Public shooting land

[sterling]

After a lot of hard work finding my UK shooting permissions, I believe I'm right in thinking there is no land in the UK which is open for public hunting?

 

Having lived in USA/Canada and enjoyed free hunting and target shooting on vast BLM and Crown Lands, I want to know if any of you are aware of any areas in Europe which have public shooting land.

 

This isn't purely academic - I have been known to emigrate for such things.

[Blunderbuss]

I believe there is a public right to shoot on the Scottish foreshore?

[sterling]

I believe there is a public right to shoot on the Scottish foreshore?

 

Now that's interesting! A bit of research and a hunting roadtrip may be in order.

[sterling]

From what I can see in Scottish law from The Law of the Foreshore and Sea Bed:

 

S 1(3)(a). "Recreational purposes" is not defined but s 9 contains a list of conduct which is excluded from access

rights. The list is not as comprehensive as in the draft Bill referred to in the discussion paper at para 1.14. But

excluded conduct still includes hunting, shooting, fishing, using motorised vehicles or vessels (other than for

disabled use) and taking away anything in or on the land for commercial purposes or for profit.

 

So it doesn't look legal to hunt on public foreshores?

[Blunderbuss]

Found this on the Wildfowling Today website

 

Shooting on the Foreshore

 

The case of Beckett v Lyons (1967) 1 AER 833 finally dispelled the popular myth that, in England and Wales, there was a public right to shoot on the foreshore. It follows from this case that any person who takes a shotgun on to the foreshore without proper authorisation not only renders himself liable to a civil action for trespass but, under the Firearms Act 1968 may be prosecuted for the criminal offence of armed trespass. Members of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) are in a somewhat privileged position as much of the area below high water mark is owned by the Crown or by the Duchy of Lancaster and, except where the sporting rights have been leased to a third party, the BASC has negotiated a right for its members to resort to such foreshore for the purpose of wildfowling. That having been said, the reality of the situation is that the most worthwhile areas of fowling marsh have been leased by wildfowling clubs, are in private ownership or have been designated as nature reserves. In consequence, there are few areas of England and Wales where an itinerant gunner can simply cross the sea wall and obtain good quality sport without the need to acquire a permit.

 

In England and Wales the foreshore is defined as that area which is more often than not covered by the flux and reflux of the four ordinary tides occurring midway between springs and neaps. In effect, therefore, much of the prime wildfowling land which is flooded by only the highest spring tides does not fall within that area which is classified as foreshore and the fowler will be committing an offence if he shoots from such salt marsh without specific permission from the owner.

 

In Scotland the situation is somewhat different from that in England and Wales. Although the Firearms Act 1968 applies equally in Scotland, there is considered to be a public right to carry a gun on the foreshore for the purpose of wildfowling and, hence, the offence of armed trespass is not committed by the fowler who enters such an area without express permission. This situation arises because in Scotland, irrespective of ownership, the Crown has retained certain rights in respect of the foreshore and holds those in trust for the public. Despite this general rule, many of the best areas of wildfowling foreshore in Scotland are now effectively controlled as a result of the creation of nature reserves with wildfowling permit schemes. On other parts of the Scottish coast there may remain a public right to shoot but access to the high water mark is restricted by the owners of adjacent land. Only where an established right of way exists does the fowler have a right to cross private land in order to gain access to the foreshore.

 

The definition of foreshore differs in Scotland and is considerably more favourable to the wildfowler. That area which lies between the high and low water marks of ordinary spring tides is classified as foreshore and consequently includes areas of saltings and merse which would be excluded by the definition pertaining in England and Wales.

[sterling]

Blunderbuss, that's good to know - thanks for doing some more research!