We are very limited here particularly with shotguns as pump action shotguns are banned as well. Plenty of foxes escape today that would be shot if we had the better guns we used to.
We can't have a firearm down here for self defence. Its not even alowed for abalone divers in great white waters. We can get a power head, but only for "taking fish" not protection, yet our fisheries laws say its illegal to take fish with one, but protection is fine, so long as you don't take fish with it. When I'm working some species in yards there's times I would like a sidearm ,but I keep a double in ought six handy instead, which I'm still allowed to have for "animal welfare", just not my own. We had a visitor from Nth Carolina about two years ago. It was a long weekend & my parents were up along with these visitors & several others. Late in the afternoon I heard two gunshots & knew they were well inside my land. Anyway I jump in the truck & my old man too. Our visitor asks quite seriously " are you going too shoot them?" I reply "No?" she then says in a very honest way "we would back home!" . I have no doubt that would be the case from what I've heard. But we do things different, maybe not better, but different. lol Yes I caught them. They'd killed a good chital stag & another from another species. Turns out they were guests of one of my neighbours. I've another story about how our gubberment tried to stop us keeping bison two years ago too, but I'll save that for another day. Cheers Khakibob
Thats because the government says Bison are invasive and will escape and form wild populations impossible to eradicate. Thats not off topic.
The only real invasive species in my area are wild pigs. Honestly, they don't bother me. I say if you don't want them on your land, put up some good fencing!
In Northern Ireland we have quite a few - off the top of my head the most notable would be the ferrets on Rathlin island that are affecting bird populations (it is an important breeding site), muntjac (of which my MSc lecturer was fond of hunting and culling), grey squirrel and zebra mussel. Invasive species control was a module in my postgrad but honestly, not much was past the aforementioned lecturer and his zeal for hunting. I attended an outside lecture with him once and discovered his full hunting gear in the boot of his jeep - his words "well you never know when I might just drive past one of those damn muntjac so should always be prepared".
While I know the negative effects of ferrets, grey squirrels and zebra mussels on their new environment, I know nothing about the impacts of muntjacs. Could you explain what effects they have in Northern Ireland?
From what I remember from lectures, they are being more of a nuisance than anything - clearing shrub, hedges so in essence taking food and habitat from native animals. During the lecture I couldn't see the argument for culling them as a valid one (and argued it with a lecture hall full of enthusiasts) - but that was my opinion from the information received and if anyone can shed light on that I'd appreciate it.
muntjac don't seem to be as big a problem as some other species (I've just been doing some googling on the UK situation) but the problem with them is that they don't really have any predators in the UK and they breed quite rapidly so the numbers are growing pretty fast. They apparently are starting to do quite a bit of damage in the forests due to their numbers (through preventing growth or regrowth of the native plants by eating the shoots), which obviously affects the native wildlife adversely. They are also common in settled areas (entering gardens etc) and are at risk of being hit by cars (potential damage to both deer and driver). I imagine due to their small size they can live in areas that larger deer can't and so could cause problems (to forestry, gardens, etc) which otherwise wouldn't occur there. I think some lynx should sort out the problem
I'm joking, but imagine how a few pairs of Coyotes would adapt to the U.K.! A more urban/disturbed environment adapted stand-in for Britain's extinct Wolves. Forget Brown Hares and Rabbits, Deer Species like Roe, Fallow, and Munjact would be just the right size to support a very healthy population of Song Dogs. Close enough to Wolves to be a valid replacement, if you consider that some accounts I've read say Britain's original Lynx died out thousands of years ago....though I think they were probably around at least till Roman times. Of course Wolves and Coyotes have several hundred thousand years divergence vis a vis British and Mainland Lynx populations.
Haha I'm all for some more biodiversity in N.Ireland but I reckon they might draw the line at some carnivores =] A few eagle owls escaped and are living in Antrim a few years back and there was uproar about that alone!
No jokes about this big problem. If I remember well the man who released rabbits in Australia were condecorated Maybe who released foxes...too?
Feral cats are a pest in my area, while others such as feral hogs, European starlings, and house sparrows are more serious problems in the Southeast and the US as a whole.
spotted latternfly zebra mussel multiple fish brown rat black rat rock dove european starling european rabbit(though they have become rarer and rarer)
I will list the ones I’ve seen Rose ringed parakeet Rock Dove Brown Rat Feral Cat Masked Palm Civet Mute Swan Red Eared Slider These are ones I haven’t seen Barking Deer Chinese Bamboo Partridge Alligator Gar Red bellied Piranhas Snapping Turtle
