aj85

from what i could gather on the basc website it is technically legal to shoot wildfoul with an air rifle as long as its in season and have permission etc. however it is not reccomended and not allowed to fire lead over waterways. but as i said before its still very confusing and probably not a good idea so i'll either have to find someone with a shotgun or get one myself.

thats what i have been thinking. shotgun would be much better. just cant find anything on the legality of using airguns so better safe than sorry.

i forgot to add im shooting with a pcp air rifle at 12ftlb. will be applying for co-terminous in the next few weeks as i would prefer to use a shotgun but cant find anything about shooting with air rifles?

hi guys, i have just been asked by the landowner on one of my permissions if i can help keep his duck population down. part of the land is a dayticket fishery and the ducks are his but are now everywhere. im not sure on the legality of it so hoping someone can advise? cheers guys

would agree, chester zoo is fantastic and have the longest snake in the uk at the moment (although im sure there are some in private collections that could challenge it). paignton zoo is also brilliant and probably my favourite but a mammoth drive for you.

sorry to hear that mate, but sadly this is the world we now live in. i doubt the police will do anything even if you provided their names and addresses i doubt it would even get to court and even if it went that far, id bet my life nothing would come of it! i grew up in a rough part of birmingham, and have had the same thing happen to me, as other said try getting him into something to boost his confidence, boxing worked for me. the last time it happened to me i was 15 and on a bus on my way home from town with my younger brother, two lads around 18 got on and went straight for me. started by searching my pockets and the usual threats etc. now at this time i remember not being scared at all, boxing had tought me control and confidence. i had sparred with guys his size and waited for my moment. he stood up and grabbed my bag, his mate ran off the bus and i let rip.... long story short i broke my hand and he lost some teeth and ran away. i got home and my parents took me to the hospital and called the police, the next day when the officer visited he told me that as i hit him first i could be the one prosecuted! probably true but if i could turn back time i would have hit him harder! i hate bullies and most of all i hate the way the law is so warped to protect these scumbag oxygen thieves that will never amount to anything or positively contribute to society! he will probably be feeling a bit under the weather for a while but no doubt he will bounce back as kids inevitabely do!

i actually quite like it! personally i would rather have had it all black synthetic stock but thats just my preference. not really into wooden stocks although i can appreciate the craftmanship that goes into some of them but i like the durable 'tactical look'.

heres a few more pics of milo one has his baby, the cat in the background. notice he isn't eating her! and here he is NOT ripping my face off!

thanks mate, thats milo. my dads dog and my dogs brother, he is 5 months old in that pic and quite possibly the softest most affectionate dog i have ever met. his two best friends are my mothers cats and he shares his bed with them and practically drowns them with his 'kisses'. out on walks with my akita both dogs are completely uninterested in other dogs or people, if he sees someone he dosent like the look of he will lean into you and move you out of the way putting himself between you and them. dispite his soft nature with family he is a fantastic guard dog. he never barks unless absolutely necessary. my dad is a caretaker at our local school and some of the local yobs used to think it was theirs to use and abuse... however one grunt from milo and anyone considering scaling the fence knows he means business.

the only people saying dont have one are those that have no first hand experience with them. people who have never actually lived with one! they are basing their opinions on what they have heard. i love the breed and as long as i can help it will never be without an akita! they are noble, loyal, loving dogs held in extremely high regard by those who own them, are a source of national pride in their home land. they are a breed that would die to protect their owners and i sleep well at night knowing mine is downstairs ever ready to protect all that i hold dear.

i personally have never seen anything, but there certainly could be. as you rightly said you need a dangerous wild animals license for any big cat wildcat or f1. in order to obtain the license you need to satisfy the licensing officer that you have the relavant experience, knowledge to keep one etc and also that your enclosure is secure enough to prevent escape. the varying criteria and requirements vary greatly between different councils. and i could see how if someone did have an escape they wouldnt report it for fear of losing something that has cost so much time effort and cash to obtain. plus possible fines or prosecution. it is also a fact that many dwa listed animals are often imported illegally into the uk and this could well include big cats, once people realise what they've gotten into or even having inadequate enclosures im sure escapees or those released would be able to survive in the darkest corners of the uk countryside.

... funny you should say that gordon! i got bitten last nite by an anaconda. only a little love bite though of course everyone knows all snakes are venomous and once they hit 4 foot in length list humans as a favourite food.

cracking looking akitas gordon! and those were beautiful gsd's. we had gsd years ago, but getting hard to fing a good one nowadays. i think the akita is quite big for his age, my dad has his brother and he is slightly bigger than ours! both parents were good sized akitas too. ... and the box to my right (well actually theres 3) the bottom one has a boa constrictor, the middle one has a reticulated python, and the top one has a nile monitor lizard.

my cousin has a large scar on his upper arm and shoulder from a red setter which was a friends family pet which subsequently turned and decided to attack him when he was 9. my neighbour (who keeps greyhounds) was terrified of dogs after being bitten by a labrador when he was younger. a mate from school also has a scar on his face from a lab that but him when he was 7, he nearly lost his sight in one eye but looks well 'ard now. ...all true stories (and to think people give these breeds to blind people!) another time from my childhood me and a friend found a lost yorkshire terrier, my mate went to stroke it and it turned and bit him! another cousin had to have several stiches in his nose from when his stepmothers shi-tsu bit him! the same cousin who was attacked by the red setter bought his daughter a bichon frise which has bitten his daughter and her friends on numerous occasions and is an evil ball of fluff! and to think these are the new fashion accessory for kids! now i know a lot of people who own many different breeds of dog and dont know anyone first hand that has been bitten by an akita! i know these dogs are capable of hurting people bus so is every dog! its down to a good family environment, careful breeding and competent owners to ensure their dogs are controlled. and finally it is down to people who want to interact with dogs to know how to approach them!

i have been around large breeds all my life, so has much of my family. growing up we had german sheperds, dobermans, boxers, and akitas as well as collies and jack russels. and the only dogs i have ever been attacked by are collies and chihauhas! ...seems funny how the only people who have negative things to say about akitas are those that have never kept them?

i have an akita, and a jack russel. my dad also has an akita and in my opinion if well socialised and brought up correctly they are as trustworthy as any dog. with their immediate family (pack) if you are considering getting an akita, remember these dogs are an ancient breed that was bred for combat and hunting. because of this they are very wary of strangers and fiercely protective of their owners. they will challenge anyone they deem to be a threat. and because of their hunting instincts they will chase any small animal that runs from them. we always walk ours on the lead under control and he couldnt care less about other dogs, just today we must have had 20 dogs running up and barking etc, the akitas dont even bat an eyelid! if you keep in mind the history of the breed and structure training around this, keeping strict dominance and obedience. along with a calm loving home you will be rewarded with a tremendously loyal dog that would die to protect your family. i agree they are definately not for everyone and in the wrong hands these dogs (like any other) can be potentially dangerous. and in cases where children have been attacked im sure its partly down to the children not behaving correctly or thinking the big fluffy dog is a teddy bear. which is not the childs fault! i always tell visitors not to touch the dog until he approaches and is comfortable with your presence. of course i wouldnt leave my dogs alone with a child or stranger the same as i wouldnt leave them alone near a pool or anything else. i love my dogs and can honestly say they are soft as can be, and i know my mrs can take the akita for a walk through birmingham at night and return safe with the loyal brave warrior by her side!

some gorgeous dogs on here. heres my two, jack and lancho. jack, the jack russel is two and a natural born ratter but very obedient for a jrt. lanco is a 9 month old akita and despite their reputation one of the most gentle family dogs i have ever encountered. however he is feircely protective and a natural guardian. we sleep sound at night knowing these two are downstairs.

heres one of my reticulated pythons, she's only a few months old in the pic. these snakes grow to be the longest in the world.

nice spids mate, used to really be into my arachnids, had a lot of old world species, cant beat the good old pokies!

heres my two boys, jack the jack russel 2 years old and lancho the akita 9 months old and both brilliant dogs.

i have a chilean rose, an indian ornamental, a trinidad chevron and a giant white knee at the moment, did have lots more though but thinned down my collection a bit. had a few adult female red rumps and curly hairs a few years ago my aunt still has one of the curly hairs now, such a docile tarantula.

did you ever get to breed the boelens? had a bit of a stint with the more fragile species when i left the army such as jacksons chamelions, and a pair of amazon basins, had a trio of the jacksoni and managed to breed with one female resulting in 16 live young but unfortunately only two made it to adulthood. the basins did well, managed to get them feeding and growing on (they were wc and in a right state when i got them) but ended up selling as i lost my job. have stuck to the larger more hardy species now and breed a few of them to pay for their keep. between the reps, shooting and motorcycles i couldnt cope with some of the more difficult species. although i would like to get a few hots one day. and maby some varanus salvator cummingi

my thoughts exactly mate, and im sure "something" could be done in the near future. i see exactly what you are saying about vigilantism, it seems the average law abiding citizens are the ones finding themselves worse off in situations like this.

its a shame, the police dealing with my brothers were useless! we actually managed to track down one of the likely suspects ourselves and even found the bike burned out in a nearby park, complete with the ignition and screwdriver they tried to start it with! didn't touch the evidence and told the police all the info and guess what.... they couldnt do anything, and even said it wasnt his bike despite many unique features and even part of the license plate! a week later he got a letter saying if found he would have to pay for recovery! the suspect (theiving chav) remains elusive! id think about beefing up security if i was you incase they come back for the tools. ... or they might have seen the clays and put two and two togather and stay away.

theiving ****! my brother had his bike stolen a few weeks ago!