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Benthejockey
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I know it’s a bit of a regular gripe on here but bear with me. 

Weve got an 18acre patch of ground, across the top 11 acres is a foot path that runs in a V shape, from the point of the V another path runs off at 45 degrees across one of our bank fields. Last year I put up signs making people aware of the fact there were sheep and lambs out. We often have the local dog walkers using the top field as their own personal dog walking field and they walk the field rather than the footpath which really grates on me. 

Mrs BTJ goes to said field today and we’ve got a dead store lamb, him and his mate are in the wrong field and have gotten in with the other sheep. Mrs BTJ is very upset, they’re her first lambs we’ve bred and they’re pedigree and quite valuable and the two we put in the freezer were incredible carcasses so I’m also equally irritated it’s dead. Now I haven’t seen the carcass yet so I’m perhaps being unduly unfair but I’m willing to put money on it being a dog kill. 

I’m thinking of putting up slightly more severe warning signs along the lines of ‘Loose dogs will be shot’ with a picture of a dead sheep underneath. But I don’t want to get myself in trouble so realistically short of sit up there and ******* every dog walker I see up there with a loose dog I’m a bit stumped as what to do so I’m hoping for a bit of PW input ??

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Someone will just take the signs down. 

Near me someone bought a field that has a footpath through it, the field has been just walked across for years (I even used to train my dog in there, but only because it was empty and had long grass). 

Anyways, the new owner built a L shaped fence going across from the gate, to one corner, and then running the entire length of the field to the other side where other gate is. 

Now essentially they lost a small part of their field due to this, however people could still pass through the footpath but couldn’t actually get in th field. The fence was solid with 3 strands of barbed wire on top. 

The new owner also dumped manure all along the edge of the footpath and planted. Within months there were thorns and nettles all over the fence. Nobody tries to go in the field anymore. 

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If it is a dog kill, take photos to keep as evidence.

The only long term solution is to apply to your local council for a Public Path Diversion Order, and if granted move the footpath/s to the side of the field and fence it off.

Other than that I''m afraid you will just have to live with it. 

Loose dogs can't be shot, only ones caught in the act of worrying sheep and even then, expect grief from the owner and be prepared to justify your actions in court.

I have signs put up by the National Park on each end of the bridalway that runs through one end of my farm, does no good whatsoever !!

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Whilst I was there sorting it them out I had two people walking dogs loose down the field towards me! The one bloke took a polite ####ing over the freshly killed carcass well and said he’d tell anyone he saw to keep their dogs on a lead and was very apologetic. The woman I saw however was not too pleased. Little fluffy rat dog sprints under the stile, runs a tup lamb 100yds on the opposite side of the fence whilst I glowered at her and leant on the post waiting for her to catch fluffy. She apologised but obviously didn’t actually mean it. Little fluffy then chases the lamb again rather than come back to mummy. ‘Look love is your dog bullet proof? Because I’m well within my rights to shoot it! Now get it on a lead’. She actually asked me to get my sheep to stand still so she could catch the dog! Different planet!!!

You’ll never change these idiots that think they can go anywhere and do what they like!

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The other more sneaky option is put warning signs up for adders/ticks in the fields but u'll be ok on footpath.

Is there an area near where they park there cars? Try to put something really stinky there so dogs will roll in it then jump in the motors the'll soon stop going

 

1 dirty trick u could try (which is mibee a bit extreme, and doesn't help if mask's real cases) start a rumour about alabama rot on ur fields, mibee better some other random disease

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Your not actually going to snare, but would you let your dog run free if you were told there were snares in the field, this way your not telling people they can't let there dogs run loose, soon as you tell folk they can't do something they rebel, your giving them friendly advice to keep there dogs safe.

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Someone a while back suggested putting poison signs up as this scares dog owners.

Land i shoot on suffers from dog walkers despite being in the middle of nowhere and the method we used to stop them was 3 strings of barbed wire and stock fencing-plus more barbed wire wrapped around (locked) gates. Not a cheap fix,but 2 years later no one venures there and the well worn routes have grassed over. 

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1 minute ago, scotslad said:

Is there an area near where they park there cars? Try to put something really stinky there so dogs will roll in it then jump in the motors the'll soon stop going

that sounds good, maybe get a rotten dead sheep and put up a sign saying someone's dog did this!!

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My snare comment was a bit tongue in cheek mice.

So I think the plan is tell gob****e neighbours X and Y we’ve had a couple of confirmed cases of Alabama Rot on the field, to gob****e neighbours W and Z that we’re trying to eradicate all the rabbits and foxes that are eating the saplings and harassing the sheep with snares and fenn traps and on all the stiles put signs with a picture of a dead sheep and some sort of spiked message and possibly on a few of the molehills put caution strichnene or whatever it is they poison moles with nowadays. 

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sadly joe public/animal lover are thick their baby just wants to play with other animals even when explained they choose to ignore don't beat around the bush spit your dummy out imply costs of damage will fall at their feet regardless / off lead out of control means guilty quite a few farmers have used facebook after fifi has gone missing and been shot to then go round and deliver a bill for lost/destroyed animals as a result of said pet devastation , the word soon spreads don't go there

if you inform local police they will also prosecute and will a door to door explaining cost implications of their actions

Edited by Saltings
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I think someone told me that to modify existing ammo is illegal, but if you reload, could you swap out the lead from a couple of shells and put in those plastic Bb's from airsoft guns? Obviously better not to shoot someone's dog, but if they won't listen, this would give you another notch of escalation, to show your mettle without actually incurring the consequences of killing fluffy. 

Maybe a bad idea, but with a load of plastic 6mm in one barrel, and a 46g load of lead in't other, you'd have both the slap and the punch available 

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16 minutes ago, tx4cabbie said:

I think someone told me that to modify existing ammo is illegal, but if you reload, could you swap out the lead from a couple of shells and put in those plastic Bb's from airsoft guns? Obviously better not to shoot someone's dog, but if they won't listen, this would give you another notch of escalation, to show your mettle without actually incurring the consequences of killing fluffy. 

Maybe a bad idea, but with a load of plastic 6mm in one barrel, and a 46g load of lead in't other, you'd have both the slap and the punch available 

Yeah, maybe not such a good idea . . .

Skip to 3 minutes in to see why.

 

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Sometimes there really is no other option than to shoot a dog, however its definitely not something that should be taken lightly as some on here suggest, you'e got the possible legal comeback, whether you were right or wrong, it could cost a fortune to defend a case if the person sueing you has money. There's the grey area of your licence and what your allowed to shoot on your ticket, if you haven't used a shotgun. Also worth considering is the type of person who usully let's there dog chase sheep in the first place, theres some not very nice peolpe who could very well come back for retribution, not really a level playing field as while as a fac holder you have to stick to the letter of the law, Mr scrote, can pretty much do what they want. As a aside, definitely not something I would get involved in for a land owner due to the above mentioned and the extra legal minefield of if I would be allowed to shoot a dog in law as I am not the sheep owner.

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I'd agree with the above, for all shooting a dog may be legal in some circumstances it really should be the last choice. And u have to be very clear of the actual law (not wot some folk think it is) I'm sure basc and possibly the NFU have done press releases going into it. More complicated on a FAC too.

And be prepared for gates to be left open, fences cut, machinery vandalised etc if it is the wrong persons dog

 

As an aside many years ago I heard a rural myth about a grouse gun loading cartidges up with rock salt to 'correct' his spaniel which runs in at the 1st shot, 1st shot dog runs in, he lets it get out a bit loads his ock salt and shoots it, as its running back tail between its legs the neighbouring butt (happened to be an Italian) swings on the dog drops it dead and calls out 'I wipe ur eye englishman'.

No idea if actually true but my old head keeper used to tell it after a few whisky's with a very dodgy italian accent

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The only real legal way to keep people on a foot path is post and rail with stock fencing. Put locked gates in so you can move your livestock around. I believe a foot path is nominally 3 foot wide.

Expensive possibly but deductible if your a business. 

Cheaper than a lawyer. 

Less grief. 

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