Rogue shooters

mairtd

Just wondering what would you do if you came across rogue shooters from outside the area. Is there anything you can do and is there even any consequences for them? I've been told of a group of shooters that are banned from shooting in a certian county and that they are planning on visiting a area close to our club on november 1st. Now this could be all just rubish but at the same time it put me thinking as to what would i actually do if i came across them.
Would be interested in your views

cavan shooter

Poachers, are notoriously difficult to deal with.

Many have no links to clubs, or even permission to shoot on Farmers lands in the area they go to.

You should keep well away from them as from experience things can get heated very quickly. my only advise would be have clearly signed club boundaries and be willing to get the gardai.

I know that at club level, there are some issues with "wandering guns" and RGC's should be doing more to assist clubs with this. I dont mean straying a field inside a boundary, I'm talking miles inside the other club boundary.

Kells...

I wouldn't go straight up to them saying "get off this land"when they have rifles in their hands cause it can become nasty very quickly better off calling the cops

deeksofdoom

mairtd wrote: »

Just wondering what would you do if you came across rouge shooters from outside the area. Is there anything you can do and is there even any consequences for them? I've been told of a group of shooters that are banned from shooting in a certian county and that they are planning on visiting a area close to our club on november 1st. Now this could be all just rubish but at the same time it put me thinking as to what would i actually do if i came across them.
Would be interested in your views

There is nothing you can do, its up to the landowner to have trespassers prosecuted.

If you do come accross them keep you mouth shut and mind your own business, at the end of the day we're only all out to enjoy ourselves including the poachers. A closed mouth catches no digs.

pedroeibar1

mairtd wrote: »

Just wondering what would you do if you came across rouge shooters from outside the area.
Would be interested in your views

I get invited to shoot in a couple of places that are miles away from where I live. I'm well behaved and polite (unless goaded). At least they will be easy to spot, with those Cork jerseys;)!
P.

bunny shooter

deeksofdoom wrote: »

There is nothing you can do, its up to the landowner to have trespassers prosecuted.

If you do come accross them keep you mouth shut and mind your own business, at the end of the day we're only all out to enjoy ourselves including the poachers. A closed mouth catches no digs.

Best advice I've ever seen posted on this forum !!!!!

homerhop

deeksofdoom wrote: »

There is nothing you can do, its up to the landowner to have trespassers prosecuted.

If you do come accross them keep you mouth shut and mind your own business, at the end of the day we're only all out to enjoy ourselves including the poachers . A closed mouth catches no digs.

That is not correct, if you are in a club and have placed an ad in the local paper that the lands are under your club, your club secretary is the one who can prosecute for tresspass.

Section 44 of the wildlife act......such an offence shall only be prosecuted by the secretary of a recognised body if,


(i) prior to the relevant time a notice stating that sporting rights specified in the notice over land so specified have been reserved for the body is published in a newspaper circulating in the area in which the relevant land is situate, and
[GA]

(ii) the land so specified comprises or includes the relevant land.


we're only all out to enjoy ourselves including the poacher
Would you have the same attitude if you spent the last 3 months bursting your arse rearing birds and keeping vermin under control?

bunny shooter

Homerhop, if you even get a case to court, all you will get is a lot of 'law' but very little 'justice'

homerhop

Like i have said on previous occasions Bunny we had no problems, the lads were warned on numerous occasions, and despite pressure off their drinking pals who were the local boys in blue.
I find it hard to believe that lads who are involved in clubs come on with the attitude of ah let them off they are enjoying themselves. It is obvious they are not involved in the release of birds and the late nights doing vermin control. Do people have the same attitude when it comes to their deer permissions?

bunny shooter

homerhop, these situations are very rarely black & white.....................

This happens in my club areas too.

We had lads coming from another area shooting the ****e out of the birds in our club/s area and we found out they had a local 'contact'. We put up club sanctuary signs everywhere we could and it stopped their visits. The following season they and their contact looked to join the club. The local lad got in and he was told his friends could come as his guests for 12 months and we'd review their application then. He didn't join and he or they haven't been seen shooting in our area since :cool:

Very few will ignore a gun club sign I find

homerhop

I understand that bunny, I am not suggesting that every tom dick and harry be prosicuted. If you meet lads that not knowingly come onto club lands it is no harm just saying lads look if you dont have permission from the farmer or are in the club ye shouldnt be shooting here. I have done it numerous times and given them a bird that i may have shot along the way, just to ease things along. But when you have organised groups going around from area to area I do believe that they should be prosicuted.

mairtd

Thanks for all your opinions lad's (every body is entitled to theirs). I have to say myself I would be fairly pissed if i seen lad's from completely outside their area shooting in another club. Especially when i have spent the last year building pens raring pheasants and up until all hours doing vermin control. I can understand a lad going a field or two out no problem or if a lad have premission but other than that its not nice, and especially on the 1st.
But I do appreciate everybodys opinions

J.R.

The problem we come across in our club is that the landowners, who have given permission to the club, often give permission to friends of friends.

No point argued or pulling up a non-club member who has the owners permission.

mairtd

J.R. wrote: »

The problem we come across in our club is that the landowners, who have given permission to the club, often give permission to friends of friends.

No point argued or pulling up a non-club member who has the owners permission.

As I say I don't have a problem if they have premission, after all that's all any of us really have but I'm kinda more talking about the type of lads that don't even have premission.

5live

i am a farmer and have put up notices in papers and on my land stating no shooting but it makes no difference. These guys(mostly outside the area but some local) come in in packs of 3 or 4 and set their dogs through my sheep, driving them wild and causing abortions. I am dreading 1st november as it is a bit intimidating confronting gugs with guns, armed with a timid sheepdog:(. Just a quiet reminder when going through sheep, guys. Thanks

DJandDeid

Rouge? Red? Can't be up to them rogues!!:D:D

DavyDee

I know a gang of young fellas from Mayo affiliated with no club I know of who take off in the car in the morning and god knows where they end up. I know one day they ended up having their lunch in Longford and another day in Meath, same lads blast everything before and behind them! Both clubs I'm in have had trouble with various individuals and ghillies in particular who bring in the Italians who also blast anything in sight including hen pheasants!

cavan shooter

5live wrote: »

i am a farmer and have put up notices in papers and on my land stating no shooting but it makes no difference. These guys(mostly outside the area but some local) come in in packs of 3 or 4 and set their dogs through my sheep, driving them wild and causing abortions. I am dreading 1st november as it is a bit intimidating confronting gugs with guns, armed with a timid sheepdog:(. Just a quiet reminder when going through sheep, guys. Thanks

Thats a scandal, If these guys are members of a club go to to the club and tell them. Standing rules that I have been thought when out beating a ditch
1. Dont let the dog hunt in greens (cabbage cauliflower etc)
2. Keep away from sheep
3. Keep clear of cattle or horses.

terminator2

myself and other members of my gun club have busted our nuts over the past 12 months not to let non club members blow away all our hard work and if they want to take a swing let them ......ill see you in court:D

dollydishmop

Apologies if this is considered a thread hijack but have a similar problem...and gardai are a bit too laid back about it for my liking.

We are getting plagued with poachers at the moment...most nights, if the weathers not too wild (they *DO* seem to be fair-weather poachers:D ), its like a lazer light show on the land behind us.
We rent a cottage on the parcel of land, from the land owner.

The land is leased out for grazing cattle...and on more than one occasion the cattle have been run through fences (electric and/or barbed wire) by their dogs.

Landowner has categorically stated that he doesn't wanting hunting on his land, and pretty much gives us free rein to deal with them. We have his full permission to contact gardai without informing him first, (he appreciates that often time is of the essence, in these situations)

Growing up on a large game estate in the UK I learnt long ago that the art of catching a poacher safely, was not to catch them, IYKWIM, because they generally don't want to get caught and will do whatever they deem necessary to avoid it...and I have no intention of being clubbed over the head (or worse!).

Last night gardai said, on the phone :rolleyes: can you find out how many are out there, whether they have guns or dogs and try to provide us with a description....erm, no, its midnight, I'm here on my own tonight (hubby was away)...and I'm not going to walk out across the fields to have a friendly chat with them...and that's about as far as the gardai wanted to take it.

Instead I lamped them back from the field gate, with my own hi-powered lamp (a bizzarre xmas present from my BiL which does come in handy occasionally), in a half-hearted attempt to let them know that I was well aware that they were out there...they did disappear soon afterwards, but I woke up to a broken wing mirror for my efforts, and the (normally chained) gate left wide open to show me that they had come back...more than a little creepy, to know that while I was asleep they were around the cottage...and shows how crap my dogs are as guard dogs:rolleyes::o

Now I grew up knowing that shooting over houses & roads was a big no-no...but is it the same over here? Or is it just because they're poaching that don't give a second thought about shooting towards our cottage?

In daylight hours I will normally confront them (with one or two of my own dogs for my protection)...but in the dark I know all bets are off.

How best to deal with this, because I'm starting to think that in order for the gardai to take this seriously one of us is going to have to get hurt! (<-- Worded that completely wrong, but hopefully you know what I mean)

MarkD.

Im new to this scene. But if these poachers were getting way out of hand and the guards were not doing much could you inform them that these thugs are using their guns wrecklessly and they would call armed response? I know its over the top. But drastic times call for drastic measures :rolleyes: Send the message out there to poachers. I heard this being used in England.

bunny shooter

Dolly, you mention lights and dogs but not shooting. I reckon what you have is lads with lurchers after hares and/or rabbits.

It is illegal to lamp hares in this way. Tell Gardai you reckon they're after hares and they might be more interested.

But one bit of advice, calling Gardai to land you don't actually own, even with owners consent, the Gardai more than likely won't entertain you as it's not your property therefore you can't prosecute if it comes to that.

MarkD that's not a very helpful suggestion. I reckon the ARU have better things to be doing :rolleyes:

Sparks

dollydishmop wrote: »

I woke up to a broken wing mirror for my efforts, and the (normally chained) gate left wide open to show me that they had come back.

Go to your local Garda station and file a written complaint. Has to be written, or it's not really going to be taken seriously. But what you're describing is poaching, trespass, criminal damage and intimidation; peanuts it ain't.

dollydishmop

bunny shooter wrote: »

Dolly, you mention lights and dogs but not shooting. I reckon what you have is lads with lurchers after hares and/or rabbits.

I guess we have both, depending on who is out there on any one night.

Sometimes I presume its lurchers, as there are no shots...and other nights we do hear shots.

During daylight hours, its nearly always just lurchers. They come in from the back now mostly...because if they come down our track beside the cottage I will always go out and ask them what they are doing. I guess my reputation now precedes me...so they rarely brazenly walk past my front door any more...but it hasn't stopped them coming, they just access the land from elsewhere now.

bunny shooter wrote: »

It is illegal to lamp hares in this way. Tell Gardai you reckon they're after hares and they might be more interested.

Yeah, I'm fairly well boned up on the legislation regarding hares at this point
And the old "we're just exercising the dogs missus" doesn't wash with me either.
Telling the *visitors* that there's a bull out there works for a while sometimes, if I do come across them during the day.
And telling them that one or more of my own dogs has a dose of parvo used to work...but doesn't seem to anymore.

bunny shooter wrote: »

But one bit of advice, calling Gardai to land you don't actually own, even with owners consent, the Gardai more than likely won't entertain you as it's not your property therefore you can't prosecute if it comes to that.

Even though landowner has stated he *would* prosecute, if they were caught, especially with what's gone on with the cattle this year in particular (there's more happened than just running them through fences, but I can't really discuss that on here)...and ideally the guards would need to get out here ASAP in order to catch them...hence why he's said to me to just ring them direct, because sometimes trying to track him down via the phone can take a while.
Frustrating, but perhaps that's why the gardai just seem to want to take the details on the phone, and not actually act on it...
As I said...theywould probably take it more seriously if one of us was injured...

Had to laugh one night...I had come back from work really late one evening, around 11-ish, and was taking a couple of dogs out for a pee and a leg-stretch before bed...up the track, and into the first field. Incidentally, the dogs I had with me were a deerhoundX lurcher and a small rough coat terrier (both pets, not hunting dogs). Because my small torch was dead, I'd grabbed the lamp...before I got the the field, I heard the gate catch go...turned on the lamp, to find a two startled young gentlemen with a lurcher each, just coming through the gate...I proceeded to read them the riot act, my terrier was loose, and one of them kicked out at him & tried to grab him as he approached their dogs for a friendly bum-sniff, so my "riot act reading" increased in volume. No-one messes with my dogs! The irony of the fact, that as I'm telling them their life history, and educating them in the law regarding trespass, lamps, lurchers & hares, I was stood there, holding a lamp, and in my other hand was a large lurcher on a lead was not lost on me (or them). The fact that I was also in my fluffy pyjamas (& wellies) totally sealed the deal. They were local boys,and it might sound a bit naive of me but they did sound extremely sincere and came across as just misguided, and after I'd firmly placed a flea in their ear, and received their apologies (a refreshing change from the usual defensive aggression I usually encounter), we did have a laugh about me heading into the fields, in my pjs, with a lamp & a lurcher. In fairness, they did approach the land owner a few days later to ask permission, but he declined as I suggested he probably would. They have since secured permission on other land nearby to work their dogs on rabbits & foxes. I do meet them out and about on the lanes,with their dogs, and we generally stop for a chat. If only all my night-time visitors were so civil.

tadghbeag

Lamping at night can cause great problems, I for one do a lot of lamping of foxes at night for local farmers, but I do go to my local Gardai station before i go out and give them my car reg and description of the car, although I have permission to shoot on the land that I lamp there quite a few houses around so it is no surprise that some of these people get a fright when they see big beams of light in the dark so late at night and a call to the gardai will happen at some stage,
I have however bumped into a few dodgy looking lads out with dogs in some fields and a call to the Gardai has resulted in some action being taken against these people.
My advice to people who want approach strangers in a field is always assume that they have permission to be there, they could be a farmers relation etc.. when you figure out that they are poachers walk away and inform someone.
I have permission to shoot land that spans 3 gun club areas, I am not a member of a club anymore but I am fully insured with CA. I must say that most GC members I meet in the field are very sound, some have a chip on their shoulder about land rights and rearing birds but most are ok. It is up to us(all shooters) to promote our sport, we live in times that sees the support for hunting waning and rows amongst hunters will only weaken our position even further. As for those who shoot where they like and respect no one thanks for giving the rest of us a bad name.

meathstevie

bunny shooter wrote: »

Dolly, you mention lights and dogs but not shooting. I reckon what you have is lads with lurchers after hares and/or rabbits.

It is illegal to lamp hares in this way. Tell Gardai you reckon they're after hares and they might be more interested.

But one bit of advice, calling Gardai to land you don't actually own, even with owners consent, the Gardai more than likely won't entertain you as it's not your property therefore you can't prosecute if it comes to that.

MarkD that's not a very helpful suggestion. I reckon the ARU have better things to be doing :rolleyes:

Running a lurcher at a hare using a lamp at night is ALWAYS an offence. It is immaterial who owns the land. Hares can only be hunted in daylight with shotguns or netted under licence by coursing clubs.

p28559

chancers are just that..out having a shot at what the rest of us have paid for in cash,effort, time and energy.:mad::mad::mad::mad:

our club is vunerable as we are the first on the way out of a major urban area. members have been told to approach everyone they dont know for a chat.

chat meaning polite but firm conversation centering on the principal of maybe you did get lost but thank god we are here now to see you safely on your way.:D:D...:p;):rolleyes:....guns broken and unloaded but camera fones out..

Birdnuts

I know a chap who got fed up of travellers using lurchers/greyhounds on his land without permission - he went away and bought 2 Rhodesian Ridgebacks which he let loose any time he spotted trouble. Several dead traveller dogs later, the "problem" disappeared!!

juice1304

Birdnuts wrote: »

I know a chap who got fed up of travellers using lurchers/greyhounds on his land without permission - he went away and bought 2 Rhodesian Ridgebacks which he let loose any time he spotted trouble. Several dead traveller dogs later, the "problem" disappeared!!

i would'nt agree with that for a start it's not the dogs fault, other than that i would have thought you'd just be bringing unwanted trouble on yourself doing that. i know if someone were to do that to my dog they'd be in for a good kick'n

Birdnuts

juice1304 wrote: »

i would'nt agree with that for a start it's not the dogs fault,

I totally agree but this guy was beyond rage and I didn't want to get too argumentetive as the 2 big fellas were sniffin around my crotch at the time:eek:;)

ronn

instead of ringing the local station and getting fobbed off dial 999 the calls have to be logged and the response be much greater,

bunny shooter

Because '999' is for emergencies only :rolleyes:

ronn

bunny shooter wrote: »

Because '999' is for emergencies only :rolleyes:

as op said the cops dont wont to know when she rings, they have to respond when its a 999 call,

maybe bunny you dont consider people tresspassing with firearms and causing crimanal damage to her car or threating/intimating behaviour an emergency, but it is againist the law and should be dealt with.

i certainly wouldnt like it,:rolleyes::rolleyes:

bunny shooter

ronn wrote: »

as op said the cops dont wont to know when she rings, they have to respond when its a 999 call,

maybe bunny you dont consider people tresspassing with firearms and causing crimanal damage to her car or threating/intimating behaviour an emergency, but it is againist the law and should be dealt with.

i certainly wouldnt like it,:rolleyes::rolleyes:

:rolleyes:

We have a different interpretation of what constitutes and "emergency" so.

meathstevie

juice1304 wrote: »

i would'nt agree with that for a start it's not the dogs fault, other than that i would have thought you'd just be bringing unwanted trouble on yourself doing that. i know if someone were to do that to my dog they'd be in for a good kick'n

If your dog would be hunting on a lads land without permission and you're supervising it at the time you shouldn't be surprised something could go horribly wrong for your dog. I personally know a right few farmers who'd happily shoot it stonedead if there was livestock on the land.

iwsf

Trepassing is an offence , trepassing with a shotgun / rifle is a VERY serious offence that should be dealt with by the Garda.
i met while stalking a couple of "poachers" in a remote place , extremely intimidating not to say scary when you are on your own, you just don't know what these guys are capable of. It did not finish too well, called the Garda and local ranger right away. They did come and collect these idiots , they also asked me to make an official statement. They were extremely helpufll on this so fairplay to them. It wasn't pleasant at all. I do not know if something will happen to them but at least the incident will be on file and i went back home in one piece .
Most hunters are respectable but there will always be some that do not care about anything and do what they want. When caught , give them a big fine. Caught again , take away their license / firearm.

landkeeper

AFAIK tresspass ie no permission to be where you are ,with a firearm means you are in breach of your conditions of your firearm licence and as such the ptb have every right to revoke it pity they don't do it more often

kfod

meathstevie wrote: »

I personally know a right few farmers who'd happily shoot it stonedead if there was livestock on the land.

and in my opinion they would be dead right. same thing as a fox after lambs, or maybe worse if running sheep in lamb.

BryanL

calling 999 for guys out with dogs seems a bit much.
It's okay for the OP to walk the land at night with a lamp, but no one else?
Bryan

tfox

kfod wrote: »

and in my opinion they would be dead right. same thing as a fox after lambs, or maybe worse if running sheep in lamb.

With you on this one. Have dealt with 6 sheep killer/worriers in last 5 years and would the first to do it if one of my own dogs was worrying stock, in my experience if its not taught at a young age you will never cure a dog of this fun game of chasing the white wooly things !! Sorry to go off topic !!

dollydishmop

BryanL wrote: »

It's okay for the OP to walk the land at night with a lamp, but no one else?

Are you referring to me?

dCorbus

calling 999 for guys out with dogs seems a bit much.

True, but dialling 999 for guys trespassing on your property with guns is a different kettle of fish entirely. Some lad comes onto my property with a firearm without permission, he won't be getting a friendly talking to. The Guards will be called.

I'm in the city - but there's no difference in law on that one - It's trespass with a firearm / offensive weapon - and if my wife and child are at home, that's an emergency call to 999 no matter which way you slice it. City or Country - the offence and threat is the same IMvHO.

It's okay for the OP to walk the land at night with a lamp, but no one else?

The OP mentions nothing about walking the land with a lamp, as far as I can see.

If you mean dollydishmop's posts - Has she not leased the land that she's referring to?

We rent a cottage on the parcel of land, from the land owner.

And therefore, she has full rights and entitlements to the enjoyment of that land (unless excluded under the terms of the lease). Of course she can "walk the land at night with a lamp" - To all intents and purposes and for the duration of her lease, it's her land.

No one else can, unless they have her permission to enter onto the lands she has leased. The exact terms of the lease may allow the Landowner to grant access and/or shooting/hunting permissions in addition - but unless these lads have permission from either the Landowner or the Leasor, or have established RoW's on the land, they have no right or permission to even be there and are trespassing, regardless of the other threatening nonsense and aggressive behaviour they may be getting up to.

Just my €0.02

bunny shooter

dCorbus wrote: »

............. City or Country - the offence and threat is the same IMvHO............

Lads genuinely out hunting now pose a "threat" :rolleyes:

Those of us born & raised out here in the sticks aren't that paranoid

landkeeper

no bunny but a lot of us born reared and living in the country are getting thouroughly sick and tired of lads who think that its a great big park where they can bring their dogs to do what they want only last week we had four 'gentlemen 'with lurchers running loose through a field of cows and claves and if my missus hadn't seen them they were through the gate into a flock of in lamb ewes , and i bet next monday will see some gang of lads telling me oh sorry mister i thought we were on xyzs land and sure it's only just a few pheasants/ducks the same as the last xxxxxx number of years
and bryanl if she has permission or owns /leases the land it's perfectly ok for her to do what she wants with a lamp because i'd imagine as she lives there she is responsible shuts gates dosn't frighten livestock etc etc etc as she has said no-one else has permission to be out there thats the problem lads with no permission don't give a sh1t in my experience try keeping livestock when lads leave gates open ,run dogs through sheep, break down fences it's a pain in the proverbial to say the least

dCorbus

Those of us born & raised out here in the sticks aren't that paranoid

From what I'm reading here and hearing elsewhere, it sounds like a good healthy dose of paranoia wouldn't go amiss!:p:D

Lads genuinely out hunting now pose a "threat"

Lad's out genuinely hunting on land they have permission on - Absolutely no threat. That goes without saying!

Lad's out trespassing and hunting (or more correctly: poaching) on someone elses land with no permission, then when asked what they're up to, get aggressive / confrontational / threatening - Of course, that's a threat.

I wouldn't like some stranger with a gun or a dog hanging around my cousins, uncles, grandparents, in-laws, or any of my other family members farms and land - particularly in the middle of the night.

Maybe you would? I doubt it, though.



(P.S. Do please try not to make too many assumptions about your fellow posters backgrounds and origins, bunny!:p;), even when you have met them! )

bunny shooter

landkeeper wrote: »

no bunny but a lot of us born reared and living in the country are getting thouroughly sick and tired of lads who think that its a great big park where they can bring their dogs to do what they want only last week we had four 'gentlemen 'with lurchers running loose through a field of cows and claves and if my missus hadn't seen them they were through the gate into a flock of in lamb ewes , and i bet next monday will see some gang of lads telling me oh sorry mister i thought we were on xyzs land and sure it's only just a few pheasants/ducks the same as the last xxxxxx number of years
and bryanl if she has permission or owns /leases the land it's perfectly ok for her to do what she wants with a lamp because i'd imagine as she lives there she is responsible shuts gates dosn't frighten livestock etc etc etc as she has said no-one else has permission to be out there thats the problem lads with no permission don't give a sh1t in my experience try keeping livestock when lads leave gates open ,run dogs through sheep, break down fences it's a pain in the proverbial to say the least

I understand and agree. I hope this is a small minority of the "hunters" that we are talking about here. I, or none of my shooting/hunting friends never shoot or hunt near livestock, roads or houses. And by near I mean a lot more than 60ft! In my area we have those that you have described but they are a very small minority and mostly are members of a certain ethnic monirity. Of late they've realised in a lot of places they and their antics are not going unnoticed

dCorbus wrote: »

From what I'm reading here and hearing elsewhere, it sounds like a good healthy dose of paranoia wouldn't go amiss!:p:D

Unfortunately the countryside is changing and not for the better Nearly safer walking around in the Big Smoke now :eek:

dCorbus wrote: »

Lad's out genuinely hunting on land they have permission on - Absolutely no threat. That goes without saying!

Agreed

dCorbus wrote: »

Lad's out trespassing and hunting (or more correctly: poaching) on someone elses land with no permission, then when asked what they're up to, get aggressive / confrontational / threatening - Of course, that's a threat.

Easy solution here, if the land has no hunting signs on the boundaries I guarantee, in my experience, that 99% of bone fide hunters will not enter. For the other 1% unlease the dogs on 'em :P

dCorbus wrote: »

I wouldn't like some stranger with a gun or a dog hanging around my cousins, uncles, grandparents, in-laws, or any of my other family members farms and land - particularly in the middle of the night.

Maybe you would? I doubt it, though.

In my area most 'locals' know most of the 'locals'. The problem as I see it is lads going off their own patch, where they ain't known. I shoot in my own area, where I and my vehicle are known to all the landowners.

And for the record I don't shoot at night.

dCorbus wrote: »

(P.S. Don't be making too many assumptions about your fellow posters backgrounds and origins, bunny!:p;), even when you have met them! )

Well IMVHO if it walks & looks like a rabbit, it is a rabbit :P

5live

Interesting thread guys. All i know is TOMORROW i will have a few idiots coming through my farm 'for a sniff' with guns and dogs, running the cattle through fences and driving the sheep into the river. Every year it costs me a few hundred euro in sheep abortions and death from stress and drowning and a few days work putting back up fences for the cattle because a small minority refuse to acknowledge that private property is just that. Private. I would have no trouble allowing passage through my land with permission and dogs dosed and on lead. I allow some locals to shoot foxes and have a good relationship with them but i am too tired and p****d off with the fools to tolerate it any more. Looks like 999 it is:(. Sorry about the rant

Birdnuts

I fear poaching of all types will increase sharply as the countries economy continues to tank under the strain of the up and coming austerity measures - we really are only at the foot of a wall of pain and hardship in this state I fear for many years to come:(

homerhop

At the end of the day it comes down to common manners, lads know where the do and dont have permission for. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to knock on a door and ask a land owner if they would mind you going across their lands, but i am sure lads will come on and say they havent got the time or can never find the owner. I would not be too impressed to come home and find someone mooching around my back yard, but seemingly there are members of the shooting community out there and on this forum who believe they have the god given right to shoot on any land that they want. A bit of respect would go a long way with some folks.