Goat Stalking

transit260

223 monte,

welsummer

KELPIE.. SEE, I KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING AUSTRALIAN ABOUT HIM.

transit260

your soooo spot on its scary:D

MacraPat

Good Shooting, one'd wonder if it'd be worth a lad's while finding a few of the bucks as kids when the nannies hide them and ringing them. All the meat and none of the stink?

transit260

Knock yerself out Pat,lol.Id be just inclined to cull the kids at the right age/size for eating.I cull the nannys and eat them no problem.I try to shoot a few of the smaller billys and leave the bigger boys for breeding.

MacraPat

I'd love to try them myself, they're a fantastic animal to see around south Kerry or Lahinch. I'd rather see them culled and managed as game than whole herds rounded up and slaughtered.

The New Zealanders had a similar exploding feral goat population, instead of culls they re-domesticated them selected for meat conformation and quick growth rates on the same rough terrain, while keeping the wild surviveability to produce the Kiko breed.

Just some random info.

transit260

its a good day when something new is absorbed,Theres some gang of goats where I go but in the last 4 outings I have seen not 1,where they dissapear to I dont know.I spent 5 hrs looking for them a while back and nothing 2 days before that a phone call from the landowner tells me theres 50-60 of them in his fields,it takes me an hour to drive out and the same back.Diesel being the price it is it can get expensive looking for them.

Glensman

Mine are a lot closer to home than that, but I have less. I do have the benefit of being the only hunter properly equipped, licensed and allowed by landowners to shoot them. Some people from time to time have a rip, but they soon realise it's not for them...


I was drivin at 9am on thursday morning and seen them about 3 miles from my house, I told a couple of people and they cant believe they've made it to there. They're spreading out nicely!!!

I've heard of a couple of local farmer theough, when they get 20-30 in a field, they round them in to the corners with quads and then just slaughter the poor things with shotguns- meant to be a while mess

CJhaughey

You need to get a Judas Goat with a radio collar, Catch it and stick the collar on, then let it go again. It will rejoin the herd and you can find them easily then.

Glensman

CJhaughey wrote: »

You need to get a Judas Goat with a radio collar, Catch it and stick the collar on, then let it go again. It will rejoin the herd and you can find them easily then.

Class idea!!

transit260

a morning culling the smellies.We had 12 in 15 minutes.We blocked the gap and they couldnt get back up the hill,well that was untill they decided theyd trample my mate and he dived out of the way just in time :laughbounce2: there were over 60 in the herd.

Thankfully the landowner was happy to help load them into the van.Some smell in the van for about a week.No matter how much I sprayed or washed it ,it just stank.The wife and kids were geting the bus for a bit.

MACT1RE

transit260 wrote: »

We had 12 in 15 minutes.We blocked the gap and they couldnt get back up the hill,

Not exactly what you'd call giving the prey a sporting chance. I know they're not protected and can be a nuisance but is there really a need for the slaughter tactics?

jap gt

MACT1RE wrote: »

Not exactly what you'd call giving the prey a sporting chance. I know they're not protected and can be a nuisance but is there really a need for the slaughter tactics?

to be fair in some cases there is, there is a cull not far from me every year or so up to 40 are taken from the herd so years more.. they do a lot of damage to fields hedging etc

garv123

where are ye all shooting the goats? tbh ive never seen a goat up in the mountain area i live.
is it all in the kerry and wicklow area?

poulo6.5

garv123 wrote: »

where are ye all shooting the goats? tbh ive never seen a goat up in the mountain area i live.
is it all in the kerry and wicklow area?

you are not looking hard enough

transit260

Mac get something into your head here now,this is not done for sport,theres over 70 animals in the herd I took the 12 from,there are another 2 sub herds that hold a bachelor party of around 15-20 goats and then afew miles over theres another herd of 30 plus.These animals have been here since the 50's im told.Willy the farmer came out one morning and he couldnt believe what he saw.there were gaping holes in his hedgerow after the herd ravaged the place.He could see through the hedge after they attacked it.can you visualise the ammount of grass these goats each eat,well heres a pic to help you see how much they eat.

heres a small herd in the summer eating everything in their path

hes busting full of grass,that was meant for the sheep on the farm,now multiply that by 50 or 60 or 70 animals all at one time.Be real now and forget the sporting issues on this,this is culling a very major pest.I dont shoot during the summer and the landowner rings me all through it to keep culling.I end up walking and if I see a billy I take him out and leave the kids and nursing nannys.Then in the winter I hit them hard.To answer your last question,yes there is a very real need to cull them hard,and I havent a hope of geting on top of them as believe me Ive tried.I have over 50 shot in 12 months but it makes not a tad of difference.
GARV,I could tell ye but Id have to kill ye afterwards,lol.lets say west of Ireland,but no not the Burren as Im always accused of.

Glensman

garv123 wrote: »

where are ye all shooting the goats? tbh ive never seen a goat up in the mountain area i live.
is it all in the kerry and wicklow area?

I shot mine in North Antrim, I also know they're in South Armagh and someone told me Tipp as well.

But there could be a herd a few miles for you and you wouldn't hear or see them!

garv123

poulo6.5 wrote: »

you are not looking hard enough

your from south tip arent you poulo so i presume clonmel area. ive been out around the nire area travelling from a to b many a time because im basically living a mile or 2 away from it and i have never seen a goat only sheep and its not our area to shoot anyway, but is there goats around them parts? no interest in shooting them just curious as ive never seen a goat around ever

transit260

I was driving on the outskirts of Limerick one evening and on the side of the road were a load of ferral goats.I tried to find out where they were and who owned the land but never tracked it down.there were a lot of them there too.

MACT1RE

transit260 wrote: »

Mac get something into your head here now,this is not done for sport,theres over 70 animals in the herd I took the 12 from,there are another 2 sub herds that hold a bachelor party of around 15-20 goats and then afew miles over theres another herd of 30 plus.These animals have been here since the 50's im told.Willy the farmer came out one morning and he couldnt believe what he saw.there were gaping holes in his hedgerow after the herd ravaged the place.He could see through the hedge after they attacked it.can you visualise the ammount of grass these goats each eat,well heres a pic to help you see how much they eat.

heres a small herd in the summer eating everything in their path

hes busting full of grass,that was meant for the sheep on the farm,now multiply that by 50 or 60 or 70 animals all at one time.Be real now and forget the sporting issues on this,this is culling a very major pest.I dont shoot during the summer and the landowner rings me all through it to keep culling.I end up walking and if I see a billy I take him out and leave the kids and nursing nannys.Then in the winter I hit them hard.To answer your last question,yes there is a very real need to cull them hard,and I havent a hope of geting on top of them as believe me Ive tried.I have over 50 shot in 12 months but it makes not a tad of difference.
GARV,I could tell ye but Id have to kill ye afterwards,lol.lets say west of Ireland,but no not the Burren as Im always accused of.

That’s a fair point and I see where you’re coming from. A mass cull sounds justified in that situation from what you say and I’m not trying to tell you your business. I suppose it was the part about blocking the gap to prevent escape that just didn’t sit right with me. For me, the sport of picking out the one animal, stalking it and making a clean kill all without it or the remainder of the herd ever knowing I was there, is what hunting is all about. I’ve often had pressure from farmers about numbers and it’s a real balancing act keeping everyone happy.

poulo6.5

garv123 wrote: »

your from south tip arent you poulo so i presume clonmel area. ive been out around the nire area travelling from a to b many a time because im basically living a mile or 2 away from it and i have never seen a goat only sheep and its not our area to shoot anyway, but is there goats around them parts? no interest in shooting them just curious as ive never seen a goat around ever

yes there a small few around. i saw them my self and i went back to get a couple a few days later and they had moved off. i will be looking out for them:D

garv123

in all fairness i wouldnt agree with blocking in the animals either. i'd only be interested in the sport of the stalk bit, not the cull bit but i suppose if it had to be done it had to be done

garv123

poulo6.5 wrote: »

yes there a small few around. i saw them my self and i went back to get a couple a few days later and they had moved off. i will be looking out for them:D

could they not be owned by a farmer though?

transit260

wELL GUYS,THATS YOUR OPINION AND i RESPECT IT AND UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT YOUR SAYING.rEMEMBER ONE THING,THE FARMER WAS lying right next to me AT THE TIME SO i HAD TO BE SEEN TO BE EFFIECIENT,he also gives me permission to take deer and dig to my terriers and he has also gotten me a load more rabbit/ferreting permission.I have never since that day take more goats than i can use.the most I have taken since is 4 andd all were used.GALV if its sporting stalking you want then deer are the answer.This I must stress is a CULL,and Im not making any inroads into their numbers as such.I drag back 3 or 4 at a time to let the landowner see im doing some bit and hes convinced Im slaughtering them wholesale,nothing could be further from the truth.I may be winning the battle but im loosing the war,they brought a few members of the Irish army up in the early 80's and in a week they shot 50 odd goats,didnt make a bit of difference.As for a mass cull,I shot 12 out of 60-70,hardly a mass cull now is it.

MACT1RE

transit260 wrote: »

As for a mass cull,I shot 12 out of 60-70,hardly a mass cull now is it.

Don’t get me wrong, I use the term “mass cull” in the sense that you’re taking more than two or three animals and trying to reduce numbers in one sitting as opposed to stalking one animal at a time. I was not trying to imply that you’re shooting everything in sight. You've stated the situation and your position and I respect that.

transit260

I understand that Mact,I just try to get across what little effect Im having on the herd.I dont want to nor could I wipe these animals out even if I tried to.I am avery responsible sportsman,have been shooting/hunting for over 30 years and have great respect for my quarry but seeing these herds in action you understand why the farmers want them gone.The damage they do to the field with their hooves when they storm the place enmass has to be seen to be believed.When you start shooting and they start to run its unreal the number of them together,all you can see is bodies everywhere and horns sticking up all over the place,its a fabulous sight.Im hoping to go again in the morning but its down to the weather.pretty bad at the moment.

MACT1RE

transit260 wrote: »

Im hoping to go again in the morning but its down to the weather.pretty bad at the moment.

Well think of it this way, the goats will be out in it all night. Time to Cowboy Up and hit the hill.

Every time I catch myself trying to convince myself that it’s too wild to go out I think of that great quote from Apocalypse Now;

“Every minute I stay in this room, I get weaker, and every minute Charlie squats in the bush, he gets stronger.”

That always gets me up and out.

poulo6.5

garv123 wrote: »

could they not be owned by a farmer though?

no they are not belong to anyone. about a week after i spotted the they were over on the other side of the hill in a farmers land that i know, a buddy of mine got a call to come and cull them but again by the time he got there they had moved off again.
its a big mountain range they could be less than a mile away over a ridge or behind a hill but they are there.

as far as the cull that the op carried out. i can see where you are coming from i have a farmer that calls me regularly to shoot deer on his land, not complaining tho. but i do like to show him when i get 1 or 2 so as to keep him happy

243Xpress

There was a herd of about 40 in the Nire area but its reduced to about a dozen now.I usually get a kid or 2 every year up there.

4gun

transit260 wrote: »

wELL GUYS,THATS YOUR OPINION AND i RESPECT IT AND UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT YOUR SAYING.rEMEMBER ONE THING,THE FARMER WAS lying right next to me AT THE TIME SO i HAD TO BE SEEN TO BE EFFIECIENT,he also gives me permission to take deer and dig to my terriers and he has also gotten me a load more rabbit/ferreting permission.I have never since that day take more goats than i can use.the most I have taken since is 4 andd all were used.GALV if its sporting stalking you want then deer are the answer.This I must stress is a CULL,and Im not making any inroads into their numbers as such.I drag back 3 or 4 at a time to let the landowner see im doing some bit and hes convinced Im slaughtering them wholesale,nothing could be further from the truth.I may be winning the battle but im loosing the war,they brought a few members of the Irish army up in the early 80's and in a week they shot 50 odd goats,didnt make a bit of difference.As for a mass cull,I shot 12 out of 60-70,hardly a mass cull now is it.

sounds like you might need a bit of help?? ;)