The Way I See It' By John Toal

The new generation is settling in at home Hello again to readers of Irish Country Sports and Country Life magazine.

As Summer gave way to Autumn and Autumn slipped chilly into Winter, our sadness at the loss of light turned to joy with the opening of the game seasons. The anticipation of game shooting and wildfowling always fires the blood of us hunting folk. September saw good mature mallard and surprisingly some very early widgeon. I had observed an excellent breeding year for mallard. They have not disappointed, as I made my rounds counting wild fowl large numbers of Brent geese, shelducks (those handsome devils) and some pintail presented.

To my joy our resident teal numbers seem to have increased and I have happened upon them on my travels in places where I have not seen them for many years now. This year, whilst feeding our penned poults I have seen and heard adult pheasants about the preserves. Other club members have posted videos of hens with good broods during the summer. These truly wild stocks provide superb walked up hunting and are the mainstay of our sport in my part of the world.

The scare brought about by the bird flu outbreaks in France this year gave concern for the prospects of the pheasant shooting this season. Supplementing stocks and sourcing birds became a problem. Our usual suppliers were unable to guarantee delivery in a reasonable timeframe for our release programme.

Heads were put together. Our new club chairman having exhausted most other options suggested to the team that we must embark on our own breeding operation. He asked yours truly (club treasurer) what was in the bank and reserves, and having been reassured that we had the wherewithal, he launched a major pen building effort and the acquisition of incubators, brooders, heaters and all the paraphernalia required to rear a potential five hundred pheasants.

As they say ‘Cometh the hour cometh the man’ or, in our case, cometh the men.

Nobody should under estimate the sheer amount of work needed nor the level of commitment required to bring this project to fruition. I was taken aback by the response from club members.

The pen takes shape as the netting is added Everyone doing their bit as the pen nears completion

Without singling any one out in particular, the chairman and secretary hardly missed a work party and the vermin officer was ever present. The club carpenters excelled in shelter building, door hanging and shed erection. Bridges were built, three new pens constructed and the existing pens refurbished. The new club members rose to the challenge and made us old guys content in the knowledge that we were handing over to a new and committed generation.

One day I saw three generations working on pen building, grandad, father and son, not forgetting all the extended family that contribute to the club. Grandad/father, son, daughter, daughters partner, his dad, the glue that holds us together and assures the continuing success of our sport.

Special mention goes to the lads

breeding and rearing the chicks and to their long suffering wives and partners who put in the long hours with the attendant disruption to their homelife and social life. I have refrained from mentioning names as they are all too modest to seek recognition but together they show all that is good about the Game/Gun Club movement.

There are in excess of nine hundred NARGC clubs in Ireland alone, with many clubs and syndicates affiliated to other sporting bodies. Ferreters, terrier handlers, dog trialers , hunts, foot hound followers, hawkers, fishing clubs, and a myriad of allied activity make a strong case for an Island wide coalition to represent our interests.

Too often the noisy voiced, but numerically small, anti-hunting groups have held the ear of governments and government civil servants. This has resulted in unnecessary restrictions on us. Dodgy science, questionable statistics , a clear agenda on the part of authority to have an unarmed public ( and I will say no more on that) has gone on to give us the most stringent firearms legislation in Europe. The latest review of firearms legislation here in the ROI is a case in point and I will bet the outcome does not recommend any easing of the law - any takers?

Having mentioned the country sports organisations , it was great to see so many represented at this summer’s Irish Game Fair at Shanes Castle. I had a thoroughly good day in the company of my buddy Michael Finnegan. Michael is something of an epicure and as such enjoys the food halls and purchasing cheeses, and meats seems the highlight of his day. This year I happened on Armagh Apple Rum. Having in my youth sailed with the captain and those of you that were also aboard will understand my fascination I bought a bottle. Michael assured me that it was delicious. No longer supping the Devil’s buttermilk myself, I have dispensed small shots to various friends who agree with Michael’s assessment of this spirit.

All of this brings me back to my first visit to Shanes Castle many years ago. The club chairman proposed a coach trip to the game fair. Who could pass up such an opportunity? Well this was long before the historic agreement and it was with some trepidation that some of out motly crew boarded the mini bus on our adventure northwards. We had doggy men wanting to see the retrievers, we had hot shots wanting to check out the clay shooting but mostly we had men looking for a good day out.

The first experience of Shanes Castle’s Irish Game Fair was breath taking. The layout, the stalls, the gun displays with Berettas and Brownings to drool over. Fully stocked deer rifles, first generation night vision equipment, hunting knives and clothing: all you could wish for. Demonstrations of bullet reloading (something denied to us in the south) all lent themselves to a fabulous day out. The sun shone. I still remember my first sight of Lough Neagh from the old castle battlements; the sights the sounds, but most of all the warm reception we got from all there. Pat and I were wearing our NARGC badges and to say we were well received would be a complete understatement!

I have attended many Fairs since, smaller ones like Scarva and one on the Ard’s Peninsula, down south there was Birr Castle and Galway Race Course, plus a club trip to Punchestown. All good but the memory of that first trip to Shanes and the characters on board (some now deceased and gone to the happy hunting grounds) will live with me forever. What Albert and his crew have achieved can not be measured but we country sports people will be forever grateful.

As I close for now, let me wish you all a good hunting season and a joyous and peaceful Christmas.

Be ever vigilant regards bird flu, carry and use disinfectant spray on boots and clothes as you move from place to place. We all learned about biosecurity during the pandemic, let’s put into practice those actions that keep us and livestock safe.