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What to do/say


Davyo
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I arranged to meet a possible Sydicate member today and walk/drive him round the shoot.My mate Phil came down with me & as I was guiding then new bloke around I asked Phil to go check on a few areas on the west side.About an hour in my phone rang and it was Phil in a bit of a paddy to say the least,saying something about a young buzzard and I was to get to the Top wood ASAP ( we have had a pair of Buzzards nesting in there for 3 yrs).

We drove over as quick as,where Phil was waiting on the wood edge.When I jumped out the cab Phil lead me to the boundary where a fox trap was tight up against our fence but on the neighbours land.In the trap was one of the juvenile buzzards.I managed to get it out and all looked well with the bird and after a while it took off, but we have no idea if the bait in the trap was baited with poison.

Problem is about 3 yrs ago this neighbouring farmer asked me to sort his fox problem out ( killing his chickens).I agreed on the understanding that I could shoot the rabbits on his land in return (as his rabbit problem would become our problem in due course).Well we shot 3 foxes that week & then he binned us off even though I kept telling him 3 was only a tell tale sign of a much bigger problem.So now he has gone back to trapping( ok but he needs to be checking his traps twice a day).I was planning to go see him on Sunday to advise him what we found & he's fortunate it was us and not a member of the public who came across the trap.I know he didn't intensionally mean to trap anything other than a Fox.However if Joe public found it and reported it ,God knows what would of happened,but then there's part of me is saying,just leave it say nothing.Mmmm don't know what to do!

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How do you know he was not going to check the trap later that day ?

He might,but the last time he used this trap he left a fox in it to die ( I stuck a 12g through the fence to finish it off,which put me in an funny position as I discharged it on his land)

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That is a tough situation, he must know that you, or someone with permission in the neighbouring land, shot the fox when he eventually turned up to check it or re-bait it.

 

If you forget the issue of previous dealings with this farmer what would you do if you saw this elsewhere?

 

My temptation would be to tell him straight, you saw the juvenile buzzard and you released it, you accept this was on his land, but that is secondary to the welfare of a protected animal.

 

No need to say anything other than that and see what his reaction is. If he becomes difficult then call the local wildlife plod and let him know about his behaviour.

 

I would not be tempted to try and get permission again to shoot his land as if he is behaving like a rogue now, what is the risk of you getting tarred by that brush or even blamed for his actions, you could become the stooge fall guy.

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If he left a fox in the trap to die, then he deserves to be prosecuted. I would not bother with shooting the foxes for him on his land again, and, if another fox is found trapped, and the signs are that it's been in there a long time, I would report the matter. People like him give everyone else a bad name.

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If he left a fox in the trap to die, then he deserves to be prosecuted. I would not bother with shooting the foxes for him on his land again, and, if another fox is found trapped, and the signs are that it's been in there a long time, I would report the matter. People like him give everyone else a bad name.

Ditto. Animal cruelty is animal cruelty, whether or not it's a wild animal.

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Some very good advice chaps, regarding the fox I shot in the trap I did make him aware it was me at the time & I used the welfare of the animal as an excuse for discharge on his land.After reading post 4 we would refuse,because if he continued and it happened again we then could/would be implicated.Plus with our syndicate next door it could cause us all kinds of issues.

I will Pop in though as he will be wondering why the trap door is triggered (I couldn't reset it as I could only reach reach over the fence enough to open the trap door ).If he gets a shirty I'll show him the pictures/video Phil took and apologise for not resetting the trap but will add that he needs thankful it wasn't a member of the public who came across it & to ensure he checks his trap regularly.

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If he left a fox in the trap to die, then he deserves to be prosecuted. I would not bother with shooting the foxes for him on his land again, and, if another fox is found trapped, and the signs are that it's been in there a long time, I would report the matter. People like him give everyone else a bad name.

 

I'd have to agree with this entirely. Using live cage traps brings a lot of responsibility with it. If he's not prepared to follow the law on it, then he shouldn't be using them.

 

As grrclark also says, you are right next door to him. You risk being the fall guy for his actions.

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Some very good advice chaps, regarding the fox I shot in the trap I did make him aware it was me at the time & I used the welfare of the animal as an excuse for discharge on his land.After reading post 4 we would refuse,because if he continued and it happened again we then could/would be implicated.Plus with our syndicate next door it could cause us all kinds of issues.

I will Pop in though as he will be wondering why the trap door is triggered (I couldn't reset it as I could only reach reach over the fence enough to open the trap door ).If he gets a shirty I'll show him the pictures/video Phil took and apologise for not resetting the trap but will add that he needs thankful it wasn't a member of the public who came across it & to ensure he checks his trap regularly.

Seeing as he knew it was you who shot the fox and still has not improved his behaviour then he deserves all that is coming to him.

 

You have bailed him out twice now and if you get anything less than a very grateful thank you the man is a clown of the first order.

 

Good luck :)

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I would just mention that you released the bird but didn't know how to reset the trap.

 

You don't know how long it had been before he last checked the trap or when he was dew to check it later or when the bird entered the trap so even if you think he is a bit of a plank (which he sounds like), keep it friendly when you pop around.

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I would also pop around at my earliest convenience and maybe swing past the trap first to see if it has been reset.

I have quests coming on Sunday morning to look at our shoot & I'm out on the foxes tonight over at our other shoot so going to pop and check the trap 1st tonight.

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I was always under the impression that to comply with regulations you need to check a live trap every 12 hours... That's what I was always told when working for a large pest control company. Used to dislike trapping foxes, caught an untold amount of very angry domestic cats which would run at me when letting them out lol, but luckily not a buzzard...

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I was always under the impression that to comply with regulations you need to check a live trap every 12 hours... That's what I was always told when working for a large pest control company. Used to dislike trapping foxes, caught an untold amount of very angry domestic cats which would run at me when letting them out lol, but luckily not a buzzard...

Legally a live trap has to be checked at least once in any 24 hour period but it is better practice if you can do it twice.

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Just remove the trap. simple,,,

He should check it as per regulation. he is not following the rules, so just remove it. When he asks where his trap is tell him that DEFRA have been to remove it and if he wants it back to contact them. or just tell him to go and find it.

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