DRIVE OUT - Ireland: 4 days starting from 1350

L ’ Ireland is the point of passage quasi-obliged of any hunter sphere-trotter: every year, the hunters in love with L ’ Green Ile have appointment with the Witches and the Young ladies with the long nozzle. As of mid-November, woodcocks and snipes invade bush and bogs, these famous cakes of peat where some absorbed boots testify to some frank parts of fun. That is often finished with the pub, this time buried by one of these robust ghillies, the pints of beer evaporated at the rate/rhythm of the heavy showers. C ’ is also the surprise of the migration with its moments D ’ euphoria and its disillusions: C ’ is L ’ Ireland, C ’ is surprising, unforeseeable but one always returns there because C ’ is not far and C ’ is not very expensive.

Modes of hunting, game and seasons

Hunting for the billebaude, in front of oneself with a guide (ghilly) and its springers or labradors for 2 or 3 hunters is very pleasant. The cuissardes reassure but boots and waterlegs are generally enough. Beginning of hunting towards 9 - 10:00, Irish with L ’ hour morning N ’ is not true Irish! Drive out until 16:00 with picnic on the ground or with the pub in the event of bad climatic conditions.
October favorable for the snipe subject to bogs is well softened. The moon of November and the cold chills of Russia North or of Lapland start some good abutments D ’ birds. The freezing of at the beginning of January makes flee the snipes of the boggy moors but support the presence of woodcocks. The zones of leafy trees are more accessible. C ’ is as at that time as the ghilly S ’ will insert in the blackness of the sapinettes to dislodge most rebellious.

Game

Woodcocks, snipes, ducks and on certain zones: hares, pheasants, rabbits.
L ’ export of game requires a veterinary certificate. Transport must be assured out of vacuum plastic.

Season

From the 15/11 to the 31/01. To avoid Christmas and New year.

Zones of hunting

In the center with told of Roscommon, or in full Northern Ireland with Baronscourt a destination validated for several years, they have been two zones privileged for your greater pleasure but also for the largest experts.

County of Roscommon

Ariés territories of 20.000 ha (wood, meadows, peat bogs, ponds, rivers) allowing to drive out woodcocks, snipes, fish tail burners (ducks and teals), but also sometimes some hares, pheasants and foxes. The dogs are especially springers and retrievers with some pointers. Program better quality-price ratio with great successes during the last seasons. Territory advised for a first voyage. Kennels D ’ about thirty dogs. Guides of great value.

Special Wood pigeon

The most favourable areas for L ’ mounting of the wood pigeons are in the center and the south-east of the country in particular in the county of Tipperary. The concentrations D ’ birds, sometimes impressive, depend on L ’ abundance of food (cereals, pea, colza …). Drive out in general rather random because related on the weather and the whims of these migrating.

Season

Any L ’ year. Better period from July at September and February/March.

Northern Ireland

The most connected hunters know L ’ Northern Ireland but take care well not to shout high and strong this qu ’ they saw there: a pressure of quasi non-existent hunting and yet the woodcocks must pass well by north before D ’ to go to the south. The deaf snipes are always also large robbers of cartridges, the so mischievous woodcocks. Solid masses of dark coniferous tree, hedges impenetrable, bushes D ’ gorses, thickets of leafy trees border pastures and bogs, as in the south. Dig peat to lose there its boots, pub to lose its heart there, C ’ is as in North as that occurs. Then why not to test, in more the formalities are simpler. Seasons 2002 and 2003 were excellent.

Modes of hunting, game and season

Hunting is practised in front of oneself. You start by driving out the peat bogs to return then on the wooded sides. Alders, willows, birches and coniferous trees pushed possibly in an anarchistic way and offer to the woodcocks handing-over of the first quality. The cuissardes are preferable for the initial hunters. On the other hand, the tested hunters can be satisfied with well adjusted boots and waterlegs.
The blows of freezing can be a little more frequent than in Roscommon at the beginning of January.

Zone of hunting

The territories gather more than 12.000 ha in the area of Baronscourt, Enniskillen and in limit of Donnegal. Most important is to have the most accessible territories. It is the force of Bryan, our guide.