It does not affect shooting for pheasant, red-legged partridge, pigeon or mammal species.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service urged all hunters to respect this measure which would clearly benefit the long-term populations of game species.

The situation will be reviewed by Friday 15th January.

The species concerned are Mallard, Teal, Gadwall, Wigeon, Pintail, Shoveler, Scaup, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Goldeneye, Golden Plover, Snipe, Jack Snipe, Woodcock, Canada Goose, Greylag Goose, Ruddy Duck.

Shooting is also being restricted in Northern Ireland and Scotland owing to the freezing conditions. A similar measure was put in place early in 1982 during a prolonged cold spell.

Terrier

Good to see this has finally happened!
Hopefully the information will filter down to Gun Clubs around the country.

EastTyrone

up around the lough shore theyve quit shooting all together pheasants and everythnig voluntary ban.

stevoman

this happened before so i wouldnt worry a bout a total ban. as i said before. hunters should welcome this, as if we really do care about wildlife and keeping numbers up, this is the only fair way for the bird.

i'l still run my dog so i dont mind so i dont.

BryanL

why would the ruddy duck be included in this? I thought they were viewed as a pest?

mousey07

i was just thinking with the bad weather and that is all the shooters topping up there feeders?

my 2 feeders are full should last a while hopefully anyway..!

wats ur opinions on shooting phesant ? seen as thou were not aloud shoot duck and that for a short period?

would it not be better to stop all shooting for a short period ? at least for the birds sake?

thats just my opinion.. as im a complete newbie

EPointer=Birdss

Makes no odds to pheasants.Thats what they're there for.
They should not be hungry if hoppers are full. They don't rely on wading for feed & have plenty when hoppers are out.
Pick your shots & don't shoot the ones that don't provide any sport if you don't want to... I haven't seen any yet that were lethargic or couldn't fly or anything like that...

gary29428

Pheasants are not included because of the various estate shoots about the place me thinks.....

bmcm71

touchyie wrote: »

The other thing is we should take advantage of it in the sense of vermin control, it is a lot easier to call in foxes or attract grey's and mag's. maybe this is where we should put our effort, as this will potential help to offset the damage to the population caused by the harsh weather.

Have to agree with touchyie, no reason why we can't crack on with vermin control. Country is heavin with mags, greys, foxes etc. nows our chance to make a bit of an effort. Anyone shooter worth their salt will agree that stopping for a week or two is only right and in the long run will better serve our sport by protecting our wild bird stocks.

Rovi

Just heard Derek Mooney saying he's going to have someone from the NPWS on talking about "Why you can't shoot ducks".
RTE Radio 1:
http://www.rte.ie/radio/index.html

cavan shooter

I think (open to correction here)that the NARGC/CA etc brought it to government as on monday i recieved a text giving the heads up and for a while there was a message on the website basically asking lads to consider a voluntary ceasation. Come to think of it the voluntary stopping was also bandied about last week both in terms of preserving game but also due to some increase in accidents.

As for the government closing the season, yep they can do that if they want i wouldnt loose sleep over it.

premiercad

Just heard Derek Mooney saying he's going to have someone from the NPWS on talking about "Why you can't shoot ducks".

Just heard the brodacast on RTE 1 talking to Professer from NPWS. Didn't catch the name of the Man but he was pretty factual and basically said shooting these water birds not sporting in this extreme weather as the birds are weakened and very little open water making it too easy to shoot. Rest of the broadcast was the usual comment from Mooney's panelists about hunting being cruel, shooters preying on defenceless birds etc. etc. although NPWS Prof. did not get drawn into that discussion as he said he is tasked with only conservation of species not any moral grounds behind shooting. National adverts to appear in tommorrows papers. Pheasants not affected due to clubs having feeders and stocking of birds as opposed to Migratory wild species of waders.

premiercad

Director of NWPS Dr Ciaran O'Keeffe was the speaker by the way

pullandbang

Trim Gun Club has banned all hunting this weekend - in fact we'll be out in force filling feeders. It's just for this weekend and will be reviewed next week again.

pedroeibar

Does the ban extend to released duck that are being fed from feeders?
Tnx
P.

meathstevie

I'm going to tap a farmer freind of mine for a couple of buckets of rolled barley and feed a few hedgerows. Fair play to Trim Gunclub, in my opinion all gunclubs should be doing this now and in the meantime seize the opportunity to rid the country of a pile of vermin.

greenpeter

My club has banned all shooting as well, not far from trim club. Think its a great idea.

mattock

My Gun Club has banned hunting of ALL game birds until further notice, I went for a cycle on the mtb yesterday and seen at least 8 small birds just froze to death and presumably fell out of the trees. We should all try and put out some feed over the next few days.Take care.

jwshooter

mattock wrote: »

My Gun Club has banned hunting of ALL game birds until further notice, I went for a cycle on the mtb yesterday and seen at least 8 small birds just froze to death and presumably fell out of the trees. We should all try and put out some feed over the next few days.Take care.

i seen the same today a willie wagtail dead in the yard

iv never seen birds as hungry

greenpeter

Seen 3 snipe on a very busy road today, they must be starving.

vermin hunter

yeh we have to look after the wild life alrite myself and a couple of members from our club are heading out tommorow topping up hoppers and feeding hedge rows .

homerhop

I think every critter is feeling it, along the edge of the road yesterday even the mice were out in numbers looking for any morsal of food they could get.

Sadly there are plenty of clubs out there who do not release any birds and are still shooting away, each to their own i guess but personally I see no sport in it.

jwshooter

the season will be ending for a few fallow in the morning

.243 express

No Sport in killing hungry Deer.Im going to give it a miss till the weather gets softer.

mattock

jwshooter wrote: »

the season will be ending for a few fallow in the morning

So there is more than the willy wagtail hungry.

pm.

Glad to hear that most guys are giving it a miss im also leaving the guns in the cabinet till weather picks up. I have 7 bird feeders in the garden and they need refill most days the little fellas are starving so hungry in fact when I was filling the bird seed into one of the feeders a golden finch was 6 inches away from me eating out of the other one I had just filled :eek: never seen anything like this

DR6.5

Our club stopped all shooting last wednesday. Even though the pheasants have not been officially stopped we decided to stop all shooting, there is not much sport in hunting pheasants in this weather, they'll all be in and around the feeders.

dr6.5

CJhaughey

I am taking the opportunity to shoot as many crows and magpies as possible, they are finishing off plenty of small weak birds around me. If you feed the small birds with fat and meal they may pull through, but the maggies and greycrows are having a fine old meal off the ones that are weakened.
I know it is only natures way but it is easy pickings for the bigger birds.

cavan shooter

I must say, I have but a good dint in the corvid population since I stopped shooting game. Getting alot more confident with the hornet too, shot a crow at 200 yrds with 35grn vmax. Id say it was a fluke only 30 mins later I repeated it.

gary29428

Christ "Cavan Shooter", that's an expensive habit you have there. I do the crows with the long rifle and save the hornet for Charlie. Anybody know when we might get out on game again.

greenpeter

Was out today with the new 223 and am amazed how flat it shoots, got a Grey at 168yards a pure fluke. Another few weeks and I'll head after the foxes cant wait, just need more confidence

greenpeter

Update from the NARGC website:
http://www.nargc.ie/site.aspx

NEWSFLASH !



TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF THE HUNTING SEASON FOR WATERFOWL


UPDATE - MONDAY, JANUARY 11th 2010

It is most encouraging to still see that so many of you are using our Website as a means of gathering information and thank you for this. Our system tells us that between 3 p.m. on Thursday and 9 a.m. this morning (Monday), a staggering 2,328 of you have visited our Website. This is brilliant and thank you. We will keep it updated for you as best we can if anything new transpires.

Well it is no secret that our weather still remains quite inclement. though here in the midlands, there seems to be a slight thaw at any rate. Hopefully this will continue. It is still the case that many Clubs and individuals throughout the country are applying a COMPLETE BAN ON ALL SHOOTING. It is your prerogative, at Club or County level, to implement such a complete shooting ban should you so wish. The position of this Association is that it SUPPORTS a complete ban on ALL shooting at this time. The situation is to be reviewed by the Minister and his team next Friday (15th) and we will see the outcome of that in course.

Meantime will you please provide food for songbirds in your gardens.

The below article was published here last Wednesday, January 6th and outlines the LEGAL position at this time.......

MOD NOTE:
Added quote attribution.

greenpeter

Jesus Rovi your full time fixing my mistakes. Thanks for that.