How do you feel about walkers on your land?

sweet_trip · 02-08-2020 6:39pm #1

I do a lot of walking in my area. Often I cut across fields for a shortcut or just walk the farm lanes.

I've bumped into two of the farmers while walking the laneways and they never said anything to me. Just drove past in their tractors and I gave them a nod and a wave.

There's another farm complex I've started taking a shortcut across every now and then. Maybe a few times a year. I just hop the fence and walk across 3 grassy fields and try avoid any crops/cattle. Although the cattle sometimes does get excited when they notices me and comes for a gawk and I would be ducking under the odd electric fence. I don't know who this farmer is tbqh.

Would farmers in general be bothered by this? I don't want to be upsetting anybody but I grew up in a different area and always walked the fields and was generally an outdoorsy person so I still do it.

whelan2 · 02-08-2020 6:47pm

No harm to ask the farmers permission before you go across their land. It annoys me that people think they can walk across my land when they feel like it.

bucketybuck · 02-08-2020 6:49pm

whelan2 wrote: »

No harm to ask the farmers permission before you go across their land. It annoys me that people think they can walk across my land when they feel like it.

How does that work in practice though, do you stand at their boundary and wait for them to come along?

Base price · 02-08-2020 6:50pm

How do I feel - I feel for a couple of 12g cartridges.
Who the fcuk do you think you are crossing private land. I bet if I rocked up in your kitchen uninvited for Sunday breakfast you'd be pissed off.

Fcuking Right to Roam brigade :mad:

whelan2 · 02-08-2020 7:01pm

bucketybuck wrote: »

How does that work in practice though, do you stand at their boundary and wait for them to come along?

Manners cost nothing. Would you like to find me walking across your garden, possibly with a few dogs in tow. If someone asks me can they walk my land I have no problem with it

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy · 02-08-2020 7:05pm

Yes, but how does a walker actually find the farmer to ask their permission, the chances of them being within sight at the particular moment are slim.

whelan2 · 02-08-2020 7:06pm

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy wrote: »

Yes, but how does a walker actually find the farmer to ask their permission, the chances of them being within sight at the particular moment are slim.

If you want to walk the land you will ask around who the owner is, simples

893bet · 02-08-2020 7:08pm

Base price wrote: »

How do I feel - I feel for a couple of 12g cartridges.
Who the fcuk do you think you are crossing private land. I bet if I rocked up in your kitchen uninvited for Sunday breakfast you'd be pissed off.

Fcuking Right to Roam brigade :mad:

This **** right off you can. Buy some land of your own and feel free to cut through it anytime.

sweet_trip · 02-08-2020 7:09pm

whelan2 wrote: »

Manners cost nothing. Would you like to find me walking across your garden, possibly with a few dogs in tow. If someone asks me can they walk my land I have no problem with it

I do not have a dog, nor would i bring one if I did because I know that'd cause a lot of upset. I do respect the land and leave no trace etc.

I agree asking the farmer would be the best but I've yet to speak to any as the only two I've encountered just drove past me on the laneway. Although I'm pretty sure most would recognize me from living in the village area.

I'm not some pole taunting hill walker. I'm a local living here 20 years that walks the backroads and cuts across a laneway or field from time to time although I suppose there's not much of a distinction in the eyes of some.

I've legit never heard of a "right to roam" type tbh. If I was aksed to leave land I would and apologise.

Quantum Erasure · 02-08-2020 7:10pm

Prefer Tayto

893bet · 02-08-2020 7:12pm

sweet_trip wrote: »

I do not have a dog, nor would i bring one if I did because I know that'd cause a lot of upset. I do respect the land and leave no trace etc.

I agree asking the farmer would be the best but I've yet to speak to any as the only two I've encountered just drove past me on the laneway. Although I'm pretty sure most would recognize me from living in the village area.

I'm not some pole taunting hill walker. I'm a local living here 20 years that walks the backroads and cuts across a laneway or field from time to time although I suppose there's not much of a distinction in the eyes of some.

I've legit never heard of a "right to roam" type tbh. If I was aksed to leave land I would and apologise.

Some day there will be a mad LM heifer in the field who will take running (not toward you, most likely away from you) and break wire and jump ditches.

Will it be you or the farmer that spends a few hour tracking her down and doing repairs.

You have no business in someone else’s land. Simple as that.

K.G. · 02-08-2020 7:13pm

sweet_trip wrote: »

I do a lot of walking in my area. Often I cut across fields for a shortcut or just walk the farm lanes.

I've bumped into two of the farmers while walking the laneways and they never said anything to me. Just drove past in their tractors and I gave them a nod and a wave.

There's another farm complex I've started taking a shortcut across every now and then. Maybe a few times a year. I just hop the fence and walk across 3 grassy fields and try avoid any crops/cattle. Although the cattle sometimes does get excited when they notices me and comes for a gawk and I would be ducking under the odd electric fence. I don't know who this farmer is tbqh.

Would farmers in general be bothered by this? I don't want to be upsetting anybody but I grew up in a different area and always walked the fields and was generally an outdoorsy person so I still do it.

in general its a no no im afraid unless you have a relationship with the farmer.the fear of litigation is the big driver here because no matter how stupid someone can be the land owner is ultimately responsible.

NcdJd · 02-08-2020 7:14pm

Unless you get permission from farmer I don't think you should be roaming through farm fields. Especially not if there are animals on them. Livestock can get very nervous and end up in all sorts of situations such as going through fences and causing injury to themselves.

A friend of mine has to contend with this all the time. Gates being left open, people walking around with big dogs and foals or calfs in the next field.

Do the right thing and get permission first.

touts · 02-08-2020 7:17pm

sweet_trip wrote: »

I do not have a dog, nor would i bring one if I did because I know that'd cause a lot of upset. I do respect the land and leave no trace etc.

I agree asking the farmer would be the best but I've yet to speak to any as the only two I've encountered just drove past me on the laneway. Although I'm pretty sure most would recognize me from living in the village area.

I'm not some pole taunting hill walker. I'm a local living here 20 years that walks the backroads and cuts across a laneway or field from time to time although I suppose there's not much of a distinction in the eyes of some.

I've legit never heard of a "right to roam" type tbh. If I was aksed to leave land I would and apologise.

If you tripped over a loose piece of barbed wire and someone told you that'll be worth €50k compo would you still be so friendly to the farmer?

bucketybuck · 02-08-2020 7:22pm

whelan2 wrote: »

Manners cost nothing. Would you like to find me walking across your garden, possibly with a few dogs in tow. If someone asks me can they walk my land I have no problem with it

whelan2 wrote: »

If you want to walk the land you will ask around who the owner is, simples

You have rather missed the point. I was a kid growing up in the countryside, I grew up wandering off over hills and dales and I don't recall a journey planner for any bit of it.

So say you go for a walk locally, you decide to go left instead of right and you go to cut across a field, how exactly are you supposed to clear this with the farmer?

Forget the pitchfork for a minute and whether its right or its wrong, I'm asking about the practical side of things. It seems insane to suggest that instead of just walking across the grass and being gone within minutes that instead you should hunt down the farmer wherever he is just so you can ask permission to walk across a field.

Del2005 · 02-08-2020 7:25pm

sweet_trip wrote: »

I do not have a dog, nor would i bring one if I did because I know that'd cause a lot of upset. I do respect the land and leave no trace etc.

I agree asking the farmer would be the best but I've yet to speak to any as the only two I've encountered just drove past me on the laneway. Although I'm pretty sure most would recognize me from living in the village area.

I'm not some pole taunting hill walker. I'm a local living here 20 years that walks the backroads and cuts across a laneway or field from time to time although I suppose there's not much of a distinction in the eyes of some.

I've legit never heard of a "right to roam" type tbh. If I was aksed to leave land I would and apologise.

If you have been living there for 20 years it shouldn't be difficult to find the land owner(s) of the fields.

Walking laneways is completely different from walking across a field. The purpose of laneways is for people and animals to travel on, fields are not.

whelan2 · 02-08-2020 7:26pm

There could be a bull in the fields or protective suckler cows who dont like strangers going across their area.

Base price · 02-08-2020 7:26pm

whelan2 wrote: »

No harm to ask the farmers permission before you go across their land. It annoys me that people think they can walk across my land when they feel like it.

Does your public liability insurance policy cover if you give permission to someone to cross your land - just asking.

FixitFelix · 02-08-2020 7:26pm

Base price wrote: »

How do I feel - I feel for a couple of 12g cartridges.
Who the fcuk do you think you are crossing private land. I bet if I rocked up in your kitchen uninvited for Sunday breakfast you'd be pissed off.

Fcuking Right to Roam brigade :mad:

The 2 are hardly comparable

whelan2 · 02-08-2020 7:27pm

FixitFelix wrote: »

The 2 are hardly comparable

Why not ?

FixitFelix · 02-08-2020 7:29pm

whelan2 wrote: »

Why not ?

Walking into someone's house and walking across a field are the same to you?

Buford T. Justice XIX · 02-08-2020 7:30pm

sweet_trip wrote: »

I do a lot of walking in my area. Often I cut across fields for a shortcut or just walk the farm lanes.

I've bumped into two of the farmers while walking the laneways and they never said anything to me. Just drove past in their tractors and I gave them a nod and a wave.

There's another farm complex I've started taking a shortcut across every now and then. Maybe a few times a year. I just hop the fence and walk across 3 grassy fields and try avoid any crops/cattle. Although the cattle sometimes does get excited when they notices me and comes for a gawk and I would be ducking under the odd electric fence. I don't know who this farmer is tbqh.

Would farmers in general be bothered by this? I don't want to be upsetting anybody but I grew up in a different area and always walked the fields and was generally an outdoorsy person so I still do it.

It's quite simple, if the farmer is living on the farm, you go into the farmyard to ask his permission. If there's no farmer living there, you ask one of the neighbours who owns it and then ask him before you walk on the farm.

There's numerous issues that walkers ignore.

It's private property, the same as your back garden. I don't imaging you would be too happy to see someone vaulting over your back wall at odd hours every day to go for a stroll.

If there's animals on the land, there's a good chance that they will be spooked and possibly driven out of the field or onto the road. Any accident caused by that would be YOUR fault though it would be the farmer getting blamed and ending up on court. They might end up on his or some other farmers silage ground and destroy a crop of silage or a crop of corn.

There's biosecurity, where you could be bringing TB or Neosporidia from another farm or the road and passing it onto the cattle on the farm you're just taking a stroll through and destroy the stock. Or God knows what other disease from another farm.

Then there's insurance. There's still an extremely firm belief that any trespasser that ends up being killed or injured on a farm will at the very least send the farms insurance skyrocketing. Even if the injured party was doing the most outrageously stupid fcukwittery imaginable, the farmer will still be left holding the can.

So, just ask the farmer or stay away, it really is that simple.

ganmo · 02-08-2020 7:31pm

I had to turn countless people out of here since things started opening up. They walked past private property signs and farm biosecurity signs to see how far they could get.
OP what you are doing is trespassing the people you've met may not have been the land owner so might not be willing to challenge you.
To the posters who want to find out who owns land go onto landdirect.ie go from there.

sweet_trip · 02-08-2020 7:33pm

Point taken lads. I'll be much more careful in the future and avoid unknown land.

Del2005 wrote: »

If you have been living there for 20 years it shouldn't be difficult to find the land owner(s) of the fields.

Walking laneways is completely different from walking across a field. The purpose of laneways is for people and animals to travel on, fields are not.

Oh yeah I know exactly where the farms yards and houses are. I know one of their names they know mine, the others don't know me other than maybe seeing my face while walking the roads.

bucketybuck wrote: »

I was a kid growing up in the countryside, I grew up wandering off over hills and dales and I don't recall a journey planner for any bit of it.

So say you go for a walk locally, you decide to go left instead of right and you go to cut across a field, how exactly are you supposed to clear this with the farmer?

This describes what I do down to a tee.

I know it's somewhat normal for kids and locals of all ages to do it. I just wanted to gauge how farmers on here felt.

Base price wrote: »

How do I feel - I feel for a couple of 12g cartridges.

Would you really pull a gun on a local lad walking a field?
I suppose many a farmer would.

FixitFelix · 02-08-2020 7:34pm

sweet_trip wrote: »

Would you really pull a gun on a local lad walking a field?
I suppose many a farmer would.

No he wouldn't

whelan2 · 02-08-2020 7:35pm

FixitFelix wrote: »

Walking into someone's house and walking across a field are the same to you?

If it's not your property why should you have the right to walk on it with out asking someone first

whelan2 · 02-08-2020 7:36pm

FixitFelix wrote: »

No he wouldn't

She might

ganmo · 02-08-2020 7:40pm

FixitFelix wrote: »

No he wouldn't

You just made her madder

Shes well within her rights to walk her ground with her shotgun. You are not

Waffletraktor · 02-08-2020 7:43pm

An absolute fooking disaster.
There's only a tiny% have the decency to respect others property.

s1ippy · 02-08-2020 7:43pm

There are trip wires installed all over my land. Tread softly for you tread on my dreams. This land is mine land.

Actually I live in the city and local lads running away from the Gardaí cut through our gardens. Scares the living sh!te out of me, I could be in the kitchen bollock naked some days and they burst out of a hedge. I had to ring the guard who lives in the next road last year because a fella being pursued hid in our wheelie bin.

djmc · 02-08-2020 7:46pm

This right to roam is something that has being trying to creep in here from the UK I won't walk across my neighbors land and I know them all my life and would find it cheek for a stranger to walk across mine. I wrote some of the reasons for this on my blog a while back
https://blackfieldfarm.com/right-to-roam-ireland/

whelan2 · 02-08-2020 7:49pm

s1ippy wrote: »

There are trip wires installed all over my land. Tread softly for you tread on my dreams. This land is mine land.

Actually I live in the city and local lads running away from the Gardaí cut through our gardens. Scares the living sh!te out of me, I could be in the kitchen bollock naked some days and they burst out of a hedge. I had to ring the guard who lives in the next road last year because a fella being pursued hid in our wheelie bin.

Hopefully there was some stinky baby nappies in there

02-08-2020 7:51pm

I've spent a lot of time in Finland, everyone can walk anywhere they like.
In fact, it's actually hard to see boundaries between land/forests owned by different people. There's not many fences anywhere.
I thought it was strange at first, but it's fantastic. Everyone does it. You can literally walk anywhere.

Can't see it working here, but it a shame it couldn't.

StevenToast · 02-08-2020 7:55pm

You have no business walking private property without prior permission....end of story....

Bullocks · 02-08-2020 7:55pm

Don't like or want them on our land .
Alot more walkers around since lockdown ,some cheeky hoors as well . I think I posted last year about cutting a tree with the chainsaw , when I knocked off the saw there was a dog tied to the arm of the tractor and a family gone into the field flying a drone .The man thought I was acting the dick telling them to get out and take the dog . Kinda like what was my problem , it's a good spot to fly a drone !!!!!!

F5500 · 02-08-2020 7:57pm

We have them regularly enough. Haven't had any problems yet, they open/close gates and leave the place as it was.

Base price · 02-08-2020 8:02pm

Would you really pull a gun on a local lad walking a field?
I suppose many a farmer would.

I've never pulled a gun on a local lad/lassie hunting my land during the season. I hunted their grandparents land as a child we will keep the tradition going as long as we can.

On the flip side the majority of OH's land (just across the road from mine) is part of a Sanctuary and Yes we've proffered the gun and hunted off several fellas over the years.

whisky_galore · 02-08-2020 8:42pm

bubblypop wrote: »

I've spent a lot of time in Finland, everyone can walk anywhere they like.
In fact, it's actually hard to see boundaries between land/forests owned by different people. There's not many fences anywhere.
I thought it was strange at first, but it's fantastic. Everyone does it. You can literally walk anywhere.

Can't see it working here, but it a shame it couldn't.

They have a sense of civic responsibility and mutual respect.

We have protective, suspicious landowners vs. Irresponsible Joe public, leaves his rubbish after him, and not adverse to pulling a compo claim.

_Brian · 02-08-2020 9:08pm

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy wrote: »

Yes, but how does a walker actually find the farmer to ask their permission, the chances of them being within sight at the particular moment are slim.

If you can’t find or don’t know the farmer then don’t access the land.

There’s no “right to roam” here in Ireland or anything of the sort. Farmland is completely private.

It’s the height of bad manners to assume it will be ok.

And the “I didn’t know who to ask” excuse is rubbish and insulting.

Round here strangers are presumed to be scouting for theft and are treated as such. All dogs are worrying stock, and sher didn’t you put the lead on it after it was shot.

amadangomor · 02-08-2020 9:31pm

_Brian wrote: »

If you can’t find or don’t know the farmer then don’t access the land.

There’s no “right to roam” here in Ireland or anything of the sort. Farmland is completely private.

It’s the height of bad manners to assume it will be ok.

And the “I didn’t know who to ask” excuse is rubbish and insulting.

Round here strangers are presumed to be scouting for theft and are treated as such. All dogs are worrying stock, and sher didn’t you put the lead on it after it was shot.

Lime Tree Farm · 02-08-2020 9:33pm

Reminds of the time I was alerted by the cows and calves reaction to three people entering the field along with their dogs. I confronted them, but wasn’t the better of it for the day, thinking I could have handled it more diplomatically. That evening I went out to spread slug pellets, still disturbed by the confrontation, when I noticed I was sprinkling cat food pellets on the vegetable patch

ruwithme · 02-08-2020 10:33pm

You've stirred up a pot here op.

Have you never seen the film??
The field it's called

StevenToast · 02-08-2020 10:40pm

Think of the Clint Eastwood scene in Gran Torino...."Get off my lawn"....

...now replace lawn with land....

Thats your answer OP....

madmaggie · 02-08-2020 11:30pm

Base price wrote: »

How do I feel - I feel for a couple of 12g cartridges.
Who the fcuk do you think you are crossing private land. I bet if I rocked up in your kitchen uninvited for Sunday breakfast you'd be pissed off.

Fcuking Right to Roam brigade :mad:

I had this problem a few years back. Local lad coming in with dogs, scaring the sh*t out of in calf heifers. I tried telling him nicely, then said he'd be talking to my solicitor. That stopped him.

Sheep breeder · 02-08-2020 11:50pm

ruwithme wrote: »

You've stirred up a pot here op.

Have you never seen the film??
The field it's called

If that guy wants to walk across land fair play to him, but if encounters the stock bull he would want to faster that usain bolt or in our case a big charolais heifer that is very highly strung and very fast and have the ambulance on speed dial.
Best thing is stay off farm land and walk the road or in parks. Or like captain Tom in the uk in lock down walk around your own property.

Padre_Pio · 02-08-2020 11:58pm

F5500 wrote: »

We have them regularly enough. Haven't had any problems yet, they open/close gates and place as it was.

I bring the dogs over the fields, never met a farmer yet.

Only travel on grass, or harvested fields so I'm not doing any crop damage, dont go near fields with livestock.

893bet · 03-08-2020 12:05am

Padre_Pio wrote: »

I bring the dogs over the fields, never met a farmer yet.

Only travel on grass, or harvested fields so I'm not doing any crop damage, dont go near fields with livestock.

Assuming your dog ****s in the field and you don’t collect it (and don’t pretend you do) you can do serious harm to the livestock when they are place in the field.

Buy your own land and walk on that. Such an entitled culture we have.

Dinzee Conlee · 03-08-2020 12:14am

Padre_Pio wrote: »

I bring the dogs over the fields, never met a farmer yet.

Only travel on grass, or harvested fields so I'm not doing any crop damage, dont go near fields with livestock.

I get the feeling you’re just trolling...

But if you’re not, please stop trespassing... Am pretty sure you wouldn’t like anyone doing it to your property...

Base price · 03-08-2020 12:20am

As a childer I remember my Grandad and latterly my Uncle cleaning the spring well on Mam's farm so that the neighbours had access to drinking water. From memory - the rule was that they could take as much water as they could carry but they didn't have a right of way.

Padre_Pio · 03-08-2020 12:21am

893bet wrote: »

Assuming your dog ****s in the field and you don’t collect it (and don’t pretend you do) you can do serious harm to the livestock when they are place in the field.

Buy your own land and walk on that. Such an entitled culture we have.

Do farmers pick up their own dogs poo in the fields?

Mossie1975 · 03-08-2020 12:26am

No problem here as long as you close the gate after you (& don’t sue me if you’re chased by a bull)

How do you feel about walkers on your land?

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