Irish Extra – May 2023
This month will see the voting time will arrive in Northern Ireland on 18th May, now is the time to make Country Sports heard. I won’t need to remind readers of the attack on country sports by the Alliance Parties John Blair with his attempt to introduce a private members bill to ban virtually anything to do with dogs and his recent reminder that he plans to reintroduce the bill at the first opportunity”. Mr Blair holds focus on his anti-rural bill at a time when there is a cost-of-living crisis, record healthcare waiting lists and public services are in disarray, I often thought perhaps a position within an anti-organisation may be more suitable for him as I assumed he was to be spending his time in his public funded position working for the people not against a minority of them. Now is the time to ensure that John Blair and any other party who are against the rural way of life are not elected and have the seat removed from under them – We have the voice, let’s use it. Do not be afraid to contact your local MLA’s and ask them their position on country sports and hunting and keep it on record. Should you wish to get a list of who voted for and against John Blairs (a bill that he himself doesn’t understand) last year, this can be found on the Countryside Alliance Ireland website.
The comradery of Field Sports
Back in the Autumn of 2019, I was attending a driven hunt in Flonheim, Germany. As the hunt ceremony drew to a close at the end of the day, the Deer, Boar, foxes and other various animals were laid out on branches and the horns had been blow we received a few words from the hunt master. He addressed us as “Jagd Kamerad” which translates as “Hunting Comrades”, I thought it was particularly nice. He then spoke for the next few minutes on many aspects of hunting we don’t consider and in particular the Comradery of field sports and hunting. For most people country sports is a way of life and not something you pick up and set down when it suits, people build their lives, careers and communities around it and that comradery that we all have and rarely recognise or appreciate is a very special aspect of this way of life. When I have visited Germany or anywhere else on a hunting trip or similar, I have always felt not only welcome but that I fitted right in, home from home so to speak where whatever group of like-minded enthusiasts I have joined it feels at times as if we already know each other and we are keen to learn and understand the ways of each other’s sports at home and it is safe to say I have made many life long friends that I would have only met through country sports.
Constant Threats
This year I have returned to the conservation project I worked on last year. It has been early mornings and late nights of Larsen trapping, fox shooting and everything else which been non-stop. This year the numbers of Hooded or Grey crows appears to have increased and over one week I accounted for 32 over only a handful of traps in one small area. Fox numbers when comparing records on a week for week basis appear to have remained more or less the same, but that may change as time goes on and cubs begin to appear. Ground nesting birds have it hard, and are always under constant threat. If it’s not a Wiley fox ready to snaffle a nest of eggs or chicks or a badger attempting to dig his way into a Larsen trap, we can be sure there will be the beady eye of a crow, magpie or something else watching from the sky. There is of course limitations to what one can do and there are only a small number of predators that can be controlled with others remaining under protection but causing an equal risk to ground nesting birds. It is a deep discussion and one for a few more pages than I have here but I do feel the entire area of conservation and predator risk management needs overhauled, because currently it is an uphill struggle for all those involved.
Photo – Owen Murphy
Man of the Month!
This month I wanted to wanted to write a few words and give some appreciation to someone who has always worked tirelessly for Country Sports. I saw the hard work, determination and passion this gentleman has for not only field sports but for the promotion and protection of all aspects of it. I have known him for a good few years and have had the pleasure of his company of many occasions from Game fairs to live streamed discussions during the pandemic to the many meetings and zoom talks he discusses. Last year he received an award in appreciation of his word from the Irish Game Fair and there was nobody more fitting for such an award. A family man, a genuine hard worker and something with passion which is something I like to see in anyone, Gary McCartney from the Countryside Alliance has and will continue to work hard for Country Sports and I have often said that I am very glad he is on side! Many thanks to Gary from the entire field sports community of North and South Ireland and I know I am not alone when I say you are an asset to the CAI and us.
Summertime Blues
Ferreting at this time of the year is never ideal and I usually avoid it like the plague if possible but this particular area had to be done and we have only this window to do it annually so I had little choice. I have read and heard many times of Hob ferrets not being particularly keen on working at this time of year due to being on season and having only one thing on their mind, however I found the two Hobs I had with me today clearing small warrens very keen and effective. If I am honest, I never noticed my Hobs lacking in spring or otherwise and as yet have never felt the need to work castrated Hobs, but each to their own I suppose. This year I have decided to mate a couple of my jills and hopefully produce some kits for my own use. This was something I avoided doing for some years for various reasons. However, over the last few years it has become very obvious that not only are ferrets harder to obtain, but good quality working ones are even harder to obtain. The ferret quality definitely has slid in recent years and it is now just necessary to breed from one’s own stock and hopefully produce good workers. “Put the best to the best and hope for the best” was a great phrase I read somewhere on breeding animals.
Until Next time….Vote Accordingly!