Armed Tresspass

[Jim Sarakun]

Went out Saturday for what was to be the last day before starting work on Monday. The Pigeons have been very hard to shoot this last few weeks, now that they are flocking, due to the flock mentality, they all come in together, one bang and they all move out of range. This is probably due to every one with a new gun is out with their new Christmas present for a week, before they lock it up until summer, consequently the birds are decoy shy.

 

We were in an area where this particular farmer allows access to quite a few guns, that we never see and we shoot the place regularly. We decided to shoot a field of rape which was in the middle of a large field of wheat. We have shot this area now for 4 years or more.

 

So we picked our spot and started setting up. A Discovery entered the field and I said to Oz jokingly, "oh look, Mr W. is delivering our bottle of scotch personally". I will use initials to protect the innocent, well really so you lot don't phone him up because he lets most people shoot his land.

 

Well as he approached I did not recognise him, so assumed he was one of Mr W's sons. He stopped in the tram line near me, so I walked over and said "you must be Mr W's son then?". "No I am not" he said, "I am Mr R. and this is my field, you are trespassing".

 

Well... a lot of things flashed through my mind at that point. For what seemed an eternity, neither of us said anything so I blurted out, "well I'm awfully sorry, we thought this was Mr W's land". "yes" he said, "it is easy to make that mistake, as it is right in the middle of his fields, but it does in fact belong to me, and you two are in the wrong place, the birds are hammering another field of mine, hop in and I'll show you, I'd rather you cleared them from there first".

 

Well I just could not believe what that man had just said and promptly jumped into his motor, shouting over to Oz that I would be back later. So this very nice farmer proceeded to show me all his Rape fields that he wanted us to shoot and yes, they were full of Pigeons. He said that he had seen our Land Rovers on many occasions on Mr W's but could never find us to ask us before. He also explained that he had allowed a few guns to shoot the property, though has never seen them and it is now that he needs them.

 

"you can drive up the tram lines when the ground is firm and the crop is short and do take your spent cartridges and shot birds away won't you". Yes yes yes to all he asked, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. No need to phone him either and he showed me the sensitive areas where the wingeing neighbours are best avoided but if there are a lot of birds there you go ahead and shoot them, phone me if they come over to you, don't argue with them.

 

What a very nice reasonable man I thought. So he dropped me back off with Oz and we moved. We were late by now and sat down to shoot just after mid day. The birds decoyed nicely before the rain and snow came in at about 14.30. We decided to call it a day, before we drowned and picked up 31 birds. Back there today.... naturally.

 

So chaps, be sure of your boundaries, that field you have shot for years may not be part of your permission and you could lose your ticket.

[Markio]

Lucky escape and nice result, well done mate.

[MM]

its Karma that mate. :lol:

[TomV]

a lucky escape, could of been a lot worse - Good luck with the new permission

[webber]

What a nice result and good start to the new year.

 

webber

[Cranfield]

Truly a lucky escape.

 

It always amazes me how many shooters don't have marked maps of the land they have permission to shoot over.

An Ordnance Survey map book (not the useless folding type) is quite cheap and it also demonstrates to the Farmer that you are a responsible type, when you ask him to mark down his land.

[RC45]

Went out Saturday for what was to be the last day before starting work on Monday. The Pigeons have been very hard to shoot this last few weeks, now that they are flocking, due to the flock mentality, they all come in together, one bang and they all move out of range. This is probably due to every one with a new gun is out with their new Christmas present for a week, before they lock it up until summer, consequently the birds are decoy shy.

 

We were in an area where this particular farmer allows access to quite a few guns, that we never see and we shoot the place regularly. We decided to shoot a field of rape which was in the middle of a large field of wheat. We have shot this area now for 4 years or more.

 

So we picked our spot and started setting up. A Discovery entered the field and I said to Oz jokingly, "oh look, Mr W. is delivering our bottle of scotch personally". I will use initials to protect the innocent, well really so you lot don't phone him up because he lets most people shoot his land.

 

Well as he approached I did not recognise him, so assumed he was one of Mr W's sons. He stopped in the tram line near me, so I walked over and said "you must be Mr W's son then?". "No I am not" he said, "I am Mr R. and this is my field, you are trespassing".

 

Well... a lot of things flashed through my mind at that point. For what seemed an eternity, neither of us said anything so I blurted out, "well I'm awfully sorry, we thought this was Mr W's land". "yes" he said, "it is easy to make that mistake, as it is right in the middle of his fields, but it does in fact belong to me, and you two are in the wrong place, the birds are hammering another field of mine, hop in and I'll show you, I'd rather you cleared them from there first".

 

Well I just could not believe what that man had just said and promptly jumped into his motor, shouting over to Oz that I would be back later. So this very nice farmer proceeded to show me all his Rape fields that he wanted us to shoot and yes, they were full of Pigeons. He said that he had seen our Land Rovers on many occasions on Mr W's but could never find us to ask us before. He also explained that he had allowed a few guns to shoot the property, though has never seen them and it is now that he needs them.

 

"you can drive up the tram lines when the ground is firm and the crop is short and do take your spent cartridges and shot birds away won't you". Yes yes yes to all he asked, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. No need to phone him either and he showed me the sensitive areas where the wingeing neighbours are best avoided but if there are a lot of birds there you go ahead and shoot them, phone me if they come over to you, don't argue with them.

 

What a very nice reasonable man I thought. So he dropped me back off with Oz and we moved. We were late by now and sat down to shoot just after mid day. The birds decoyed nicely before the rain and snow came in at about 14.30. We decided to call it a day, before we drowned and picked up 31 birds. Back there today.... naturally.

 

So chaps, be sure of your boundaries, that field you have shot for years may not be part of your permission and you could lose your ticket.

 

Did you get a "Permission form signed"??

 

Phil

[Imperfection]

Excellent result! :blink:

[Mattw]

Truly a lucky escape. :blink:

 

It always amazes me how many shooters don't have marked maps of the land they have permission to shoot over.

An Ordnance Survey map book (not the useless folding type) is quite cheap and it also demonstrates to the Farmer that you are a responsible type, when you ask him to mark down his land.

 

The other option is to use google maps and print it out. you can easily see the hedgerows etc and can draw on any footpaths etc.

 

Best of all its free....

[njc110381]

That is a lucky escape. I'm glad it worked out OK for you in the end!

 

I use google maps. I print them off and get the land owners to draw on them for me when they sign my permission form. It's funny how many farms have a little field somewhere that should belong to your land owner but don't! One of mine even takes silage off of a little patch each year and has a gate from his main field. It looks the same as the rest of the fields but it's someones garden! :blink:

[retromlc]

You lucky.lucky barstuward,i live in hope for that?still trying to get permission:(

[shot shot]

you see, not all farmers are bad :blink:

[Cookiemonsterandmerlin.]

Truly a lucky escape. :blink:

 

It always amazes me how many shooters don't have marked maps of the land they have permission to shoot over.

An Ordnance Survey map book (not the useless folding type) is quite cheap and it also demonstrates to the Farmer that you are a responsible type, when you ask him to mark down his land.

Best way as cranfield says

Also most farms have names for there fields like hassocks etc if you can get then names when the farmers phones up and says the birds are hitting hassocks then you know for certain where he wants you.

Regards OTH

[Jim Sarakun]

Truly a lucky escape.

 

It always amazes me how many shooters don't have marked maps of the land they have permission to shoot over.

An Ordnance Survey map book (not the useless folding type) is quite cheap and it also demonstrates to the Farmer that you are a responsible type, when you ask him to mark down his land.

 

Good advice Cranfield and yes we all carry the O/S map with our permissions coloured in. I do remember the first time Mr W. showed me the shoot. We stood on the top of a hill and he said "you can shoot all you see from here down to the road", which is about a mile away. He omitted to mention that small 80ish acre bit in the middle, was not his. Consequently it was coloured in.

 

 

Did you get a "Permission form signed"??

 

Phil

 

I did think of this when Mr R. was talking about his rabbit problem, and how he will be needing to gas them soon, though did not want to chance my arm. I use the HMR for rabbits and naturally the Police have a copy of the written permission from all the farmers who's land I use this on. I have spoken to Oz and we plan to put it to him at a later date, the HMR thingy I mean.

 

Every farm I shoot with the 12g, the arrangement has always been sealed with the exchange of phone numbers, addresses and a hand shake. Most farmers are my age or older and we come from a generation where this was normal. Naive I hear you shout but written permission in 40 years of shooting has never been an issue, not for the 12g or anything smaller anyway, a phone call has always sufficed.

 

Thank you all for your best wishes..

[ozzy518]

Good write up Jim....As Mr.R said it is easy to assume that the strip of Rape we were on belonged to Mr W...I think even Mr W thinks he owns it cos when we got the permission of his farm he did say when we were on the hill that everying down to the road was his....No mention of , Oh , By the way, that little bit aint mine.

When we first saw Mr R and he said it was his land there was a bit of a bum tightening moment, but he was genuinely glad to have us on there...and what followed then with him giving us the green light for the rest of the fields is truly amazing...Guess where im going tomorrow

[dusk2dawn]

Truly a lucky escape.

 

It always amazes me how many shooters don't have marked maps of the land they have permission to shoot over.

An Ordnance Survey map book (not the useless folding type) is quite cheap and it also demonstrates to the Farmer that you are a responsible type, when you ask him to mark down his land.

 

Been using one of these hardback OS books for many years now and its a joy to turn the pages these days.... quite a bit of what used to be little permissions nowdays actually have joined up (I get the farmers to colour them in) as word gets around, I have permissions that spread many miles and now alot are adjacent so we can safely move from area to area.

 

What Cranfield suggests is well worth doing, when you are talking to a farmer whip the book out and show him that his neighbour has already given you permission and 9/10 times your in.

 

Another refinement is to write the contact number on the page should you need to call the farmer quickly.

 

Rgds Rob.

[scolopax]

My brother saw a field with pigeons on, asked at the nearest farm, got permission and settled in to a nice decoying session with regular customers into the pattern. Then the farmer turned up, the actual farmer who owned the land and not the one my brother had spoken to. Turns out there must have been some confusion over which field my brother described to farmer #1. Anyway farmer #2 saw the funny side and let him carry on shooting.