End of season &deer hunter question

Irishglockfan

As today is the end of the game bird season.just thought I would ask how you all did?It wasnt very hectic down here.Two snipe and a pheasent was my total bag.{gotta get a dog}

Was reading thru the UK Shooting Times magazine and saw that it will be cumpolsory next season to have done a deer stalking course to be able to hunt state[Coillte?] lands.anyone got a handle on this?as to what it is,where being run,truth or rumour?

E@gle.

Dunno anything about the deer hunting.

Its a pity to see the end of the season i didnt really get a chance to go out much in the last month. My total was 4 phesants and countless snipe.

two snipe?? how many times did you head out?

I havent an exact tally but this was not as good as last. Never really got cold enough for the duck to head down here!

allnight_2002

Wish I had time to get out more. Got 3 phesants and about 10 snipe. I only got out on 3 or 4 times through the whole season. can only shoot on weekends and bank hoildays in my local club. I work shifts so i am working 2 out of every 4 weekends.
Hope to get out more next year. :rolleyes:

macnas

Shot Sunday and Monday, Got six ducks over the two days. Total for the group was about 40+. 0 Pheasants for the season.

Zakalwe

What does snipe taste like?

civdef

Zakalwe wrote:

What does snipe taste like?

...chicken, of course



Sorry, couldn't help myself.

Zakalwe

civdef wrote:

...chicken, of course



Sorry, couldn't help myself.

I might have guessed. I remember the first time I had shark. Damn thing tasted like slighly grisly chicken.

Irishglockfan

There really isnt much on them,just the breast& drumsticks,if you can call them that.It is a dark meat,with a more"earthy" taste.It is uses as an appetiser or savoury.you would need a whole flock of them to get a dinner of one chicken

macnas

Snipe soup, one per mug, yum!

sniper83

Bagged about 20 pheasants about 40 duck (mostly mallard) around 10-20 snipe and a couple of woodcock the weather never really got cold enough for the woodcock to come in any great numbers tho.
Funny enough last week i was out for a few days hunting for game and by the end of the week i had shot 7 foxes, they seem to be very plentiful this year! anyone else notice this? Just to let you know Zakalwe that snipe makes a delicious soup especially when you boil it with woodcock and then use the stock to make the soup.;)

Terrier

Agree with you on the foxes - 114 shot in the last 6 months that a new club record for our club
Plenty of mink in it too.. so far 12 caught thats already double last year catch.

sniper83

I think its the milder weather we are getting in the spring and early summer the young get a much better chance of surviving. We do a good bit of mink trapping too, i couldnt tell you how many we have got though! since we have started their has been a big rise in game birds in the area ! its unreal the amount of damage mink can do to game populations.:mad:

E@gle.

Terrier wrote:

Agree with you on the foxes - 114 shot in the last 6 months that a new club record for our club
Plenty of mink in it too.. so far 12 caught thats already double last year catch.

What kinda of traps are you using to catch the mink i have land that runs beside a small river and local farmers have asked me to catch the mink for them.

How much does the trapa cost??

Irishglockfan

Traps ,can go from free,to 60euros.
cheapest is the old pipe trap.Get a piece of 4in to 6in wavinpipe,[plenty of cutoffs on building sites] ,plug one end,put it standing at appx 35 to 40 degrees leaning up against a tree,bush,etc.pour or place an opened sardine tin with its oil on the pipe.Mink are curious critters and will climb up the bush and down the pipe to get at the sardine oil.Trouble for them is they cant climb up the slippery inside pipe again.To empty trap,put a strong canvas sack over the open end,upend pipe into sack mink or other critter is in the bag!Dispose at your lesiure.[Your wifes/girlfriends mink coat should be one critter closer to compleation. ]Sounds corney but actually it does work.Be careful of cornerd mink, they do bite and occasionally you will catch rats as well.Yuck
BTW if you do catch mink,render their bodyfat.As this is a most exellent waterproof and treatment for leather boots.

Terrier

E@gle. wrote:

What kinda of traps are you using to catch the mink i have land that runs beside a small river and local farmers have asked me to catch the mink for them.

How much does the trapa cost??

I use Mink Traps, the cage door type, it does not kill the mink as you never know what you might catch, i've caught everthing from a pine martin to a blackbird.

I get my traps from Mike Johnson at Dingle Poultry http://www.dinglepoultry.com/ €43 for a single entry & €56 for a double.

P.M if you want more details on locations and baits to use..

Traumadoc

Went to cull goats for the australian national parks last week, there was one other lad from Ireland with me.
We got over 350 goats(and one cat) between 12 of us.