Red Doe Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 Just wondering what the general opinion is on poachers, of the old kind, who'd take a few for the table, rabbit, a deer, birds. I know there are gangs of modern poachers who drive round in vans, decimate an area then vanish again, often leaving wounded beasts behind them. We've had trouble with those kind up here lately too. Are the older kind, though, a dying breed? Are there any old poachers who'll pass on their know how to a young boy or girl, whether it's ferreting or shooting, or guddling trout? What do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P~MX Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 Parents -- doubtful ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kes Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 I sense the romantic view prevails when you talk about the old style poachers. I'm afraid I dont think they exist nowadays - no-one is that hard up that they MUST poach to provide food. Looking after a shoot, I am not a friend of the poacher and believe that thankfully they have had their day, (the gangs are a different matter). I do think there would be a lot of benefit in the younger generation as a whole knowing more about wild food and maybe with a poacher with 'permission',taking groups of kids, learning about food and the wild would be good - but within and with respect for the law, for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscarsdad Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 IMO poachers are scum, as pointed out, no one needs to poach to put food on the table nowadays so they are only doing it for their own enjoyment. It is hard enough to get permission to hunt / shoot but that does not justify poaching or armed trespass and only makes it less likely for land owners to give those of us who don't poach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Doe Posted January 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 I sense the romantic view prevails when you talk about the old style poachers. I'm afraid I dont think they exist nowadays - no-one is that hard up that they MUST poach to provide food. I seriously must disagree with that viewpoint. Example...due to ill health, a backstabbing business partner, and the last recession, being self employed, money got so tight I was reduced to poaching to put meat on the table! There are others who are in the same situation daily. Far from being over romanticised, I was taught by my dad, who was one of those old time poachers. So were many of his friends. They would use their skills and knowledge of the surrounding countryside to provide meat on a regular basis. Trust me, (and especially during such times as the miners strikes) it was much needed! Both my dad and all the old poachers I know, had tremendous respect for the countryside and knew so much about wild animals, it surely deserves to be told and passed on, that was my point. But don't fool yourself that the entire country is in such a good state nobody goes hungry now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRamsay Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 Just wondering what the general opinion is on poachers, of the old kind, who'd take a few for the table, rabbit, a deer, birds. I know there are gangs of modern poachers who drive round in vans, decimate an area then vanish again, often leaving wounded beasts behind them. We've had trouble with those kind up here lately too. Are the older kind, though, a dying breed? Are there any old poachers who'll pass on their know how to a young boy or girl, whether it's ferreting or shooting, or guddling trout? What do you think? Guddling trout,I used to love doing that,Quite a few years ago Back home with your catch,gut and clean it,salt and pepper,under the grill,and hey presto,deeelicious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.I.A Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 I know a few poachers of old, during 40's and 50's it was a means to put food on the table and some of the storys I hear are great. But they don't exist now, modern poachers are nothing but scum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazooka Joe Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 Far from being over romanticised, I was taught by my dad, who was one of those old time poachers. So were many of his friends. They would use their skills and knowledge of the surrounding countryside to provide meat on a regular basis.Trust me, (and especially during such times as the miners strikes) it was much needed! Brings back memories does that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark@mbb Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 These lads that are poaching now have nothing to do with old school they are young lads most probably travellers in cheap 4 x 4 and if they dont have a gate they go straight through the hedges and all over the crops in this case it was the local farmers winter wheat and on the local estate the shot all the partridges and left them at the gate for the keeper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 (edited) Poachers = shop lifter (just cutting out the middle man) Round here the take lambs/sheep off fields butchering them on the ground and sell the meat for cash, its theft often with criminal damage and other things thrown in. It's not unkown after spot of poaching that things start going missing getting stolen. Not a fan of travellers but i have known of plenty that are housed (at our expense) dole scroungers, druggies/dealers who take stock and anythign else they can get their hands on. Should loose their vehicles, guns and anything else. That said those who can take a rabbit, pigeon safely and cleanly and not leave a trace are going to be bloody hard to catch.... Edited January 11, 2012 by HDAV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richie10 Posted January 12, 2012 Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 Just wondering what the general opinion is on poachers, of the old kind, who'd take a few for the table, rabbit, a deer, birds. I know there are gangs of modern poachers who drive round in vans, decimate an area then vanish again, often leaving wounded beasts behind them. We've had trouble with those kind up here lately too. Are the older kind, though, a dying breed? Are there any old poachers who'll pass on their know how to a young boy or girl, whether it's ferreting or shooting, or guddling trout? What do you think? Point of the post is? You are on pigeonwatch where anything but shooting is looked down on, did you just want a pat on the back? Yoyu wouldn't even know a poacher had been on your land if they were any good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JR1960 Posted January 12, 2012 Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 Well plenty of it still goes on round here just, like it did 50 years ago when I was a kid, same families, passed down father to son. Everyone knows who they are, including the farmers. No-one seems to mind very much, although admittedly there are no organised shoots locally. The aforementioned gangs of hooligans are not at all the same!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richie10 Posted January 12, 2012 Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 Well plenty of it still goes on round here just, like it did 50 years ago when I was a kid, same families, passed down father to son. Everyone knows who they are, including the farmers. No-one seems to mind very much, although admittedly there are no organised shoots locally. The aforementioned gangs of hooligans are not at all the same!! Someone who knows what they are talking about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted January 12, 2012 Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 Those who poach because they want to I have little regard for,but back in the day when people poached because they had to...well,that's a different matter.My Dad was one;head shooting gamebirds etc with a rimfire.His Dad died in 1939,when my Dad was only 14.Two brothers,a sister and their Mother to feed;what would any of us do?Must admit,once out of the army he carried on regardless! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richie10 Posted January 12, 2012 Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 Those who poach because they want to I have little regard for,but back in the day when people poached because they had to...well,that's a different matter.My Dad was one;head shooting gamebirds etc with a rimfire.His Dad died in 1939,when my Dad was only 14.Two brothers,a sister and their Mother to feed;what would any of us do?Must admit,once out of the army he carried on regardless! So he did it because he wanted to and enjoyed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imperfection Posted January 12, 2012 Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 I would imagine the publics perception of a poacher is of Claude Greengrass from the tv programme 'Hearbeat',but the reality is something completely different.On Heartbeat he takes maybe one or two pheasants to sell on,but in todays age poaching is almost industrial where hundreds will be stolen overnight.The biggest problem though is because there will always be people willing to buy cheap birds there will always be a market for it. No matter how you word it-poaching is theft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted January 12, 2012 Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 So he did it because he wanted to and enjoyed it. Once he left the Army?Probably; from the stories I've heard about my Dad,his brothers and his mates, I'm surprised they were never locked up.His one surviving brother(now in his 80's)told me the reason they knew their way around the estates so well is because they were often loaders for the visiting guns in season.Rationing was still in force and money could be made from game etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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