What would you do ?

[flytie 1]

If people are wandering where they shouldn't, they should be challenged. This right to roam nonsense has given too many of the wrong sort the idea that they can go wherever they want.

 

Approching them in a polite manner can result in you being close enough to get the camera phone out and take their pictures. Poachers do not like this, but f**k them, they spoil it for all the folks who have cultivated their farmer contacts for years to get a bit of sport. Poachers do not like to be known, ordinary folks won't mind the camera.

 

It is a bit hard on the dog to shoot it, but in the event of things not going well with it's owners it can be your only recourse. A good friend took over the shooting on a farm between Evesham and Pershore and had terrible trouble getting rid of the local gyppos with their lurchers. He tried to be nice about it and approached them in a friendly manner and he got a trip to A&E for his pains. So he invited a policeman friend to go lamping with him, the gyppos arrived and, from a hedge, they watched the dogs working. Richard the policeman said to my mate, "shoot the lead dog". So steve did shoot, with his unmoderated .243. Oddly the gyppos cleared off, never even went to look at their dog. They have not been back. The moral of the story is an unfortunate one, where poachers are concerned, "might is right"!

 

I am with deker on this one.

 

ft

 

how true is this story??? shoot a gypo's dog and get no come backs???? very strange especially around evesham....an foa was shot at by our travelling brothers with a high power rifle only six months ago

Abso bloomin lutely true! Pm me if you would like Steves (the guy with the shooting rights) number. No more coursing on steves land now, only a local guy after the deer, and we are working on that one.

 

Yours disgustedly, ft

 

edit I do know that you have a serious problem in Shropshire/Herefordshire, I have talked with a keeper at Gatley who told me of a dog skinning episode and how all his vehicles had their tyres slashed. Luckily it doesn't seem to be as bad here in Worcs. Yet.

Edited May 25, 2009 by flytie

[Born Hunter 17,646]

To shoot someones dog even though they are poaching will bring out some VERY strong emotions, you had better be bloody sure by shooting their dog you had no other choice and that that will end all the trouble, because shoot the wrong sort of blokes dog and you may wish you didn't. This isn't a 'well ard poacher' talking, its common sense and a little wisdom (a little as im not old enough to have alot, lol). Also i beleive that not so long back there was a case where a keeper/farmer shot a poachers dog and ended up getting prosecuted himself.

[IanB 0]

Shooting dogs is NOT the answer...Most I know if they had a dog shot, would turn whoever shot the dogs world upside down... Its easy to say these things, yes poachers shouldn't be there, but a lot of farmers just keep away, as there basically sitting targets for abuse should anything happen after confrontation..... Best answer is A: Turn a blind eye OR B: If your feeling feisty , shirt off time! .... Shooting peoples dogs is out of order.... UNLESS they are worrying/killing livestock...

[chalky 0]

I don't think shooting a blokes dog is the answer, I'm not one for turning a blind eye either and then again I don't want to cause the land owner any problems either.

I've known this guy for some time I went to school with his Son we both joined the Army together at 17 after spending every school holiday working on the farm harvesting, shooting trapping tidying up and generally keeping out of trouble.

 

In the good old days ! I think shirts off and Oxford rules apply but I'm not sure a couple of 18 - 20 year olds would abide to the same rules. It's one thing having a punch up in a quiet corner of a field 3 miles from anywhere and then a totally different story for the owner to become the victim of a hate campaign.

 

The main reason for me posting this was to gauge the response of others ?

I know what I would have liked to have done but common sense prevails.

The next time I see these or any other guys on the land I think I'll just give them a queit talking to and advise them that they are far less likely to get stopped and bothered on the adjoining land and we can play ping pong with them that way!

[cyclonebri1 8]

You're right Chalky. We all have to remember that we are only using the land, it's not ours. Even if we retaliated and didn't loose our permission/FAC etc, it's the farmer who would cop for the damage longterm. Yes I've been temptede to shoot a dog, I watched it's owner keying my car from 100yds through the scope. Somehow I resisted.

 

Whatever action individuals feel they would take the farmer has to be with them. EG My original permission farmer new that folks came on lamping and with dogs, but advised me to take no action. He feared that the would come back later and damage his fences etc, causing him far greater loss than rabbits he wanted rid of anyway.

 

By contrast another farmer I shoot for has said clear anyone off I see as no one else is allowed on. On this farm I always park in his complex so having a word won't result in slashed tyres but there are several parking spots that these guys use around his perimeter and if he sees lamps on the land he does the rounds and puts a hammer through any car headlights he finds parked up. Seems reasonable?? but as I stress thats his choice, I wouldn't even with his OK.

[arveyboy 0]

my dad farms the permission that i shoot on and we regularly get poachers on the land that we know about. always a couple of vehicles with a few lurchers. the problem is every time we go to confront them they scarper and we are yet to get to talk to them.

 

i suppose its better than having them be confrontational but i think next time i'll stay hidden and just call the police. their cars are doing damage to the grass tracks and its going to far now.

 

wouldn't ever bring my rifle along to confront them though. could bring a whole world of troubles. maybe a piece of lead piping or a wrench instead. just in case

[Lost Generation 93]

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 !

 

Chalky, if you were daft enough to follow the advice that Woz has been giving you, at best you would be be likely to lose your FAC and quite probably by prosecuted by the police and possibly also sued by the dogs owners as well. I would leave the gun well out of it when confronting trespassers because it only takes one accusation of you making threats to kill with a firearm to land you in a world of trouble. Also shooting dogs, for a lot of people would be like having someone shoot a member of their family and I think that you would be very likely to experience savage retaliation against yourself and/or the farmer as well. There are things called cars these days which mean that living 15 miles away wouldn't stop a determined individual finding out who you are and coming to pay you a very unwelcome visit.

 

The behaviour of these youths was obviously out of order and your best options are either 1) to try shaming them 2) to try to get to know them and help them see the error of their ways or 3) just ignore them - they are unlikely to do much harm anyway. The urge to hunt is strong and permission is hard to come by, like it or not, low level poaching is just one of those things, it has always gone on, and will always go, so it's best just not to worry about it and the farmers seem to be doing the sensible thing in trying to prevent unwanted vehicular access to their land. By the way, what are you doing shooting hares in the summer - it seems pretty low to me to leave orphaned leverets to starve to death.

Edited May 26, 2009 by Lost Generation

[poacher3161 1,766]

The best way to rid your land of poachers ie lampers is do wat they did on the estate near me some years back is once the lamper has been spotted is to creep up to him with a 12bore get about 20yds away shout and then put both barrels into him [bANNED TEXT] he sets of running he will have no proof who did it and it will send a message to the others and the police wont be that botherd.Trouble is some poachers even that wont stop them them atvb

[Sterry 0]

In my opinion, there is no excuse for poaching. anyone i see on my permission either lost or otherwise i approach, those who are genuinly lost i dont mind too much, although very annoying. but those who poach is another mater, i had one guy driving around a wheat feild with his dogs running around, and when i approached him he became very aggressive, partly due i was about to shoot his dogs as they were running at me and my dog about to latch on.

 

the only way to stop it is either treat the problem as you would anyother vermin control, but as the law doesnt share our same veiw, maybe invest in some of those motion cameras, drop guns and just ask everyone to keep an eye out and take down car registration numbers to inform the police later on.

[brecon3 13]

last year i went to hartpury college for an open day and got talking to the keeper

he said that he had pochers in his wood he crept right behind them and put both barrels of his 12 bore in the air

right behind them and they soon scarpered

 

its probalbly best if you let the farmer deal with it as it is his land

i would try not to get to involved

 

hope you find a resulution mate

 

tell us how you get on

[chalky 0]

Thanks for all the advice guys !

I think it's fairly safe to say I won't be shooting dogs as I am a dog man my self ! I have a border terrier !

I won't be creeping up on any one, I've done it a couple of times and the results are not pretty........

The farmer will not committ to this scare mongering either altho it really does get his back up that people hunt on his land with dogs ! Being an old fashioned honest law abiding type he can't accept any explanation for their behaviour.

 

I was shooting hare at the land owners request, firstly because he wanted a couple for the pot, secondly because he doesent want them eating his crop, thirdly because he knows this is attracting unwanted attention and wants rid of them !