Preserved lands

5live

With only a few weeks to go to the (official) beginning of shooting season, i was wondering if anybody has any ideas on how to prevent shooting on my land. I run sheep and dairy cattle and every 1st of november i have a near constant flow of hunters with dogs leading to abortions in my ewes (lambing late december) and last spring had neospora abortion in incalf heifers grazing rough ground till 1st december. Do notices in papers do anything or do i have to live in a field till christmas?

jap gt

call to your local club and tell them, and put up plenty signs around your boundary, although there are some fools that wont listen, take regs of the cars and report anyone you see shooting, trespassing with firearms will be taken seriously

5live

Have told local clubs but they say fellows coming in from outside. I have driven around looking for cars but cant see any that are not locals. And the Guards 'will call out tomorrow'. Really useful if shooters staying in a caravan for a day or two waiting for me to call!

snowman707

put up "lands preserved" or "no shooting or hunting" signs at all entrances and at intervals along roadside, and at points where they might enter from adjoining lands,

keep the signs abrupt and to the point, "dogs will be shot on sight", "no exceptions", "trespassers will be liable for damage to property and livestock"

5live

Have signs up but bless their precious hides they seem incapable of either reading or understanding the signs. The only success seems to be heading straight for them when they enter. Last year they started coming in at milking time. Doing my head in trying to collect ewes with aborted lambs some near full term. Getting stressed now and still 2 months to go

Username John

5live wrote: »

Have signs up but bless their precious hides they seem incapable of either reading or understanding the signs. The only success seems to be heading straight for them when they enter. Last year they started coming in at milking time. Doing my head in trying to collect ewes with aborted lambs some near full term. Getting stressed now and still 2 months to go

Sorry to hear that. Bad situation to have people coming in like that.

We have had a few run-ins over people coming in hunting / shooting, but not so many to be a constant problem, but I know how helpless you must feel.

Tell me, what do they say when you meet them? Its funny how someone thinks the defence "we were here, or we shot here before and had no issues" is acceptable, when its your land... They may as well say "you didnt catch us last time..."

Dunedin

5live wrote: »

With only a few weeks to go to the (official) beginning of shooting season, i was wondering if anybody has any ideas on how to prevent shooting on my land. I run sheep and dairy cattle and every 1st of november i have a near constant flow of hunters with dogs leading to abortions in my ewes (lambing late december) and last spring had neospora abortion in incalf heifers grazing rough ground till 1st december. Do notices in papers do anything or do i have to live in a field till christmas?

I am the Chairman of our local Gun Club and I'm also a farmer with cows and sheep (actually got out of them last year) so I know the score re shooters respecting farmers/livestock etc.

There is really no 100% way to keep out every shooter but I guess it's no different that trying to keep burglars from robbing your house but you have to try and not make it easy for anyone.

what i would suggest to you is that you write a letter to ALL neighbouring gun clubs within a 20/30 mile radius (it's amazing how far some will travel to shoot). Just outline in the letter your reasons and I assure you all Gun clubs will respect same as often they are glad of a 'santuary' in the area. It is unfortunately the cowboys that are sometimes not in any gun club that spoil it for everyone.

equally, you should put up plenty of 'No Shooting' signs at every relevant spot.

Be as viligant as you can yourself in catching them. Saturdays and Sundays (prob moreso on Sundays) are the most popular time for shooters so be extra aware on these days. Also, the month of November and times around Christmas are the most shot days. Also if you have any tillage or heavy cover areas, these will be the first place shooters will go as most likely the place where the pheasants will be so watch that area more than most.

Lastly, don't be afraid to approach them on your land - they are unlawfully tresspassing. Ask them for their NARGC membership card or what Gun club are they in. if they tell you that, get their names and report them immediately to the Chairman/secretary.

sorry for the long winded reponse but hope it helps.


PS. for what it's worth, I make a point of stressing at club meetings to all members that if they see any type of livestock in a field to just not go out in that field.

denis086

We have a similar problem on a land but its the scumbags with the opel corsas and vans with dogs we get. We have exposed rock and there have been rocks bulldozed onto these years ago and they are only 100 yards from the farm yard and farm house and are looking down into it and weve caught dozens of groups basically hiding behind these just by luck often looking out the window at the sink or coming up behind them by accident on the way back from looking at the cattle these are the sort that annoy me and then they claim "we have permission from the lad inside", "we been hunting around here with years" and "we were looking for a dog" and my favourite question they ask is "who are you?" like theyre the ones who own the place.:mad:

5live

Thanks folks. I have rung all the local gun clubs and they say it is people from outside the area. I reduced numbers when replacing boundary fencing with fox wire and heavy barbed wire on top but half of the farm bounded by a river and this has only electric fence. I often wonder at their response if i showed up outside their window walking my dog. Tea and biscuits maybe?

R P McMurphy

I have had a hectic weekend just gone with hunters. Was constant but particularly bad on Sunday. Five different groups on Sunday alone and didn't catch up with any of them as they made off when they saw me coming. Ignorant fools walking around someone's land armed

Birdnuts

R P McMurphy wrote: »

I have had a hectic weekend just gone with hunters. Was constant but particularly bad on Sunday. Five different groups on Sunday alone and didn't catch up with any of them as they made off when they saw me coming. Ignorant fools walking around someone's land armed

There is a big difference between law-abiding hunters and obvious poachers - unfortunately the latter group is set to become alot more problematic given the economic outlook in this country:(

ihatetractors

denis086 wrote: »

We have a similar problem on a land but its the scumbags with the opel corsas and vans with dogs we get. We have exposed rock and there have been rocks bulldozed onto these years ago and they are only 100 yards from the farm yard and farm house and are looking down into it and weve caught dozens of groups basically hiding behind these just by luck often looking out the window at the sink or coming up behind them by accident on the way back from looking at the cattle these are the sort that annoy me and then they claim "we have permission from the lad inside", "we been hunting around here with years" and "we were looking for a dog" and my favourite question they ask is "who are you?" like theyre the ones who own the place.:mad:

Maybe you could 'accidentaly' place an obstruction in the way of them, or leave the tractor there. If they touch it you've got them...

5live

R P McMurphy wrote: »

I have had a hectic weekend just gone with hunters. Was constant but particularly bad on Sunday. Five different groups on Sunday alone and didn't catch up with any of them as they made off when they saw me coming. Ignorant fools walking around someone's land armed

You have my sympathy on that one. I have had no problems this year(so far:o). I got a lot of advice on this one and it seems to have worked. Contact your local Garda sergent and make an OFFICIAL complaint. Point out to them the losses due to damage to fences and animals being chased and disease being brought onto your land. The Garda will contact the local gun clubs to inform them that your land is preserved. Put a protection notice in the paper ie lands preserved for protection of fences and livestock. Put up lands preserved and no shooting signs(E13.50 from mullinahone co-op for metal ones) where they are entering. When they come in ring the guards first before you go out to stop them as the guards have to show up for a reported trespass. Ring every time someone comes in ring the guards. Best of luck:mad:

R P McMurphy

Thanks 5live. I ws talking to a guard yesterday about it and he told me to give him a call when it happens next. I already have sourced some signs. I am rather calm on most occassions but was furious on Saturday and Sunday. Thanks for the advice

sh1tstirrer

I heard of a farmer who back in 2006 had problems with hunters with dogs. They used to park their 06 4x4s in a layby down the road from his farm house. He got so fed up with them annoying his cattle that he got a nail and wrote call again soon on their 4x4s. They stayed away after that, I don't know for how long.

kay 9

We put up signs on our gates as I do shoot myself and there was a local club bringing in French and getting well paid for snipe, duck, grouse and wild pheasants that I would be too glad to have in the pot. Did I mention that they even shot the feckin tv ariel a few years ago and grains landed on my grandmothers head another time:mad: Was time to put a stop to it.! Fences burst etc, list goes on.

Tipp Man

About 4-5 years ago we found one of our factory ready lim bullocks dead in the river with a hole between his 2 eyes

Got feck all satisfaction from the gun club either - claimed it wasn't any of theirs

R P McMurphy

Tipp man, my brother in law used to have the same problem with lambs being shot in the head

jap gt

most likely lads lamping the first eyes they see