Cranfield Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 I had arranged to shoot a specific field tomorrow and got a phone call from the farmer this morning telling me I wouldn't need to turn off the gas banger, as it was stolen last night. This was an expensive item with multiple repeat shot selection, large gas bottle and a big tractor battery, he only bought it this year, as a cheaper version he had was stolen last year. Last year banger was stolen from a field quite near to the road, but this one was in a field that needs you to pass through another field and two gates to get to it. Every year farmers seem to have bangers stolen, but what do the thieves do with them ? The gas bottle and battery have some value, but the main value is in the machine. Surely the only person who would want to buy one is another farmer. It must be a fair guess that any offered secondhand and cheap (outside of an agricultural auction, where I know the Auctioneers verify their origins), is probably stolen. Its hard to believe that a farmer would buy something that probably been stolen from another farmer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmytree Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 Someone somewhere will always buy it if the price is right. Probably stolen to order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootnfish Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 Farm I used to shoot near a built up area with a lot of footpaths on it was constantly having their hawk kites stolen he gave up putting them out in the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Essex Hunter Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 (edited) As new batteries are very expensive then it will fit on any lorry with a 13/14mm spanner... The bottle will heat some one foc for a while...... As for the machine then it will make a few quid in an auction some where.... On the other side of the coin farmers are quite lax when it comes to nailing things down..... One reason is it take effort to come up with a solution....far easier to ring the NFU and put in a claim.... TEH Edited January 4, 2015 by The Essex Hunter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 A couple a years back one of my farmers had two stolen , another had four go for a walk ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 One of the farms that I am lucky enough to have permission on is bordered by the A47 and they had one stolen last year. It always surprizes me that the farmers never camouflage them with an old hession sack or something similar, the orange bottles stand out very nicely for the oportunist thieves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fielddweller Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 It's not unheard of them being stolen round here and I have seen some for sale at a car boot sale.A local farmer has had metal boxes made that lock every thing inside and are moved on tractor forks,seem to work. Fielddweller Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Konnie Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 my farmer had one go a few years ago, I happened to be shooting with someone who said he heard the local culprits take them to swaffam market, old laws sold between dawn and dusk so he enquired if said culprits had put a gas gun through sure enough they had, bit of door knocking and gave them the option get it back or £xxx in two days or its a chat with old bill. he got it sorted never had another wonder off YET. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 Some of my farms go for string bangers in 40 gallon drums, but it does take up man hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 I had arranged to shoot a specific field tomorrow and got a phone call from the farmer this morning telling me I wouldn't need to turn off the gas banger, as it was stolen last night. This was an expensive item with multiple repeat shot selection, large gas bottle and a big tractor battery, he only bought it this year, as a cheaper version he had was stolen last year. Last year banger was stolen from a field quite near to the road, but this one was in a field that needs you to pass through another field and two gates to get to it. Every year farmers seem to have bangers stolen, but what do the thieves do with them ? The gas bottle and battery have some value, but the main value is in the machine. Surely the only person who would want to buy one is another farmer. It must be a fair guess that any offered secondhand and cheap (outside of an agricultural auction, where I know the Auctioneers verify their origins), is probably stolen. Its hard to believe that a farmer would buy something that probably been stolen from another farmer. We all know who steals the gas bottles and batteries, but can't say so for fear of being racist. I guess they think they can get a few bob for the machine it'self, if not just dump it with all the rest of their contamination of the countryside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pboro shot Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 There always turning up at auction same with all the other smaller stuff ,we had alot of gates stolen at one point Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShropshireSam Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 Regularly stolen round here. One permission of mine has his bolted to a large, heavy frame and the gas bottle chained to the frame. They are a pain to move but he still gets a few nicked occasionally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobba Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 We all know who steals the gas bottles and batteries, but can't say so for fear of being racist. I guess they think they can get a few bob for the machine it'self, if not just dump it with all the rest of their contamination of the countryside. They're a problem north of Bristol too! A common way of "casing the joint" is to wander on farm and say they're looking for their lost dog!! Yeah, right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 They're a problem north of Bristol too! A common way of "casing the joint" is to wander on farm and say they're looking for their lost dog!! Yeah, right. Well dogs do get lost when hare coursing!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickB65 Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 We tend to bolt ours to large lumps of concrete - a real paint to move them unless you have bolt croppers to cut them free but since doing this we have lost batteries and gas bottles but not the banger...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruity Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 There's a community out there who will steal anything useful or not. Even if bolted down it will still go missing. Some bizarre item's with none to little value have gone missing off the farm I shoot, but the men with dawgs still remove them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Mike Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 I had arranged to shoot a specific field tomorrow and got a phone call from the farmer this morning telling me I wouldn't need to turn off the gas banger, as it was stolen last night. This was an expensive item with multiple repeat shot selection, large gas bottle and a big tractor battery, he only bought it this year, as a cheaper version he had was stolen last year. Last year banger was stolen from a field quite near to the road, but this one was in a field that needs you to pass through another field and two gates to get to it. Every year farmers seem to have bangers stolen, but what do the thieves do with them ? The gas bottle and battery have some value, but the main value is in the machine. Surely the only person who would want to buy one is another farmer. It must be a fair guess that any offered secondhand and cheap (outside of an agricultural auction, where I know the Auctioneers verify their origins), is probably stolen. Its hard to believe that a farmer would buy something that probably been stolen from another farmer. You obviously don't know Farmers ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted January 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 You obviously don't know Farmers ! Perhaps every farmer I have ever met (and thats a lot) has been a decent farmer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenholland Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 I think the average price for a gas banger today is £400 or there abouts no wonder they disappear ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Konnie Posted January 10, 2015 Report Share Posted January 10, 2015 yup that's about right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveboy Posted January 11, 2015 Report Share Posted January 11, 2015 Just came back from Lanzarote and the large group of the people that move around in caravans had decided to eat in a pub we use. The pub owners made them pay for the meals and drinks up front (because of problems in the past) When they left the pub looked like a bomb site and they had stolen all the salt and pepper pots, sauce and paper napkins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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