Stick to rules, game service tells hunters

Ahead of Sunday’s start of the hunting season, the game and fauna service released an updated list of rules to ensure safe hunting for everyone participating.

An announcement published on Facebook called on hunters to follow all written and unwritten rules, and respect private property and their fellow hunters while demonstrating the necessary “hunting conscience”.

This means not forming large groups to ensure the prey has the opportunity to escape and showing no tolerance for poachers operating at night and those not abiding to restricted hunting areas and yield limits.

This also entails wearing the correct equipment, pre-planning their routes, avoiding residential areas, arranging emergency contacts, being aware of their surroundings and being conscious about handling and shooting guns.

In addition, hunters were reminded that the registration number of the hounds they take with them must be listed on their hunting licence, something that can be arranged online.

Hunting hares, partridges and francolins will be permitted every Sunday and Wednesday from October 31 to December 29 2021, meaning 18 hunting trips.

For hares and francolins, the yield limit per trip is one, and four for partridges. There is no limit for all other types of game.

The service stressed that hunters must remain within designated hunting areas. For those with smartphones, the Artemis CY app was developed to help with this. (Available for iPhone and Android)

Lastly, echoing an announcement by the forestry department made on the same day, the service said lighting fires in non-designated areas is prohibited.

As current weather conditions can contribute to the outbreak and spread of forest fires, the department reminded hunters to avoid any actions that could cause a fire, including discarding matches and cigarette ends in the forest.

Hunters wanting to report any suspicious activity were advised to contact the police at 1414, or the game service at the following numbers:

Nicosia – 99445697

Limassol – 99445728

Larnaca/Famagusta – 99634325

Paphos – 99445679

In the case of spotting smoke or fire, they should call 1407 or 112.