Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer

Lance Carlburnett plucks feathers from one of the many birds that were cooked at bird bush in Irwin. - Photos by Janet Silvera

Like father, like son, Ralph Smith and son Fred at bird bush.

WESTERN BUREAU:

The aroma from the seasoned bald pate and white wing birds tickled the nostrils, sending signals of longing directly to the stomach on the morning of Sunday August 24.

After waiting for one year, bird shooters having tallied their bounty, were hovering near gigantic pots seated on wood fires, while bald plates and white wings received the roasting of their lives. The mood was jovial, as Appleton VX, Red Stripe Light, curried goat, ackee and salt fish, yellow yam, boil dumplings plus goat head and belly soup became the order of the day.

Camouflage

The venue was deep in the bushes of Irwin, St James, just below Kirkpatrick, where the rocky terrain and dirt tracks are much kinder to four-wheel drive vehicles. Here, the forested area is accustomed to men and women dressed in camouflage six weekends of the year.

The scene was complemented by 'bird boys' (young boys who carry the bags of dead birds), happy to receive payment of $3,000 that they make each weekend.

Yes, it couldn't be more apparent that bird shooting season had started in style and the unmistakable camaraderie was apparent.

The over 4,000 permits that were given to shooters had already started to multiply into a fantastic community outreach programme.

"I have been going bird shooting, since the age of seven, and it takes nothing out of me to pick the birds," said Patrick Smith, an Air Jamaica pilot, who has added one more medal to his epaulet. Reminiscing on his young days in the forested areas with Johnny Gourzong, executive producer of Reggae Sumfest, Smith said the six weeks were probably the most exciting time of his life.

Like Smith, most of the shooters experience great anxiety, many not able to sleep the night before what is commonly known as 'Open Morning'. Those who bother to sleep get out of bed as early as 4 a.m. to make it into the hills to their stands.

It is important to get into the stands early to set up their guns, their seats, sip their coffee, tea or brandy or just to get comfortable before the first flight of birds, usually at about 6 a.m. The hunters take special care to ensure that they only shoot what they are allowed to shoot; 20 ball pate or 15 white wings as a maximum for their bags.

Only migratory birds are shot, and 99.9 per cent of them are eaten, he was quick to add.

Bird season

The season is six weeks long with two shoots on Saturdays: morning and evening and only a morning shoot on Sundays, which ends with a closing party that is as fun filled as the opening, but the bird boys and hunters usually express mixed emotions as neither group ever welcomes the end of the season.

Mountain cray fish is also on the menu.

Some of the shooters taking a break from the bushes and cooling out near the food.

Zachariah Clarke stirs the mountain cray fish soup at the start of the bird shooting season in St James.

Bird meat chef, Lloyd Irving doing what he does best.