first time poster

Fetch There

Hello Guys
First time poster long time reader.
Just wondering what would be everyone view on this discussion
i had with a few friends on sunday evening.
What if the duck season was put back to the 1st of october instead of september.i was undecided on the issue but a few of the older guys in the group were all for it and thses fellas have forgotten more about shooting than ill ever know.
Comments appreciated.

Eddie B

Well whatever about the duck season, i often thought the pheasant season should be put off untill December 1st!

Dusty87

Some reckon it should as some chics are stil dependant. A man i know who was big into duck shootin, had boat, all sorts of decoys, all the gear only every went out from october for the above reason.

landkeeper

depends on where you are, i used to have some very good flights of mallard to september stubble nice big fat corn fed daffy yum

Tackleberrywho

landkeeper wrote: »

depends on where you are, i used to have some very good flights of mallard to september stubble nice big fat corn fed daffy yum

I will only see Local mallard in sept, and they are there all year round.

TBH I believe the seasons could be squeued a month, end in Feb not jan, i think Irelands winter really only ends at the End of feb; Last year case & point.

deerhunter1

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

I will only see Local mallard in sept, and they are there all year round.

TBH I believe the seasons could be squeued a month, end in Feb not jan, i think Irelands winter really only ends at the End of feb; Last year case & point.

Yep They should take september and give us february

Vegeta

deerhunter1 wrote: »

Yep They should take september and give us february

Wouldn't have a problem with that either

Tackleberrywho

Vegeta wrote: »

Wouldn't have a problem with that either

For example hay making was Traditionally in July, now it's August September, we even brought in bales on 3rd October.

Global warming what ever, it has changed the seasons, perhaps the shooting seasons should change too.

last winter/Feb was a good time to still be hunting as you only take out the weak stock hunting generally.
The healthier more alert animals/birds generally vamoose first.

If i shoot Duck in a fortnight they will be small, by rights October i think should be the start, and end in Feb.

We had 24 degrees in Sept Last year.
And -12 in Jan & Feb.

Half-cocked

deerhunter1 wrote: »

Yep They should take september and give us february

Won't happen, I regularly see broods of newly hatched mallard in february. The authorities are bound by the EU birds directive to ban hunting during breeding seasons - hence alll the trouble with wood pigeons which can nest all year round. If anything, the powers that be will shorten the duck hunting season as the breeding season expands:mad: While many of us think 1st september is too early, we need to keep what we've got, because we won't get any end of season time added on if we lose september.

Tackleberrywho

Half-cocked wrote: »

Won't happen, I regularly see broods of newly hatched mallard in february. The authorities are bound by the EU birds directive to ban hunting during breeding seasons - hence alll the trouble with wood pigeons which can nest all year round. If anything, the powers that be will shorten the duck hunting season as the breeding season expands:mad: While many of us think 1st september is too early, we need to keep what we've got, because we won't get any end of season time added on if we lose september.

Fair point. Do teal and wigeon breed here or up north?

You won't see a migratory duck around the midlands until at least november, unless they are a tourist

doyle61

the auld chap was telling me once that years ago he suggested the same thing at a gun club meeting and he got shot down on it (pardon the pun) so even though its a good idea i dont know how everyone else would see it

Eddie B

Half-cocked wrote: »

Won't happen, I regularly see broods of newly hatched mallard in february. The authorities are bound by the EU birds directive to ban hunting during breeding seasons - hence alll the trouble with wood pigeons which can nest all year round. If anything, the powers that be will shorten the duck hunting season as the breeding season expands:mad: While many of us think 1st september is too early, we need to keep what we've got, because we won't get any end of season time added on if we lose september.

Emmmmm..... dont think pidgeon, or any other bird breed all year round!

Eddie B

Tackleberrywho wrote: »

Fair point. Do teal and wigeon breed here or up north?

You won't see a migratory duck around the midlands until at least november, unless they are a tourist

A small amount of widgeon and teal breed here.
I shot a young widgeon on Ree about 4 years ago on September the 1st!
The following year a mate of mine got one on the first, and last year another mate shot one out of a flock of about 8 birds on the first!

Im sure there's plenty more instances around the country!
A lot of the teal that come here for the winter, come from Scotland and Europe!

Half-cocked

Eddie B wrote: »

Emmmmm..... dont think pidgeon, or any other bird breed all year round!

Wood pigeons can, and do when the winter is mild enough. Not as much breeding in the winter as in the summer, but enough to cause problems with the birds directive.

Also, the EU directive interpretation of a breeding season is rather interesting. It includes nest building and courtship displays etc, not just egg laying and chick rearing. So if you have drakes chasing ducks around a pond, they are technically in their breeding season. Its lucky the directive isn't rigidly enforced or we'd have hunting seasons measured in weeks rather than months, if at all!

Half-cocked

Eddie B wrote: »

A small amount of widgeon and teal breed here.

that's correct, we do have very small breeding populations.

The sad thing is that many migrate here from the former USSR countries where they are shot during their summer breeding season - there's nothing to shoot during the winter, all the birds have migrated south.

cavan shooter

I will go out on the 1st september and have done for years to try bag the heaviest bird....after that I dont go near ducks till November. Its a case of being choosy