“Hunters are conservationists” or “hunting is conservation” are phrases that we hear so often that they might sound clichéd. I have discussed whether such generalisations are true or not countless times on my podcast. Regardless of your opinion, it is undeniable that hunters and hunting organisations across the world can and do contribute to great … Continue reading Hunters for Conservation, Goals and Ambitions
Mark Avery, a prolific author, senior UK conservationist, and independent campaigner, is well-known for writing book reviews on his blog. Those, like me, who read his reviews in search of their next book might be saddened by the fact that it would be awkward for Mark to write a review of his own work. So, … Continue reading Mark Avery’s Reflections – A Book Review
Lately, a few listeners sent me links to blogs and videos suggesting that polar bears are thriving, which, some argue, is concealed by environmental groups to avoid undermining public action on climate change. This is something I've heard before, so I decided to do some digging. Disclaimer: I'm not a polar bear biologist, so I'm … Continue reading Are Polar Bears Going Extinct or Are Their Populations Doing Better Than Ever?
Nutrition and meat consumption are probably two of the most controversial subjects on the entire Internet. I’m really not sure how we arrived at this point, but here we are. So, before I share some of my thoughts about these subjects a few disclaimers are due. First, I don’t pretend to have a societal solution … Continue reading Animal Welfare and the Environment: Is Meat Consumption Still Possible?
Recently, several people suggested that in the past decades, it was a rare occurrence for anglers to catch a ray off the beach. The implication was that there was an increased abundance of rays nowadays which I found confusing, knowing the deteriorating state of biodiversity in our seas. So I contacted Declan Quigley, an independent … Continue reading Shore Angling for Rays Decades Ago and Now
This is something I would like to share with you after recently attending the SeaMonitor-STRAITS conference. I’m predicting that in the coming months, or years perhaps, we'll see a sanctioned seal cull in Ireland. Mark my words! The listeners who have been with me for some time might remember that a few years ago I … Continue reading Seal Cull in Ireland
Regular listeners might remember that two years ago I published a series of episodes about the SeaMonitor project and related research. So it was my great pleasure to accept an invitation to the two-day long SeaMonitor-STRAITS Conference, which marked the close of the SeaMonitor project and the launch of the STRAITS project. The speaker list … Continue reading SeaMonitor-STRAITS Conference
When I received the invitation to attend the National Association of Regional Game Councils (NARGC) seminar on the Open Seasons Order and Sustainable Hunting, I accepted without hesitation. The seminar featured an outstanding lineup of guests and speakers from Ireland and mainland Europe. The timing of the seminar was not coincidental. Ireland is obligated to … Continue reading The NARGC Seminar on The Open Seasons Order and Sustainable Hunting
On several occasions, I have been asked by non-hunters how I feel when I squeeze the trigger. Obviously, this question is meant to ascertain how I feel about taking an animal's life. When I get these questions I often refer back to the very first animal I harvested. A female feral goat that I shot … Continue reading How do you feel when you squeeze the trigger?
Bluefin tuna is one of the iconic species of big game fish. It is a large-bodied fast swimming fish that feeds on small fish and invertebrates. It can grow up to 1500lb (800kg) although some official bodies like the Smithsonian or the U. S. National Marine Fisheries Service estimate that the fish can reach a … Continue reading The Demise and Recovery of The Atlantic Bluefin Tuna
Tommy's Outdoors 