the introduction

[Guest LEARNER]

About 9.30am, and pulled into my parking space near the local estate, in front was a crowd off about 50 or so ramblers, they were having a chinwag, on were to start of thier walk, i,ve met them a couple of times before ,decent folk , mostly 60 or over, never bothered me , i opened the side door of the van, TAM, jumped out and dropped immediatelyat my side, i knew they were looking ,and i knew they were wondering were the command came from , i pulled my wellies on, locked the van up, and with TAM instantly at heel, walk by them , some nodded and some said hello, i stopped at a path leading through the spinney, TAM, leapted forward at my faint move of hand , and was out off sight down the bank, now i have been away working at BARNARD CASTLE, so was keen to get back in the company off my young dog, off we meandered, i headed to the right and walked down the side off the field , down below was a hedge that parted us from the next field that would have a rabbit or 2 about ,and even the odd long ears, TAM had run a long eared the morning before, but the hedges and thick cover made it more off a exercise, half way down the field ,i caught his attension , and sent him on ,away he went , he hit the bottom ,and ran the hedge ,for abour 20 yds or so ,then marked ,i walk on behind watching every move ,he shot into the hedge then was straight out again ,i knew thw bunnie had shot in a nearby burrow, he worked away ,and as he reach what i would called a deviding line between 2 fields ,i gave a low whistle and he stopped, as i caught up with him, he stood there gazing into the field behound, i gave a click ,and he ran the deviding hedge , after about 60 yds i noticed a couple of rabbits ,run in, there was a small warren there, i whistle and he spun around and headed back to me ,without breaking a stride, so off we went walking in a semi circle, that would bring us ,in contact with the walkers, and then the lake by the big house ,then home, about 20 minutes later i saw the first off walkers coming through the gate ,that was next to a wall that lead into the pheasant covert , in the wood behind ,i was about 150 yds away, i slowly walked towards the walkers ,and i knew as they were milling through the gate thier eye,s would be on the dog, i had had a bit off fun with them before with the dog ,and they really loved it, mind you i could guess they could not work me out ,and to be truthfull i could,nt either, i slowly closed ,then about 60yds from the wall ,i sent TAM, he dodge through and around the mass off legs then leapt onto the wall , and duly sat ,and waited for me coming up to him, as i passed the folk ,they remarked in thier own ways what a cracking dog he was ,i loved it , they loved it, as i reach the rear of the walkers a couple off gentlemen ,remarked that they would be looking forward to the next passing of our ways we laughed together , said our goodbys ,and on i went , i walked along the path disecting the covert, TAM, jumped the fence into the field that led to the lake and waited, i climbed the style, and straight away ,spotted the police van , just behind a clump of tree,s by the lake ,i walk down with TAM, at heel, i went through the swinging gate , and started on the path to my van ,not once did i look the way off the van, as i neared the keepers house , that was more or less the centre , to my exit home, i heard the low purr of the van behind me, i kept TAM at heel not looking behind , and kept on ,all off a sudden the van overtook me and pulled up infront of me, the door opened and out came the boss man, i stood there waiting for the crack, well xxxx he said, so he knew my first name, i just stood, i,ve been keeping my eye on you ,he,s says ,yeh and i,ve been keeping my eye on you i minded, i hope we are not going to have any bother, he says , not if i can help it i minded, its quiet remarkable how you are well respected by the people on this estate and farther afield, he goes on, and i,ve heard you are quiet some boy with the dogs, better than you i minded, look i,ve warned the local lads, he said now i,m just going to give you some advice, yeh i minded ,you had one of my mates by the throat a few weeks back ,but he turned the tables on you, and pinned you to the floor, just keep your nose clean ,and we will get on fine he said, well that was quick i minded again, and so we parted company ,he turned up a track , that led to a farm ,and i went through the gate ,that led to my motor, as soon as his van was out off sight, i sent TAM on to work ahead, you see i,ve got a short memory ,and i,ve forgot what he had said.

[herefordian 11]

very good

[Guest Dave]

Nice one lol

 

Dave

[J Darcy 5,871]

[Guest LEARNER]

I can,t believe it, out this morning at 6am, just walking down the bridle path, when the white van appears again, out steps mister plod ,and asks me were i,m heading , i said thats my business, then he starts to read the riot act to me, saying if my dog so much as chases a rabbit, he,s going to have me, now this is twice in just a few days, and i already know before the new hunting laws were passed ,this copper as been around here , trying his best to catch some one poaching or what ever, now i know there as been some break ins at the local farms ,so i do not blame him for being keen to catch the culprits ,but its not about that anymore, so now he,s telling me ,if so much my dog chases a rabbit, i will lose my dog ,and if i,ve got a motor that as well, now hold on a minute ,just a couple of weeks back ,a lad was caught with 2 grands worth of tools in his boot of his car, he,s going to court ,but there,s no mention of him loosing his car, but just to see the glee in this cops face ,why he,s telling me ,that in so many words he,s going to ruin my life , not the taking of the van ,tho thats inportant for work ,but to take my dog, i,ve had this young lurcher , fed him, trained him, and after my family ,this dogs my life ,and this coppers telling me thats the score, he,s more keen on nabbing me ,than a drug baron or pusher, a old person mugger, yobbo,s thats making decent people lives a misery, he,s going to have no feelings about doing his duty ,tho at the time i,m looking at two german shepheads barking at me from the back off his van , i bet he would scream the world down ,if he lost his dogs, and what about me, tho i know i cannot beat the law ,i know in my heart , i will not stand there and let anyone take my dog ,not without a fight that is, i,m no hard man , but i stick by what i love ,to the bitter end, now there is one or two of you on this site ,know what a lot off time i put into my lurchers ,not just the hunting , but the pleasure off ending up with a highly train working companion, i,m 62 this year ,and worked lurchers nearly all my life ,this is in my blood, and there,s nothing i can do about this to stop now , now please for once ,i don,t want no faceless site user telling me ,i should have permission ,there know one around my neck of the woods thats got permission ,and if anyone does have a bit ,that works lurchers ,you can bet diamonds ,there,s no game on it, so there it stands ,me and blue jacket , me i must work my dog ,and him ,going to try is best to stop me, can some one explain where i stand regarding chasing a rabbit, i know you must have permission ,and i have ,but 140 miles away, so this is a journey i take just when its possible, i heard they were going to treat this law a bit lightly regarding fox hunting if true ,but why so keen to take the opposite view, with a guy who just wants one for the pot.

[Guest nastybilly]

it sadens me to read this learner, how a man who loves what he does and has done it for most of his life the same as myself, can be victimized by a copper the way you are, im in scotland and iv never expireanced what you have.

iv been caught poachin and even fined on one occasion, but he cops have never been shitbags like the one your havin to deal with, some even let me go wi a warnin, some iv even had a laugh with, now im not sure about this learner, but, your still able to kill rabbits and rats according to the law,so i think, but im not certain mind, it would fall into the old poaching law catagory, in which it states,and this is writtin in law..quote.." in scotland the poacher owns his unlawful haul, and if caught and convicted, the court does NOT have the power of forfeiure as in england"..unquote...and the only time dogs can be seized and held is if your poachin deer. iv known lots of guys to have been caught poaching rabbits and hares up here and never yet do i know of one to loose there dog, ferret, or vehicle, the exeption beeing salmon and deer poachin. the laws differ in england so mabe someone else can add more

anyway good luck with your copper, they might move him on and you'll get a bit of piece again

[smallmouth 0]

....now please for once ,i don,t want no faceless site user telling me ,i should have permission ,there know one around my neck of the woods thats got permission.......

 

I’m in a very similar position. So when all this kicked off I got a copy of the legislation from the Internet, http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/acts/ac...04/20040037.htm and I’ve worn the print off studying it since.

 

Rabbiting without permission is an offence under the Hunting Act. So if you’re caught, the offence falls into same category as if you were caught running Hare, Fox, or Deer.

 

What it boils down to on the “search and seizure” section is………the copper can “seize and detain” your lurcher and your van, if he reasonably believes that they may be used as evidence, or that the courts might make a forfeiture order on them if you’re convicted.

 

So, if he took them, whether you’d eventually get them back would be down to the court.

 

As for the “glee” part, it sounds more like a personal vendetta on his part, than police policy. What he says he can do, and what he actually would do, (bearing in mind he would have to justify it), might be 2 different things.

 

Though personally I wouldn’t like to have to call his bluff..........

[Guest Dave]

A couple of things spring to mind if the shit hits the fan get the dog registerd at the vets in your wifes name thus establishing proof of her ownership of the dog. If it is confiscated from you she can then claim it back. Same with the van put it in the wifes name.

 

As for police harrasment which is what is happening to you. I have not been stoped by the police for anything for around 10 years. As a teen it was a different storey, I used to get stoped most weeks some times a few times each week. What I have since sussed was happening was that a local buissey body who lived a few doors up from my parents (who had fallen out with my old dear) used to phone the police every time she saw me go out shooting. I had several thousand achres of permission but was not averse to hunting the wrong side of the fence from time to time.

 

What to do is first of all think whare is he getting his inteligence from? is he purely catching up with you because he has you under 24 hr survalance? is it coincidence (6am probably not). Get a note book note the two previouse times he has stoped you and an outline of the conversation. next time he stops you get the note book out express to him that you beleive he is singling you out for special treatment (victimising you). Dont be drawn in to a debate on the subject once you have said it to him blank any persuit of the issue by him, he wont be happy because he is now potentialy in the shit if you make a complaint. hw will deny it and come out with crap that if you are not poaching you will have nothing to worey about. Make a note of everything he has said and as soon as you get home phone the police make an official complaint. if it continues speak to a soliceter referance police harrasment. it worked for me and a [bANNED TEXT] at 14, 15 years old.

 

One night they had 3 cars and 6 officers running round the countryside looking for us whilst we were sitting in an out house drinking soup and watching the palaver. Eventualy they caught up with us at 6 am and we spent the next few hours in the cells. to cut a long storey short they could not proove anything and let us go and from then on they requested we give them a bell [bANNED TEXT] we went out lamping so they would Know not to respond to buissey body reports in the area we said we would be in.

 

Dave

[TOMO 25,227]

why not get a dickterphone few ££ from argos and tape what he says , remember it will also record what u say so be polite and calm . maybee u could apeal to his better nature and say your pensioner , and yes u catch the od rabbit but nothing moor. just try and have nice chat with him and make hime see that your not the crimminal he seems to think. just a thought. good luck.

[Guest nastybilly]

i agree wi you on all you say tomo, but i dont think with an attitude like this cops got, tellin him youv killed a coupla bunnies is gonna help, hed likley cuff the poor guy and huckle him

[Guest LEARNER]

THANKS LADS FOR THE INFO, NOW I KNOW THIS COPPER DOES NOT HAVE ME ON THE 24HOUR WATCH, WHAT I DO KNOW IS HE HAD A PATCH ABOUT 15 MILES DOWN THE ROAD FROM WHERE I LIVE ,AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD , THAT ITS HIS HOBBY THAT AFTER HIS SHIFTS, HE WOULD GO ON POACHER WATCH AS MUCH AS HE COULD ,AND I,M TOLD HE,S QUITE PRONE TO SOME FABRICATION OFF PROOF, WELL NOW HE,S MOVE TO MY TOWN ,AND BY ALL ACCOUNTS HE,S 1OOPC IN GETTING ANY CONVICTION HE CAN, ITS HAPPENED I KNOW MY NAMES BEEN PASSED ON TO HIM ,AND BY THE BAD LUCK OFF ALL BAD LUCKS, HE JUST SEEMS TO BE PRACTICING HIS VENDETTA ,ON THE LOCAL ESTATE I WALK, NOW AT THE SAME TIME ,THE KEEPER AND THE MEN WHO WORK THIS ESTATE ,DO HAVE A BIT OFF RESPECT FOR ME, PERHAPS ITS I,VE MOSTLY WORKED ALONE, AND NOT A FEW YEARS BACK ,DID HELP TRAIN A LURCHER ,FOR A YOUNG MAN ,WHO IS NOW A UNDERKEEPER ON A NEARBY ESTATE, BUT I,M NOT THAT STUPID TO KNOW THIERE WILL BE NO HELP FROM THEM ,IF THE GOING GETS TOUGH FOR ME, BUT I WILL TEST THE SYSTEM TO THE FULL ,AT THE SAME TIME ,PLANNING THE BEST PLACES TO GO ,WHERE I HOPE WILL LEAVE ME ,IN HAVING LESS CONTACT WITH THIS MAN, ONCE AGAIN THANKS FOR THE HELP ,AND NOW I,M MORE CLUED UP. CHEERS.