"Annoying" Furry Friend Hugger!

[Frenchieboy]

We have the workmen in ripping out our bathrooms and fitting a full showers/wet rooms in all our flats and today the noise of a Kango Hammer seemed louder than yesterday and was getting too much for me, so I decided to grab the shotgun and get out for some fresh air and peace and quiet. I arrived at the farm and after my usual ten minutes chin wag with the farmer went on my way. Not much about but that didn't worry me as the peace and quiet was what wanted more than anything. Anyhow I did manage to bag a couple of rabbits that I flushed by walking through the nettle beds and rough grass.

Now this permission is disected by a small road which although a public road sees practically no traffic at all (Maybe one or two cars a day top whack) and I have to cross it to get to the rest of the permission. This I did as usual after unloading my shotgun and carrying it "broken" and of course after ensuring that there were no pedestrians, motorists or horse riders around that might have been "worried" about seeing me with a shotgun that wasn't covered. (I should add at this stage that this road is on the highest part of the permission and about three quarters of a mile from a known furry friend hugger) I had only been on the top part of the land for about 15 minutes when I get a phone call from the farmer saying that they had just had the police come and could I call our local police station regarding a complaint about me.

I called them and explained that I had been asked to call them giving details of who I was and where I was at the time..

By all acounts they had received a report that I had been seen going into a gully along side this permission but not a part of the permission and that I had been "disturbing" a badget set there, and also that I had been wandering along the top road with a loaded shotgun!

I knew straight away who had called them as we had had exactly the same thing going on a couple of years back and the police had needed to warn this "lady" (And I use that description of her very loosely) about her wasting police time in the past regarding complaints about shooting. Anyway I offered to return to and wait at the farm with my motor if they wanted to speak to me, which they said was fine.

I only had to wait a few minutes for a Police car to come up the driveway to the farm. After a quick introduction (With the farmer and his wife present to confirm that I had full permission to shoot on all of their land) the police checked my SGC and explained that they had to look into any reports of disturbing badgers or firearms complaints, something that I already knew - as did this "lady" - She really does know what buttons to push to get the police to have to turn out.

The outcome is that the police have said that they are going to return to see this woman and give her yet another "reminder" about wasting police time. We even ended up having a bit of a laugh with the police after explaining that this woman feeds the foxes and gets quite ****** off when the farmer asks me to "thin them out a little". To do this I know exactly what runs they use when leaving her garden and all I have to do is wait in the next field behind the wall (Some 400 yards from her property and shooting away from it) and take them out after their "Last Supper" - This the police found quite amusing when we told them, especially when the farmer suggested that he thought the time might very well be coming round to try to thin them out a little in the very near future!

All in all a good outcome as the police are happy in the knowledge that I am doing nothing whatsoever wrong, but still a pain in the **** having to sort a stupid complaint like this out with the police when they could be dealing with something much more important in the community.

[Disco Stu]

She should be charged with wasting police time.

[Frenchieboy]

She should be charged with wasting police time.

I got the impression that this was the last warning that she was going to get regarding wasting ploice time!

[kiffy]

i got stopped last year only a few months after getting my sgc, my and my mate where driving down from the farm when i poolice car came up the lane and flagged us down as they had a report of people shooting everywhere by their house, theres no house nearby and theres so little on the farm we still had pretty much full cart belts, to be honest the couldnt have been better... we had a good chat as one of them shoots on farms down our way. i dont mind them stopping me as long as their all like these two

[12boreblue]

You could ask a solicitor to get her details from the police and write to her explaining that you will no longer tolerate her unfounded accusations, and that these may be construed as defamatory, and that if they do not cease you will seek redress and compensation through the courts.

 

No guarantee though :-)

[Gonk]

Interesting idea 12boreblue! You could always report her for stalking Pete

[vmaxphil]

at least the "swat" team and helicopter weren't called out

[malkiserow]

I had to give up a piece of land because of a drunk neighbour making life unpleasant. Feo had a word with the fella but I decided the land was not worth the agro ...... Especially as he was usually drunk.

[escortmagnum999]

Its quite sad that some people feel the need to report law abiding shooters going about there business. I must be very lucky where I live that I get very little hassle from anyone. I understand that not everyone likes shooting / hunting / fishing but most police forces are stretched at the best of times and ringing them for nothing has to be sorted out. If you ring the fire brigade with false info you'd be in serious bother. I hope she gets some grief from the law, it might shut her up for a while anyway.

[figgy]

Should make her pay for the costs of the call out.

 

Figgy

[mossy835]

it only takes one, to mess things up.

[Reece]

Its quite sad that some people feel the need to report law abiding shooters going about there business. I must be very lucky where I live that I get very little hassle from anyone. I understand that not everyone likes shooting / hunting / fishing but most police forces are stretched at the best of times and ringing them for nothing has to be sorted out. If you ring the fire brigade with false info you'd be in serious bother. I hope she gets some grief from the law, it might shut her up for a while anyway.

 

My dad nearly lost his license a few years back when he was shooting and came across someone trespassing (gun broken and unloaded, of course). One of these "right to roam" types. She later called the police and said he'd threatened to shoot her. Thankfully it was sorted out after a while and she moved away, although I feel sorry for whoever has to put up with her now if that's the attitude she has to lawful shooters.

 

But aside from that, there haven't been any major incidents involving antis round here either. It's down to chance really, every so often there'll be a dedicated anti who knows how to work the system and you may or may not encounter such people.

[Kes]

We are too 'weak' with these people at our own cost - lying is perverting the course of justice - just as in the ministerial case. It is a very serious offence which should also have (IMO) a malicious equivalent of "perverting the course of justice for personal gain or interest" and make it a 1 year stretch inside and a criminal record. They would certainly think twice.

 

In this case Pete, perhaps the police should have called you to confirm you were there and then gone to see her ! Sad for me its always the shooter who is the problem never the 'known' people. What would it take after a warning not to waste police time to ask them to ring her first and leave the innocent alone. The answer is guns are never innocent - sign of the times and a godsend to those who hate - shooting.

Edited October 21, 2013 by Kes

[JDog]

Frenchieboy

 

What a nuisance. Just make sure that you ask for, and get, a copy of the Police report into this. Once the report has been filed different Police officers who may respond to another phone call from this lady will not be able to say they knew nothing of the history of these calls. Without a report to look back on these other Officers may take a different view and you may find yourself in trouble, albeit temporary.

[overandunder2012]

I got the impression that this was the last warning that she was going to get regarding wasting ploice time!

till the next time

Edited October 21, 2013 by overandunder2012

[Frenchieboy]

till the next time

And that could be quite soon now. The Farmer and I are a little peed off about her starting up again so we have decided that when we get a suitable night (Weather wise) any foxes on his land could do with me "sorting them out" - Unfortunately I don't have a sound moderator for my .222 foxing rifle yet and if I don't see any foxes then a couple of rabbits might find themselves catching a 52g A-Max each!

[JDog]

And that could be quite soon now. The Farmer and I are a little peed off about her starting up again so we have decided that when we get a suitable night (Weather wise) any foxes on his land could do with me "sorting them out" - Unfortunately I don't have a sound moderator for my .222 foxing rifle yet and if I don't see any foxes then a couple of rabbits might find themselves catching a 52g A-Max each!

 

Get ahead of the game and let the police know that you will be going out. That will save all sorts of potential trouble.

[Frenchieboy]

 

Get ahead of the game and let the police know that you will be going out. That will save all sorts of potential trouble.

That is something that I have been trying to avoid but under the circunstances a thing that I would most likely do on this occasion - purely as an a**e covering exercise and to save the police having to waste their time having to come out and see me!

[ferretfiddler]

Pete, I remember you telling me all about the Screaming Skull & her antics, the silly moo !!

If you let me know in advance of your requirement for a mod you can always borrow mine (as long as you have the slot etc. before anyone jumps on me) in fact I'm away in Nov for couple of weeks nudge wink.

My apologies, how's the Mrs doing? Hope she's keeping a tight rein on you, you hunny bugging tormentor you ! ;-)

I keep meaning to call, but work commitments keep my memory full (sorry)

Kev

[spanj]

That is something that I have been trying to avoid but under the circunstances a thing that I would most likely do on this occasion - purely as an a**e covering exercise and to save the police having to waste their time having to come out and see me!

Dont waste your money on the phone call, they are duty bound to come out and as you say she knows which buttons to push

[DaveK]

Dont waste your money on the phone call, they are duty bound to come out and as you say she knows which buttons to push

Actually they're not. If they know you're there and made aware of the possible call they're going to get they may just give you a call to confirm you're there and save sending a car out that could be doing other things.

 

Example:

 

Hello, this is the ACR is that Fred?

 

Yup

 

Are you on XXX farm?

 

Yup

 

Thanks for that, just checking as we've had a call from a concerned member of the public about poachers. Sorry to have bothered you.

 

Okay, thanks for the call, I told the call handler earlier it was likely to happen.

[geordieh]

Hi Pete

Many years ago I used to shoot the rabbits on a pony paddock belonging to a mate of mine, he went to work in the US for a while.(a year)I went down the paddock one evening and met the woman who was looking after the place while he was away and she told me she didn,t want me shooting while she was in charge of the place.So rather than cause my mate any grief while he was away I said ok and went somewhere else. The next day I took the lady concerned a bottle of wine down and thanked her profusely and explained that where I had gone onto I had shot 5 deer, three foxes and loads of rabbits and a hare.I also offered some venison.Funny really I only had an air rifle.

Geordie

[spanj]

Actually they're not. If they know you're there and made aware of the possible call they're going to get they may just give you a call to confirm you're there and save sending a car out that could be doing other things.

 

Example:

 

Hello, this is the ACR is that Fred?

 

Yup

 

Are you on XXX farm?

 

Yup

 

Thanks for that, just checking as we've had a call from a concerned member of the public about poachers. Sorry to have bothered you.

 

Okay, thanks for the call, I told the call handler earlier it was likely to happen.

guess it depends on where you are then.........

[karpman]

I shoot foxes and rabbits on a small hill surrounded by very posh bungalows. The ground is actually owned by a consortium and is rented as grazing by my farmer.

 

After speaking to the head of the consortium it was agreed the foxes were indeed causing a problem and the rabbits really needed thinning out, I always let the police know when I'm There as there is one do gooder that calls them every time without fail.

 

She even tells me her intentions, and occasionally will try to film me coming and going.

 

Since notifying the police of my intentions never had them actually attend. I give them the times I'm there and stick to em.

 

Karpman

[Frenchieboy]

Actually they're not. If they know you're there and made aware of the possible call they're going to get they may just give you a call to confirm you're there and save sending a car out that could be doing other things.

 

Example:

 

Hello, this is the ACR is that Fred?

 

Yup

 

Are you on XXX farm?

 

Yup

 

Thanks for that, just checking as we've had a call from a concerned member of the public about poachers. Sorry to have bothered you.

 

Okay, thanks for the call, I told the call handler earlier it was likely to happen.

That is exactly what I have experienced with Lancs Police in the past. Logged in with them and within 5 minutes of the first shot they were on my mobile asking if it was me and if there were any other shooters in the area at the time. When I said it was just me in the area shooting they just said that they had had a call from "A concerned member of the public" and were checking it was me so to carry on and "fill my boots"!

This was a couple of years ago on this very same permission and I suspect phoned in by this very same "Furry Friend Hugger"!

So I think it safe to say that with Lancs Police (Certainly in my area of Lancashire) if you do log in then they do not always have to turn out for a report from a "concerned member of the public" - I suspect it might be a different matter if there were to be reports of lead flying all over the place though!