A day for the diary! Ft. The old bill

[Thebeard 24]

Evening all. 

I usually keep myself to myself on here and enjoy reading and learn from other experiences, but i thought today's events needed sharing! 

 

Gained some new permission this year on the land around a cheese factory after randomly talking to the manager about the rabbit problem they had around the gardens and driveways. 

The rabbit population is good with each days ferreting producing 15 or more rabbits. The down side to the job is it is located very close to the main town and there are footpaths all over the land. Most people either pass on by with out as much as a "good morning" or are interested in what is going on and stop for a little while before getting bored of watching us watch a hedgerow and carry on with the leisurely stroll in the countryside. However today whilst working a bit of a dried up ditch I spotted a woman stood around 100yard from us taking photos, shortly followed with her making a phone call. I wandered on up to her with a pleasant "good afternoon, lovely day" and asked her if all was OK. She replied by calling me every name under the sun and informed me that the police had been called! I did my best to calm her down and explain what we were doing emphasising the fact we had full permission. Of course I was wasting my breathe as it all fell on deaf ears as she turned and stormed off. Chucking to myself I walked back to the others and relayed the conversation. Around 10 minutes passed and much to our amazement two police cars with blue lights and sirens came up the road a couple of fields over. Surly not. Surly she hadn't actually phoned the police! Five minutes later but who should we see over the brow of the hill but four police officers heading our way! The officers got down to where we were ferreting and told us they had received a 999 call reporting people "badger baiting" which they were responding to! It was obvious to see what the true story was and they all found it quite amusing. They left us to it and we continued on with our day finishing up with 20 rabbits. 

Great day had by all. Ferrets and dog worked well and we left with the story of the badger baiting ferrets. Certainly put a smile on our faces. 

[max abell 196]

Well done nice bag of bunnies there. We get this problem regular we do a lot of national trust land and as you can imagine it’s full of walkers that’s why if we can we do it mid week less walkers around. As you say most people are fine but you do get the odd one that is a pain in the arse, we had one women one day asked us why are we being cruel and putting baby otters down rabbit holes!! and another one we had a longnet surrounding a Warren under a tree and the bloke came past and asked us is there a cat stuck up the tree!!!
I rest my case 

[OldPhil 5,734]

Unfortunately lads, this type of foolishness is becoming far more common.

Back in the day, when I was working for several Councils, Local Authorities, Countryside Parks, etc, encountering the public ,could be a right pain..

Some folk have amazing imaginations, and get themselves all worked up over feck all,...God knows what horrors they imagine to be going down.

There is always a temptation to become abusive, and to fight fire with fire, but however tempting,.. this is not the best approach.

Indeed, the wording on many contracts often stipulated that we should keep all necked rabbits, out of site, and not upset folk.

This is understandable, especially when working in Schools, Theme Parks and the like, or ferreting alongside public footpaths..

The Police will often respond to a complaint, and are duty bound to turn up,.. they are usually interested in the proceedings, and I've even had a Copper hold a Long Net up, whilst I was running it out!  For these guys, it is frequently a break from daily routine, and they can get quite into it

The only problem with folk nosing around, is when you have a couple of road kill Roe or hares, tucked away,...then it's best to tell folk to stay back and keep quiet, as you are trying to do a job...and,. please stand well away from the nets, or the rabbits will not bolt, etc, etc...

I generally lead an official right away from the area, and refuse to discuss matters on top of a warren!

As stated, this interference in a legitimate country pursuit/pest control activity, is destined to become, far more common...times are changing, and personally, I am glad that I am out of it...I've done my bit...

Anyway,...keep on keeping on Brothers,.. but do be careful, because it can get dangerous, out there...

 

 

 

Edited January 10, 2022 by OldPhil

[Arry 21,790]

This reminds me of an encounter with law while out ferreting back in the 60's ( where has time gone). Four of us in an old Ford Popular set off for Dartmoor about 10 miles from my home town just thinking it was common land and we could go anywhere. Driving across the Moor not far from Prince Town and rabbit crossed the road and went into a burrow so we pull up and started to till up nets. Next thing holy hell breaks loose a police car then another Morris thousand with the different colour doors then a copper on a motor bike then a Mini Moke police car. They rounded all 4 of us up one shouting Name, height ,colour of eye etc while another jotted it down in a book, asked what all this about and told to shut up. After they had all the details asked what we were doing? Ferreting. It Calmed  down a bit and asked why all the fuss was? You see that big building over there it's Dartmoor Prison. Well just let us go told to bugger off. Good times still might get raise if we meet up in the pub.

Cheers Arry

[Luckee legs 467]

They are out there . Frustrating as it is definitely try to keep it factual, brief and not to get adversarial. There's so many character types out there it's hard to judge where they are coming from. I once had a couple approach and accuse me of digging to badger and ended up giving them a brace of rabbits. They were reasonable and genuinely motivated by protecting badgers I believe ( there was a sett 100m away). On the flip side, Last year I noticed a man watching me from a distance away and an hour later 2 balaclava hooded blokes did a walk by, fortunately they were not up for action and when I walked towards them holding my phone in one hand and a spade on my shoulder and with a dog alongside, they wouldn't engage in conversation and kept walking. Frankly I would have been in big trouble if they had been aggressive. The original observer turned out to be an anti known to the farmer . 

[dytkos 17,791]

I had some permission on a smallholding with 2 footpaths running through it in a popular tourist area. 

I had took several lads on it over the years as it was a handy spot. One day we had a woman screaming at us so one of my 2 companions gutted a rabbit in front of her which made our day  

Same place, different day, lots of dog walkers, fella with a Staffy off the lead, despite signs saying All dogs on leads, came over, told him to call it back, he said he's ok. Dog came to the hole we'd dug and scoffed the guts of 5 rabbits  

Cheers, D.

[RossM 8,119]

I had it a few years back, the person who owned the house that looked onto the permission phoned the police, police appeared at the gate and tried to summon us, they got told no danger they want to speak to us they come to us, it was fairly amusing watching them tippy toe through the muddy field trying their utmost best not to get manky!! 
 

also know of someone who bolted a rabbit in front of the police and they warned him not to kill it so he necked it and they charged him with killing a hare…. 
 

even worse he didn’t contest the charge

[moonlighter 1,163]

Great story… I too have been filmed and accused of digging badgers. Staying calm is the best approach although this can offen seem hard… but an argument can lead to all sorts of trouble, especially if you have a gun on your persons or close by in a vehicle. 

[TOMO 26,123]

there was a vid on YouTube of a pest control chap ferreting rabbits on a roundabout in Manchester which locals nicknamed rabbit roundabout....it was in very built up area ...and on this vid an anti type woman marches on causing grief...

don't know if it's still on any platform it's 4..5 year ago....

[OldPhil 5,734]

15 minutes ago, TOMO said:

there was a vid on YouTube of a pest control chap ferreting rabbits on a roundabout in Manchester which locals nicknamed rabbit roundabout....it was in very built up area ...and on this vid an anti type woman marches on causing grief...

don't know if it's still on any platform it's 4..5 year ago....

I am reliably informed, that the Operative in question handled the situation,.. with total professionalism...

[mole trapper 1,693]

On 10/01/2022 at 17:37, dytkos said:

I had some permission on a smallholding with 2 footpaths running through it in a popular tourist area. 

I had took several lads on it over the years as it was a handy spot. One day we had a woman screaming at us so one of my 2 companions gutted a rabbit in front of her which made our day  

Same place, different day, lots of dog walkers, fella with a Staffy off the lead, despite signs saying All dogs on leads, came over, told him to call it back, he said he's ok. Dog came to the hole we'd dug and scoffed the guts of 5 rabbits  

Cheers, D.

Bloody hooligans:-)

[jok 3,254]

Went for a bit of salmon poaching. My to be son in law trying to be assured we were safe. Don’t worry son I’ve done this before. Parked the car well away from the river and a quick yomp and go for it. White aluminium plate, torch and a clique. (Hook on the end of a hazel shaft). Well, we had 15 fish and were fairly elated. Cigar and a nip in the car. Trouble was someone saw the torch and local plod called the water bailiff. After being chased for a short while we gave up. Off to the local nick. Basrards confiscated everything including my car. (Scottish Law). Long story short, I appeared in front of the local Sherriff. Now then Mr(my name) I am very disappointed to see you here. I am afraid I have to set an example and fine you (which at the time was the highest in Scotland) because not only were you poaching but you were doing so on my water. What a bummer. Jok.