Ballymac

I shoot this area, tell your mate to leave a few for the locals

Hi guys, any of you in the north of the north, monkeyboots, ollie etc have you seen any woodcock yet? A friend was told by a gamekeeper up that way that there were a few in around Ballycastle last weekend. I know they travel by the moon and by next full moon we should see a few more. I have got shooting permission on a large chunk of ground (not sole permission) that holds a lot of woodcock if the weather is right so looking forward to that.

I bought some a few weeks ago, 30g of no6 elay pigeon £54 for 250. Will certainly be choosing my shots more carefully from now on. I would hate to be into clays atthe mo. Prices of cartridges are going thru the roof and are about to get more expensive according to my local supplier. I bought cartridges last season at £34 for 250 of no6 eley pigeon.

And I thought people would talk about corncrakes and having heard or seen them, and maybe heard of other people in N.ireland or Ireland that have a regular visit from a corncrake, but Highlander and FM just want to talk about a different matter, ah well, I 'll come back in a few months time.

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I have not seen it yet hope to though as they reckon it will be away very soon looking for a mate.

Have n't been on for a while but thought this might be of interest to a few people here in norn iron. There is a corncrake in my locality we have had the relevant authorities out to manage the area. Part of the field has been cordoned of and the local farmers have been asked to keep distrubance to a minimum. Obviously these are a rare bird in these parts and was wondering if there are any other reports about. The bird is calling for a mate, would have thought it a bit late in year, but it is thought that there are none around. Hope there is a mate for this bird around locally. The last corncrake i heard was over 30 yrs ago. I have taken my kids to hear the bird as they may never get the chance again.

The only shooting in N.Ireland for a while will be on reared game, although woodcock and snipe are allowed I will not be shooting anything until 27th Dec when off for a walked up day on partridge and pheasant. I know some areas are and have been less frozen than some but it looks like here in N.Ireland we will have to restrain ourselves.

Hi guys this would need clarified this is taken from BASC website During a statutory suspension, it is illegal to shoot any ducks (including reared mallard), geese, waders (including woodcock and snipe), coots or moorhen. I know N.Ireland have different laws but I was sure that snipe and Woodcok are protected and no one should be shooting them once a statutory ban is in place. In my opinion they should not be shooting them when there is a voluntary suspension in place. In fact disturbance of birds should be kept to a minimum. If a woodcock is classed as a wader and waders are protected should they not be automatically be protected?

can they shoot hen pheasant if they have been pen reared? We have the same ban in N.Ireland

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Checked on BASC website the restriction is for Scotland and N.Ireland not England. So you can shoot away just hope shooters in N.Ireland are restricting themselves voluntarily. If we have these conditions for another few days then we will be facing a compulsory ban.

I thought there was a voluntary restriction on? I know the majority of people around this area are not shooting even the local clubs that are feeding the birds.

Thanks for that guys, TomV I hope you meant duck I think that I will go with a 3-4lb chicken and phesant and partridge as size will be more suitable. Will try to get a few photos up when I do it.

I am thinking of doing a 3 bird roast. At the moment I have pheasant and partridge and was thinking of boning out the birds and putting together but what other bird? I was thinking of a large chicken and serving at a family get together. Any advice on stuffings, seasonings or other combination of birds would be appreciated so that the meat is not to dry. I know there are various stores that now sell these but would like to have a DIY version. I have a mate who is going to show me how to bone the birds so that part is covered. I have a couple of partridge and a woodcock and some pigeon in the freezer

Hi Woodcock1 if you could provide some accommodation and meals you could charge a fortune of money for guns to come and shoot your permission, you might even get a grant from the tourist board Perhaps fisherman mike and perazzi82 would like to be your first customers. Keep enjoying your days at the woodcock. You appreciate working your dog through rough terrain to get a shot or two at an elusive bird (which is not that rare and whos numbers are not treatened by your shooting) so anyone having a go should have a go at the country estates that have woodcock only shooting and ban the french and italians from coming over. The fact that they pay large amounts of money to shoot, in relative terms, small bags (pheasant 300+ days Woodcock 40+ days) feeds the desire to fill this market. I am off tomorrow for an organised walked up day and hope to raise 30-40 woodcock but will be glad to bag 2-4 between 4 of us.

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thanks guys that's the type of thing was looking for. http://www.northumbriacollection.co.uk/acatalog/Game_Birds.html found this one, solves a few present problems

Has the video been removed ? just clicked on it to receive that message.

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WAS out last Thurs with shooting buddy and his son. We managed 4 rabbits, 2 hen pheasants, 2 squirrels and 2 pigeons, and we also managed 2 woodcock and flushed another 3 which we had no shot at. Woodcock were in good condition, although not plentiful yet.Picture shows some of the bag, 1 woodcock and squirrels missing. Got out on saturday morn for a few hours on a new permission but did not flush one bird, although had a few pigeons feeding on acorns. F3X3 where you out on a walked up day that you paid for, or was it just a few guys hunting an area? I am taking a walked up day next week in that area and am hoping that the woodcock will be in (full moon around the 21st)

was out for the first time this season with the dog for a few hours, 2 rabbits, 1 squirrel and 1 magpie but no woodcock. Hope to be out on Thurs for afew hours in a different area where htere should be woodcock, so will find out if there are any about in good numbers.

£100 not registered

I have 2 bitches ready to go from next week. These are liver and white both parents are worked for rough shooting. Good pedigree in both parents. Any reasonable offer will be accepted. Dogs are docked and wormed. They will be advertised in paper in the coming week so for anyone out there looking a good pup at sensible money now is your chance. Can post picture and give more info if you send pm

Sorry for any confusion, I know there are plenty of native deer in areas of Ireland north and south. I was interested in hearing if anyone had seen or heard about muntjac in particular. It seems as Teal has said these are transported by ferry and they are looking into restricting movement of these animals. I think they were introduced into England a couple of Hundred yrs ago to Woburn park/estate and thru escapees and deliberate releases have populated areas of England. I don't know that htey have destroyed natural habitiats in England (flora fauna that sort of thing) but this press release was hinting that this could happen. I would assume that there would be no real threat of the muntjac taking over areas were red and fallow deer are, or destroying native woodland habitiat (any more than other deer) Did read a report about one being knocked down in Co Down. Checked the article again it stated that at least seven stalkers have shot muntjac in Wicklow Waterford and Mayo last year and there have been many more eyewitness reports of sightings. The National Parks and Wildilfe Service has called for for the alien species to be wiped out, so there might be some shooting opportunities to be had.