Trying for permissions

[Jake0843]

Hi all.

 

been out recently and have been speaking to farmers even leaving cards trying to get permissions (I live in Cambridgeshire). Wondering what’s worked for others? Also been looking for a shooting buddy but was unable to post in that section? Any help on the posting or any advice on getting any sort of permission would be very much appreciated.

 

many thanks,

 

Jake 

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Have you read;

https://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/forum/15-help-amp-advice/

[Jake0843]

Yeah been through multiple threads and have seen what others have said - just after any new input  

[bruno22rf]

Hate to rub salt in to a wound but, around 8 years back, my shooting buddy and I had been invited to shoot pigeons in Cambs - we arrived one morning bright and early only to find out that cattle had been put in the field (clover) that very morning and we could no longer shoot - the guy (was on here at the time) was very apologetic and whilst we stood talking and deciding what to do, an elderly lady approached us and asked if we could shift pigeons from her fields! The day turned out to be a dream - a neighbouring farmer also came to see us around lunchtime as we sat drinking tea in the ladies house during a lull) and asked us to shoot pigeons off his nearby land as well as Rabbits in a paddock near his house. As we were pushed for time we only managed a recce on the mans land but whilst looking over it we were approached by yet another young couple who had bought a small holding nearby and were plagued with Rabbits. Never known anything like it before.

[Jake0843]

Christ, sounds like you managed to hit the jackpot there. Unfortunately I’ve just had a few polite no’s and I’ve Left cards to no avail! 

[London Best]

If you try to get to know all your local farmers as well as possible, talk to them in the pub, buy eggs from them, and bags of potatoes, use their farm shops, buy loads of muck for your allotment, etc, etc, until you are well known and trusted, you will find that in about thirty years some of them will let you shoot.

[Jake0843]

Going to be a long thirty years lol 

[London Best]

10 minutes ago, Jake0843 said:

Going to be a long thirty years lol 

Ask me how I know!

[toontastic]

Get around your local shoots and see if any are after beaters.

Beating is a great door opener and you get a chance to hang out with like minded people. I beat on a few syndicate shoots and a commercial shoot.

I get as much pigeon shooting as I want, I get allowed to take a couple of deer per year on one shoot. There's also occasional duck flights, beaters days, nights out foxing and rough shooting over my spaniels.

If you muck in with the graft and enjoy having a laugh beating can open up endless opportunities.

[Jake0843]

Just now, toontastic said:

Get around your local shoots and see if any are after beaters.

Beating is a great door opener and you get a chance to hang out with like minded people. I beat on a few syndicate shoots and a commercial shoot.

I get as much pigeon shooting as I want, I get allowed to take a couple of deer per year on one shoot. There's also occasional duck flights, beaters days, nights out foxing and rough shooting over my spaniels.

If you muck in with the graft and enjoy having a laugh beating can open up endless opportunities.

I’ll have to look into it, not sure how I’d go about getting involved but it’s something I’d definitely be interested in

[JJsDad]

2 hours ago, Jake0843 said:

Wondering what’s worked for others?

Seeing as how requests for shooting by new members are a regular feature on this forum; at the risk of bringing you down to earth with a bump, I fear your chances of obtaining free shooting by joining a forum are slim to non-existant.

The occasional member has showed their generosity and taken a `newbie` member out on a day at the Pigeon, but most, and I include myself in this, are very wary about taking total strangers out for the day. As `London Best` has suggested, you need to get out at the right time of the year when Pigeons are a problem and find out who owns the ground and introduce yourself. Most farmers will already have reliable `shooters` who can and will turn out when crops are being damaged. The last thing a farmer wants to  hear when his peas or rape are taking a pasting, is that you can only get out on a Sunday because you have a full time job and cant fit Saturdays in because you are in a football team !  It isnt easy, but you need to get out there and knock on doors. Sure you are going to get a lot of `No`s`,  but if you keep at it you will get a permission somewhere. Having secured some ground you will understand why people guard their `perms` jealously.

Its hard work getting free shooting, that is why so called Pigeon guides have flourished. They provide something at a cost that a number of people go for because its the guide who has done the groundwork and cultivated a working relationship with a number of farmers.

I came into shooting a long time ago as a result of being a initially a beater and then moving on to picking up. As a result you meet and mix with like minded people and over a chat, things slowly evolve by being offered some vermin control. When people see you are safe and can be trusted the odd invite to shoot duck arises and over the years a position in a syndicate is offered. You need to mix in these circles because many of us on here have gained our shooting by starting off as a beater.

Edited November 11, 2019 by JJsDad

[toontastic]

6 minutes ago, Jake0843 said:

I’ll have to look into it, not sure how I’d go about getting involved but it’s something I’d definitely be interested in

I got my first beating by replying to an advert in the local gunshop, the shoot I joined also had an advert up at the local clay ground. After beating a few weeks I got asked if I was interested in a few days somewhere else and it just blossomed from there. 

[Jake0843]

10 minutes ago, JJsDad said:

Seeing as how requests for shooting by new members are a regular feature on this forum; at the risk of bringing you down to earth with a bump, I fear your chances of obtaining free shooting by joining a forum are slim to non-existant.

The occasional member has showed their generosity and taken a `newbie` member out on a day at the Pigeon, but most, and I include myself in this, are very wary about taking total strangers out for the day. As `London Best` has suggested, you need to get out at the right time of the year when Pigeons are a problem and find out who owns the ground and introduce yourself. Most farmers will already have reliable `shooters` who can and will turn out when crops are being damaged. The last thing a farmer wants to  hear when his peas or rape are taking a pasting, is that you can only get out on a Sunday because you have a full time job and cant fit Saturdays in because you are in a football team !  It isnt easy, but you need to get out there and knock on doors. Sure you are going to get a lot of `No`s`,  but if you keep at it you will get a permission somewhere. Having secured some ground you will understand why people guard their `perms` jealously.

Its hard work getting free shooting, that is why so called Pigeon guides have flourished. They provide something at a cost that a number of people go for because its the guide who has done the groundwork and cultivated a working relationship with a number of farmers.

I came into shooting a long time ago as a result of being a initially a beater and then moving on to picking up. As a result you meet and mix with like minded people and over a chat, things slowly evolve by being offered some vermin control. When people see you are safe and can be trusted the odd invite to shoot duck arises and over the years a position in a syndicate is offered. You need to mix in these circles because many of us on here have gained our shooting by starting off as a beater.

Appreciate the comment, just seeing what worked for others - not necessarily looking to get a perm via this just seeing how others have done it and hopefully persisting myself shall pay off - but all the input is more than welcome for a new lad like myself.

[Mullard83]

I know a large amount of land around the north herts/cambs border is shot by a local guy affectionately called peg leg. He has got alot of the local ground pretty much sown up, as since his accident he started off pigeon shooting and is now on the end of the line when the farmer needs him. He sells all his pigeon to the game dealers to supplement his income. I am hoping to try to get some permission again on land I let slip due to family commitments, but found he covers quite an area.

Dan.

[Jake0843]

27 minutes ago, Mullard83 said:

I know a large amount of land around the north herts/cambs border is shot by a local guy affectionately called peg leg. He has got alot of the local ground pretty much sown up, as since his accident he started off pigeon shooting and is now on the end of the line when the farmer needs him. He sells all his pigeon to the game dealers to supplement his income. I am hoping to try to get some permission again on land I let slip due to family commitments, but found he covers quite an area.

Dan.

Thanks dan I’ll bare that in mind