We have just had the local shoot here today, it started around 10am with cars gathering. Fine I thought I know they shoot here. But what I hadn't bargained was that shoot being within 20 mtrs of the house and a shooter shooting in the direction of the house!
I wasn't in the house at the time but chatting to the log man and just saying their a bit close aren't they when a bird goes up and is missed. The guys shout LEAVE IT as it's heading in the direction of my house. One of the shooters doesn't and fires!
My neighbours have already called the police complaining they are too close and the police turn up and a statement taken. I tell them about this incident and it's a whole different ball game and instantly informed that's an offence, discharging a weapon recklessly.
So I have had to make a statement and criminal charges are now being sort against said shooter.
I should not have had to tell my kids stay in the house, don't go out and stay away from the windows because the shooting party break the rules and law.
1) no notification of the shoot being near..an offence according to the constable
2) being too close to domestic buildings, 2nd offence
3) reckless discharge of a weapon, 3rd and most serious offence.
The shoot gets too close for comfort, and safety
Bloody good thing Baldowrie!
Somebody should be prosecuted for being idiotic with firearms. It's good that none of your lot were hurt> Hopefully that might settle the shooters down a bit!
Nev
Somebody should be prosecuted for being idiotic with firearms. It's good that none of your lot were hurt> Hopefully that might settle the shooters down a bit!
Nev
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To be honest I was so shocked the woman fired toward the house all I called say to the chap I was talking to was 'she fired towards the house' and all he could say was 'yes, she did!' Think we were both a bit surprised she had done this as we both went silent.
Friend of mine asked me if I said anything to her, I swiftly pointed I had no intention of picking a fight with a woman with a 12 bore who had only discharged one round
She had to agree that was a wise move!
The police are dealing with it now, being a criminal offence as I was told it's out of my hand. I merely witnessed the event.
Feel sorry for my 2 hens though. They went missing durring this so I was bit concerned they would get caught in the shoot. Had I had notification I would not have let them out. But they are more sensible then I gave them credit for and they legged it back to my land and hid under the 2 garden chairs on there, quivering recks.
Have to say the guys on the shoot were sensible and gave out constant orders to 'leave it' as the situation was unsafe to fire. But they should never have been there in the first place and part of the blame for that has to lie with the beaters drivng the birds there. Orders or no orders the danger of the situation should have been expressed.
Friend of mine asked me if I said anything to her, I swiftly pointed I had no intention of picking a fight with a woman with a 12 bore who had only discharged one round
She had to agree that was a wise move!
The police are dealing with it now, being a criminal offence as I was told it's out of my hand. I merely witnessed the event.
Feel sorry for my 2 hens though. They went missing durring this so I was bit concerned they would get caught in the shoot. Had I had notification I would not have let them out. But they are more sensible then I gave them credit for and they legged it back to my land and hid under the 2 garden chairs on there, quivering recks.
Have to say the guys on the shoot were sensible and gave out constant orders to 'leave it' as the situation was unsafe to fire. But they should never have been there in the first place and part of the blame for that has to lie with the beaters drivng the birds there. Orders or no orders the danger of the situation should have been expressed.
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Muddypause
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I have absolutely no idea what shoots are all about, or why people would want to take such pleasures. Personally, I can't think how they can be legitimately justified at all; but that's by the by.
It seems to me that if anyone had to call out 'leave it' at any time, then the shoot was clearly in a dangerous place, and should never have taken place there. It's inexcusable that you weren't even notified about it, if it impinged upon you so much. But even so, why should you have to lock up your chooks and keep your children indoors? Oh, yeah, I remember - because shoots can charge £5,000 a gun for a days shooting.
I hope the master of the shoot, as well as the gun involved are made to see some sense. At least this may stop it happening again.
It seems to me that if anyone had to call out 'leave it' at any time, then the shoot was clearly in a dangerous place, and should never have taken place there. It's inexcusable that you weren't even notified about it, if it impinged upon you so much. But even so, why should you have to lock up your chooks and keep your children indoors? Oh, yeah, I remember - because shoots can charge £5,000 a gun for a days shooting.
I hope the master of the shoot, as well as the gun involved are made to see some sense. At least this may stop it happening again.
Stew
Ignorance is essential
Ignorance is essential
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Stonehead
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What gets me is that the police have a tendency to caution shooters in situation like this. At the end of the day, the person with the gun is the person responsible for whether to shoot or not.
If they can't make that decision correctly and safely, then their shotgun certificate should be revoked, and their guns confiscated and crushed. A caution allows them to keep doing it and doesn't give them a criminal record - which would see their certificate revoked.
As for shoots in general, I'm not a huge fan of going out shooting simply to see who can get the biggest bag. By all means, shoot for the pot or to get rid of vermin, but this sort of sport is a bit odd.
But, I also know that a lot of small to medium farms depend on shoots to bring in cash incomes because their income from farming is so low. I also know that farms and estates leave a lot more land semi-wild and wild when they have shoots.
I'm also loathe to call for bans simply because I personally don't like something.
So I tend to towards allowing shooting as strictly controlled and supervised privilege, then if someone steps out of line - they lose the privilege immediately and forever. And yes, I've been using firearms since I was seven.
If they can't make that decision correctly and safely, then their shotgun certificate should be revoked, and their guns confiscated and crushed. A caution allows them to keep doing it and doesn't give them a criminal record - which would see their certificate revoked.
As for shoots in general, I'm not a huge fan of going out shooting simply to see who can get the biggest bag. By all means, shoot for the pot or to get rid of vermin, but this sort of sport is a bit odd.
But, I also know that a lot of small to medium farms depend on shoots to bring in cash incomes because their income from farming is so low. I also know that farms and estates leave a lot more land semi-wild and wild when they have shoots.
I'm also loathe to call for bans simply because I personally don't like something.
So I tend to towards allowing shooting as strictly controlled and supervised privilege, then if someone steps out of line - they lose the privilege immediately and forever. And yes, I've been using firearms since I was seven.
The impression I got from the constables was that the shooter in question would get more than a caution and the whole party may well do too. But we shall see.
The shoot got too near last year and they were cautioned so the police are not impressed to be called out again for the same thing a year later.
I was asked if I could identify the woman in line up, had to be honest and say I really could not be sure on that as she had her back to me most of the time and only glanced over her shoulder and I was too busy looking to see if she had a gun to look at her face.
One of my hens this morning I notice has a slightly injury. I thought she may have yesterday as her leg was wet and she hiding a lot more than the other hen. However as she was not bleeding out I decided that she was so traumatised better to leave her alone. Any way on letting them out this morning I noticed a puncture wound probably made by a dog on her leg. It has clotted and she is eating and walking ok.
Muddypause the fact that yesterday was a bright dry, but cold, day meant that people and children were highly likely to be out and I agree I should not have had to tell the children on no account go outside or near the doors and windows.
I went out for several reasons, hang my washing before I saw how close the shoot was. I had need to catch the woodman to put in an order for log and the main reason when I realised how close the shoot was to ensure they got no closer and keep any eye on them. Guns or no guns if they had got closer I would have had a word or three. But yes they were too close as it was.
Oh and the pheasants they missed, all sitting in our gardens
The shoot got too near last year and they were cautioned so the police are not impressed to be called out again for the same thing a year later.
I was asked if I could identify the woman in line up, had to be honest and say I really could not be sure on that as she had her back to me most of the time and only glanced over her shoulder and I was too busy looking to see if she had a gun to look at her face.
One of my hens this morning I notice has a slightly injury. I thought she may have yesterday as her leg was wet and she hiding a lot more than the other hen. However as she was not bleeding out I decided that she was so traumatised better to leave her alone. Any way on letting them out this morning I noticed a puncture wound probably made by a dog on her leg. It has clotted and she is eating and walking ok.
Muddypause the fact that yesterday was a bright dry, but cold, day meant that people and children were highly likely to be out and I agree I should not have had to tell the children on no account go outside or near the doors and windows.
I went out for several reasons, hang my washing before I saw how close the shoot was. I had need to catch the woodman to put in an order for log and the main reason when I realised how close the shoot was to ensure they got no closer and keep any eye on them. Guns or no guns if they had got closer I would have had a word or three. But yes they were too close as it was.
Oh and the pheasants they missed, all sitting in our gardens
Just to give you an idea of the area and the position of the shooter. This was taken from my back door. On the left of the dot, which is roughly where the shooter was standing, is a big stone derelict building. To the right is the open barn which had the shooting parties cars parked in it. Down the road is obviously my house and to the right of the road is my barn, car and caravan.
There is no clean shot without risk of hitting something other than a bird.
There is no clean shot without risk of hitting something other than a bird.
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Martin
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sounds like a dreadfully badly run shoot - if that lady had tried that trick on some gamekeepers I've known, her last worry would be Mr Plod - her feet wouldn't have touched ground, and her gun would have been removed from her instantly! 
On a lighter note, we used to live on the edge of a big commercial shoot, and we'd see all the hard work the keepers put in to raise loads of fast chickens
(pheasants), and laugh our heads off at all the poseurs who'd turn up with 50ks worth of matched pairs, and in the word of the gamekeeper "couldn't hit a cow's backside with a banjo" - most birds were shot by the shoot staff, and the best day of all was "beaters day" when all the impecunious beaters turned up with rusty Spanish guns of uncertain pedigree and hit everything that took off!
On a lighter note, we used to live on the edge of a big commercial shoot, and we'd see all the hard work the keepers put in to raise loads of fast chickens
(pheasants), and laugh our heads off at all the poseurs who'd turn up with 50ks worth of matched pairs, and in the word of the gamekeeper "couldn't hit a cow's backside with a banjo" - most birds were shot by the shoot staff, and the best day of all was "beaters day" when all the impecunious beaters turned up with rusty Spanish guns of uncertain pedigree and hit everything that took off!
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Sorry to hear your your troubles.
I have shot for food and vermin control for years but i never have partaken in a paid shooting party.
Firearms and there use in this country have a bad enough reputation as it is with out things like this happening.
The person in question should have there shotguns confiscated and there firearms certificate revoked permenantly.
Just to let you know that by law as those phesants are on your land they now belong to you so you may get a nice meal out of the bad experiance.
I have shot for food and vermin control for years but i never have partaken in a paid shooting party.
Firearms and there use in this country have a bad enough reputation as it is with out things like this happening.
The person in question should have there shotguns confiscated and there firearms certificate revoked permenantly.
Just to let you know that by law as those phesants are on your land they now belong to you so you may get a nice meal out of the bad experiance.
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Millymollymandy
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Sounds like your average Sunday in France. All we hear all winter long is rifle shots, not just on Sundays, but Sunday is the big day of the week.
Luckily they can't get onto my land but we hear of horror stories all the time of people's cats, dogs and chickens being shot or killed by the dogs, and horses being traumatised and escaping their fields and many near misses of humans.
The only good thing about it is that the hunters sometimes shoot each other especially after a liquid lunch!
Luckily they can't get onto my land but we hear of horror stories all the time of people's cats, dogs and chickens being shot or killed by the dogs, and horses being traumatised and escaping their fields and many near misses of humans.
The only good thing about it is that the hunters sometimes shoot each other especially after a liquid lunch!