Spring hunting tradition

It would appear that Frans H. Said (March 22) still thinks that the tradition of spring hunting never existed and does not exist.

The above Great Siege map was printed by Matthias Zündt in Nuremberg in the year 1565, the same year when the siege took place.

The map depicts, inter alia, the landing of the Ottoman Army on May 18, that is, in the spring of 1565.

Among other details, the map shows nets for the trapping of birds above Ghar Lapsi. Now trapping is just another form of hunting so that the taking of birds in spring must have been taking place in our islands from, at least, 1565.

Mr Said might, or might not, believe in a spring hunting tradition, but a sport - sorry, an activity - that has been taking place for some 442 years, to me is a helluva tradition.