The Muddy Boots of the Law

[Livinhope 0]

Hi Guys

 

I just thought that I would share this with you.

I have a small permission only 4.5 acres that are horse paddocks that back onto a small housing estate one side and a disused railway bank on the other that is almost impenatrable with brambels and thorns. The owner also rears prize/rare bread hens that have been sharing their feed with some wild pheasants and ferral pigeons. Any way I have had a few attempts to pot a few of these free loaders but to no avail until today. I asked the owner if I could shoot from inside an old horsebox that sits nice and close to where the chickens feed is. Low and behold a great day. 6 pheasants, and 4 pigeons and a visit from the Police Apparently one of the neighbors had seen me walking out of the horse box to pick up and had kicked of about someone shooting at the bottom of their land.

 

The first I new about it was a Police Officer with a pretty large Alsation walking over the field towards me asking me to step out of the horsebox. I immediately came out and advised him that I had a air rifle in the box that was loaded, but with the safety on. He asked if I owned the land or if I had permission, I explained that I was shooting on a friends land and she lives in the large house ajoining this land. I also had my SGC with me as evidence of my identity.

 

With all of this, the guy could not have been more pleasant. We had a chat about the rifle, his dog and a mutual interest in horses. I finally helped him sluice off his boots as he had walked through the sacrifice field which nearly sucks your wellies off let alone.

 

I guess the morale is that shooting near to houses even if you are totlally safe and legal will cause some people concern or will allow others the opportunity to raise the anti with the police. What I was pleased about, is that after hearing some of the horror stories of other peoples encounters with the police, this individaul was polite, knowlegable and even friendly.

 

Happy Hunting

 

Dave

[Phantom 631]

Most of the Police are decent and those in Rural areas are usually knowlegable as well and ask the correct questions before they get grumpy. IE "Is this your land?" or "Do you have permission to shoot on here?"

 

Sadly there are a few people both in the force and in the AG community that have an attitude problem.

The stereo typical one's such as "I'm f**king legal pig, you can't touch me" brigade and then the other side of the coin is "I'm the law around here you little bag of scum therefore I know more than you do" Put the two of these together and it flares up big time.

 

You did well walking out leaving the rifle in the box and letting him know it was there loaded.

 

Treat an officer of the law with respect and courtesy and 9 times out of 10 he/she will return it

 

Phantom

[stealthy1 3,964]

I found the blues n two's that pulled me the other day were ok once I had made my situation clear

[davyt63 1,845]

I found the blues n two's that pulled me the other day were ok once I had made my situation clear

 

 

SNAP!! stealthy

[Lee85 44]

once when me and my friend were pulled, we were polite and we did recieve the same back, they were fine, albeit a bit shocked at the look of the guns - I think they expected the old style thin open sighted air rifle, they didnt have a clue about air rifles tho, just check us out then on our way

[J Darcy 5,871]

Remain polite. I have always spoken to the law in a pleasant manner and it has paid dividends.....

[ghillies 209]

same story every where really...when you dont know whats going on it gets tense, when you do know you know to relax or what ever lol.........

[festa 206]

i laugh at the ppl who call the police worse than sh*t then the minute summit goes wrong who do they call .... most coppers are sound spk to them the way you would hope to be spoken to and you should have no problems

 

atb gary

 

ps good shooting mate