Temporary Closure of Hunting (Open) Season for Birds Extended to 30 December

fiestaman

Id say we'll be good to go after the 30th:):):)

Sparks

fiestaman wrote: »

Id say we'll be good to go after the 30th:):):)

For a little while at least...
...but most of the models seem to be saying that we could see a really harsh January/February, and a few people were predicting that 'harsh' in this case meant 1982 levels of harsh. So enjoy it while it's there, and keep an eye on the forecasts...

MarkD.

Are most other parts of Ireland thawed out by now?

Sparks

Barring some parts of donegal and some highlands, it looks that way. But we've only got 5-10 days of mild weather according to some forecasts before things get cold again. Whether we get more snow back, noone seems able to agree on yet, but everyone seems to think it's at least quite possible for Jan/Feb.

Dupont

i hope it stays clear. only get out on sundays have pheasants still to release and am dying to get out now when im off. ah well the vermin will have to watch out;)

Birdnuts

Sparks wrote: »

Barring some parts of donegal and some highlands, it looks that way. But we've only got 5-10 days of mild weather according to some forecasts before things get cold again. Whether we get more snow back, noone seems able to agree on yet, but everyone seems to think it's at least quite possible for Jan/Feb.

Someones been in the weather forum;)

PS: Alot of happy teal/snipe in these parts since the Atlantic dismissed a months worth of cold and snow in a mere 24hrs:eek:

wildfowler94

Lads Dose Thats Mean We Can Go Out The 30th?

fiestaman

wildfowler94 wrote: »

Lads Dose Thats Mean We Can Go Out The 30th?

NO, a review on the 30th. Shouldnt be a problem as the thaw is on since yesterday. Should be ok for 31st id say and hope:)

MACT1RE

fiestaman wrote: »

Should be ok for 31st id say and hope:)

Wouldn’t bet on it. Gormless would love nothing better than to be able to say to his remaining Green supporters, i.e. ICABS, that he fooked the 2010/2011 hunting season as a parting gift.

fiestaman

well.. il be heading out 31st anyway, wont be listening to them apes if they dont lift this ban.

macadam

We got permission to shoot pen reared cocks, and had a driven shoot on sunday for an hour good bit of fun and great to be out, roll on the 31st and the new year to get rid of that gormley gobsh1te.

Grizzly 45

IF we get hit ..It will be the first two weeks of Jan..After that it starts to ease off.Around my neck of the woods at least.It seems to be following the pattern of last year ,more or less.
So another very short season...

noel farrell

i am shooting all my life and love it the point i want to make . is up to two days ago the phesents were in poor condition you could kill them with a stick there is no sport in that we would have stopped hunting ban or no ban we fed and watered wild and reared birds as best we could the have come through well the need only a few days to get their speed back to show how bad things were in my area i saw snipe and wood cock in my garden picking and the are very shy i have them on video this is a new one on me good hunting in the new year in the meantime there are lots of vermin to deal with and the are easy prey at present happy new year all

blackstairsboy

We have been thawing since Stephens Day so do lads think we will be all right to shoot on Friday? It is quite mild and all drains and bogs are ice free for the past 3 days and will be 5 days by the time the ban is lifted. I notice woodpigeons have recovered well as they were falling out of trees dead before Christmas and the snipe have returned to their usual haunts and are no longer feeding on the dung heap.

Grizzly 45

Make the most of it then.As the Donegal postman reckons it will be back within 12/14 days with a vengence!!!:eek::eek:

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/postman-predicts-respite-from-snow-will-be-brief-2476501.html

Birdnuts

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Make the most of it then.As the Donegal postman reckons it will be back within 12/14 days with a vengence!!!:eek::eek:

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/postman-predicts-respite-from-snow-will-be-brief-2476501.html

One of the weather models the Irish Met uses brings it back even sooner:eek: - the season should be re-opened right now so that lads can get at least some sport before the shutters come down again!!

johngalway

I was kicking myself that I hadn't practiced my duck calling over the summer, don't feel nearly as bad about that now.

Not sure what's going to happen buy I'm going to buy hay this week just in case. Going to get a couple of bird feeders set up as well as I should have some of the sheep shifted by the time they're predicting the next bout of cold (mid to late next week).

Sparks

Birdnuts wrote: »

One of the weather models the Irish Met uses brings it back even sooner:eek: - the season should be re-opened right now so that lads can get at least some sport before the shutters come down again!!

That'd be the Irish Met who couldn't spot the last cold snap until it was two days away despite amateurs predicting it successfully from three weeks out? Pfft. Current predictions are saying that it's all a bit of a mess right now, with some models predicting a return to the subzero cold by this weekend and others saying it won't happen for weeks.

(BTW lads, anyone interested in this stuff should be checking out the Weather forum on boards here and Irish Weather Online)

ByeByeGTI

noel farrell wrote: »

i am shooting all my life and love it the point i want to make . is up to two days ago the phesents were in poor condition you could kill them with a stick there is no sport in that we would have stopped hunting ban or no ban we fed and watered wild and reared birds as best we could the have come through well the need only a few days to get their speed back to show how bad things were in my area i saw snipe and wood cock in my garden picking and the are very shy i have them on video this is a new one on me good hunting in the new year in the meantime there are lots of vermin to deal with and the are easy prey at present happy new year all

Hi noel great you got them on video show's how hungry they are?
why don't you put up the video's for us to see.

marlin vs

COLD WEATHER HUNTING BAN LIFTED

Following consultation with NARGC, the National Parks & Wildlife Service has today confirmed that the Government Order for the Temporary Cold Weather Hunting Ban will not be renewed when it expires at midnight 30th December 2010. Therefore hunting may resume from Friday, December 31st. The NPWS is issuing a Press Release to all national newspapers. Consultations with the Department on a number of matters arising from the recent ban will be held after the Christmas holidays.
(Posted at 10.00 a.m. on Thursday, December 30th 2010)

terminator2

great news;)

Terrier

A little bit more going on behind the scenes with the NPWS & NARGC

Further to previous communications in relation to the cold weather temporary
hunting ban, I wish to confirm the view of the NARGC, having taken advices
from around the country regarding the current conditions, and having regard
to the weather forecast, that the current temporary hunting ban should be
lifted immediately following the review on Thursday next, the 30th of
December. It is quite clear that the thaw which set in on St Stephen's Day
has been rapid and is already complete for most parts of the country. Birds
are recovering extremely well. Also, the weather forecast from Met Eireann
does not herald a return to the severe conditions, or to any freezing
conditions for the foreseeable future.



There are three other related matters we wish to raise.



1. We wish to formally apply for an extension to the hunting season
into February. The basis for this is that most clubs have reared and
released pheasants and mallard and did not apply to shoot them during the
cold period. Many felt, despite the provision which would have allowed
hunting of these to continue, that it would have been unsporting while a far
greater number of clubs simply were not aware that such application to shoot
could be made. And as you are aware from one application which I discussed
with you, the application was refused. While I do not propose to make an
issue of the particular case, the decision to refuse was based on matters
which were, or should have been, irrelevant to the consideration i.e. the
fact that the club had a large area; the existence of an SPA in the locality
to mention but some. One of the most important periods for game hunters,
Christmas, was missed as a result of the temporary ban. As you know, an
extension to the season does not create any precedent as the NPWS has
routinely granted extensions to the season to commercial shoots.



2. The second matter I wish to raise is the criteria by which
decisions for future temporary bans are arrived at and the implementation
and policing of future temporary bans. It is no secret that the decision to
include areas of the country in the initial ban where the stated criteria
had not been met i.e. Munster and parts of Connaught, created a groundswell
of opposition and the support for the ban in those regions evaporated
instantly. It also brought much criticism on NARGC and on several of us
involved in promoting and defending the ban to the point where the previous
support enjoyed in other areas also became affected. To our mind, this was
a mistake and one which will make it extremely difficult for us to gain
future support, even for a voluntary ban. We simply cannot contemplate a
situation where any future temporary ban is applied on a countrywide basis
when the conditions for the ban do not exist countrywide. It may be
convenient administratively, but it only has the effect of bringing the
system into disrepute and for that reason, pushes people towards
disobedience.



3. During the period of the ban we received numerous calls from our
members of tourist shoot operators and/or their agents continuing their
shooting in defiance of the ban with little evidence of any on the ground
policing. In my own area in Cloghan, I was accosted by both shooters and
farmers on several occasions, even in the local shop, complaining of the
shooting of wildfowl on the nearby Shannon almost daily during the ban. I
advised all to report these incidents but I was met with almost derision at
the suggestion, with most stating they could not raise the local wildlife
ranger. I do not want this to be interpreted as me criticising the local
ranger. I am merely relating was has been related to me. I do know that
the local club did in fact make a report to the Gardai. I have received
similar reports from the West of Ireland and from Kerry i.e. the apparent
ease with which tourist operators were able to continue their activities
while NARGC clubs were observing the ban. Again, the apparent invisibility
of policing simply brings the statutory process of implementing a ban into
disrepute and makes compliance by ordinary law abiding hunters more
difficult to achieve.



These are matters we need to discuss with you and I would be obliged for an
early appointment in the New Year to meet. In the meantime, I look forward
to a resuming of the season on the 30th.



Best wishes for the New Year,



Des Crofton

National Director

NARGC

Sparks

Also, the weather forecast from Met Eireann
does not herald a return to the severe conditions, or to any freezing
conditions for the foreseeable future.

/facepalm
The cold is coming back, by this weekend for the initial subzero-at-night-low-single-digits-by-day phase, and deeper still within about ten days according to pretty much every model at this point. Met Eireann do not, and will not, issue forecasts past the five day mark (never have either) and they don't exactly have the best reputation out there for accuracy and reliability even at that. Relying on them is rather a cop-out, and it undermines the case for extending the hunting season because if there's another cold snap coming, the need to extend the season is greater.

Grizzly 45

Looks like some of our grumbles and groans are getting upstairs in the nargc.:DNow will they get anywhere with the greenie enviro minister is another days work.

beanie10

Is there currently a ban on shooting rabbit and foxes??

marlin vs

beanie10 wrote: »

Is there currently a ban on shooting rabbit and foxes??

No.

CJhaughey

marlin vs wrote: »

No.

Despite an attempt by Maureen O'Sullivan TD and ICABS ringleader to try and get all types of shooting stopped by "heartless hunters"
Any of you that live in Dublin Central should bear this in mind for the forthcoming election...

Grizzly 45

Was quickly leafing thru this months Irish Shooters Digest.
NARGC coverd a few points of the CWB ban.Apprently in future it will be instigated if:

The air temp is below minus 1 degree and the grass temp is minus three [3]degrees for fourteen consecutive days and nights,registerd at 12 or more nationwide weather stations over that time period.
Then it becomes a national CWB for fourteen days.

If it is there for three days and nights with the above conditions it is a voluntary ban.

Maybe somone can post the article.But it looks like there is now finally abit of cop on [for once] about this.:D