How did the season go for ye?

Cass

Whether it was deer, duck, pheasant, etc. how did you all get on?

Anything to report in terms of numbers, quality, problems. Or even a good story.

I've spoken to a couple of lads and they seem to have mixed reviews depending on where they were shooting and what their quarry was..

So how did ye fair? Any pics?

underthetumb

quiet enough on the deer front for me, not out as much as I wanted. few deer about, nothing too hectic tho. did notice a lot less lads out and about this season, is it cos lads are back working?

blackpearl

Duck were not around in the usual numbers dew to the dry winter,with the one exception teal they were very plentyfull,best woodcock shooting in years numbers climbing well in the last few years,plenty of snipe about in november into mid december dissapered from then on probley moved on to the midlands,pidgeon numbers down roost shooting very bad this season, Pheasant were plentyfull released birds, wild birds getting worst every year all in all i was happy with my season nov to jan got in about 45 days .

cookimonster

The rough shooting was poor this year, very few wild pheasant around compared to other years. I suspect a neighbouring permission is availing of my bounty. Knocked a few snipe and duck, seen plenty of woodcock, but never with the gun. Evening ducks where a disaster, just couldn't make it out much. I did, as posted, bag my first brace of grouse.

Deer was generally good, a new permission yielded two fine Sika stags and a good healthy mix of Fallow and Sika does, hinds, prickets etc.
Took a nice red spiker mid season and witnessed a beautiful Red Royal taken a earlier that day.
Hill stalking for hi-breds was hard going as we seemed to always pick the days with the worst weather. Last outing I borrowed my mates 30-06 and took a nice hind at distance in high winds and this was followed up by a brilliant neck shot by the mate up a sheltered gully at a 176 yards. Sweeeeet gun, I'm truly converted to the bigger calibre for the open hill.
Last day out back in the woods, seen plenty of hinds and calves but the high winds kept them moving especially one group that had a beautifully conditioned 6 pointer given chase. Have to wait 6 months to blood the .270.

Ohhh.....and still one of my favourite managed a few entertaining nights out lamping bunnies...

clivej

Again I was happy with my deer stalking season this year. Managed to grass 7 Fallow, a mix of Bucks, Doe's and calf's,

Saw a lot more and as usual I spooked the usual amount, I hate doing that.
My Sako 75 .308 is shooting great and I'm looking forward to all the target shooting I'll get to do this year as well.

Jamesshooter

Wild pheasant numbers were down for me but neighbouring estate escapee pheasantso and partridge saved me. Duck were not too bad average mallard teal and wigeon snipe were not as plentiful and woodcock made a comeback someone in the club shot one with a big radio tracker on its back and of course foxs were plentiful

Grizzly 45

Worst.Season.Ever!:mad: Between being off my feet for nine weeks with a torn ankle ligament in Mid Sept,to early Nov,and then having fammily drop with illnesses and every other normal life matters that take up valuable shooting time I managed a grand total of a bloody week out in the whole season both for deer and winged game.Usually I'd be out for weeks come Sept 1st.:(

Birdnuts

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Worst.Season.Ever!:mad: Between being off my feet for nine weeks with a torn ankle ligament in Mid Sept,to early Nov,and then having fammily drop with illnesses and every other normal life matters that take up valuable shooting time I managed a grand total of a bloody week out in the whole season both for deer and winged game.Usually I'd be out for weeks come Sept 1st.:(

Didn't get out much myself due to a persistant ingrowing toenail problem but had a great day just after Christmas on a friends permission in South Mayo. Wonderfull Turlough country for wildfowl(huge numbers of shoveler ducks in particular this year for some reason!!) and we bagged several pheasants between us too. Chap is also a master butcher which means the freezer is will stocked with prepared duck breasts etc. for the closed season:)

J.R.

The bag wasn't great this year....lot less pheasants, snipe & woodcock about. Also. flighting at the ponds at evening was poor due to dry winter and fewer ducks about.
Still I got out every Saturday & Sunday from Nov. to end of Jan. and really enjoyed it.

marleypoint

Great season as it was my first. Got out every Sunday except for 1 due to manflu. Shot 1 snipe, 1 woodcock and about 10 pheasant (club doesn't release any birds) and lost around 5 due to dog learning to retrieve. Got to a mates permission in wicklow 3 times and shot about 10 there too. Roll on Nov 1st I've caught the bug

grassroot1

marleypoint wrote: »

Great season as it was my first. Got out every Sunday except for 1 due to manflu. Shot 1 snipe, 1 woodcock and about 10 pheasant (club doesn't release any birds) and lost around 5 due to dog learning to retrieve. Got to a mates permission in wicklow 3 times and shot about 10 there too. Roll on Nov 1st I've caught the bug

One more of us one less of them!!:D

blackpearl

marleypoint wrote: »

Great season as it was my first. Got out every Sunday except for 1 due to manflu. Shot 1 snipe, 1 woodcock and about 10 pheasant (club doesn't release any birds) and lost around 5 due to dog learning to retrieve. Got to a mates permission in wicklow 3 times and shot about 10 there too. Roll on Nov 1st I've caught the bug

Welcome to the club of hunters.

thefisherbuy

Good enough season in my eyes I don't shoot much game just duck ponds, there wasn't that much compared to last year but still getting my first semi auto and a springer first year went well. Roll on next season

PL05

Concentrated on new permission this season which was over run with deer causing major damage. Bagged 6 including 2 fine 8 pointer stags (Sika). Last 2 months of season the Numbers dropped majorly, mostly down to sh*t heads poaching with dogs. It went from coming across groups of between 10_ 14 regularly to 1or 2 the odd time. Seen, on two occasions 6 youngsters together with no sign of the mothers . They just stood looking at me and grazing 20_30 yard's away.could have dropped 2-3 at time but Couldn't bring myself to shooting them. Must be getting old, but to me there's no sport in that. Since then I haven't come across this group must have fell foul to the fore mentioned poachers.Just thought it was unusual to see youngsters without their mothers nearby. Has anyone else come across this before.

dodderangler

Got feck all done. Got out for pheasants once and put up 3 using my mate as a dog to flush. Spent more time on foxes though. Very few about which is good because I got a good few during the year before season started which would explain the pheasant numbers being up. Everytime I took the rifle I seen plenty of pheasants. And the day I took shotgun I seen 3 and 2 foxes. Always the way huh

ronn

blackpearl wrote: »

Welcome to the club of hunters.

I didn't think we were taking on new members this year, :-) :-):-)

I'd my worst season ever, didn't shoot a single pheasant seen a few around not many though, we relaseased adult birds late in October, going back to poults this year,

blackpearl

ronn wrote: »

I didn't think we were taking on new members this year, :-) :-):-)

I'd my worst season ever, didn't shoot a single pheasant seen a few around not many though, we relaseased adult birds late in October, going back to poults this year,

Just welcoming a new man who has taken up hunting ,whats your point?

ronn

blackpearl wrote: »

Just welcoming a new man who has taken up hunting ,whats your point?

Did you not see the smiley faces at the end of my post there was 3 of them,

blackpearl

Sory my fault,sounded like most of the gun clubs around the country,in 3 clubs youngst member 48 years wont let new members in sad in a few years hunting will die out because of greed ,again apologies.

ronn

blackpearl wrote: »

Sory my fault,sounded like most of the gun clubs around the country,in 3 clubs youngst member 48 years wont let new members in sad in a few years hunting will die out because of greed ,again apologies.

That's what I was getting at, :-)
I went through it myself contacted the nargc reps for two different counties and they never bothered getting back to me,
I ended up getting contact numbers for a club and tormented them for a few years before they let me in, things have changed within our club since then, were more welcoming, in saying that we'd no new aplications in for this year,

Hunter456

had a reasonable good season 10 ducks, 20 woodcock, 5 cock pheasants, 2016 fox count was 64 in total. will be getting into deer stalking this year really looking forward to a new experience with my own deer rifle.

garrettod

ronn wrote: »

....things have changed within our club since then, were more welcoming, in saying that we'd no new aplications in for this year,

I'd imagine all you need to do is put brief mention of your club being open for new members up here and you'll never have an issue with no new member applications again

Good to hear your club has changed it's ways (and well done if you had some influence on that). Many of the clubs still sadly can't see past their nose unfortunately, which doesn't do anything to help promote our sport to potential new shooters etc. Obviously clubs can't just open the flood gates, but each club could take in 2-4 members per year without risking much and that would make a significant difference over the course of time.

grassroot1

garrettod wrote: »

I'd imagine all you need to do is put brief mention of your club being open for new members up here and you'll never have an issue with no new member applications again

Good to hear your club has changed it's ways (and well done if you had some influence on that). Many of the clubs still sadly can't see past their nose unfortunately, which doesn't do anything to help promote our sport to potential new shooters etc. Obviously clubs can't just open the flood gates, but each club could take in 2-4 members per year without risking much and that would make a significant difference over the course of time.

If only they would!