Review on hunting seasons - Birds.

Cass

Was reading an article the other day about how the Minister for State, Heritage and Election reform (Micheal Noonan - Green Party AGAIN) is "concerned" about the impact that hunting is having on certain species of birds. Species like the Red Grouse, Golden Plover, Woodcock, Whoveler and Snipe. He says he is concerned about the sustainablility of hunting such species during the open season with numbers in decline.

Now I won't pretend to know anything about the populations of these birds. I've glanced over various threads during the past years and have seen them mentioned with regard to their numbers, but never an actual number only estimates and guesses.

That aside, the article admits the NPWS does not have a full picture of numbers, population densities, etc. however the blame first and foremost lands at the feet of hunters. Surely the climate "emergency" we are all being bombarded with has an effect? How about habitat destruction, natural predation, and other factors I'm not in the least bit qualified to discuss? Why is it only hunting when the article reports that he does not know nor does the body with contorl over such matters.

The end result is he is asking the NPWS to prepare a paper, due next year, to examine the issue and this is, in my opinion, another assault on fieldsports/hunting by an anti gun Government and with the Greens and anti country lifestyle Government. IOW take away our guns, and the reasons for having them.

By the way I'm more than happy to be corrected, educated and informed on conservation schemes, breeding programs, etc. that are currently taking place and by whom.

https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/noonan-expresses-misgivings-as-bird-hunting-season-opens/

Feisar

IMHO and I stress that! It's akin to additional regulations on lawful gun ownership after a shooting.

I've noticed a decline in wildlife over the past twenty-five years, that's across the board though, from grasshoppers to curlews. On curlews, they are in decline but sure no one is hunting them, it's all related to habitat. Woodcock only winter here so hardly down to any actions in Ireland. If hunting effected populations there wouldn't be a cock pheasant in my father's parish back in the day. Old photos from 1sts would have 14/15 hanging from a brush handle and he often shot over 90 in a season. That's rough shooting and there were little to no released birds in that. But he'd say ya knew where to go, every other house had a potato patch or such and such field always "held" a cock. Now, I don't agree with that sort of a bag but that's me, a bird or two and I'm happy but the point stands. Tis all about habitat, lack of ditches and chemicals are playing a huge part in declining wildlife.

Are that many lads really out rough shooting these days anyway, I would have thought it was in decline, I'll stand corrected on that. Sure you'll have a few lads out but the likes of my Dad and some of his friends, it was literally their main pastime.

Grizzly 45

There is a German hunter saying "Nature is still greener than the Greens think it is"

We are starting to see the start of the Green "Watermelon" rot that German hunters experienced in the 1980s. Remember this is a party that has this nature agenda, and they have to peddle this ideology to keep their membership happy, continue to get more recruits in and of course, money to keep them going.

Back then in Germany, they were a crackpot minority party, today they ,if they get in want gun bans and central storage of firearms and the abolishment of IPSC and free weapons like airguns and Xbows. So you can see the similarities of the tactics.The GP IRL was always a crackpot minority party, now they actually have some power, and are starting to enforce their crackpot policies...So this doesn't come as a surprise.

PR is how you fight back,No mention of the Red Grouse project by NARGC, or the Woodcock studies by the same?A good shot into their bridge would be to mention that grouse need managed moors to survive and thrive, which requires controlled burning of patches to encourage new heather growth for the insects that the grouse chicks need to feed off. A bit difficult to do,if you have a ban on burning such in the pre-growth seasons and you have declared such areas SACs and don't look after them,or allow them to be managed.

Barber2021

i was standing in heather the height of my knees on the 1st. the habitat needs to be managed.

it was only when we moved to an area that had a mix of heather (new and old) that we put up grouse.

on each trip to the grouse moor in august i saw a multitude of birds. coveys, pairs and singles.

J.R.

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J.R.

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