Shot rabbits on path in Cork

Czhornet

Cant see wrong here unless they were shooting them from the road!

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/garda%C3%AD-investigate-after-13-dead-rabbits-left-on-village-path-1.3885476

Rows Grower

Czhornet wrote: »

Cant see wrong here unless they were shooting them from the road!

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/garda%C3%AD-investigate-after-13-dead-rabbits-left-on-village-path-1.3885476

You can be fined for dropping a sweet paper or a cigarette butt on the street and you see nothing wrong with someone leaving 13 dead rabbits on a footpath?

two wheels good

The article mentions shooting hares. That's illegal.
Leaving dead animals on the road is littering at the very least.

Czhornet

Surely if they were shot cleanly, its not a case of animal cruelty?

Rows Grower

two wheels good wrote: »

The article mentions shooting hares. That's illegal.
Leaving dead animals on the road is littering at the very least.

It’s not illegal to shoot hares in season but the season is over now.

cookimonster

Czhornet wrote: »

Cant see wrong here unless they were shooting them from the road!

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/garda%C3%AD-investigate-after-13-dead-rabbits-left-on-village-path-1.3885476

As usual a very poorly written article, there is a suggestion of the illegality of lamping as an act in itself. Genuine news articles, such as this, are repeativly misrepresenting legal hunting acts. So for anyone coming here to see what the online hunting community have to say about this disgraceful, unsportsmen like act heres a pointer.
Lamping unprotected animals such as rabbits and foxs is lawful under the Wildlife Act. Once a hunter is in legal possession of firearms, has permission to hunt over the land and doesn't contravene regulations (shooting from or near a road, shooting from vechile, reckless endangerment etc) the act of lamping is not illegal.

This is not a person or some persons having been disturbed in the act. No right minded hunter is going to lay out 13 rabbits in a neat fashion for a thropey shot in such a spot nor is some one who accidentally left their bag behind. Carelessness and recklessness is someone dumping the nights shooting in the corner of thd field or chucked over random ditch not caring about the adjacent property or some such.

This is a wanton act, those for what ever reason only known to themselves did this on purpose, with the location specificaly chosen for maximum exposure. Weather s silly prank or a sick act this is not the a act of any form of hunting.

El Tarangu

Czhornet wrote: »

Surely if they were shot cleanly, its not a case of animal cruelty?

I don't think anyone on this thread has suggested that it is; would you be happy if I left a load of offal on the footpath outside your house?

two wheels good

Rows Grower wrote: »

It’s not illegal to shoot hares in season but the season is over now.

I didn't know. That's outrageous. I thought they were fully protected. Their numbers are in decline.

washman3

The person/persons that carried out this act need urgent psychiatric help.

dodderangler

Just a waste of good meat.

Cass

El Tarangu wrote: »

I don't think anyone on this thread has suggested that it is;

The person from Blackwater Animal Rescue said so in the article.

The same person said it was "animal cruelty" and the "culprit" should tracked down. As was said above how does this "psychic" know there was any instance of animal cruelty? Cruelty being the intentional infliction of physical or mental harm to another. Secondly to whom is the person referring when they say culprit. Lamping of Rabbits is completely legal so it cannot be them.

However whomever placed the Rabbits there may guilty of littering and the article is written in such a way as to link the person or persons who killed the Rabbits to the act of leaving them where they are. There was no mention of a third party finding the Rabbits and leaving them in a public place to discredit or shine a bad light on hunters or the sport of hunting.

would you be happy if I left a load of offal on the footpath outside your house?

How is that relevant to the thread, and why direct it at that poster?

two wheels good wrote: »

I didn't know. That's outrageous. I thought they were fully protected. Their numbers are in decline.

They are not fully protected and have a season. It runs from the 26th of September to the 28th February. The can only be hunted with a shotgun.

However the discussion of Hares is not Germane to this thread, the article nor the act. Rabbits were hunted, and the only mention of Hares is speculation from An Gardaí that they are also "dazzled" with the intent to be caught, but not in this act.

As for the Hare being in decline i'd ask you to cite your source(s) otherwise it's speculation. From the National Parks an Wildlife Services (NPWS):

NPWS wrote:

Hare population in 2006 is estimated to be 233,000. In 2007 it was est. to be 535,000. The precise mechanisms that drive interannual and multiannual hare population change remain unknown. Evidently, such drivers can have a substantial impact on population change. Without a better understanding of factors affecting hare population growth, it is not possible to develop or implement measures for enhancing hare populations

So perhaps you can explain how you know they are in decline when the NPWS cannot determine their population and why it seems they substantially increase one year and decline the next.

washman3 wrote: »

The person/persons that carried out this act need urgent psychiatric help.

As said above whomever done this done so for two reason:

• It was carried out by the person(s) that hunted them which only shows they are below contempt and use childish acts like this to shock the public. A sad way to get their kicks.
• It was a purposeful act by a third party (not involved in the hunting of them) to cast the hunting community in a bad light.

I'll reserve judgement until i know the facts, and not rely on a biased article.

Grizzly 45

two wheels good wrote: »

I didn't know. That's outrageous. I thought they were fully protected. Their numbers are in decline.

Actually they are not in decline at all.Its a piece of NI research that the antis have locked onto for propaganda purposes.Their decline is based on a census taken in Northern Ireland for a start.Not in the Republic,that is now over a decade old.If you want to blame species decline,put it down to modern farming methods,pesticides and habitat destruction.

Grizzly 45

Would be totally coincidential of course and thinking aloud here...But isnt it funny that a certain UK celeb of BBC fame is getting gifts of dead crows left at his property because of his do gooder actions?Just wondering aloud here...I wonder have some locals or possibly someone connected with the school or community peed off someone big time to do this???

two wheels good

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Actually they are not in decline at all.Its a piece of NI research that the antis have locked onto for propaganda purposes.Their decline is based on a census taken in Northern Ireland for a start.Not in the Republic,that is now over a decade old.If you want to blame species decline,put it down to modern farming methods,pesticides and habitat destruction.

I've read a few articles about their decline. I think I'll remain sceptical of your over-confident and probably self-interested claims.
Pointing the finger of blame elsewhere and expecting others to do something about a problem is all too typical of attitudes to ecological protection in Ireland.

The pigeon man

two wheels good wrote: »

I've read a few articles about their decline. I think I'll remain sceptical of your over-confident and probably self-interested claims.
Pointing the finger of blame elsewhere and expecting others to do something about a problem is all too typical of attitudes to ecological protection in Ireland.

You might also be appalled that deer are protected under the wildlife act be can also be shot with valid licenses.

From personal experience on one farm I have seen many hares but not a single rabbit. I don't shoot hares because they wouldn't interest me to eat.

I think the invasive brown hare is the biggest threat. Similar to the grey squirrel it is stronger than our native species and may take over.

Also foxes are one of the largest predators of hares. It is important to keep their number controlled to ensure the future of the species they predate upon.

Not bothered normally

a very strange " who done it and why"..........which most likely wont be resolved.

the only "fact" is that the act will be used, as part of the drip drip social media feed, to ban hunting simply because those who are anti hunting are more dedicated to its (social media) use than hunters.

the ban blood sports twitter feed is brimming over with elections candidates, little known actors etc etc pledging support for a ban.

Kran

Were they definitely shot? I read somewhere yesterday, think it was the echo, that there was no signs of them being shot. I presumed it was travelers lamping with lurchers.

Cass

two wheels good wrote: »

I've read a few articles about their decline. I think I'll remain sceptical of your over-confident and probably self-interested claims.

A "few articles". Name your sources otherwise it's assumption based on a "feeling" and facts don't care about your feelings.

The NPWS HAre survey is where i'm getting my information from (as it's the most recent) and they say:

NPWS wrote:

Agricultural intensification is widely accepted to be the cause of the decline in many European farmland wildlife populations

The same survey states that in areas of intensified pastoral farmlands the Hare population has increased significantly while in areas of bog land, Moors, etc. show a marked decline.

NPWS wrote:

...... the population of Irish hares in the Republic of Ireland was approximately 233,000 hares in early 2006 and 535,000 in early 2007. The scale of this marked and significant change between consecutive years is consistent with historical data and with recent surveys of Northern Ireland. Approximately 50% and 70% of the Irish hare population were found on pastoral farmland in 2006 and 2007 respectively. The bulk of change in population estimates between years was ascribed to an increase in density
on pastoral farmland.

NPWS wrote:

During 2007, hare densities were significantly higher on pastoral farmland than both bog, moor, heath & marsh and other marginal habitats but did not differ from mixed farmland.

Pointing the finger of blame elsewhere and expecting others to do something about a problem is all too typical of attitudes to ecological protection in Ireland.

I find it incredulous that Hares are being discussed at all as the article was about RABBITs, but also that the finger of blame is pointed at the hunting community that does more per year for conservation, management, and breeding programs than any other group, combined.

NPWS wrote:

Historical game bag data suggest that the Irish hare population is likely to have been considerably larger during the mid-19th to early 20th century than at present. Since then, there has been a substantial decline in the number of hares shot per year.

I don't know anyone in my shooting circle that hunt hares, either anymore or ever. This is also a growing trend based on my conversations over the years with gun clubs, hunting groups, etc.

Cass

Kran wrote: »

Were they definitely shot?

The article does not say.

Grizzly 45

two wheels good wrote: »

I've read a few articles about their decline. I think I'll remain sceptical of your over-confident and probably self-interested claims.
Pointing the finger of blame elsewhere and expecting others to do something about a problem is all too typical of attitudes to ecological protection in Ireland.

And We'll remain amused by your fake outrage and brilliant contribution in ignorance and emotiveism..Have a nice day now:D

BattleCorp

Clearly they had enough of being canvassed by every two-bit wannabe county councillor and therefore took a leaf out of Jim Jones' book and carried out a mass suicide.

meathstevie

two wheels good wrote: »

I've read a few articles about their decline. I think I'll remain sceptical of your over-confident and probably self-interested claims.
Pointing the finger of blame elsewhere and expecting others to do something about a problem is all too typical of attitudes to ecological protection in Ireland.

Two weeks of cold rainy weather at the wrong time of the year will do more harm to the hare population than anything else.

kowloon

Someone crucified a rabbit on a tree at a college I went to a few years back. There are some twisted fcukers out there.

Bordglas

I am surprised they didn't have a ribbon and a little Easter egg !!! Reminds me off the fox that was savaged by a pack of hounds in a Macroom garden yet remained fully intact. If someone had disturbed the lurcher men they would more than likely be lying next to the rabbits.

Cass

Why is it when something like this happens the shooting/hunting community immediately gets the finger of blame pointed at it and we find ourselves once again defending our 100% legal sport from those that live in places like this:



and have no concept of country life, fieldsports, and traditions dating back hundreds of years.