Ban on the sale of woodcock

ronn

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/woodcock-sellers-have-wings-clipped-under-new-law-34157002.html

Capercaillie

bag limits should be imposed if possible.

yubabill1

Should do something similar with deer.

Heard same rumours as everyone else of widespread commercial poaching.

viper123

ronn wrote: »

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/woodcock-sellers-have-wings-clipped-under-new-law-34157002.html

About time. Makes no sense to me mixing sport and profit. Can they do something similar for deer now?

allan450

Thats great news.just ban the deer next and they might stop the greedy pricks.

J.R.

Capercaillie wrote: »

bag limits should be imposed if possible.

Yes - but I'd imagine it would be impossible to police & enforce - but it certainly would do no harm and would cost nothing.....it may stop some but poachers would still try to get as many as possible

Capercaillie

J.R. wrote: »

Yes - but I'd imagine it would be impossible to police & enforce - but it certainly would do no harm and would cost nothing.....it may stop some but poachers would still try to get as many as possible

x2
If it stopped only a few people shooting 100+ birds in a season it would be a help.

wexfordman2

Good move, and hopefully a similar approach to deer will follow

Perazzi

What are all the tourist shooter going to do with the birds shot
It's about time but I am afraid too little too late.

Thedeerstalker

I feel they should clamp the commercial shooting...I know a guy who beats for a guy who brings Italians over annually and in one week two years ago, they shot 100+ Woodcock, and the lot where dumped as they didn't want them

323

Thedeerstalker wrote: »

I feel they should clamp the commercial shooting...I know a guy who beats for a guy who brings Italians over annually and in one week two years ago, they shot 100+ Woodcock, and the lot where dumped as they didn't want them

Would have thought anyone operating as an outfitter would have no problem passing off these birds. Dumping them borders on criminal IMO.

Capercaillie

http://news.scottishgamekeepers.co.uk/2015/11/sga-urges-restraint-to-minimise.html

The Scottish Gamekeepers Association is following the recommendation of conservationists in asking for restraint to be shown in the shooting of woodcock this year

Thedeerstalker

Here here....But the truth of it is, if commercial shooting were banned it would make a change - But it seems to be the elephant in the room that nobody wants to talk about......Too many people making too much money from it.

Perazzi

ye should look at Facebook to see the amount of woodcock shot already fellows don't know when to stop I shot a lot,and don't meet a lot of woodcock if I get two in a day it be good for me

dodderangler

2 a day is all is needed and anymore than that is just selfish. Same people who gladly take 15 a day are blaming everything else on woodcock numbers being low but still take 15 a day. It's a joke. Bag limit of 2 a day should be enforced

270WIN

was talking to one of the nargc top table recently and he was saying that there will be a big battle in the next few years to keep woodcock shooting from being banned altogether.

Tikka391

I've been telling the lads in my club and others for years not to be sending in the wings every year. That it was giving far to much info away. You are got by the balls either way,
low numbers of wing return, woodcock numbers in decline stop shooting them.
high numbers of wing return, stop shooting them because of over shooting.
But would any fcuker listen!!!!!!

allan450

Now in all fairness i dont think many bother sending them back.but your right in what your saying

grassroot1

Tikka391 wrote: »

I've been telling the lads in my club and others for years not to be sending in the wings every year. That it was giving far to much info away. You are got by the balls either way,
low numbers of wing return, woodcock numbers in decline stop shooting them.
high numbers of wing return, stop shooting them because of over shooting.
But would any fcuker listen!!!!!!

Its not the number of wings that count but the ratio between juvenile and adult birds that are recorded. The woodcock wing survey is the only research that shooting supporters have to combat a shooting ban should it be considered by the powers that be. To refuse to submit wings in the belief that it is going to be the cause of woodcock shooting being banned is mistaken.
That said it is entirely up to an individual whether they submit wings or not.

Birdnuts

Are there bag limits in other countries?? Personally I limit myself to single figures across a season. That's as many as I would personally consume across that time so I don't bother shooting more than that most years.

Cass

I've shot one in the last 10 years. None of the lads i shoot with even bother with them. Makes you wonder where numbers are being decimated and where they are not being touched.

Also actual numbers will only be known when a proper census is done. Same with Deer, and even other species that are classed as vermin. Foxes, etc. Until true figures are known it's hard to know where and by how much numbers dropping or rising.

Capercaillie

Birdnuts wrote: »

Are there bag limits in other countries?? Personally I limit myself to single figures across a season. That's as many as I would personally consume across that time so I don't bother shooting more than that most years.

In France, a bag limit of 30 woodcock / season.
http://www.wetlands.org/Portals/0/WSSG%20Newsletter%2040.pdf

Capercaillie

Cass wrote: »

73% decrease in Breeding woodcock in Ireland over 40 years. 20% increase in wintering population. Loses most notable in central Ireland Ireland where raised bogs have been destroyed and surrounding woodland gone.
Source:Bird Atlas 2007-2011 The breeding and wintering birds of Britain and Ireland.

Cass

Are these real numbers? As in a study or census done over a period of "X" amount of years, backed up with data and/or some sort of Irish imout from the NPWS or some similar group? Or are they SWAG? (Scientific Wild Ass Guess).

Much like the reported number of 150,000 illegal firearms in the state based on models across Europe. Another SWAG that has no basis in fact. Plus, and in keeping with what i said above, until a full and comprehensive study is done the numbers above may not hold true and the actual percentages may not been known.

Lastly the same needs to be done for all game species that are being exploited. So Woodcock is not the start or the end of it. As i said above i don't shoot them. I also don't shoot pheasant anymore. Nor Duck, Snipe, Hares, and a host of other game species. I've no use or interest in them, so don't. I know a lot of my friends don't bother much or at all with them. Now i won't be so naive as to think or say that everyone is the same. There are exceptions and then there are the few numpties that think the trigger pull is all that is important.