Conservation

Pheasant release 2012

On Sunday the 05/03/2012 Golden Kilfeacle Gun Club received 180 pheasants, there were 130 hen and 50 cock pheasants in total. A lot of the birds were placed into holding pens to settle down and take in there new surroundings where they will be let out in about two  week or more. Also some birds will be held for our own breading program to help with future stocks of pheasants in the local area, and the rest were released straight into designated areas. We would like to take this time to thank all the club members, Landowners and supporters that have helped the club over the years and we are looking forward to your continued support in the future as well,

Regards

B Boles

Chairman

  

Pheasant release 2011


The club released 190 adult pheasants on Sunday 6^th March. A large number of our members turned out, despite having had a late night after the previous days Clay pigeon shoot. Owen Jackman coordinated the release of birds and each member was given a list detailing where to release and how many were to be released in each spot. Thanks to Owen for all his hard work.  A certain amount of the birds were released into holding pens for a few days where they will be looked after by club members. The birds are in peak condition, healthy and active. Our thanks to our supplier John Clarke for the good service, anyone interested in contacting him can get him at 00441985 840034 or write to him at M.G. Sport, 138 east Hill Farm Cottage, Heytesbury, Nr. Warminster, Wiltshire, BA12 OHJ.

Once again our thanks goes out to the local community for its support in our annual club draw that helps in getting new Pheasants and also maintaining our old stocks and pens.

B Boles
Chairman

Letter of concern

This is a letter sent from Owen Jackman, to the minister of the Environment on the extension to the pheasant season for the month of February 2011

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to you as a avid shooting man , gun club member and a conservation officer with a regional game council ( S.T.R.G.C.) to express my disbelief at the proposed extension to the pheasant shooting season. Having over 30 years experience in rearing pheasants in the wild i would regard this proposal as a huge step backwards in how we look after our wildlife. The winter that is passing is one of , if not the harshest winters we have experienced and not just pheasants but wildlife in general have suffered greatly. Instead of extending this season the N. P. W. S. should be encouraging all gun clubs, game councils etc. to put out extra feed for pheasants, and earlier i.e. February , to help them regain any condition they may have lost, before the breeding season starts in earnest. What must also be taken into consideration is the extra stress that these birds will now be put under right up to and including the start of the breeding season and it is a known fact that pheasants do not breed well when stressed. Also consider, if this extension is granted there will be so many extra guns now in the countryside for the extra month that the duck population will also be disturbed, thus hindering their chances of building enough energy reserves to take them back to their breeding grounds in their own countries.

I would ask all concerned to have a serious rethink and all hunting men not to hunt but to get on with our usual spring work i. e. preparing for the breeding season.

Yours in field sport

Owen Jackman
Ass.secretary
Golden kilfeacle gun club

Vermin & Conservation officer
South Tipperary regional game council

New stock

Thanks to great support for our club draw, we are able to bring into the club this year a great total of 190 Pheasants 70 hens and 120 cocks. This is a great boost to our commitment to rebuilding all Pheasants stocks in the surrounding areas. We will continue to preserve and maintain the great work that has been done by our members through the years and are fully committed to our conservation effort for the future growth of wildlife in our club.

Conservation

 As a gun club we are also highly driven to the conservation of the wildlife in our club. We are importing Pheasants on an annual basics, some birds are released in selected areas and a small number are held in breeding pens to cater for the future. We have our own preserved areas that are controlled and maintained to help control it on a continuous and on going conservation effort. In the club we also have a Duck sanctuary  that has proven really successful in raising and maintaining the number of Mallard in our area.Thanks to the hard efforts of the club members we will continue to maintain and conserve our wildlife.