babs2020 Posted March 8, 2014 Report Share Posted March 8, 2014 was out with my mate last night just lamping a field seen a big van driving very slow up the side of the road turns in to the field puts the blue lights on so i stop the car get to see whats what they get out the van ask what we are doing told them vermin control for farmer take my name tell to put firearm on floor and make safe they do a check the car which is the wifes 4x4 they ask what name it is in so i told them they check that i have a fac ticket they leave farmer a msg on the phone and said you do do not look like the people we are looking for said to us you should ring 101 when you are coming out ask about the gun and then got on there way how many of you ring the police before you go out as i have never in 4 years of shooting he did say that they are having a lot of trouble with wildlife crime Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted March 8, 2014 Report Share Posted March 8, 2014 No legal requirement to inform the police of you going about your legal business..... Some forces like you to do it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huffhuff Posted March 8, 2014 Report Share Posted March 8, 2014 I ring when I go out. As above, no legal requirement, but it's a five minute call and saves everybody some hassle. I have no doubt in my mind it saves time for the cops if/when called and ultimately, saves us tax payers money (so they are free to go fight real time, burglars and rapists etc.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuddster Posted March 8, 2014 Report Share Posted March 8, 2014 pesky cops, out stopping folks in the middle of the night, all in the name of reducing wildlife crime... I say go back inside the warm nick and snork some doughnuts. f. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evo Posted March 8, 2014 Report Share Posted March 8, 2014 I know people on here will disagree but they are only doing their job,, do I inform them when I go out ,,No I don't ,,, I have written permission slips signed by the land owners/shooting right owners ,, for my permissions so if they want to waste time when they are bored then so be it,, would I ever ring them ,,No I wouldn,t,, because why should I inform them I am doing a perfectly legal activity be it day or night,, atb Evo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted March 8, 2014 Report Share Posted March 8, 2014 On 08/03/2014 at 22:11, evo said: I know people on here will disagree but they are only doing their job,, do I inform them when I go out ,,No I don't ,,, I have written permission slips signed by the land owners/shooting right owners ,, for my permissions so if they want to waste time when they are bored then so be it,, would I ever ring them ,,No I wouldn,t,, because why should I inform them I am doing a perfectly legal activity be it day or night,, atb Evo Indeed and i don't see how a phone call to 101 reference number or not means they can ignore reports of "suspicious" activity or "a man with a sniper rifle". They did exactly what they are supposed to checked you were legit and went on their way..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kes Posted March 8, 2014 Report Share Posted March 8, 2014 I believe its time to tell the police you were about your LAWFUL business - those who complain need to be seen as abnormal not you. Tell them next time to - you know. You have done nothing wrong and should not be subject to all this *****. I am firmly of the belief now that one should not ring 101 or advise you are out shooting. Whilst they need a flow chart to sort it, the police need to know you have the right. Just MHO. I now never ring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr smith Posted March 8, 2014 Report Share Posted March 8, 2014 On 08/03/2014 at 22:14, HDAV said: Indeed and i don't see how a phone call to 101 reference number or not means they can ignore reports of "suspicious" activity or "a man with a sniper rifle". They did exactly what they are supposed to checked you were legit and went on their way..... Indeed the last time i got pulled they had phoned and spoken to the farmer who confirmed i was there and then phoned me to confirm i was there and what i was shooting,and then i still had to go back to my car and speak to the bobbies that been sent to investigate.To be fair he was apologetic but the 'boss' insisted as a firearm was involved.As well as the traffic car the cop i spoke was in the other end of the farm road was blocked by another car and a transit. All this because a female dog walker some distance away heard some shooting and then a deer ran across the road she was on,like thats never happened before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougy Posted March 8, 2014 Report Share Posted March 8, 2014 On 08/03/2014 at 21:15, huffhuff said: (so they are free to go fight real time, burglars and rapists etc.) Don't over do it, sounds like they actually have important work to do. only joking ! ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babs2020 Posted March 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2014 thanks guys i do think i will start to ring the police as they are doing there job the farmer came up a few hours later to tell us they had rang him he seem pleased they had rang as they were checking who was on the land Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortune Posted March 8, 2014 Report Share Posted March 8, 2014 We’ve had this several times where either someone has called up or a passing plod wagon has decided to get involved. We take the view that as we are on our own ground and are not doing anything illegal, we are not going out of our way to get into any sort of dialogue or any sort of meeting that will delay or impede what we want to do. What we do is to either go black and move off to another part of the farm or carry on doing what we are doing. There is no way for road vehicles to go where we go and they soon get fed up and leave us alone. On the only other occasion that they came out into the field where we were shooting as soon as we had shown our paperwork we asked them to leave the field as soon as possible so that we could get on with our business of crop protection. We have nothing against them doing their job as long as it doesn’t stop us from doing ours. On the other hand we did disturb three cars loads of both male and female officers having what amounted to a picnic in one of our fields. When we asked them what they were doing there they said that they were having their lunch break. Perhaps we should have asked them for their numbers for reference purposes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VikingRebel Posted March 8, 2014 Report Share Posted March 8, 2014 (edited) On 08/03/2014 at 21:15, huffhuff said: I ring when I go out. As above, no legal requirement, but it's a five minute call and saves everybody some hassle. I have no doubt in my mind it saves time for the cops if/when called and ultimately, saves us tax payers money (so they are free to go fight real time, burglars and rapists etc.) The thing is, the police are still obliged to respond to any reports of firearms, even if you have informed them you will be shooting in the area. So it's a thoroughly pointless exercise in my opinion, and call me cynical, but I doubt it has anything do with saving police time (because it doesn't save time), and everything to do with them simply wanting to exert more control over shooters. Edited March 8, 2014 by VikingRebel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huffhuff Posted March 9, 2014 Report Share Posted March 9, 2014 On 08/03/2014 at 23:43, VikingRebel said: The thing is, the police are still obliged to respond to any reports of firearms, even if you have informed them you will be shooting in the area. So it's a thoroughly pointless exercise in my opinion, and call me cynical, but I doubt it has anything do with saving police time (because it doesn't save time), and everything to do with them simply wanting to exert more control over shooters. I see what you're saying. However, I've had calls when I've been out and I know others that have too. Ring ring, hi Mr Huff, we've had reports of somebody in a field at this location. Is it you? Yes it is. Ok no problem, have a good evening. Maybe we're lucky in Herts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huffhuff Posted March 9, 2014 Report Share Posted March 9, 2014 On 08/03/2014 at 23:31, fortune said: We’ve had this several times where either someone has called up or a passing plod wagon has decided to get involved. We take the view that as we are on our own ground and are not doing anything illegal, we are not going out of our way to get into any sort of dialogue or any sort of meeting that will delay or impede what we want to do. What we do is to either go black and move off to another part of the farm or carry on doing what we are doing. There is no way for road vehicles to go where we go and they soon get fed up and leave us alone. On the only other occasion that they came out into the field where we were shooting as soon as we had shown our paperwork we asked them to leave the field as soon as possible so that we could get on with our business of crop protection.We have nothing against them doing their job as long as it doesn’t stop us from doing ours.On the other hand we did disturb three cars loads of both male and female officers having what amounted to a picnic in one of our fields. When we asked them what they were doing there they said that they were having their lunch break. Perhaps we should have asked them for their numbers for reference purposes. Again, I understand what you're saying. Yes, you are going about your perfectly legal business. But, how do the police know that without coming to check? You could be anybody, poacher, hare courser or metal thief for example. Surely it's in your interest to have the Police come and check (or maybe not, because you're not the actual landowner that's going to lose out...) The farmers and land owners I know are more than happy to have a higher, visible Police presence out in their area (in fact, they are actually requesting it due to the amount of Rural crimes locally). If they want to stop and ask questions of people on or near their farm or land, even better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
team tractor Posted March 9, 2014 Report Share Posted March 9, 2014 I wish they would stop some of the poachers around here a bit more. Their doing a job and as long as their polite and go on their way that's no bad thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strangford wildfowler Posted March 9, 2014 Report Share Posted March 9, 2014 In northern ireland I know very few people that the police have had to respond to though my father was once stopped by the army in the 80s as he was walking over a field ge said it was pretty funny as it wasted 10 minutes of there routine. He said they where all dead on in what they were doing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted March 9, 2014 Report Share Posted March 9, 2014 You're not obliged to inform the Police when out and about; we just inform the landowner out of courtesy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telf Posted March 9, 2014 Report Share Posted March 9, 2014 same thing happened to me last weekend,parked the car on the short track into the field,went into the field shot a few rabbits,came back to the car left the rabbits,had got about 30-40 yds from the car when i saw the flashing lights,went back to the car,opened the bolt took mag output rifle on back seat just as officer was coming to the car,asked if i had permission,looked at car,took details,looked at copy of fac,looked at gun,then told me when i was finished to call in at police station to be signed off,never happened to me before in 4 years shooting these permissions,couldnt really understand why i had to call in and not just phone up to tell them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted March 9, 2014 Report Share Posted March 9, 2014 .........."how many of you ring the police before you go out".............. This has been done many a time, and only recently again, perhaps consideration should be given to pinning it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kes Posted March 9, 2014 Report Share Posted March 9, 2014 Nobody complains about the police doing their job but THEY must decide who to follow - up and who not. I get really annoyed when"some well-meaning" member of the public sees a man with a gun in a field and plod turns up mob handed. If there's a problem locally my Wildlife Crime Officer rings his contacts in that area - I am just one. He uses local intelligence not some individual who is out for a walk and knows nothing of the countryside. He knows the ground because we take him pigeon shooting and have shown him all our pens. Now thats proper policing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greymaster Posted March 9, 2014 Report Share Posted March 9, 2014 (edited) In modern Britain, where the citizen is under constant surveillance, be it CCTV, GCHQ and even Baracco Barner's NSA, we are all presumed to be guilty, just to save police time. We live in a vast open prison . Even our car journey's are being surveilled by auto number plate recognition. Surely they knew you were in the field before you did. Edited March 9, 2014 by Greymaster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kes Posted March 9, 2014 Report Share Posted March 9, 2014 And that sadly is the non too distant future we all face. We need to maintain our right to do what we do, without let or hindrance, other than the law. Just MO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypig Posted March 9, 2014 Report Share Posted March 9, 2014 It's threads like this that make me want to shout at PW. Yes you are engaged in lawful activity..... No you certainly do not need to let the police know when you go out. The police can not assume it "Dave " the pigeon shooter/stalker/vermin controller lamping. Ask yourself what would your land owner want following such an incident. I know last year the 5 dismembered deer on the Stockbridge road outside Winchester we're not the result of the friendly stalker. Unless "Dave" is in a habit of dumping heads and hooves by the side of the road. In the times of increasing cuts there are less and less local police in the countryside. Your officer is more than likely from a response hub miles away and they are certainly less locally focused. It's quite possible they have used a sat nav to find you and have never been out to your area before. They are less knowledgable about rural issues and firearms as they will spend more of their time policing the towns and cities. Driving around the rural is something the individual would be hard pressed to justify. Take some time to educate the officers.... Gently please. Are you engaged with your local wildlife crime officer or country watch scheme ? Why not? You spend the time doing the recces, walking the ground you know when and where the poaching takes place. Help out. Your landowner / farmer /keeper is probably going to look more favourably on you come permission time. Be proactive....it's threads like this that contribute to people with a negative attitude to shooters. I might view some with suspicion after some of the anti threads on here Rant over! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
activeviii Posted March 9, 2014 Report Share Posted March 9, 2014 So i want to go out on the roost, phone 101 costs me 15p, come home and phone again like they ask and its another 15p. i then get a call and ask to go out on the rabbits and foxes, make the call and say im going, 15p. nothing on that farm so i decided to go else where, have to phone again, 15p. nothing doing there, times getting on so head home. pass another patch and there is a fox. i have to phone in, 15p. do the dead on the fox then start heading home. get pulled as a shot was heard. or not been pulled but have to spend another 15p to close job down. so thats 90p for the one day, if i go out 5 maybe 6 times in the week its cost £5 for the week. £20+ for the month and still get pulled and treated like a criminal. Nope, not going to happen. we are already a slave in to many other ways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted March 9, 2014 Report Share Posted March 9, 2014 Out last night, 1/2 -3/4 a mile from a road, mud up to you knees in places and just passable by quad if you know exactly were to avoid. Call to farmer, call to neighbouring keeper and crack on. Cops? well we have just been there with the broken window 4 miles away thread and we all know they really don't like getting out of their cars and walking anyplace anymore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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