Hunting discussion

There is a discussion on hunting (with hounds) over on the equestrian forum at the moment, I think it would be interesting to get the views of other types of hunters as well.

However if you are going to post, I would like to draw your attention to the third post on the thread!

Link is here.

Z

BryanL

from www.hai.ie the front page is well worth a read

Tuesday December 18th

Almost half the Season has passed and
Ward Union Still have no Licence !!

The Campaign goes on for the Ward's
The animal Welfare Bill, Puppy Farming Legislation
and other issues affecting hunting

HAI are calling a monster rally for
The Silver Springs Hotel Cork
Thursday January 10th at 8.00pm
All Government TD's in Cork area have been invited

HUNTING' CALLS TO ACTION All MEMBERS,
SUBSCRIBERS & SUPPORTERS OF
ALL FIELD SPORTS TO MAKE YOUR VOICE & VIEWS
COUNT.
We should not allow a misguided and unrepresentative minority to damage our sport

Sparks

Ward union was granted a limited licence today.

From breakingnews.ie:

Gormley grants limited licence for Meath stag hunt
19/12/2007 - 12:30:36

The Minister for the Environment John Gormley has issued a limited licence for a controversial stag hunt in Co Meath.

The Ward Union Hunt is the only one in the country involved in carted stag hunting, where a farmed stag is released to be chased by hounds and hunters.

Mr Gormley announced today that he has decided to renew the hunt's licence for a year, but only on condition that the stag be recaptured after laying a scent trail, before the hounds are released and before the hunt gets underway.

The hunt was at the centre of controversy last January when a stag being chased by hounds ran into a school playground as children were waiting to be collected by their parents.

And the ICABS reaction is also up on breakingnews.ie:

Group gives guarded welcome to restricted hunt licence
19/12/2007 - 13:38:40

The Irish Council Against Blood Sports has welcomed the restrictions applied to the Ward Union Hunt Club licence issued in Co Meath for the hunting of deer.

One of the 28 conditions is that the deer will not actually be hunted by dogs.

Instead of having dogs peruse a deer, the animal will be released to lay a scent trail along the course and recaptured before the hounds are freed and the hunt gets under way, the Minister for the Environment John Gormley said.

However, the council was hoping for a complete refusal by Mr Gormley.

And the council is concerned about the fact that the deer shall be driven by mounted riders "to an end point" (to create a scent for the dogs to follow), as they believe this will terrify and stress the deer.

Civil servants will also monitor the meetings in Co Meath to ensure compliance with the conditions of the licence.

“I believe that the conditions attached to the licence address my concerns from a wider public policy perspective about the public safety issues surrounding the hunting of a large animal by a large group on horseback and a pack of hounds through an increasingly urbanised countryside,” said Mr Gormley.

Campaigners picketing outside the Dáil said the move was a step in the right direction, but felt the conditions were unworkable.

Mr Gormley said, before granting the licence, he raised a number of concerns with the hunt, particularly in relation to an incident last January when a stag ran into a school playground in Kildalkey, Co Meath, while parents waited to pick up their children from the school.

He also took into account compliance with previous licence conditions.

The new licence, granted under the Wildlife Act, 1976, states that deer may only be hunted by the Ward Union Hunt Club up to March 31, with the number, sex and location of all deer released and not recaptured reported to the minister.

Only sound, fit and mature deer can be selected for hunting and they must be recaptured without any danger to the animal.

They will be inspected by a veterinary surgeon afterwards and not hunted again for at least 30 days.

The council is concerned that given the manner of recapture, i.e. wrestling the deer to the ground, with at least one deer being choked to death during a previous recapture, that this abuse is to continue.

Bernie Wright, of the Association of Hunt Saboteurs, said it will be hard for the club to keep to the conditions of the licence and to keep the fast animal under control.

“The positive aspect of this is that it is a step in the right direction, but as far as we are concerned we still want the stag taken out of the hunt altogether,” she said with activists outside Leinster House.

“It is a bit of a farce putting a stag through this discomfort, thinking it is being chased and then being caught and put back in a crate.

“The same could be done with drag hunting, by pulling the stag’s scent through a course.

“Personally, I don’t think this is workable and I think it will have to be revoked.”

cavan shooter

I cant wait to see what he'll do for avian vermin.

1. Mags and greys are to be requested to desist from predation on small birds poults etc

2. Mags and greys are to be requested to leave the area, if mags and greys fail to leave then and only then can they be trapped.

3. Once trapped avian pests are to be transported to a wildlife santuary etc
etc etc etc

The greens are finished as a party in the "country"

E. Fudd

cavan shooter wrote: »

I cant wait to see what he'll do for avian vermin.

1. Mags and greys are to be requested to desist from predation on small birds poults etc

2. Mags and greys are to be requested to leave the area, if mags and greys fail to leave then and only then can they be trapped.

3. Once trapped avian pests are to be transported to a wildlife santuary etc
etc etc etc

Classic!:D:D

doctor evil

"increasingly urbanised countryside"

So what, have rural places never have schools before?. He`ll go down in history with the nickname gormless....

BryanL

i think CS is right it's bye bye greens.crazy policies and they seem to stand for nothing
Bryan

Rosahane

There is a poll in the Irish Independent today..

"Do you think Stag Hunting should be banned?"

... get in and vote!

Rovi

Here's the address-
[noparse]http://www.independent.ie/[/noparse]

Copy and paste into a new browser window so that their server logging software doesn't see a link from here.

doctor evil

One in the Irish Time too

[noparse]www.ireland.com[/noparse]

Mod edit: copy'npaste the link.

Rovi

As a point of interest, that Irish Times poll appears to hold to an age old Irish tradition: vote early, vote often.

BryanL

get posting those links and texting friends