Goat trouble

Goat trouble

Hi all,

I'm wondering whether someone on this forum might be interested in culling a group of feral goats who have people in our area driven demented, eating down to nothing everything in sight from hedges to vegetable gardens, saplings etc.

We are in West Cork (don't want to be too specific about the precise location here, all correspondence by PM, please), and they were culled before, about 10 years ago. Their numbers have since increased back up to about 15, as they have no natural predators to keep their numbers in check. They tend to hang around a pretty restricted area (especially in the colder months), which is quite wild, and only fairly thinly populated (with people).

If anyone is interested, as well as the sport they'd get out of it, they'd be doing a great service to the area and could obviously take the meat/skins away with them - if they want it. These animals are not protected in any way, they are vermin, and there are no legal issues whatsoever in terms of shooting them (other than those that apply to all hunting, such as observing proper safety procedures, etc.).

I would estimate that approx. 95% of people in the area would be delighted to see them taken out, and so there shouldn't be any problem there either, though some discretion would be no harm. I'm using a new name to put up this thread as I don't want to attract the sometimes misguided attentions of the animals rights crowd.

(If any of the latter are reading this, these goats are the descendants of ordinary domesticated goats that were released in the area over the last few decades: they are NOT part of an 'ancient' breed of 'native' Irish goats, or anything like that. Furthermore, they have an extremely negative effect on the local ecosytems by eliminating native flora, preventing any natural regeneration of trees, etc.)

A lot of the area is wooded, so I would imagine it might be best to wait until the leaves have dropped from the trees to do it; also their range is more restricted in the late autumn and winter, so they'd be easier to find.

I'm just putting out feelers now, though it is perhaps a little early in the year, to get some idea of whether there are hunters on this forum who might be interested in this.

Serious PMs only, please.

Feidhlim Dignan

PM inbound.

juice1304

PM also sent.:)

4gun

Pm sent

A Country Voice

pm sent

yubabill1

I would recommend the cull take place asap.

Goats are rutting very soon and will be approachable.

Otherwise, you will be looking at them from the next county - their eyesight is amazing and they rely on it primarily (don't seem bothered by scent at any time IMHO).

Yuba.

The Aussie

yubabill1 wrote: »

(don't seem bothered by scent at any time IMHO).

Yuba.

That's because they can't smell anything other than their own stench, quite often you will smell them before you even spot them :pac:

daithi55

am i missing something here who owns the land
maybe someone owns the herd be wary
lads do yer homework

Goat trouble

daithi55 wrote: »

am i missing something here who owns the land
maybe someone owns the herd be wary
lads do yer homework

You're right to ask, Daithi, but nobody owns the goats - there is no ambiguity there - and the landowners (incl. myself) as well as everyone else want them gone.

transit260

theres herds of goats all around that area,no one lays claim to them,their a nuisance of the highest order,and easily dealt with.

thelurcher

transit260 wrote: »

theres herds of goats all around that area,no one lays claim to them,their a nuisance of the highest order,and easily dealt with.

There's a lot of people down there keeping goats too - I'd agree with daithi55 - do your homework. A lot of the old farmers especially like seeing them around. I have them on some of my permission and if I shot them I'd be out.

transit260

well i can GUARANTEE you in the west only folk that like them are not land owners.they are hated,i have at least a dozen farmers that want them dead on sight.i have shot well over 100 in the last 2 years and still the farmers want more done.im down this weekend again to take some more.saying that my dogs are living like lords on the meat.

Cass

Okay lads.

I've gotten a PM from the OP saying that he has sorted some lads to help him out. I have also gotten assurances that permission will be given in written form to cover any shooter. So everything seems above board and the OP is sorted so closing the thread.

Thanks for everyone that replied.