Category: Hunting

Episode 76: The True Green Alliance with Ron Thomson

Ron Thomson should be well known to anyone interested in wildlife management on the African continent. He started his career as a game ranger in 1959. Throughout his career, he has worked in Africa’s biggest and most prestigious game reserves. He has published fourteen books and we can safely say that he is one of the most experienced African big game hunters alive today.

Ron is also the CEO of The True Green Alliance whose vision is to create a global society that is properly informed about the principles and practices of wildlife management. During our conversation, we discuss the realities of wildlife management and how the general public is being misinformed about the wildlife situation on the African continent.

Episode 73: Quantitative Ecology with Kilian Murphy

Is it possible to use artificial intelligence to tell us how rewilding will look in any area where it is implemented? Is it possible to create a computer model that would tell us how the species eradicated from the landscape hundreds of years ago would behave when reintroduced? Listen to my conversation with Kilian Murphy where we talk about such models.

During the podcast we discuss the possibility of reintroducing wolves and wild boars to Ireland, and the difference in perception of rewilding between city-dwellers and farmers. We also touch on the role hunters have to play in rewilding projects and discuss the dynamics and density of the deer population in Ireland.

Episode 71: The European Federation for Hunting and Conservation with David Scallan

The European Federation for Hunting and Conservation, or FACE for short, is an international organization that represents the interests of European hunters. It serves as a bridge between the institutions of the European Union and hunters.

In episode 59 I talked with Dan Curley, the chairman of NARGC, the Irish member organization of FACE. Today, however, we’re going to talk about hunting from the European perspective, with our guest, FACE Secretary General, Dr. David Scallan.

During our conversation, we discuss the biodiversity manifesto, rewilding projects, hunting’s PR, as well as the ongoing process aimed at restricting the use of lead in field sports.

Episode 70: Field Sports with Matt Cross

As regular listeners to the podcast might remember, in episode 47 we hosted Matt Cross, a field sports journalist, writer and blogger. At that time, we talked about yet another unlawful killing of a hen harrier. That episode was specifically focused on the issue of raptor persecution and we didn’t have a chance to tap into Matt’s vast knowledge about field sports.

Today we’re going to fix that as we discuss a number of topics including grouse moors management, rewilding, the ethics of field sports, the difference between the terms “shooting” and “hunting” in the UK context, and the move away from using lead in shooting. I’m sure you will enjoy our conversation.

Episode 69: The Impact of COVID-19 on Wildlife Conservation with Adam Hart

Professor Adam Hart was our guest on the podcast not long ago, in episode 66. However, given the unusual situation we are going through globally, we decided to get together again just a few weeks later. The reason is to discuss the devastating effect the COVID-19 pandemic is having on wildlife conservation. Major sources of funding for conservation, like tourism and hunting, have dried-up overnight. And with the general turmoil and uncertainty, conservation enforcement has been weakened and poaching is on the rise. We also explore the idea of a connection between the coronavirus and biodiversity loss.

If you care about wildlife and conservation you should definitely listen to this episode, learn about the situation and see if, and how, you can help.

Irish Deer Hunter Training – SYLLABUS Review | Tommy Says…

The National Parks & Wildlife Service in Ireland introduced mandatory training and certification for first-time applicants for deer hunting licenses for the 2021/2022 season. In this video, you will find a detailed review of the syllabus and my comments.
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MANDATORY Certification for Deer Hunters in Ireland

After several years of talks, the National Parks & Wildlife Service in Ireland finally introduced mandatory training and certification for first-time applicants for deer hunting licenses. It goes into effect in the 2021/2022 deer hunting season. The full text of the announcement can be found here.

The reaction to the decision has been positive in most cases, although there are people who are not happy with this development. So far, there is no word about introducing the requirement for previous license holders but it is reasonable to expect that this will eventually happen.

In either case, it is an excellent opportunity to remind you about our two-part video series about the HCAP exam and certification. This is one of the certifications that meets the National Parks & Wildlife Service requirement.
A detailed syllabus was also published to ensure that training and certification are delivered to an appropriate standard.

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Episode 66: African Wildlife Conservation with Adam Hart

The issue of African wildlife conservation is very complex and difficult. There are many factors that have to be considered, some of them are literally a matter of life and death. All that immersed in a highly emotional atmosphere. This subject is infinitely interesting to me. So, today I am delighted to bring you my conversation with biologist, broadcaster, academic and author, Professor Adam Hart. During the podcast, we discuss the elephant situation in Botswana, the role of rural communities in wildlife management and the highly emotional subject of trophy hunting.