Shooting at night with a lamp

gearoidol

Can someone please explain whether it is legal to shoot rabbits/foxes at night with a lamp(dazzler) from inside the ditch with a 22 lr

kemen

60 feet from road/house, not out of a mechanically propelled vehicle dats it really i think

foxboy

gearoidol wrote: »

Can someone please explain whether it is legal to shoot rabbits/foxes at night with a lamp(dazzler) from inside the ditch with a 22 lr

nothing illegal about this
must be 60ft from the road and fire away from road
would also have to know the land very well to be sure of good backstops

Farmlife

kemen wrote: »

60 feet from road/house, not out of a mechanically propelled vehicle dats it really i think

Don't mean to change the subject, but how are you for pulling into a field, parking up and shooting from the back tray of a crew cab? would this still be classed of out of a MPV?

garv123

• You need permission from the landowner.
• Dont fire in the direction of a road, house or livestock.
• You cant shoot from a vehicle.
• As regards distance from road, everyone says different and the english law is 60 feet. Dont think it mentions it in irish law, but im sure you can use common sense.
• Caliber doesnt matter as long as you're sure of your backstops.

robbie mars

2nd garv

Vegeta

rgugliel wrote: »

Don't mean to change the subject, but how are you for pulling into a field, parking up and shooting from the back tray of a crew cab? would this still be classed of out of a MPV?

Could go against you if a Judge was so inclined.

To be 100% sure just step out and lay on the ground instead.

what a day

I shot a fox from road side ditch once, was standing beside the jeep which was parked in the hard shoulder. Just as i was about to pull the trigger a gardai car pulled up behind me:eek:. He just looked at my licnence and rifle and told us not to be shooting from the road into some ones land we dont have permission to shoot.

Vegeta

what a day wrote: »

I shot a fox from road side ditch once, was standing beside the jeep which was parked in the hard shoulder. Just as i was about to pull the trigger a gardai car pulled up behind me:eek:.

Must have been some shot if you hadn't even pulled the trigger.

He just looked at my licnence and rifle and told us not to be shooting from the road into some ones land we dont have permission to shoot.

Condoning illegal activity is against the charter so lets leave this one be ok. Any issues then PM me.

garv123

rgugliel wrote: »

Don't mean to change the subject, but how are you for pulling into a field, parking up and shooting from the back tray of a crew cab? would this still be classed of out of a MPV?

Ive seen on youtube before videos from ireland of people using the bonnet of jeeps as a rest in a field so I'm not sure myself. although 2 around here managed to crack their windscreens with .270's apparently.

johngalway

garv123 wrote: »

Ive seen on youtube before videos from ireland of people using the bonnet of jeeps as a rest in a field so I'm not sure myself. although 2 around here managed to crack their windscreens with .270's apparently.

:pac:

Oh I'd say there was a small bit of ribbing over that.

ronannee

Lamping of Foxes - The Legal Position

Section 45 of the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000 amends Section 38 of the 1976 Act which applied to the use of lamps, mirrors, dazzling equipment etc., for the purposes of hunting. Section 38 of the '76 Act was substituted by this completely new Section. The amendment states that it will be illegal for any person to hunt any protected wild animal or protected wild bird while using a lamp, light, torch, mirror or other artificial dazzling device. Also prohibited are any devices for illuminating, image intensifying or heat seeking, night sights, or any device which the Minister may declare as coming within this category.

It will be lawful to use such devices while ringing or marking or while hunting for educational or scientific purposes under licence issued by the Minister. The Minister may amend or revoke an order made under this Section. The most important thing for hunting people to know about this Section is that the ban on the use of lamps and the other equipment mentioned, applies only to protected wild birds and protected wild animals. Therefore, contrary to what some people would assert, and have asserted in the past, even people in regulatory positions, it is not illegal to hunt by lamping foxes or rabbits, neither of which are protected and no licence is necessary. This is a question which comes up again and again. However, please note that while it is not illegal to lamp a fox or rabbit from a public road for the purposes of shooting, it most definitely is illegal to shoot from a road. In addition, it should be borne in mind that the use of a mechanically propelled vehicle may not be used for the purposes of hunting any wild animal, whether the vehicle is stationary or moving. Therefore a hunter must not be in any vehicle while lamping. (Section 44 Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000).

This has always been the case and this distinction needs to be emphasised here. The shot should be taken from inside the field and then at a distance of not less than 60 feet (measured in meters now) from the road and shooting away from the direction of the road. Legally, lamping and shooting are two distinctly different acts.



Taken from NARGC Website

Regards Ronan.

gearoidol

garv123 wrote: »

• You need permission from the landowner.
• Dont fire in the direction of a road, house or livestock.
• You cant shoot from a vehicle.
• As regards distance from road, everyone says different and the english law is 60 feet. Dont think it mentions it in irish law, but im sure you can use common sense.
• Caliber doesnt matter as long as you're sure of your backstops.

Told the uncle who shoots with years today that u are allowed shoot at night barring the above conditions and he point blank refused to believe me.He rang the local seargent in front of me and seargent said "absolutely nobody allowed shoot at night except wildlife rangers".

Where does that put me as i shoot in the same region as this seargent if he ever catches me out at night lamping?

garv123

gearoidol wrote: »

Told the uncle who shoots with years today that u are allowed shoot at night barring the above conditions and he point blank refused to believe me.He rang the local sarent in front of me and seargent said "absolutely nobody allowed shoot at night except wildlife rangers".

Where does that put me as i shoot in the same region as this seargent if he ever catches me out at night lamping?

What did your uncle disagree about?

Maybe the sergeant taught you meant shooting deer at night? Think some rangers have a section42 to do that.

But he is wrong saying you cant lamp at night. 110% wrong. If you speak to him again ask him to talk to his super or the fire arms officer they should correct him. If you meet him out theres no point causing hassle for yourself by arguing with him at night but you can always go into the station to sort it out the following day.

To be honest some guards dont know their ass from their elbow when it comes to firearms.

It is 100% legal to lamp rabbits and foxes on land you have permission on.

gearoidol

garv123 wrote: »

What did your uncle disagree about?

Maybe the sergeant taught you meant shooting deer at night? Think some rangers have a section42 to do that. on.

~The uncle is convinced you cannot shoot any gun at night full stop.

I was standing next to him when talking to local sergeant and he had phone on speaker and he clearly said noone can shoot at night ,he didnt specifically mention deer or anything

gearoidol

garv123 wrote: »

If you meet him out theres no point causing hassle for yourself by arguing with him at night but you can always go into the station to sort it out the following day.

good adivce here i think

bazza888

in fairness maybe your uncle only deer hunts or pheasant shoots the odd time,cause everyone knows espeicially if they have been shooting years that you can shoot at night for fox and rabbits

kildare.17hmr

You should show your uncle and the sgt the bit of legislation posted on the first page of this thread.

Garv is right tho alot of guards havent a clue when it comes to guns!

kemen

still cant work this out.

can u lamp out of a vehicle "legally"

kildare.17hmr

kemen wrote: »

still cant work this out.

can u lamp out of a vehicle "legally"

You can shine a lamp out of a vehicle no problem but to stay legal you need to go into the field to shoot(60 yards now mesured in meters or so they say)

landkeeper

no you can't

it should be borne in mind that the use of a mechanically propelled vehicle may not be used for the purposes of hunting any wild animal, whether the vehicle is stationary or moving. Therefore a hunter must not be in any vehicle while lamping. (Section 44 Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000).

kildare.17hmr

Hunting and shining a lamp are different things, was this not discussed here recently?

landkeeper

i was quoting the nargc

kildare.17hmr

Id like to see something thats not from nargc but written in law that says i cant shine a lamp into a field while from a vehicle.

Iv often driven past my permissions and had a scan of the fields to see if there is anything lurking around and gone in to shoot, have i broken the law doing that? I very much doubt it

landkeeper

pm;)

kildare.17hmr

Still not convinced lad,

disturb for the purpose of hunthing, i get that bit but i just seem to remember this being talked about before ether here or on IS and it went the other way. Cant find the thread now but ill have a look tomorrow

Vegeta

You cannot hunt from a vehicle. We all accept this bit I'm guessing

Section 36 of the Wildlife Act, 1976 as amended by Section 44 of the Wildlife (Amendment) Act, 2000 says the following:
Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act apart from this section but subject to, section 42, a person shall not hunt or disturb for the purpose of hunting—

1. any protected wild animal by means of a mechanically-propelled vehicle, vessel or aircraft, whether it is being so propelled or is stationary,

Bits in red were removed in 2000 so it now reads:

"any wild animal by means of a mechanically-propelled vehicle, vessel or aircraft, whether it is being so propelled or is stationary"

So there can be no arguing that point I'd guess.

If you read the definitions in the act, found here

Hunting is defined as searching for(among other things).

When you shine a lamp you are searching for foxes, therefore hunting them.

meathstevie

Classic argument for the case that when one reads legislation he/she should also read the interpretation of it.

offalyvoere22

Hey sorry to hijack your tread. I live in tullamore and since im not from here and any1 i know here dosent own a gun exept me im looking for a shooting partner.iv permission on a few farms that have plenty of foxs. Have lamping gear to. Just taught id see whos about here cause its getting quite annoying shareing my gun with the people i bring.

Oh iv a voere 22lr hence the name

homerhop

According to a mis informed female garda in the Nass area it is illegal, and dare you say other wise because if you do so you are "getting smart" with her and saying that she doesnt know how to do her job.
I think lads should print off the NARGC web page that states lamping is not illegal and start carrying a copy with them when they go out.

meathstevie

No worries homerhop, there's also serious compensation to be gotten if you get arrested for a non-existent offence.