What would you do ?

[chalky 0]

Hi,

 

I,m fairly new on here altho i have not posted much i have been gleaning lots of information.

 

I would like advice on the following please.

 

One of my permission granted shoots which i have shot over for more than twenty years seems to be under siege !

I packed up my kit and headed off yesterday morning for an early potter about with my Rifle, after plotting up in my favourite corner of the field looking across a dip onto a hill bordered by a deralict train track with embankment on one side and thick hawthorne, bramble & scrub on the other, several hours passed i bagged 4 bunnys a hare 3 magpie's and 6 crows..................... Then from under the tunnel beneath the old train line came a whippet type dog and two terriers, two late teenagers both above 6 foot and a scraggy girl.

 

Up i jumped, bounced out of the thicket across the dip and up to both of the Lads / Young Men !

Before i could engage in the rights and wrongs of their apparant geographical misplacement i was verbally abused and threatened ! a tall order baring in mind i was carrying what i would describe as a fairly menacing looking rifle !

before it got too out of hand i F****D these prats off, i was threatened that their Dad would be round to pay me a visit ? pretty difficult as i live 15 Miles away.

 

Baring in mind they probably thought i was the Farmer / Land owner i set off to warn him, who is a close Family freind and the father of my closest mate.

This did not go down too well with him ! he now thinks he is going to be victimised and become the recipient of theft and vandalism..............

This apparent behaviour has and is happening on neighbouring land which forms part of a larger syndicate and provides excellent rough shooting.

 

My initial reaction was to visit the neighbouring farmers and make them aware of this but it appears they too are victims of the same behaviour ! lamping at night, hunting hare with Dog and shooting the muntjac & fallow, all the farmers have clubbed together and bought steel barriers to deter acces and trenches have been dug for miles around the fields to prevent vehicle access.

There are badger sets in numbers along the old track and in the bank that borders the thicket & bramble.

 

WOULD YOU ? Face these youngsters or call the old Bill ?

I know we have all been young and all apreciate the outdoors but in my day i would have expected to have my front set knocked out for gobbing off at a bloke who was happily going about his business legally, only to be abused by two scrotes and a waife who they were trying to impress ?

 

Sorry its a bit long winded !

[Richie10 345]

Many people poach because they aren't given permission from farmers.

 

You have the privilege to have the land and you don't want to share, basically. I wonder if they threaten you out of fear, you having the gun and approaching them at speed?

 

Farmers own large tracks of land, which alot is subsidised by the government with grants. So an understanding from them would go along way as well. They have already tryed to block access to land, which might have public access anyway. Alot of the land in the uk does.

[SportingShooter 0]

No sympathy for the new style of poacher

[Malt 379]

No sympathy for the new style of poacher

Me neither.

 

I've always believed that you should respect other folks land/property, even if you're not meant to be there. It's a sign of the times now though, respect for everything has gone out of the window, people, property & possessions. Folk don't look after they're own shit these days, or even they're own family sometimes, let alone anybody else's.

[chalky 0]

Richie,

 

The feeling i got from the two Lads was not one of fear, ive just finished a 19 stretch with the Forces and i have approached a lot of people whilst carrying a weapon,

Being told to put it down & "LETS SEE HOW HARD YOU ARE AGAINST THE TWO OF US" was not one of fear or intepidation.

"My Dads got a gun do you want me to go fetch him ?"

"is that your dog ? were gonna kill it"

 

There is no Public right of way across the area of land where i shoot, i have had it cleared for .762 and can get 800mtrs to a WW2 rifle but at one area of the shoot.

I walked the permission with the Firearms Officer and conducted intervisibility with him, public access etc, The only access is for the National Grid for pylons on the land. The trenches were to stop the joyriding across fields of crop and dumping of 4X4's that were burnt out on the land, at a cost to the farmer ! as well as the coursing and lamping.

 

I do share the land with others who are also granted permission by the Land Owner, part of the reason for my being there was a telephone call from my Mates Dad asking if i had been up lately as the place was over run with pigeon,

 

What of this Lads Fathers gun ?

Is it legal ? will he think to carry it next time in case he runs into me whilst he is checking on Badger activity in the sets.

 

Knocking ducks off the lake and bagging hare are all well and good, especially if they are gonna eat them and not leave them to decay in the bottom of a hedgerow, i might even help them to get one,

[elvolcan 0]

"My Dads got a gun do you want me to go fetch him ?"

 

What of this Lads Fathers gun ?

Is it legal ? will he think to carry it next time in case he runs into me whilst he is checking on Badger activity in the sets.

 

It will only be a sub 12ft/lbs air rifle if thats any comfort

 

 

Armed Tresspass so call the Rozzers

Edited May 25, 2009 by elvolcan

[kristian 9]

If i was caught poaching (not that i do) but if i was and i was confronted i would be full of apoligies and trying my best to get out of trouble. Some people just don't give a hoot about anyone.

[Mr_Logic 5]

In that situation you definitely call the coppers. In an ideal world, I would simply shoot them and leave them to rot. But sadly, the law doesn't permit such things <sigh>

[woz 260]

you should of stayed hidden,as soon as the dogs got well away from these poachers and it was a safe shot,get your breathing right and gentlely sqweeze the trigger..its fine having a well hard dad but carrying a dead dog off the field tends to put people off from cuming back.................im sure alot of lads will respond by saying "i'd kill anyone that hert my dogs"..but if you want to poach its the game you play...........

 

ps if you were using an air rifle i perhaps wouldnt take the shot

[chalky 0]

PHEW !!

 

Thanks guys, its not just me then ? i thought i was being a bit old fashioned there ? The thing is when i "much the same of some of youn have done" i,m sure

got caught somewhere you shouldnt be, firstly deny everything, then lie a bit and then when that doesent work eat massive pieces of humble pie while you got your catapult elastic cut up or your air rifle stamped on !

 

Hard lessons im affraid ! But i wouldnt have fought fire with fire !

Coppers it is the next time i see them ?

[chalky 0]

WOZ !

 

I was with .17HMR of the CZ Variety ! Nice Harriis Bipod meopta scope SAK Mod,

[woz 260]

WOZ !

 

I was with .17HMR of the CZ Variety ! Nice Harriis Bipod meopta scope SAK Mod,

 

 

mate they recomend yard head shots on fox so i would of thought it would be the same for a terrier

 

bloody poachers!!!!! when we are out we ALWAYS carry written permission an OS map,compass and inform the police were we will be at a certain time..you cant be to carefull these days

[Deker 3,478]

I only have one piece of land that both the landowner and myself know suffers from poachers. The landowner has made it clear to me that I am the only person with any shooting/hunting rights on the land and to get rid of anyone else I see.

 

I have in turn made it clear to him that I will more than happily do this, but by means of calling the police.

 

Any advance towards, and any conflict with other persons, whilst you are holding a gun (even if it is slung over your back) is likely to get you in more trouble than the poacher!!

 

That's the trouble with this PC world we live in!

Edited May 25, 2009 by Deker

[elvolcan 0]

WOZ !

when we are out we ALWAYS carry written permission an OS map,compass and inform the police were we will be at a certain time

bit overkill ?

 

Carrying written permission is always BEST though

Edited May 25, 2009 by elvolcan

[JDFrain 1]

Phone the police mate, thats what i do on the land i keeper. Tell you what if you keep phoning they will soon do something about it, there is a disused quarry on my land and the motorbike lads think they can just come on no problem, saying we arent causing any harm. but dont realise and dont seem to care that this land is privately owned.

 

Had Six bikes confiscated and crushed this year by the police so they are doing a great job for me. even had the copper chopper scrambled yesterday due to bikers being on the land again and upsetting people on horses on the public bridleways. ended up confiscating another three bikes. Sure they will get the message eventually.

 

Just keep on top of them and thay will soon learn not to bother.

 

JDF