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Poachers/Hare coursers?!


Chezney
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Hi all,

just looking for some advice from people that regularly experience this, as it's very uncommon where I live.

2-3 days ago I noticed 3 lads on a moped at the end of our farm track, one was walking towards the farm, just after I noticed them again at the next farm entrance, but only 2! I did another loop, next farm track only 1 of them left!! 

Found this suspicious but didn't think too much of it.

Last night I got back from another bit of land at about 12pm, white van in the entrance, 3-5 (plus my mate thinks there was a dog) blokes stood not too far from it.. didn't want to confront so drove on. Further along the track, heifers running around outside their field, fences smashed to bits!! Something must've mega spooked them as they were quiet only a few hours before. By the time we had seen this and thought to do something, they were driving off!

 

Im pretty peeved and worried, but my main questions are, for those that see similar activity:

do you think the two events are linked?

is coursing or something likely, particularly in mid somerset?!

what is best as a deterrent, regardless of what was actually going on?

 

 

Thanks!!

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Tin hat time for me, shame to - but I'd remove the reason for those unwelcome visitors to consider damaging the fence to gain access to the land in future. My sisters GSD's usually have rabbits but recently tried Hare and ate them so they needn't go to waste.

Repairing the damage or strengthening it at great expense doesn't stop them from returning at some future date. They might come back once and discover there is no reason to come back a third time.

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I'm on the Somerset/Wilts border and the local police are being kept very busy by coursers. Couldn't say or offer opinion from your description, but the police advised me to call 999 if you see coursing taking place, and 101 to report it otherwise. They said they are having a big campaign on it at the moment (this was 2-3 months ago).

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Its that time of year... my first suggestion would be to get some dummy CCTV cameras and signs up asap as well as informing the Police and trying to arrange your shooting companions to get on top of the pigeon over stubbles as the caravan club don't like the sounds of gun shots...

Taking out the Hare population is a little extreme at the first stage and frankly you don't want them on the land as they will be looking for things to steal and a new place to park their homes as well as fly tipping and Human Excrement depositing

We currently have caravans club contingent two fields away as the land owner has politely asked them to move rather than taking action, they were caught fishing in the adjacent houses duck pond last night ..

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Dummy camera's? I would nick them if it were me. Signs ?  Come on,, they probably can't read, and if they could do you really think they would think twice. 

Removing the reason why they go there is the most common resolve. But preventing access for vehicles is far better for the hares. 

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Sounds like you all think coursers is what they were! With regards removing the attraction, we only had 1-2 I was aware of, which is almost certainly less after last night. Talked about electric gate at the bottom but if that's just going to get run down there's not a lot of point! 

Blooming difficult situation to manage! 

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Removing the hares will do no good,

Blocking as many gate holes as possible will help but won't solve  the problem, keep reporting every sighting and get all in area to call in and get a report number then police will have to at least have a look.

 

they are a problem and need relentless pestering to drive them away.

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I don't think they would be doing much coursing on a moped but they are clearly up too no good and most likely having a good look to see what they can pinch at the very least. If you haven't already then report it to the local police. If you don't tell them they won't know.

Tell your farming friends  also as I suspect they will be seen again. And if you do see them doing similar/coursing dial 999 and see what comes of it. 

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Farmer I shoot for had similar problems with them after deer,he dug a trench around the fields concerned and put massive logs that could only be moved with the telehandler at the gates/access points,extreme yes ,but it has stopped them.

No point calling the police,if they bother at all its always way to late.

Edited by Bluebarrels
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Get out and about round the farm for the next few weeks. Don’t go alone, two minimum but three or even better four of you go out. No sneaking about with nv and thermal, go old school and get the biggest, shiniest lamp you’ve got and make sure you’re visible. They’re opportunistic, if they know you’re about because the big shiny lamp is waving around they won’t come on the ground. The one Farm I shoot which is in an area where ****** have been arrested coursing the hares I spend this time of year mooching where I can be seen from the road with a rifle or shotgun and it encourages them to stay off my ground. They stay off because they know I’m about when they’re scouting the place out so can’t be sure I won’t be about when it’s dark and they can’t see me. The neighbours that have their own ‘shooters’ had fields of sheep let out and 3 different fields of cattle mixed up last winter before the snow. 

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hello, with that post i would also think on the look out for farm machinery, as to your suggestion on illegal hare coursing in hot weather and the welfare of the dogs, most coursers dont give a stuff about the dogs as many are abandoned when chased by police, they get away but the dogs do not,

Edited by oldypigeonpopper
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3 hours ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

hello, with that post i would also think on the look out for farm machinery, as to your suggestion on illegal hare coursing in hot weather and the welfare of the dogs, most coursers dont give a stuff about the dogs as many are abandoned when chased by police, they get away but the dogs do not,

So well said there was 3 found dead just outside Stranraer just dumped of the roadside .very sad to see them laid there. The locals clubbed together .and had the dogs laid to rest.

Edited by johnphilip
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23 hours ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

hello, on my friends farm a few years back they had a group of hare coursers so police involved and caught, a few weeks later they set fire to a huge stack of straw bales, although it was sold on the field to the contractor, so be careful PW members   

hello, you do have to be careful, the year before the above i was metal detecting on same farm and 4 men with lurcher dogs appeared along the farm track so when they spotted me they said hello and started to make there way back to the main road over 3 fields, i called 101 and informed the country watch team, also been seen on 3 other farms, this time got away but as mentioned above it was same 4 and same motor,

Edited by oldypigeonpopper
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4 hours ago, walshie said:

Why does everyone associate coursing with ******? There's lots of people around who will poach anything given half a chance.

As said above,  not many people run their dogs in this heat. 

because the majority of them are... 

You are on THL. Even the coursing boys that protest that they are honest law abiding citizens are in another thread talking about straying over the boundary, running illegal species "pre ban" of course. 

 

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5 minutes ago, ClemFandango said:

because the majority of them are... 

You are on THL. Even the coursing boys that protest that they are honest law abiding citizens are in another thread talking about straying over the boundary, running illegal species "pre ban" of course. 

 

My point was that all coursers aren't gypsies and all gypsies aren't coursers. (That's nearly the word that is starred out.)

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