Antis Out In Gloucestershire Tonight

[Matthew Phillips 36]

Hi guys,

 

Went up a new shoot to have a wander around tonight to learn the lay of the land from another established shooter up there.

 

Unfortunately when we turned up there were two vehicles; a Red Ford KA and a dark Blue/Black Fiat hatchback (I have recorded registration plates). As we got out our 4x4 they got their cameras out and started filming. One had a tshirt on with badgers on so i presume they're antis of the soon coming badger cull.

 

I explained to them that it's obnoxious to film people in the way that they are doing so as it is a form of harassment. We were only up there mainly to walk the land and shoot a few rabbits around the edges of the field if we had the opportunity. I decided it was best to not leave the vehicle there and to instead drive on through a fields and go from there. Unfortunately the guy we were out with said there's a public 'bloody' footpath that runs around the edge of a few fields and that they would soon wander up..... minutes later we saw them coming up the brow of the hill on the footpath.

 

Once they got to the top of the hill we drove back down into another field where they could not walk, they were watching us with bino's and videos cameras. In the end (and lots of you will hate me for this), I decided it's not worth the risk getting the shotguns or air rifles out as all it'll take is for one of them to say we pointed a gun in their direction. I'll live to shoot another day and become better educated on how to deal with the matter in the future, but at the same time we're disappointed that we missed a lovely evening out.

 

However, what would you chaps do?

 

My questions are:

If they have no intention other than filming us is this a form of harassment?

If they loiter on a public footpath is this against the law? I presume a public footpath gives them the option to walk along it, but not to stay and loiter for an extended period?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

P.s. Next time i'll record them back in order to protect myself, however, this still spoils the evenings shooting.

 

[socks 32,253]

Take the camera off them and use it as a clay pigeon then they can't film you .......

[mushroom 12,960]

Quick phonecall to a few mates lol just to watch their cars while they were away on the footpath you understand

[vanman1 411]

Release the hounds

[the goat 642]

I think the cull is restarting tomorrow from what I hear that maybe why?

[moxy 617]

As bittersweet as it was, you probably made the right decision by not getting the guns out. All it takes is a malicious complaint and your guns are removed from you, pending a long and slow investigation.

If it happens again, film them back and cover your arse.

[celticrusader 78]

Go night time mate instead of day time, might help getting rid of them at certain times.

[Kabbychris 7]

Walked my perm this morning and had notice the farmer has cleared some hedges back and made a makeshift car park?? They where out on his fields last year culling the badgers so that's my perm done for a month or so

[SportingShooter 0]

Matthew,

 

A footpath is still owned by the landowner and by agreement he allows people to pass and re-pass so if that's all they do, it's legal.

 

If they loiter and disrupt a lawful activity then yes it is trespass, in fact aggravated trespass which is a police matter not a civil one,

 

If their only intention is to film you to goad you into some form of reaction or disrupt your lawful past times, then that easily comes under harassment, however it needs to be a "course of conduct" which means it must happen more than once, again that's a police matter,

 

There is an interesting case for disrupting field sports on a footway, Google Duke of Rutland and footpath

[Alsone 789]

Mathew, for in your car, get one of these with the wide angle lens:

 

http://www.techmoan.com/blog/2013/7/8/the-mobius-camera-the-do-it-all-mount-anywhere-1080p-micro-c.html

 

Will cost around £100 including all the accessories ie in car charger, mounts etc (battery only does mins so charger required - can be powered from charger and video loops so charger enables infinite footage).

 

Very good picture day and night.

 

Out of the vehicle, you really need a normal video camera as the fish eye lens and limited range render the Mobius useless.

 

The quality on the Mobius both day and night as a vehicle cam though is excellent.

 

If you had, had one, you'd now have their faces and registration plates.

 

Here's the video review from that page that also includes footage, (not mine, although I do have plenty!) Watch in HD:

 

In Car Footage Starts at 17 mins 45 secs if you want to skip the review / hand held tests:

 

 

As for stopping them filming you, I'm not sure there's anything to stop you shining an X million candle power light in their direction given that it's open fields, in which case it would blind out the video (just check with a shooting organisation legal dept to ensure it's legal as I'm not 100% sure).

 

However, if challenged my reason would be, "We were aware people were in the next field and wanted to keep them in sight to ensure they didn't stray into an area where we were shooting. As it's dark, illuminating them was the best way of doing that".

Edited September 7, 2014 by Alsone

[C556 351]

There's nothing to stop them filming you on a public path as long as they stick to it. They'll get their kicks out of getting a reaction from you, so the best thing to do would be to ignore them and they'll eventually get bored.

[The one 8,479]

As said phone a mate to watch there cars when they left them and film them back how could you of touched there motor when your filming them I the fields ?

[bird 9,916]

As bittersweet as it was, you probably made the right decision by not getting the guns out. All it takes is a malicious complaint and your guns are removed from you, pending a long and slow investigation.

If it happens again, film them back and cover your arse.

true, not worth the aggro that could from the cops if one of them twats said you fired a gun close to them, even if you didn't. you don't need the cops there so you done right moving on and not getting guns out. Ithink people who use hunting sites like me + us seem to forget that hunting in any form , is undertaken by a (minority) not a majority of people, who in most cases don't agree with it, and if they get the police on there side makes the sport even harder to do . you deff done the right thing

[charlie caller 3,654]

Well done I think you took the correct approach, any repeat performances, film them, and make a point of filming your guns in slips, and saying you are not removing them, then the w***ers cant accuse you of threatening them.

[trenchfoot 4,243]

Register the incident with the police. That way they have it on record. It will help you and any others build a case against them for harassment/aggravated trespass in the future

 

Alternatively, report the vehicle registrations as somebody who appears the be interfering with badger setts. They will soon get p###ed off with harassment themselves!

Edited September 8, 2014 by trenchfoot