shooting on foot paths

[mossy835]

one farm i shoot on,the farmer has bought a lot more land and a 8 acre wood comes with it,now this wood has a foot path right thought the middle of it.the farmer has been in there with a digger, and put gravel right thought it,on the foot path, looking at BASC web site i can shoot on and across the path, but must look out for people coming,i would not shoot near the path but up over the top of the wood, this wood has never been shot.in the 15 years iv shot the farm, so hoping for some sport on pigeons,come from the rape fields,

[kenholland]

footpaths can be dodgy at the best of times , you just don't know who's going to come along next, dog walkers can be a pain, once the word gets round they have a new foot friendly path , just use a bit of common , shot fall out etc. see how it goes.

[Walker570]

I don't see a problem unless the law has changed.  I used to pick up on a shoot where guns actually shot standing on a public road and often the local bobby would park his bike and watch.

Just a bit of common sense required. 

[lakeside1000]

I often shoot on and over a public footpath on one of my perms, it has never been an issue, on at least three occasions I have had dog walkers and ramblers stop to look at my decoys and ask me about the work I am doing, once its explained that vermin control is required by the land owner they go on their way without any bad feeling or comment, one lady walking her dog actually sat chatting with me while I took down a couple of pigeons, her comment was, " you must be a very good shot to get them so far away ", well what can you say. 

[Dougy]

I shot a Muntjac a few weeks ago on a footpath, as I went to pick it up a chap came from behind me with his mountain bike. He had watched the shot from behind a hedge, not bothered in the slightest, had a chat about deer that he'd seen in the area, admired the shot of course and went on his way. 

It could have been a totally different story had he had a guitar over his shoulder and fuzzy hair. 

[mossy835]

i used to shoot a farm with a foot path by a hedge, and people would come along,when i saw them i would get out the hide. un load the gun wait for them have a chat, let them out of site and start shooting, they were good with that,but i know you will all ways get the odd one,

 

thanks for your comments.will give it a go today,this time of year you dont get many people there,only in the summer mounths.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

When I have set up on or near to footpaths I have put out a small sign stating "Shooting in Progress" never had a problem in those situations.

 

But on private farmland that villagers exercise their dogs over I have had people moan and when asked if the Farmer is aware that they are on "HIS" land invariably become quite dismissive of the fact that they should not be there.

I usually phone the farmer and that sorts the matter.

[Mr gen]

last autumn I shot a stubble field with our backs to a footpath it cost us a few pigeons as the first question most of the passers by asked was can I have a couple. 

[prem1234]

I shoot on a game shoot where one of the drives has a footpath that runs behind the guns.....we get the normal walkers, runners and mountain bikers that come along all but one were very polite and either stopped for a brief chat or carried on and minded there own business. We can normally see them coming from at least 500 yds away so if need be we can delay the drive if the beaters are just starting to push.