Irish Extra May 2022
In contrast to my usual work, I have been doing something a little different the past few weeks and will remain doing so for the next few months. As part of a conservation project, I have been assisting in vermin control on a considerable stretch of ground and have been thoroughly enjoying it. As well as fox control I have been running quite a few Larsen traps and catching Magpies and Hooded crows, the latter is never a species I have had much dealing with. I keep a Larsen trap or two around the house annually and always catch a considerable number of Magpies during the trapping season, however up until now the Hooded crow has never been part of what I do. I have never actually saw a carrion crow in the flesh as we don’t have them here, only the Hooded species. They are a tough bird, not only are they quite large and strong but they have on several occasions gave me a good nip when I handled any and when they bite down good and hard, they are not easy to remove – Last week one caught my thumb as I was removing it and in the process of unlatching it, I bled considerably and had to get a plaster from the landowner! An obviously highly intelligent species, there seems to be no end to them and as many as I catch will return a day or two later – The vast swaths of Sikta spruce locally are a strong hold for them and with nothing really to bother them, they have become prolific and a real pest for ground nesting birds, with their beady eyes always on the look out for an easy meal. Next week will see the beginning of the ladder trap, so hopefully that will increase numbers furthermore. In the course of this trapping, I do catch the occasional Jackdaw which gets released, a bird I quite like – Quite strangely I had one that over the course of several months during the summer a few years ago that would arrive in my garage if the door was open, perch up nicely and take any food I offered it, he returned quite often but when the winter arrived, I never saw him again.
I have been getting to grips with the latest night vision and thermal imaging as part of the fox control, something which has got me way out of my depth – I am more of a teckel and shot gun man! Night vision or thermal imaging is not something that interest me before as I simply had no requirement for it, but it is easy to see the benefits on a project such as this – It makes fox control a lot more productive easier, however I did struggle with all the switches and fiddly bits for a few nights, I have always just flicked on the lamp and slipped the dog!
Voting Time!
Voting time will arrive in Northern Ireland on 5th May, now is the time to make Country Sports heard. I won’t need to remind readers of the attack on country sports last year 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 in the next mandate “If he is re-elected”. 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 a large voice, lets use it. Do not be afraid to contact your local MLA’s and ask them their position on country sports and hunting. 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.
Angling Ireland
It seems recently, angling of all types has been doing well, my fathers “spiritual river” as he calls it and one he spends many many hours on the famous “Moy” a haunt of the late Jack Charlton and many other well know anglers produced 25 recorded salmon over a week in late April. Although rainfall was heavy, the river was in good condition and the catches were recorded between Ballina, Foxford and Easy Mayo anglers, with a fine 9lb salmon for Noel Maloney in Ballina on the worm.
Grey Partridge Project
The NARGC Grey partridge project is something I watch closely annually. Many NARGC clubs and regional game councils run Grey Partridge Projects and recent reports from many have been that the hens are laying and it is again looking good for 2022. I can only admire this uphill struggle in an effort to reintroduce a magnificent bird species back into the Irish countryside. This work carried out entirely by conservation minded volunteers is commendable and I wish them continued success. Photo by Derek Obrien from Dublin RGC.
Country Sports Community Rallies for Ukraine
The 16th April saw a gathering in Bawnboy, Ireland of well-wishers from the wider Country Sports community to support Kevin Ball and Joe McGovern on their trip to delivery aid to the Ukraine, with the load and trip being sponsored by the Country Sports community – Well done all.
Licensing Improvements
Northern Ireland’s largest shooting and countryside organisations have joined forces to help improve all aspects of firearms licensing, in a move that will benefit the entire shooting community.
Working together as an umbrella organisation, the Northern Ireland Firearms Representative Group (NIFRG) will campaign for a more efficient, value for money firearms licencing service. The group will also focus on greater transparency and better engagement with firearms users and their representatives. The NIFRG will challenge any aspect of the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s (PSNI) firearms licencing policy or practices which are unfair or unreasonable.
The NIFRG aims to provide a mechanism through which the PSNI and the Department of Justice (DoJ) can effectively consult and engage with the main representative organisations and wider firearms community.
NIFRG membership includes the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), Country Sports Ireland (CSI), Countryside Alliance Ireland (CAI), the Northern Ireland Firearms Dealers’ Association (NIFDA), the Northern Ireland Practical Shooting Confederation (NIPSC), the Scottish Association for Country Sports (SACS) and the Ulster Clay Pigeon Shooting Association (UCPSA).
Rotating amongst members the group is currently chaired by the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) with the Scottish Association for Country Sports (SACS) providing the secretariat.
A spokesperson for the NIFRG said: “Our membership is incredibly diverse, focusing on a variety of shooting disciplines and Northern Ireland’s firearms dealer network, but we are all connected through the requirements for an efficient firearms licensing process. A unified voice and coordinated effort on issues that directly impact our members will be hugely beneficial for the entire shooting community.
“Last year the PSNI admitted that delays in the processing of applications were probably the worst they have ever been. Our collective aim is to work positively and constructively with PSNI and the DoJ, to vastly improve the efficiency of the licensing system and to ensure that it provides a value for money service, that continues to ensure the highest level of public safety.”
The NIFRG has already been successful in having the controversial PSNI policy to add firearms magazines to all certificates shelved. The group has also been engaging with PSNI in relation to improving processing timescales for firearms applications and for the introduction of a formal complaint’s procedure.
Until Next time….Vote accordingly!