How Hard (Or Easy) Is It To Get Permission Nowadays

[Continental Shooter]

Back to the OP, without causing any controversy or wanting to complaint, here's the flip side of the coin: 

Not everyone lives in the country and not everyone does jobs which might interest farmers and not everyone can take a day off at short notice or midweek 😞

when i moved to Scotland I was following a project at Uni which meant i was always out in the field and managed to get myself a few perms; i was always out and not an issue to manage them. That lasted a couple of years.  Then the project moved further afield (Scandinavia, Russia, etc.) and although i only went once or twice (for a few weeks), my perms started moaning.

I returned, met my wife and decided to settle.  Took a full time job and that's when everything went down hill.  The fact i manage some of the biggest UK financial companies on behalf of my company means i am travelling quite often between Edinburgh and Glasgow (and sometimes down south) and always Mon-Fri (9-5).  As you can guess within a couple of years i lost all my perms as i could only be there on Saturdays and not when required.  Same for syndicates: i can only support weekends, so can't help with the feeding, pest control, etc. most of the time and i found it hard and unfair to try and get into one knowing I can't help or do what others do and demand the same rights... when others might want to join and can actually help.

That goes for some of my mates too: some owns shops, some restaurants, some work in offices .... we're not all as lucky as some of you who live out in the country (and take my word for it; i'd love to GTF out of here and buy myself a cottage and some land); also didn't help when you're a migrant and have no family around.

I tried going back to some of the farms i knew or even new ones around close to my area ... but guess what: they're all taken

So, the morale of the story is: not every case is the same and not everyone is lazy.  If i ask for a day out or a share in a perm might just be that i can't manage my own or keep the farmer happy and only want some land to get out and stay outdoor for few hours every now and then. 

I'm now settled, i have a friend who owns perms but only does deer and foxes so, everything else he calls me which provides me with some opportunity; that also mean i can get out when i can not when i am required. From October onward I am on the foreshore when i can and pigeon shooting is limited to non existent with some walked up days and some inland ducks and geese. that's all i need and always asked for (even at a cost), and that's what my mates and I do: i take them out when we can, enjoy the day out, help the farmer if we can and when we can, maybe buy off him what he got (eggs, chikens, etc.) and be grateful for the day.  cheers,

[Old Boggy]

On 18 December 2018 at 21:21, JDog said:

Indeed MM. When I moved up here from the Cotswolds I had no land and knew no one. Right from the start I made a determined effort to obtain enough permissions to keep my interest in pigeon shooting piqued. There have been some refusals along the way but generally I have been lucky. It helps greatly that I am very ugly.

Only last week Clodhopper and I were refused on what looked like a dead cert field. We dusted ourselves off, went to a new permission of his and shot 50 on a flight line.

I think also that age has a relevance here.

There is a difference between, dare I say it , a mid sixties person (or in my case a septuagenarian) who knows the crop, where the pigeons are feeding, flight lines etc and knows something of farming practices and a young person starting out trying to get permission but knowing very little of those things. In my youth, permission seemed to be easier to obtain then, but not so easy nowadays for a younger person. I have been fortunate to have built up a rapport over the years with farmer friends but have found it much easier to obtain new permissions by knocking on new doors when pigeons have been much in evidence. I cannot recall any knock backs in recent years and always mention the farms and farmers where I already shoot. Farmers are a close knit community and regularly communicate with each other. Respect for the land, leaving hide positions clean etc etc goes without saying. Whilst I may be doing them a service by shooting (or scaring) pigeons, I still regard it as a privilege and take nothing for granted. It is after all a cheap and enjoyable hobby. A few bottles at Xmas is nothing compared with the absolute pleasure it gives.

OB

[stu & springer]

Hi I have been looking and going round farms for over 12 months looking for pigeon shooting leaving my details with all the farmers . I got dis heartened then out of the blue last week a farmer contacted me ...700 + acres of winter rape !!

[yickdaz]

1 hour ago, stu & springer said:

Hi I have been looking and going round farms for over 12 months looking for pigeon shooting leaving my details with all the farmers . I got dis heartened then out of the blue last week a farmer contacted me ...700 + acres of winter rape !!

well done

[TIGHTCHOKE]

10 hours ago, stu & springer said:

Hi I have been looking and going round farms for over 12 months looking for pigeon shooting leaving my details with all the farmers . I got dis heartened then out of the blue last week a farmer contacted me ...700 + acres of winter rape !!

See it does work. The advice is worth following.

[mossy835]

700 acres of winter rape, that will keep you going for a bit, well done it is out there.

[JDog]

23 hours ago, stu & springer said:

Hi I have been looking and going round farms for over 12 months looking for pigeon shooting leaving my details with all the farmers . I got dis heartened then out of the blue last week a farmer contacted me ...700 + acres of winter rape !!

Good result.

If the farmer has 700 acres of rape he must farm over 2,000 acres in total. Do a good job for him and you could get year round shooting. 

[pigeon controller]

Well done and good luck , as JDog said do a good job and you could get recommended to others.

Edited January 12, 2019 by pigeon controller

[Vermingator]

Hi Guys, I'm new on here so be kind to me. I have been shooting since i was 8 with my dad who has shooting rights in swanley kent, the farmer has a few hundred acres and there is only pigeon around him. He rarely puts crop down so its mostly grass and pigeons flying onto the neighbouring fields which is fine by me. I have been shooting here until 3 years ago when my father attacked my brother and divorced my mum which has resulted in him not talking to me and he also lost his gun licence. i ended up taking all his guns and was still allowed to go still until he divorced my mum. He now goes with his friend and to avoid confrontation I do not go. 
I have permission to shoot on some woodland in enfield where i live which is owned by my friends dad. The farm next door has a gaming company who put down a lot of bird which end up in my friends woodlands which is fun when the season starts. I can shoot off the boundary onto the fields which has produced some amazing 100+ pigeon days for 8 years i have shot on it for. Perfect you would assume but the dad and the son dont get on. The father lets me go over but the son does not want me going. So for 2 years i have not been able to shoot and its no fault of my own.
I decided to go door knocking like people say. I went dressed up in my work outfit suited and booted as i work in an office. I started at 10 and drove around harlow and surrounding areas where ever i saw a combine or tracker in the field i stopped, google helped me find lots of farms and i Knocked on so many doors to try and get some land even offering to work on the farm on days off etc. I can drive tractors and 20ton diggers and john deers so i would be of help. I spoke to so many nice farmers who were willing to let me shoot had there been a club shooting on it already even though they rarely turn up which was commonly the reply) or the game keeper was dealing with even though no one was dealing with it really. I went to over 12 farmers and spoke to farm helpers, farmers and even bumped into a farmers shooter who was rude and laughed at the fact i was trying to find land to shoot on. I even purchased some bottles of water and handed them to the farmers and farm workers as the weather was hot in the summer but this didnt even help. i ended the search at 6pm and got permission to fish on the farmers private lake and river lol not what i wanted but such a nice old man i played along with it. 
I might just contact a farmer i know in bicester who owns a lot of land. I sold him a property for his son in Docklands and he might be willing to let me shoot on his land but he is a lamb breeder so i dont know if he has use for me.
Commercial farming, syndicates and game keepers have ruined it for us all especially those who live in london. 
I am willing to travel 1hour to get to the land and i am happy to go shooting during the rain, the snow, the extreme heat etc. when the farmer needs someone i would be happy to attend. I have a number of friends who would also come with me if i found some land so we could cover a larger area. I dont need game to shoot i am searching for somewhere to do my decoying. 
If anyone can help me out with some days or if anyone needs a shooting partner then please let me know. Even if its a few times a year or during the time when pigeon are at the worst then thats fine with me. Im just frustrated at how its changed. I understand who wants a total stranger to shoot on their land with a deadly weapon.
Sorry for going on. 
 

[JDog]

Vermingator 

I sense your frustration but do be careful with the content of your posts.

You seem to be doing the right thing. I would continue doing that but have some cards printed with your name and contact details on and hand them out to farmers when you make contact. 

[marsh man]

16 minutes ago, Vermingator said:

Hi Guys, I'm new on here so be kind to me. I have been shooting since i was 8 with my dad who has shooting rights in swanley kent, the farmer has a few hundred acres and there is only pigeon around him. He rarely puts crop down so its mostly grass and pigeons flying onto the neighbouring fields which is fine by me. I have been shooting here until 3 years ago when my father attacked my brother and divorced my mum which has resulted in him not talking to me and he also lost his gun licence. i ended up taking all his guns and was still allowed to go still until he divorced my mum. He now goes with his friend and to avoid confrontation I do not go. 
I have permission to shoot on some woodland in enfield where i live which is owned by my friends dad. The farm next door has a gaming company who put down a lot of bird which end up in my friends woodlands which is fun when the season starts. I can shoot off the boundary onto the fields which has produced some amazing 100+ pigeon days for 8 years i have shot on it for. Perfect you would assume but the dad and the son dont get on. The father lets me go over but the son does not want me going. So for 2 years i have not been able to shoot and its no fault of my own.
I decided to go door knocking like people say. I went dressed up in my work outfit suited and booted as i work in an office. I started at 10 and drove around harlow and surrounding areas where ever i saw a combine or tracker in the field i stopped, google helped me find lots of farms and i Knocked on so many doors to try and get some land even offering to work on the farm on days off etc. I can drive tractors and 20ton diggers and john deers so i would be of help. I spoke to so many nice farmers who were willing to let me shoot had there been a club shooting on it already even though they rarely turn up which was commonly the reply) or the game keeper was dealing with even though no one was dealing with it really. I went to over 12 farmers and spoke to farm helpers, farmers and even bumped into a farmers shooter who was rude and laughed at the fact i was trying to find land to shoot on. I even purchased some bottles of water and handed them to the farmers and farm workers as the weather was hot in the summer but this didnt even help. i ended the search at 6pm and got permission to fish on the farmers private lake and river lol not what i wanted but such a nice old man i played along with it. 
I might just contact a farmer i know in bicester who owns a lot of land. I sold him a property for his son in Docklands and he might be willing to let me shoot on his land but he is a lamb breeder so i dont know if he has use for me.
Commercial farming, syndicates and game keepers have ruined it for us all especially those who live in london. 
I am willing to travel 1hour to get to the land and i am happy to go shooting during the rain, the snow, the extreme heat etc. when the farmer needs someone i would be happy to attend. I have a number of friends who would also come with me if i found some land so we could cover a larger area. I dont need game to shoot i am searching for somewhere to do my decoying. 
If anyone can help me out with some days or if anyone needs a shooting partner then please let me know. Even if its a few times a year or during the time when pigeon are at the worst then thats fine with me. Im just frustrated at how its changed. I understand who wants a total stranger to shoot on their land with a deadly weapon.
Sorry for going on. 
 

If gaining permission is as difficult as you stating I would have gone down the beating route while you were talking to the larger farm / estates who have got a full time keeper , or a keeper who do the vermin control .

I am personally saying it is not hard to get, but I sometimes forget I have known the farmers and estate owners for a long time and some of them have known me for just as long so if I was looking for any neighbouring farms to shoot over I can name names and quote them for any references if needed , in your case with not knowing anyone I would carry on looking and if need be then offer your services to beat on next years game shoots and go on from there , if the land was near enough for you to control the pigeons then you could easily fit in a few days in the Winter and have a good day out in the bargain .

Another thing is , I would only ask for my own permission and not to mention any friends until you are on better terms and know the quantity of land you get permission for , you are already finding it hard for yourself in person let alone asking for someone they have not met .

GOOD LUCK  

[Vermingator]

marsh man, i dont mention anyone. i just offer myself as i am the one there talking to them but still nothing. i will keep trying

[marsh man]

8 minutes ago, Vermingator said:

marsh man, i dont mention anyone. i just offer myself as i am the one there talking to them but still nothing. i will keep trying

Good man , keep trying and don't get to despondent , also, try and find a field where pigeons are doing damage and just ask to go on that one field , once you get the go ahead, he might well ask you to keep an eye on some more of his fields you don't know about .

[Vermingator]

the day i went the fields were being hammered after they had been cut or before the cut but still nothing. one farmer was in a house opposite the field being damaged but club has the rights. 

i will keep trying 

[stu & springer]

Thanks for all the comments guys 

[TIGHTCHOKE]

On 13/01/2019 at 20:40, Vermingator said:

the day i went the fields were being hammered after they had been cut or before the cut but still nothing. one farmer was in a house opposite the field being damaged but club has the rights. 

i will keep trying 

So join the club!

[lloydi73]

depends where you are I suppose geographically. Here in Oxfordhsire, available land to shoot is as rare as teeth on a hen. Think I've exhausted evry farm ina  30m radious, i've ebven been back to the same farms 2 or 3 times. I think with people nopw paying, the days of door knocking are almost over. It's a case of "who you know, not what you know"!! 

[Timerider]

21 hours ago, lloydi73 said:

depends where you are I suppose geographically. Here in Oxfordhsire, available land to shoot is as rare as teeth on a hen. Think I've exhausted evry farm ina  30m radious, i've ebven been back to the same farms 2 or 3 times. I think with people nopw paying, the days of door knocking are almost over. It's a case of "who you know, not what you know"!! 

I would agree with that. Luckily I live in Northumberland, and we have a lot of countryside and farm land up here, but still I haven`t had any permissions from door knocking yet. All of my permissions have come from friends who shoot, or a gamekeeper friend that I have done pest control for, started clearing squirrels with the air rifle, then was given permission for the shotgun. Definitely a case of "who you know" for me.