BASC just e mailed me.....

[Walker570]

to say shooting not included in six person rules  as long as measurers are taken to negate any cross infection. Beaters classed as workers.

Might mean driving between drives in own vehicles and social distances at breakfast.  Maybe testing.

So we are good to go.

[Scully]

It stated on the news last week it wasn’t applicable to organised sporting events, which shooting, such as driven, is. 

[Conor O'Gorman]

Latest BASC advice as follows:

New government regulations came into force in England on 14 September restricting social gatherings to no more than six people both indoors and outdoors. However, after substantial work by BASC and other organisations with government ministers and pro-shooting MPs, shooting has been included in the activities that are exempt from the rule of six.

• Any outdoor physical activity which requires a licence issued by a public body for the activity itself, or for equipment used during the activity, will be exempt from the limits on numbers who may gather together.
• For shooting, this means that where the organiser or a participant holds a valid shotgun or firearms certificate, there is no limit to the number of people who can gather for the purpose of the relevant activity while outdoors.
• The organiser will be required to have undertaken a health and safety risk assessment and put in place all reasonable measures to limit transmission of COVID-19, including ‘test and trace’ procedures.
• The exemption does not apply indoors where the gathering limit of six people will still apply.
• Employees, such as beaters, pickers-up and loaders, are also exempt from gathering limits, both indoors and outdoors, where their gathering is necessary for work purposes.

Generally, outdoor recreational activities, including shooting, can take place and there are no restrictions on how far you can travel. Shooting activities include target shooting, recreational and essential pest control and recreational deer stalking.

All holiday accommodation is allowed to open as long as establishments follow appropriate guidance.

Non-essential retail businesses, including gun shops, are allowed to open.

Shoot lunches

Shoot lunches taken indoors will need to conform to the ‘rule of six’. If on a business premises then more than six people may be present in total, but they must be in individual groups no larger than six, must maintain social distancing and may not socially interact with other groups. If the premises are not a business e.g. a shoot hut on a small DIY syndicate, then the total number of people allowed to gather will be six indoors.

Downloads and related links 

Click here to download the latest COVID secure guidance for game shoots in England.

Click here for the latest Government guidance for England.

Click here for updates on localised restrictions.

[Farmboy91]

Quite a few news outlets seem to have a bee in their bonnet about shooting and hunting going ahead. 

The guardian managed to make 95% of the article about it 😂

Nice to see BASC all over this one 👍

[Walker570]

Two tables for breakfast then and alfresco lunches.  Thanks to BASC for getting on to this.  I have no doubt there will be 'Watchers' so let us beware of that.

 

[WalkedUp]

Waiting to see how the Welsh Labour gov react in the next few days after the negative publicity in mainstream media of the Tory support for fieldsports. I hope they don’t use it as an opportunity to score political points by being contrary on shooting, but would not be surprised if they do. Hmmmffrrpphhh. 

[WalkedUp]

2 hours ago, Conor O'Gorman said:

Latest BASC advice as follows:

New government regulations came into force in England on 14 September restricting social gatherings to no more than six people both indoors and outdoors. However, after substantial work by BASC and other organisations with government ministers and pro-shooting MPs, shooting has been included in the activities that are exempt from the rule of six.

• Any outdoor physical activity which requires a licence issued by a public body for the activity itself, or for equipment used during the activity, will be exempt from the limits on numbers who may gather together.
• For shooting, this means that where the organiser or a participant holds a valid shotgun or firearms certificate, there is no limit to the number of people who can gather for the purpose of the relevant activity while outdoors.
• The organiser will be required to have undertaken a health and safety risk assessment and put in place all reasonable measures to limit transmission of COVID-19, including ‘test and trace’ procedures.
• The exemption does not apply indoors where the gathering limit of six people will still apply.
• Employees, such as beaters, pickers-up and loaders, are also exempt from gathering limits, both indoors and outdoors, where their gathering is necessary for work purposes.

Generally, outdoor recreational activities, including shooting, can take place and there are no restrictions on how far you can travel. Shooting activities include target shooting, recreational and essential pest control and recreational deer stalking.

All holiday accommodation is allowed to open as long as establishments follow appropriate guidance.

Non-essential retail businesses, including gun shops, are allowed to open.

Shoot lunches

Shoot lunches taken indoors will need to conform to the ‘rule of six’. If on a business premises then more than six people may be present in total, but they must be in individual groups no larger than six, must maintain social distancing and may not socially interact with other groups. If the premises are not a business e.g. a shoot hut on a small DIY syndicate, then the total number of people allowed to gather will be six indoors.

Downloads and related links 

Click here to download the latest COVID secure guidance for game shoots in England.

Click here for the latest Government guidance for England.

Click here for updates on localised restrictions.

@Conor O'Gorman Forgot to say, good work BASC - looks like there has been some successful campaigning. Well done to all those involved. Also, I got the email with Duncan Thomas’s et al telephone number for emergency support for over the weekend. Very good effort to make sure people could get the advice directly. 

[markm]

I’ve commented on the lead stance BASC took and left the organisation (voting with my feet). However well done to all the shooting organisations in involved.  Shooting is included, but so are many other sports.  

Edited September 15, 2020 by markm

[Vince Green]

12 hours ago, Scully said:

It stated on the news last week it wasn’t applicable to organised sporting events, which shooting, such as driven, is. 

They said on the TV last night organised TEAM sports, the word team was emphasised which made my ears ***** up. Does it say that anywhere in writing I wonder?.

From Conner's post, it does still require a written risk assessment to HSE standard which is no small job.

Edited September 15, 2020 by Vince Green

[ClemFandango]

Why are people patting BASC on the back for this? 

 

They haven't done anything. 

 

The government issued the guidelines. You didn't need BASC or any shooting organisation to clarify it was quite clear that shooting could continue. 

[WalkedUp]

Have you not seen the number of government ministers etc being dragged onto grouse moors and shoots, countless meetings etc? Just because you can’t see the feet paddling furiously under water you can’t assume the duck is fortuitously drifting towards the bread. 

[Scully]

43 minutes ago, Vince Green said:

They said on the TV last night organised TEAM sports, the word team was emphasised which made my ears ***** up. Does it say that anywhere in writing I wonder?.

From Conner's post, it does still require a written risk assessment to HSE standard which is no small job.

It said on the news last week ‘organised’ sporting events. Shooting is an organised sporting event. 

 

14 minutes ago, ClemFandango said:

Why are people patting BASC on the back for this? 

 

They haven't done anything. 

 

The government issued the guidelines. You didn't need BASC or any shooting organisation to clarify it was quite clear that shooting could continue. 

This. 

[Smokersmith]

It's not gone down well in the press .. Mirror front page headlines about chaos everywhere but don't worry you can still go grouse shooting with 29 of yout chums !!

[Pushandpull]

There is a fairly long list of "permitted" activities, but a bit of malice and class warfare makes headlines - toffs wearing tweed hunting grouse while swilling champagne.

[grahamch]

So how does wildfowling fit in here? Usually solitary, non essesential and no employees but very well socially distanced 

[Newbie to this]

5 minutes ago, grahamch said:

So how does wildfowling fit in here? Usually solitary, non essesential and no employees but very well socially distanced 

The key here is solitary. No more than 6, social distance and crack on 

Edited September 15, 2020 by Newbie to this

[scotslad]

Just as well it can continue.

Most grousey areas there is very little emp!oyment or spare cash flying about.

After last season next to no shooting on most moors due to poor numbers, next to no tourism this summer.

Many hotels and businesses will be praying for a decent shooting season wether grouse or otherwise, just to keep there doors open

Surprising the money involved even in only making the lunches every day.

 

An estate near me is booked 6 days a week until Feb ( not grouse) and the bodies and money it brings in to an otherwise ****Ty valley is unreal.

 

Must admit I'm amazed wee Nicola/greens haven't managed to remove th e exemption yet, there usually never slow to kick shooting if they get the chance. Ie sporting interests where exempt from any loans/compensation  due to lock down ( lost stalking income)

 

Plus not sure why there mentioning 30 folk other than to make a better headline, in reality will really only be 10 max as all others beaters, pickers etc are employees so not an issue.

 

Must admit I do think basc are just glory hounds claiming the glory when a load of others involved, just a shame they weren't as good at actually defending shooting rather than promoting themselves

[Newbie to this]

56 minutes ago, Smokersmith said:

It's not gone down well in the press .. Mirror front page headlines about chaos everywhere but don't worry you can still go grouse shooting with 29 of yout chums !!

Just heard an advert for, Left wing loony, LBC poster boy James O'Brien's show, his headline story is on Grouse shooting being exempt and how it is just what everyone needs.

Edited September 15, 2020 by Newbie to this

[Vince Green]

1 minute ago, Newbie to this said:

Just heard an advert for, Left wing loonie, LBC poster boy James O'Brien's show, his headline story is on Grouse shooting being exempt and how it is just what everyone needs.

James O'Brian needs no encouragement be controversial for his own glorification.

[HW95J]

It's a shame that shooting is getting so much criticism regarding this. Ok so they don't like shooting, that's fine, but regardless of what it is it's quite logical for it to go ahead. It's a sport where social distancing is essentially always the norm anyway, taking place in rural areas with fairly low population density and all the while contributing to the food chain. So a productive and safe activity. The only potentially valid concern would be having people travelling to rural areas and increasing risk. However as we know thousands of people are flooding to rural areas each weekend anyway, often littering the countryside while they're at it. So I think the environmentally and socially responsible side (shooting activities) still comes out top... 

[Farmboy91]

4 hours ago, HW95J said:

It's a shame that shooting is getting so much criticism regarding this. Ok so they don't like shooting, that's fine, but regardless of what it is it's quite logical for it to go ahead. It's a sport where social distancing is essentially always the norm anyway, taking place in rural areas with fairly low population density and all the while contributing to the food chain. So a productive and safe activity. The only potentially valid concern would be having people travelling to rural areas and increasing risk. However as we know thousands of people are flooding to rural areas each weekend anyway, often littering the countryside while they're at it. So I think the environmentally and socially responsible side (shooting activities) still comes out top... 

That's a far to rational way for the Mirror or Guardian too look at it.

It's funny, I never thought of myself as a toff 😂

[Conor O'Gorman]

Dan Reynolds, BASC's director of England, has been on BBC Two's BBC Politics live programme today talking about shooting being included on the list of exceptions of the 'rule of six'.

Watch here (Dan Reynolds features at 8 mins):

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000mmr6/politics-live-15092020

Click here for more background:

https://basc.org.uk/shooting-exempt-and-tackling-hysteria/

Click here for press coverage quoting BASC on this issue:

https://basc.org.uk/basc-in-the-press-news/

Click here to download the latest COVID secure guidance for game shoots in England:

https://basc.org.uk/download/279540/

[Terry2016]

On 15/09/2020 at 20:27, Conor O'Gorman said:

Dan Reynolds, BASC's director of England, has been on BBC Two's BBC Politics live programme today talking about shooting being included on the list of exceptions of the 'rule of six'.

Watch here (Dan Reynolds features at 8 mins):

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000mmr6/politics-live-15092020

Click here for more background:

https://basc.org.uk/shooting-exempt-and-tackling-hysteria/

Click here for press coverage quoting BASC on this issue:

https://basc.org.uk/basc-in-the-press-news/

Click here to download the latest COVID secure guidance for game shoots in England:

https://basc.org.uk/download/279540/

Really good to see.