HCAP mandatory or DSC-1 okay to hunt in Ireland?

[Emilio]

Because we will very likely go on a fishing trip to Ireland next year (the EU portion), we are thinking to combine this with some stalking for sika.
I cannot find a clear answer whether posession of DSC-1 is enough to be granted a hunting licence or that the Hunter Competence Assessment Programme is mandatory. Does anybody here know?

 

[dryan]

Yes, DSC 1 is acceptable. Even for residents HCAP isn’t mandatory, just a qualification of some sort needed. Having done both, DSC has much more depth.

Make sure you apply for your visitors permit far far in advance as certain licensing areas can be slow in processing.

 

[GBR66]

Yes, DSC 1 is acceptable. Even for residents HCAP isn’t mandatory, just a qualification of some sort needed. Having done both, DSC has much more depth.

Make sure you apply for your visitors permit far far in advance as certain licensing areas can be slow in processing.

Exactly as this. I did it last year I allowed 6 weeks and I think it took 4 to come through. Also be aware there is no "Estate Rifle" rule, you need a visitors permit for a rifle, either your own (which I did and was simple enough), or I believe, for a borrowed rifle.

 

[Emilio]

Yes, DSC 1 is acceptable. Even for residents HCAP isn’t mandatory, just a qualification of some sort needed. Having done both, DSC has much more depth.

Make sure you apply for your visitors permit far far in advance as certain licensing areas can be slow in processing.

Thanx! It will most likely be september when we go because all types of fishing should be good then, so we were planning to put in the application somewhere in april/may.

 

[Emilio]

Exactly as this. I did it last year I allowed 6 weeks and I think it took 4 to come through. Also be aware there is no "Estate Rifle" rule, you need a visitors permit for a rifle, either your own (which I did and was simple enough), or I believe, for a borrowed rifle.

We are planning to take our own riffles and get a visitors permit on basis of our EFP's. Only disadvantage is that mods are not allowed in Holand, which is a bit of a shame. I'm hoping we can sort something out locally....

 

[Sika98k]

We are planning to take our own riffles and get a visitors permit on basis of our EFP's. Only disadvantage is that mods are not allowed in Holand, which is a bit of a shame. I'm hoping we can sort something out locally....

You don’t actually get a “visitors permit”, its a non residents firearms licence. The people you are hunting with in Ireland will organise it for you. You however will need to complete the paperwork. It’s available on the Garda Siochana website. The licence when issued costs €40 and is valid for one year from date of issue.

 

[GBR66]

You don’t actually get a “visitors permit”, it a non residents firearms licence. The people you are hunting with in Ireland will organise it for you. You however will need to complete the paperwork. It’s available on the Garda Siochana website. The licence when issued costs €40 and is valid for one year from date of issue.

Thanks - better explained than I did! Also if you want Mods, as mentioned, they need to be on the licence.

 

[Emilio]

Thanks - better explained than I did! Also if you want Mods, as mentioned, they need to be on the licence.

That may be a problem since we cannot have them on our EFP, because they are not allowed in Holland.

 

[Emilio]

You don’t actually get a “visitors permit”, its a non residents firearms licence. The people you are hunting with in Ireland will organise it for you. You however will need to complete the paperwork. It’s available on the Garda Siochana website. The licence when issued costs €40 and is valid for one year from date of issue.

The guide apparantly cannot do so, but somebody else should be able to help with the paperwork. We will take a look on the site ourselves to see if we can download the forms.

 

[Sika98k]

The guide apparantly cannot do so, but somebody else should be able to help with the paperwork. We will take a look on the site ourselves to see if we can download the forms.

Strange , I’ve filled out my fair share of them for guests. You do have to fill out the personal details but sporting rights, land permissions, land folio numbers all the guides work. Anyhoo . Enjoy when you get here.

 

[GBR66]

Strange , I’ve filled out my fair share of them for guests. You do have to fill out the personal details but sporting rights, land permissions, land folio numbers all the guides work. Anyhoo . Enjoy when you get here.

Yes my guide sorted the all the licence and deer permit admin, also then was a reference when I went resident, and got a phone call from the Gards (different county) checking out the reference, which i was quite impressed by.

 

[Emilio]

Hope to get all the details from the hotel asap, so we can contact the guide ourselves. From your comments it seems like they may be overcomplicating things.
If it gets too complicated with their guide we can always look into others options. There should be more guides in the Cork region I would think.....

 

[Dunwaters]

Don’t forget to apply for your deer hunting licence as well as your firearm licence. Any European hunting qualification is acceptable, not just HCAP or DSC.
Enjoy your trip.

 

[Emilio]

Don’t forget to apply for your deer hunting licence as well as your firearm licence. Any European hunting qualification is acceptable, not just HCAP or DSC.
Enjoy your trip.

Thanx for the tip, they also mention that on the form I found online for the application of a firearm licence, so apparantly that has gone wrong a few times...

Curious about the info we still have to recieve from the guide. If this gets too complicated or too much fuss, we'll just look for something in the UK and skip the fishing. Very good experiences in the UK so far and very simple and stressless.

 

[GBR66]

Thanx for the tip, they also mention that on the form I found online for the application of a firearm licence, so apparantly that has gone wrong a few times...

Curious about the info we still have to recieve from the guide. If this gets too complicated or too much fuss, we'll just look for something in the UK and skip the fishing. Very good experiences in the UK so far and very simple and stressless.

Not wanting to tread on anyones toes but I can introduce you to a very good guy for Sika in Wicklow who will handle the paperwork and have a good fishing guide who got my first friend visiting over a salmon on the Blackwater in his first 25 minutes....

 

[Emilio]

Not wanting to tread on anyones toes but I can introduce you to a very good guy for Sika in Wicklow who will handle the paperwork and have a good fishing guide who got my first friend visiting over a salmon on the Blackwater in his first 25 minutes....

You are not treading on toes, because we now the place we are to stay for its pike fishing and not for hunting. They used to also advertise with hunting on fairs, that's why we asked, but apparantly their former guide has passed away and they are using a new one. So we do not know this guide at all and have not commited because we do not have all the details and pricing yet
We would however like to stay at their place, which is in Cork and that is a bit far from Wicklow if I'm not mistaken.

 

[GBR66]

You are not treading on toes, because we now the place we are to stay for its pike fishing and not for hunting. They used to also advertise with hunting on fairs, that's why we asked, but apparantly their former guide has passed away and they are using a new one. So we do not know this guide at all and have not commited because we do not have all the details and pricing yet
We would however like to stay at their place, which is in Cork and that is a bit far from Wicklow if I'm not mistaken.

I have been in touch with a member of this forum about Sika in the South West, around Kenmare, almost the most SW bit of Ireland in Kerry just West of Cork, I haven't been out with him but can introduce.

 

[Emilio]

I have been in touch with a member of this forum about Sika in the South West, around Kenmare, almost the most SW bit of Ireland in Kerry just West of Cork, I haven't been out with him but can introduce.

That's within an hours drive from where we are planning to stay, so doable I would think. Can never hurt to have some more options and so far experience with guides from this forum has been very positive.
Like stated, it's getting a bit complicated with the guide apparantly not being able to do the paperwork and, to me, simple is better in this case. Less chance of something going wrong.

 

[dryan]

If you want good pike fishing you should be looking at the Shannon system (Lough Derg, Lough Key and others). There are some good guides for pike.

 

[Emilio]

If you want good pike fishing you should be looking at the Shannon system (Lough Derg, Lough Key and others). There are some good guides for pike.

We were thinking of fishing Lough Allua, but without a guide. Been fishing for pike all my life, just need a well kitted out boat and a few pointers. Big part of the fun for me is, like stalking, in the search for the fish and the right techniques to use.