Air Rifle Perms

[leonheart89 3]

Ok so I've been shooting mostly in my garden (23 yards) for the last few years, shot on my mates permission once, the other year and I've been to some Field target clubs but the nearest ones are to far right now (20+ miles to the ones I know of) I'm currently without a car.

 

As of next month (Waiting to sort out BASC Insurance first) I'm going to be looking into obtaining some permissions in the local area (up to 3-4 miles away, until i sort my car out then travel isn't an issue) hopefully for shooting Rabbits, rats and pest birds. My sisters boyfriend is good friends with a guy who owns a fair chunk of land nearby, so hopefully even if he doesn't have any pests he wants rid of, maybe he will let me use some land for getting in longer ranges. However eggs in one basket and all that. I have a few questions.

 

1) Other then farms, who and where would you recommend asking? (I know of a Mailing company that a good few years ago had a lot of rabbits on the land behind there main plant, not sure if the bunny's are still there and not sure if they own the land behind them, also its right next to a train line)

 

2) Whats the best way to find out who owns the land/ can give vermin control rights? I see a lot of fields that have pigeons all over them but no houses nearby/to many house to distinguish who actually works that field

 

3) I was thinking once I've found out who i need to speak to at each site, giving them a knock on the door, well dressed and all that and if they say no or they'll thing about it leaving them with a business card for free vermin/pest control and maybe a letter. Saying happy to lend a hand around the land in my free time should they require it and hope in time they may change their mind and let my have the permission.. What do you think about this?

 

4) I'm looking at joining the Kent Wildfowlers Full member is £242 and Air Rifle vermin hunting is £200 a year, both come with BASC membership. It's rather expensive I'd imagine for the extra £42 might as well just get full membership providing ARVH is included. Not only would this give me somewhere to shoot hopefully on a regular basis but do you reckon this would help land owners know I'm not just one of the local yobos with an air rifle, which may help them to say that nice word we all want to hear, yes?

 

Link to Kent Wildfowlers Air rifle hunting

http://www.kentwildfowlers.co.uk/homeframeintro.html?http://www.kentwildfowlers.co.uk/air_rifle_hunter_section.htm

 

Thanks

[Rez 4,957]

Nice write up man. Permissions and obtaining them, are very much about who you know rather than what you know at the end of the day. When you get your first few, others follow. It's just the way it seems to be. You seem to have a sound head on your shoulders and so it will be more a case of when rather than if.

 

If you can get one, get a reference or some sort of favour from them... 'Can they ask anyone else they may know' etc. It might be the wrong wording to say pest control, business cards and so forth, as they could be expecting heavy duty culling that you might not be able to produce unlike some of the shooters on this forum regularly knocking down 20-30 rabbits. Go with the idea that you do it as you enjoy the sport. Just my two pence but act as you will.

 

What equipment might you be using?

Edited June 3, 2014 by Rez

[leonheart89 3]

Thanks Rez, hadn't thought of it like that, so I'll rethink that whole "pest control and business cards" side of it, just wanted a smart way of way of leaving my details with them should they say no and later change their minds, also I'd hope it would stand out a little more than just a scrap bit of paper from a notepad with my name and number jotted on it I'll think of something.

 

As for equipment I have a .22 Webley spectre that I've had for years, and my .22 HW97K turned up Sunday evening I've stuck half a tin of 500 RWS Superdomes through it already. Think I'm more likely to use the hw97 for hunting with, I love it, currently only has a cheap 4x32 hawke scope on it but I've been looking at getting MTC Mamba lite 3-12x44 when I've got a bit more money to spend

[Rez 4,957]

Best of luck with it all mate. You certainly have the gear for the job.

[RemyBolt 420]

http://www.thehuntinglife.com/forums/topic/322642-how-to-get-permissions/

[RemyBolt 420]

Airports, stately manor homes (think National Trust style), golf courses, plant nursaries, are all worth checking at, but for some of them like airports, you'll probably need major insurance. If you can get a small air field that's trying to keep costs down, like a glider based site, that should be okay.

 

Junk yards, for ratting.

 

Even places like food storage sites (think horse feed and cow feed) if they have stuff there, well worth checking.

 

A personal favourite for pigeons, orchards! If you're down south, a vineyard can be a good place. Just let them know you'll be using steel pellets so as not to put any toxins in the soil from lead pellets, and they'll love you forever!

Edited June 4, 2014 by RemyBolt

[leonheart89 3]

Thanks Rez.

Great post Remybolt, and thanks definetly a few places there I hadn't thought of at all and have a fair few sites like that around here