Statement by Minister Noonan on Hunting Licences for Game and Open Seasons Order 2022

Statement by Minister Noonan on Hunting Licences for Game and Open Seasons Order 2022

The Open Season for wild bird hunting will open on 1 September 2022.

Considerable work has been undertaken by NPWS to set out a range of options available for future Open Seasons Order, and a wide ranging consultation with stakeholders and interest groups in relation to future orders will be undertaken over the coming months.  While there is no doubt that this will be a challenging process, I am keen to listen to the views of all of the interested parties.

I would also remind the public that only certain species may be hunted, and only at certain times, as set out below.  The hunting of deer species may only be done with a rifle and still requires a specific Deer Hunting Licence which may be applied for online at npws.ie

The species, and dates between which hunting may take place is in keeping with previous orders.  Based on the information available, the number of species under conservation threat, and our legal obligations under the Birds Directive, changes in the ambit of the 2023/2024 order are very likely. In effect, this will mean the likely removal of certain species from the order.  I do, however, intend consulting with the sector on these changes in advance of their application.

It is known that the conservation status of some of the species that may be hunted in Ireland is declining.  In order to continue to protect and preserve the conservation status of these species, and to support sustainable hunting practices, a new way forward is required.   This must be collaborative, and based on scientific evidence.

HUNTING SEASONS FOR WILD BIRDS & HARES

 

SPECIES

OPEN SEASON
Red Grouse 1 September to 30 September
Mallard, Teal, Gadwall, Wigeon, Pintail, Shoveler, Scaup, Tufted Duck, Pochard, Goldeneye, Golden Plover, Snipe, Jack Snipe. 1 September to 31 January
Red-Legged Partridge, Cock Pheasant, Woodcock, Woodpigeon 1 November to 31 January
Canada Geese 

Countrywide

The counties of Cavan (exclusive of the townlands of Eonish Island, Rinn, Deramfield) and Leitrim (exclusive of the River Shannon)

  

1 September to 15 October

16 October to 31 January
Greylag Geese 

Countrywide

Lady’s Island Lake, Co. Wexford and Gearagh East, Gearagh West in Co. Cork only

  

1 September to 15 October

16 October to 31 January
Ruddy Duck 1 September to 31 January
Hares (excluding the following townlands in Co. Wexford: North East Slob, North West Slob, Big Island, Beggerin Island and the Raven). 26 September to 28 February

HUNTING SEASONS FOR DEER SPECIES

SPECIES OPEN SEASON LOCATION
Red Male 1 September to 31 December Throughout the State Excluding Co. Kerry
Red Female & Antlerless Deer * 1 November to 28 February Throughout the State Excluding Co. Kerry
Sika Male 1 September to 31 December Throughout the State
Sika Female & Antlerless Deer * 1 November to 28 February Throughout the State
Fallow Male 1 September to 31 December Throughout the State
Fallow Female & Antlerless Deer * 1 November to 28 February Throughout the State
Muntjac Deer 1 September to 31 August Throughout the State

 

*Antlerless deer will be construed as including any male deer without antlers, of less than one year, i.e. a calf.

August 25, 2022

Applications for the 2022/2023 Deer Hunting Season now open and mandatory certification training for first time hunters launched

Applications for the 2022/2023 Deer Hunting Season now open and mandatory certification training for first time hunters launched

The National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS) of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has announced that application forms and guidance notes for the 2022/2023 deer hunting season are now available on the NPWS website at www.npws.ie.

This season will see the introduction of mandatory certification training for first time hunters. The Department through NPWS has been committed to the introduction of this certification training and Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan, T.D., said:

“I am delighted that we have now introduced mandatory certification training for first time hunters. This is a vital addition to the deer hunting licencing process and I know these training courses will be delivered to a high and professional standard. The addition of this certification will further enhance safety throughout the countryside and ensure first time hunters are provided with essential knowledge in deer stalking.”

Currently there are three courses approved by the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage through NPWS. The Deer Alliance Hunter Competence Assessment Programme (HCAP); Country Sports Ireland’s Deer Stalking Training Course and NARGC’s Deer Stalking Certificate and links to the relevant courses can be found on www.npws.ie or through the outlets’ own websites. Further courses may be approved by the Department as they become available.

The Department continues to modernise the deer hunting licencing process with the introduction of mandatory certification training and work is in train on the development of an eLicencing application system.

Despite the challenges of the past two years, the Department strived to ensure all applications were dealt with in a timely manner and last season, for the first time, over 6,000 licences were issued.

ENDS

Notes

Under the Wildlife Acts, annual licences are required to hunt deer during the Open Season, which is the period during which deer can be legally shot. The Open Season for deer operates generally from 1 September in a given year to 28 February the following year, depending on the species and gender of deer. Over 6,000 deer hunting licences were issued last season.

March 23, 2022

IFA Countryside Members Complete HCAP Workshop

IFA Countryside Members Complete HCAP Workshop

Twenty-five members of IFA Countryside were among the sixty-five candidates participating in the Deer Alliance HCAP Training Workshop and MCQ held in the Woodford Dolmen Hotel, Carlow on 12th March 2022.

Successful participants from this event will complete their HCAP qualification with their Range Test at the Midland Range on 2nd April 2022. The next event in the Deer Alliance HCAP 2022 Series will take place on 23rd April 2022. Seen here are IFA Countryside members Paddy Brennan, Niall Byrne, Steven Casciani, Noel Cronin, Sean Finn, John Foxton, Humphrey Foxton, David Hanlon, Stephen Hunter, Joseph Kelly,  Meehan, Ollie, Daniel, Moloney, Aaron Moore, Patrick, Moore, Greg Murphy, Christina O’Shea, Liam Power, Lee Redmond, Alin Oderel Rusu, Shane Sweeney and Brian Vaughan.

Bookings are now open for the next scheduled HCAP Training Workshop & MCQ, which will take place on Saturday 23rd April 2022 at the Woodford Dolmen Hotel, Kilkenny Road, Carlow, Co. Carlow, R93 N207 (10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.), followed by the Range Test at the Midland Range, Blue Ball, Tullamore, Co. Offaly (date to be fixed).

March 23, 2022

DEER HUNTING LICENCES UPDATE FOR 2021/2022 SEASON

DEER HUNTING LICENCES UPDATE FOR 2021/2022 SEASON

The NPWS have published details of the application process for the 2021/2022 season.

Full details can be found at https://www.npws.ie/licences/hunting/deer-hunting-licences-2021-2022

Points to Note:

  • Application forms and further info on the 2021/22 season will be posted on 15 March 2021.
  • Application packs are not being sent to hunters who held a licence for 2020/2021 at this stage, but this is subject to review.
  • Applicants are not required to submit a signed landowner permission at this time due to current travel restrictions, but must provide all landowner permission details on the app form.
  • Applicants can still provide Coillte permits with their application.
  • Please make an application asap once the forms are available on the 15th March.
  • If you are a New applicant, you must complete the application form and have permission from a landowner(s) to hunt deer on land of at least 100 acres (42 hectares).  However, if you are applying to hunt deer on your own lands, the 100 acre requirement does not apply.

March 5, 2021

Know your Seasons

Know your Seasons

Wild game birds may be hunted at certain times of the year. The full list of species types which may be hunted is provided in the Table below. There are certain areas throughout the country where the hunting of these game birds is not permitted. These exclusion zones or Wildfowl Sanctuaries as they are more commonly referred are at 68 different locations throughout the state. The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has recently removed the species Curlew from this list due to the current conservation concerns with that species. Further details are available in the Wildlife (Wild Birds) (open Seasons) Orders 1979 to 2012. (S.I 402 of 2012 – Birds  133KB).

WILD BIRDS OPEN SEASON PLACES IN THE STATE
(1) (2) (3)
Red Grouse The period beginning 1 September in each year and ending on 30 September in the same year. Throughout the State.
Mallard

Teal

Gadwall

Wigeon

Pintail

Shoveler

Scaup

Tufted Duck

Pochard

Goldeneye

Golden Plover

Snipe

Jack Snipe

 The period beginning 1 September in each year and ending on 31 January in the year immediately following that year. Throughout the State.
Red-legged Partridge The period beginning 1 November in each year and ending on 31 January in the year immediately following that year. Throughout the State.
Cock Pheasant Woodcock The period beginning 1 November in each year and ending on 31 January in the year immediately following that year. Throughout the State.
Woodpigeon The period beginning 1 November in each year and ending on 31 January immediately following that year. Throughout the State.
Canada Goose The period beginning 1 September in each year and ending on 15 October in the same year. Throughout the State.
Canada Goose The period beginning 16 October in each year and ending on 31 January in the year immediately following that year. The counties of Cavan (exclusive of the townlands of Eonish Island, Rinn, Deramfield) and Leitrim (exclusive of the River Shannon).
Greylag Goose The period beginning 1 September in each year and ending on 15 October in the same year. Throughout the State.
Greylag Goose The period beginning 16 October in each year and ending on 31 January in the year immediately following that year. Lady’s Island, in the county of Wexford Gearagh East & Gearagh West, in the county of Cork.
Ruddy Duck The period beginning 1 September in each year and ending on 31 January in the year immediately following that year.

 

 Throughout the State.

Certain wild mammals, including some deer species and hares, may be hunted at certain times of the year. The full list of species types which may be hunted, including locations, is provided in the Table below. There are certain areas throughout the country where the hunting of these species is not permitted. Only the manner of hunting described in the table below is allowed. Deer Hunters must be in possession of a valid Deer Hunting Licence. The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has recently removed female and antlerless red deer in County Kerry from the list of mammal species which may be hunted. Further details are available in the Wildlife (Wild Mammals) (Open Seasons) Orders 2005 to 2012. (S.I 398 of 2012 – Mammals  111KB).

Species of Wild Mammal Hunting Period Manner of Hunting Places in the State
Fallow Deer (Male) The period beginning 1 September in each year and ending on 31 December of that same year. Shooting with firearms. Throughout the State.
Fallow Deer (Female and Antlerless) The period beginning 1 November in each year and ending on the last day of February in the year immediately following that year. Shooting with firearms. Throughout the State.
Sika Deer (Male) The period beginning 1 September in each year and ending on 31 December of that same year. Shooting with firearms. Throughout the State.
Sika Deer (Female and Antlerless The period beginning 1 November in each year and ending on the last day of February in the year immediately following that year. Shooting with firearms. Throughout the State.
Red Deer (Male) The period beginning on the 1 September in each year and ending on 31 December of that same year. Shooting with firearms. Throughout the State exclusive of the county of Kerry.
Red Deer (Female and Antlerless) The period beginning 1 November in each year and ending on the last day of February in the year immediately following that year. Shooting with firearms. Throughout the State exclusive of the county of Kerry.
Muntjac Deer The period beginning on the 1st day of September in each year and ending on the 31st day of August in the year immediately following that year. Shooting with firearms. Throughout the State.
Hares The period beginning on the 26th day of September in each year and ending on the 28th day of February in the year immediately following that year. Shooting with firearms; coursing at regulated coursing matches; hunting with packs of beagles and harriers. Throughout the state exclusive of the townlands of North East Slob, North West Slob, Big Island, Beggerin Island and The Raven, in the county of Wexford.

Review of the Open Seasons Order for Deer

Mr. Jimmy Deenihan, T.D., Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has commenced a review of the Open Season Order for deer species.  As part of the review, a public consultation process is underway whereby interested parties are been asked for their views.

Below is a Consultation Document and associated scientific documents relating to the review.  Please note that some of these documents have been updated (November 2012) to reflect final versions.  The National Parks and Wildlife service invites submissions from interested members of the public and organisations.  Submissions should be sent by email to [email protected] or by post to

Species Protection Unit
National Parks and Wildlife Service
90 North King Street
Dublin 7
D07 N7CV

The deadline for submissions has been extended to Friday 14 December 2012

Review of the Open Seasons Order for Deer – Consultation Document – Revised November 2012

Mammal Review – Distribution and Range expansion of Deer in Ireland‌ – Final published version

Quaternary Science Review – Final published version

Health & Welfare: Culling 

 

CLICK HERE FOR FULL DETAILS

September 10, 2019