Trophy Hunting in Kerry

J.R.

https://amp.independent.ie/irish-news/news/protesters-take-aim-at-trophy-hunting-trips-to-the-kingdom-39719609.html?__twitter_impression=true

Grizzly 45

That flute at it again???

Rows Grower

I live in Kerry and have no problem at all with anyone who comes here to shoot, I'd often invite people to shoot here and never once took a bob off any of them for it. I have plenty of permissions and am never short of somewhere to hunt, the farmers are either personal friends of mine or we have been introduced by mutual friends.

A very funny incident happened to me a couple of months ago, I was out early in the morning to get a bit of exercise and hoping to bag a stag on one of my permissions and when I was half way up the hill I heard a shot from across the way. Excellent I thought, someone has got a stag. Then I heard another shot and thought it was a follow up shot on a wounded beast. Over the next 22 minutes as I made my way up to the edge of the forestry there was a total of 14 more shots. I knew anything that had been grazing in the fields I was heading to was long gone but I still carried on because it's not always just about the kill, every day is a learning experience.

When I got back to the jeep about an hour later just as I was opening the door a chap pulled up in a car and said "any luck mate?" Now this place is off the beaten track and I know all the people in the area and he wasn't one of them. I said "what do you mean?" He said "were you hunting deer?" Ah yeah says I but someone scared them by firing 16 shots in 22 minutes, it wasn't you by any chance was it? Your man says to me " Yes it was, I was zeroing in a rifle. It's fine though, it shoots within a quarter of an inch. I actually look after all the shooting grounds around here for ****** (a fella that lives about 50 miles away and charges tourists to shoot Sika).

Oh right says I, I've heard of him alright. Next your man goes in to this big speil about how he, as the manager of the shooting grounds has a big problem with poachers and how he has put loads of hidden cameras around the place and how serious a problem it has become. He had an english accent so I asked him was he local, oh yeah he says "I'm here 6 years and only 20 miles down the road from here and I'm always around checking the area. I'm now off to check our grounds in ******** as there are problems there too with poachers." Funnily enough I says to him that's exactly where I'm going now, I have a lot of permissions in that area, same as I do here, as a matter of fact I'm the only person allowed shoot here and in most of the land in that area you mentioned, I actually live 4 miles down the road from here and all the farmers around here are personal friends of mine.

The bluffer was caught by the balls and didn't know what to say, he went from boasting about being the resident gamekeeper that caters for international clients and had control of and managed all the surrounding lands to explaining he was also an international journalist and would love to do an interview with me for the shooting magazine he writes for.

I made a few discreet inquiries after talking to him and it transpires there is a strong suspicion around the locality that the fella he says he works for is ruthless in his pursuit of getting trophy heads for tourists. There's big money involved in trophy hunting and good luck to the people that can make a legitimate living from it but it doesn't cost a lot to stick a few cameras around the private land where people have no right to be.

SmartinMartin

Where do they hunt around Kenmare?

tudderone

If it were done right then i don't see a problem. After all there is paid hunting in every other country in the world as far as i know. I know a lad in Scotland who is a gamekeeper, his living depends on people coming to shoot stags and grouse.

Rows Grower

tudderone wrote: »

If it were done right then i don't see a problem. After all there is paid hunting in every other country in the world as far as i know. I know a lad in Scotland who is a gamekeeper, his living depends on people coming to shoot stags and grouse.

Absolutely feel the same.

There's plenty there for everyone.

Heavy handed

There’s a certain French guy that brings guys out in a few parts of Kerry I hunt in. This fella has feck all permission to be in the lands he brings clients out in or not the lands I’ve permission to hunt on. He’s going into coillte leases that he’s no permission in either. Any time I’ve met local hunters and mentioned this guy they all say the same thing.

.243

J.R. wrote: »

https://amp.independent.ie/irish-news/news/protesters-take-aim-at-trophy-hunting-trips-to-the-kingdom-39719609.html?__twitter_impression=true

I’d be sending that lads an anonymous text saying where and what time “these hunters” will be at and send him on a lap of the ring