Duck, Phesant or Rabbit Hunting.

medicman · 17-10-2008 10:29AM #1

Hi there, I know this is going to be looked upon as a stupid question, but please hear me out.

I have my shotgun over 4 years and my rifle 2, I am a member of my local gun club, it's small, approx 10 members, in the mallow area (no names please), in this time, I have never gone game shooting with any of the club members due to my work, shift's, nights, weekends etc, I usually go out on my own during the weekdays, but dont know any shooting hotspots, There are very few rabbits where I am and no ducks and fewer phesants, I contacted my club sec asking about same but never received a reply, I am aware that to shoot in an area you must be a member of that club, but does anyone know where it is possable to shoot anywhere that there is some game available to shoot with that club's permission, I know it can be a contentious issue, "who are you, private lands etc", but I am seriously thinking of leaving the gun club and handing back my firearms as I rarely use them now. I do pidgon shooting during August and have fun (i do have fun, sorry) i cut the breast meat off and usually have a small camping grill and have a cookout there and then, but again, noone around to have a good shoot day with (none of my friends hunt). Anyway, thanks for leaving me rant on a bit. Sorry the post is a bit longwinded.

Medicman.

Jonty · 17-10-2008 10:38AM

Don't expect anybody to tell you where the good spots are. Why should they, even GC members?? Around this time of year you should really carry out your own recces of your permission, its the only way you'll find out where the game is.

Don't get rid of your guns for your own sake. You'll regret it in years to come.

If you don't want to be a member of the gunclub, don't be, just ask the landowners permission first. Legally you are doing nothing wrong, provided the landowner has the sporting rights to the land not the club, but the gun club members might call you a bit of a tight ar$e for doing this:D

stevoman · 17-10-2008 10:42AM

get yourself and gundog and train it up. takes time but worth it. if you get your dog good enough you wont have to look for pheasent or snipe or woodcock because the dog will look for them for you. last yar i didnt really have a dog and i came across nothing. this year now that her nose is right and she is trained up and im putting up birds left right and centre and to be honest you dont have to be shooting them all. there's as much fun in watching the dog work.

medicman · 17-10-2008 10:58AM

hia jonty, thanks for the reply, i'm not looking for hotspots, i know they are more treausered than fort knox, however, i dont even know where i can hunt on my club lands, i have asked a few times for a map of our areas, have even offered to get a servey map myself and club sec can mark out areas, but no joy, 4 years now, i do get local farmer permission where i am, but per my post, nothing doing here in the game area. i do go out looking, and hope to have some luck this winter, here's hoping.

Hi steveoman, thanks for that idea, but with my work, i would not be able to train a dog, i did try last year, but i work 24, 36 and 48 hour shifts, so it might be days when i get time off, not much of an excuse i know, but the dog suffered for it and i had to give her away, she was going mad in the run waiting for me to get off work and not training her daily she suffered, would not do that to any animal.

Anyway, thanks for those ideas.
Medicman.

Vegeta · 17-10-2008 11:12AM

My advice to you is this.

Unless a gun club own the shooting rights of a place then the farmer/landowner will more than likely own the rights.

Approach them and have a chat (Introduce yourself, tell him where you are from who your parents are, anything that ties you to the area, tell him the names of the other guys in the club, dress presentably and don't bring the guns or a dog), ask him does he need a hand keeping any pests away from his crop/livestock and that you'd only be too happy to help. Explain to him about your current situation that your club is small and not very helpful and you are mad keen. Drop the hint that the only reason you are in the club is to get the insurance as its handy for that.

Then after doing a few days "pest" control for him, ask him would he/she mind if you tried for a few pheasants/woodcock etc every now and then.

It is not easy but being shy will not get you anywhere. All they can say is no. If they say no, be very courteous, say no problem here's my number in case you ever have a problem and ask him does he know of anyone near by who could do with some help.

medicman · 17-10-2008 11:47AM

thanks vegeta, i have done that with a few farms around my area and some were more willing than others, lots of dairy farming here, they are worried about the cows, still am upbeat, will be contacting my club tonight and putting a bit more pressure on them for the map of our shooting rights.
thanks again, will be going out monday hail, rain or shine after working weekend.

keeping the faith.

medicman.

tiny-nioclas · 17-10-2008 01:47PM

Ive the same problem!ive been shooting three years now, nobody in the gun club here is interested in taking out a new member or would be hunters to show them the ropes, their very clique-ish(?).ive no shooting partner either,so i go on my own, gun club members only took me out around twice when i joined, and no matter how much i rang or text them after bulling to go out it was no use,(probably because id outshoot them) so i eventually got up and got my own ground to shoot on,for deer rabbits fox winged game the lot, and self taught myself most things, with the good use of some really helpfull people on forums and youtube of course :cool:. and im still trying to convince a load of my mates that hunting is great,but no interest there either!

Good luck Medicman!

stevoman · 17-10-2008 01:59PM

medicman wrote: »

Hi steveoman, thanks for that idea, but with my work, i would not be able to train a dog, i did try last year, but i work 24, 36 and 48 hour shifts, so it might be days when i get time off, not much of an excuse i know, but the dog suffered for it and i had to give her away, she was going mad in the run waiting for me to get off work and not training her daily she suffered, would not do that to any animal.

Anyway, thanks for those ideas.
Medicman.

Hi Medicman,
On other suggestion an im not being smart is you could buy a trained dog. trust me the money you will pay will give you back years of joy. thats all well and good of course unless the dog has absolutly no contact with anyon but yourself, but i dont know your whole situation. i was always old my my granfather who hunted all his life is that if you have a thousand in your pocket, spend 900 on the dog and 100 on the gun. once you have a dog it will open a whole world of hunting. i wouldnt expect you will ge much bird hunting without one.

boc121 · 17-10-2008 04:34PM

If you're a member of a gun club are you not intitled to shoot all their lands (which they usually have well marked in case anyone else might get a shot) or can you just shoot the lands you got permission for?

medicman · 17-10-2008 05:29PM

hi boc121, yep, i can shoot the club lands, however as per my previous post, i dont know what lands my club has, i'm hitting my head off a brick wall asking for an idea of where i can shoot from my club. they dont have much markers/signs out on the land.

medicman · 17-10-2008 05:31PM

hi steveoman, i was thinking about a trained dog, but heard they were very expensive, have a family so when i am at work wife and kids can look after same, have dogs and cats here, but no hunting dog.
thanks for the post.

medicman

medicman · 17-10-2008 05:39PM

hi tiny, thanks for the post, yep, very clique-ish in my club, the club sec calls once a year for money, i ask him for advice on where to shoot and questions are brushed off, ah well, keep on going out and hope for the best.

regards.
medicman

macadam · 17-10-2008 06:23PM

Hi medicman,

Was in the same situ myself a few years back so i changed clubs , and bought myself 13month old springer spaniel which was retreiving land and water on the whistle great nose , and as tough as anything in the rough, split ears , nose tongue the lot €200 at the end of the season.

The club i joined give all new members maps of the parish and outlined all areas you could not shoot , because afew farmers keep the rights for there own shooting over christmas.

last year i bought a new gun and shot only 2 weekends, but still went out with the dog to let her work she put up 98 cocks in 8 days, to watch these dogs work is pure pleasure .

Check out the buy and sell or local trader mags , when the season ends

Dont give up thrash on through the bushes.

Auldloon · 17-10-2008 07:48PM

Hi Medicman
Just to say i couldnt agree more with what others have said that your wasting your time without a dog.
Local pub will prob be your best bet to meet local shooting lads. Its a shame noone is helping you out but i would bet of those ten members theres at least one guy who would. You just havent met him yet. Good luck.

medicman · 18-10-2008 10:33AM

Thanks for all the replys, i will be looking out for a trained dog at the end of this season, if anyone out there knows one for sale, please pm me and i will contact you.

thanks again, keep the faith.

medicman.

macadam · 18-10-2008 05:27PM

Hi Medic man ,

Make sure you check any dog you are viewing for gun shyness, get the seller to take him out to a field and work him to all his abilities, and let a few shots of. If he shows any nervous streek walk away. As long as he is hunting and coming back and you are able to shoot over him , you can train him up yourself.

Was out this evening for about 1 hour looking for magpies , my bitch put up 5 cocks and 1 hen in the same field.

medicman · 19-10-2008 07:24PM

thanks macadam, will keep that in mind,

regards.

medicman

deeksofdoom · 19-10-2008 08:08PM

medicman wrote: »

Hi there, I know this is going to be looked upon as a stupid question, but please hear me out.

I have my shotgun over 4 years and my rifle 2, I am a member of my local gun club, it's small, approx 10 members, in the mallow area (no names please), in this time, I have never gone game shooting with any of the club members due to my work, shift's, nights, weekends etc, I usually go out on my own during the weekdays, but dont know any shooting hotspots, There are very few rabbits where I am and no ducks and fewer phesants, I contacted my club sec asking about same but never received a reply, I am aware that to shoot in an area you must be a member of that club, but does anyone know where it is possable to shoot anywhere that there is some game available to shoot with that club's permission, I know it can be a contentious issue, "who are you, private lands etc", but I am seriously thinking of leaving the gun club and handing back my firearms as I rarely use them now. I do pidgon shooting during August and have fun (i do have fun, sorry) i cut the breast meat off and usually have a small camping grill and have a cookout there and then, but again, noone around to have a good shoot day with (none of my friends hunt). Anyway, thanks for leaving me rant on a bit. Sorry the post is a bit longwinded.

Medicman.

This is an all to common problem in a lot of clubs when your new to shooting, that unless you are born into a shooting family you are not going to be taken out.

There are a couple of reasons for this
1. Nobody wants to give away their hotspots and
2. Nobody wants to go out with a novice and get shot.

How you get around this is by getting more active within the club, releasing pheasants etc... you might after a while get invited out.

Sure enough a good dog is a great benefit, but you need to get one for Nov 1st not at the end of the season. And then buying someone elses reject that didn't perform, possibly gunshy and probably abused.
You might aswell bite the bullet and get yourself a pup now start training it and it might be ready for next season.

There's a driven pheasant shoot near Mallow as well why not call down there and offer your services and go beating, you'll learn a lot from that aswell.

Everyone has to start somewhere, get out there and get involved.

Hope this makes sense.

medicman · 19-10-2008 11:01PM

hi deekso, thanks for the reply, where in mallow is this drive?, have u names and numbers by any chance?

as for getting involved in my club, believe me, i've tried, phone call after phone call, i have even asked about club meetings as i would attend but was told they dont hold any? i swear i'm getting paranoid over the whole buisness. they might not like the "cut of my gib".

thanks

medicman, keeping the faith

deeksofdoom · 20-10-2008 09:47AM

Try this link http://www.longshot.ie/index.html

medicman · 21-10-2008 07:49AM

thanks for that link deekso, giving it a try.

regards.

medicman

BigAl>> · 22-10-2008 09:44AM

Hey medicman! Too bad your friends are not into hunting, It can be difficult when your constantly shooting alone....... for me a big part of hunting is the crack you have with others while out. If your looking forsomeone to to go out with now and again? I have a friend who shoots in the Cork area and dont think he would mind you tagging along(as long as your not insane) Let me know wht you think and I will have a word with my mate.

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Duck, Phesant or Rabbit Hunting.

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