Farmboy91 Posted October 25, 2020 Report Share Posted October 25, 2020 (edited) 47 minutes ago, chrisjpainter said: New question: Would people want them to exist as a small but stable population? Depends doesn't it, where do you stand legally at the moment regarding shooting one if you came across it while stalking for example? Does it fall like the grey squirrel into a non native/invasive species catagory? If a small population was to exist, they are bound to cross paths with humans and livestock more often, and there are bound to be conflicts and more likely that not someone who wants them protected from any sort of persecution regardless of the damage they may be causing. Edited October 25, 2020 by Farmboy91 Spelling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokingdragon Posted October 25, 2020 Report Share Posted October 25, 2020 From 2017 https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/big-cat-sightings-been-reported-13878099 I can also remember a BBC Wales new report / documentary interviewing a guy who found a half eaten sheep in a tree in the Brechfa forest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Green Posted October 25, 2020 Report Share Posted October 25, 2020 1 hour ago, Farmboy91 said: Depends doesn't it, where do you stand legally at the moment regarding shooting one if you came across it while stalking for example? Does it fall like the grey squirrel into a non native/invasive species catagory? If a small population was to exist, they are bound to cross paths with humans and livestock more often, and there are bound to be conflicts and more likely that not someone who wants them protected from any sort of persecution regardless of the damage they may be causing. The popular wisdom is that if you did shoot one and reported it the body would be taken away and never be seen again. This (allegedly) happened more than once in Hertfordshire in the 80s when I lived there and was in close contact with a lot of the shooting people. The Ministry, and presumably the police as well, were intend on keeping it all very quiet, not broadcasting the fact that there was a problem. Probably also because the problem was caused by badly worded legislation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisjpainter Posted October 25, 2020 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2020 37 minutes ago, Vince Green said: The popular wisdom is that if you did shoot one and reported it the body would be taken away and never be seen again. This (allegedly) happened more than once in Hertfordshire in the 80s when I lived there and was in close contact with a lot of the shooting people. The Ministry, and presumably the police as well, were intend on keeping it all very quiet, not broadcasting the fact that there was a problem. Probably also because the problem was caused by badly worded legislation. There's one in a university freezer that I absolutely, definitely don't know about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmboy91 Posted October 25, 2020 Report Share Posted October 25, 2020 56 minutes ago, Vince Green said: The popular wisdom is that if you did shoot one and reported it the body would be taken away and never be seen again. This (allegedly) happened more than once in Hertfordshire in the 80s when I lived there and was in close contact with a lot of the shooting people. The Ministry, and presumably the police as well, were intend on keeping it all very quiet, not broadcasting the fact that there was a problem. Probably also because the problem was caused by badly worded legislation. I wonder if they have been shot in the past and the shooter had kept quiet, not in fear of doing something wrong but not wanting the hassle of press and public, a bit like what strimmer13 was saying. I do remember something on the news about police marksman being out after them, a few years ago now. You last paragraph has it, I cant imagine even if they did bag one word would have gotten out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisheruk Posted October 25, 2020 Report Share Posted October 25, 2020 I wonder if our friends from BASC on PW could find out and let us know if it is legal to shoot them if you come across them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strimmer_13 Posted October 25, 2020 Report Share Posted October 25, 2020 1 hour ago, smokingdragon said: From 2017 https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/big-cat-sightings-been-reported-13878099 I can also remember a BBC Wales new report / documentary interviewing a guy who found a half eaten sheep in a tree in the Brechfa forest. Back to my post on the first page and Tregaron and the scrap man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
team tractor Posted October 25, 2020 Report Share Posted October 25, 2020 59 minutes ago, Fisheruk said: I wonder if our friends from BASC on PW could find out and let us know if it is legal to shoot them if you come across them? I think I couldn’t do it . One sighting in my life on camera . I’d just love to see one in the flesh 😎 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discobob Posted October 25, 2020 Report Share Posted October 25, 2020 4 minutes ago, team tractor said: I think I couldn’t do it . One sighting in my life on camera . I’d just love to see one in the flesh 😎 and it not being the last thing you see!! 🤣 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wymondley Posted October 25, 2020 Report Share Posted October 25, 2020 3 hours ago, Vince Green said: The popular wisdom is that if you did shoot one and reported it the body would be taken away and never be seen again. This (allegedly) happened more than once in Hertfordshire in the 80s when I lived there and was in close contact with a lot of the shooting people. The Ministry, and presumably the police as well, were intend on keeping it all very quiet, not broadcasting the fact that there was a problem. Probably also because the problem was caused by badly worded legislation. Broxbourne area by any chance? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Green Posted October 25, 2020 Report Share Posted October 25, 2020 1 hour ago, Wymondley said: Broxbourne area by any chance? Not far away, I lived in Redbourn at that time but used to shoot all over, mostly up Tring, Ashridge, Cheddington Markyate, Cupid Green. my mate was a warden at Ashridge and thats the area where a lot of the cat sightings were Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wymondley Posted October 25, 2020 Report Share Posted October 25, 2020 11 minutes ago, Vince Green said: Not far away, I lived in Redbourn at that time but used to shoot all over, mostly up Tring, Ashridge, Cheddington Markyate, Cupid Green. my mate was a warden at Ashridge and thats the area where a lot of the cat sightings were Around the early 80s it was rumoured there were big cats wandering around Broxbourne and that one had been shot near Epping. The one shot at Epping was apparently removed on the quiet by a couple of policemen and a man from the ministry, because "we don't want to alarm people". The talk at the time was either they'd escaped from Broxbourne zoo or they'd belonged to a celeb' that lived near Epping. Funnily enough, Ashridge is where I spotted a wild boar. It's also an area noted for UFO sightings and Witch covens, allegedly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welsh1 Posted October 25, 2020 Report Share Posted October 25, 2020 Years ago when home on leave my Dad told me that he was walking down a forest track with his rifle with trees either side when a very large black cat which looked like a Panther walked out into the middle of the track about 40 yds in front of him stopped looked at him then dissapeared into the woods the other side, my Dad said he turned around and walked at a brisk pace out of the forest. This was the late 80's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
team tractor Posted October 25, 2020 Report Share Posted October 25, 2020 (edited) 17 hours ago, welsh1 said: Years ago when home on leave my Dad told me that he was walking down a forest track with his rifle with trees either side when a very large black cat which looked like a Panther walked out into the middle of the track about 40 yds in front of him stopped looked at him then dissapeared into the woods the other side, my Dad said he turned around and walked at a brisk pace out of the forest. This was the late 80's 😂 I don’t blame him . I was stood there once and I started shaking . I just thought I’m leaving now . The woods has a terrible history from the Middle Ages of death . It’s scary . 23 hours ago, discobob said: and it not being the last thing you see!! 🤣 I walked through there today . I have a 4+1 12g on me and I still look around 😂. The one I seen was 3-4 years ago and no more than 2’high . Edited October 26, 2020 by team tractor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted October 26, 2020 Report Share Posted October 26, 2020 Watched s TV program on big cat sightings in the UK. There was even a copper saying one had crossed Infront of him in his car. There have been reports of sheep and lambs being killed and found wedged up trees. I wouldn't rule out big cats being around from time to time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockySpears Posted October 26, 2020 Report Share Posted October 26, 2020 14 hours ago, team tractor said: I walked through there today . I have a 4+1 12g on me and I still look around 😂. The one I seen was 3-4 years ago and no more than 2” high . @ 2 inches high, the 12g would make mush of it. Mind you, so would a big stick 😉 RS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discobob Posted October 26, 2020 Report Share Posted October 26, 2020 50 minutes ago, RockySpears said: @ 2 inches high, the 12g would make mush of it. Mind you, so would a big stick 😉 RS It could have been one of these Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
team tractor Posted October 26, 2020 Report Share Posted October 26, 2020 1 hour ago, RockySpears said: @ 2 inches high, the 12g would make mush of it. Mind you, so would a big stick 😉 RS Corrected 😂 funny tho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattyg1086 Posted December 28, 2020 Report Share Posted December 28, 2020 I grew up in St. Albans in Hertfordshire and my dad worked at Rothamstead research in Harpenden. In between my parents house and his work are a golf course and farmland. My brother came home late one night and as he pulled up at the garage In a garage block behind our parents house there was a large black German Shepherd sized thing he saw out of the corner of his eye as he went to unlock the garage. It made a wired noise when he whistled at it thinking it was a dog. When he heard that noise it made he jumped back into his car and sat there and watched it slink of to the end of the garages and jump up and climb over a 6ft fence. He woke my dad up and they went and had a look in the morning but couldn't see any prints or sign of it. Then my dad told us of rothamstead research, there are people living on the site and there was a bar there when he worked there. Anyway one of the residents was woken up one night by two guys banging on her door begging to be let in and call the police as they had been stalked by something as they were walking down this road through the site to get home. Another of the residents was sat in her living room one night when the security light came on in the black garden and she got up to have a look as it was very unusual for this to happen and she heard a loud bang as she just saw the back end of something big and black with a very long tail just going over the top of her fence. One of the farm hands swore blind he had seen one too and would not be out alone at night in the fields. There was a bloke in Welwyn Garden City or Welwyn village that used to own lots of exotic animals back in the 70s and lots of reports happened after the ban came in. Its not that hard to believe that they have bred and lived here since then. There is loads of habitat around and food for them to eat. A game keeper once told me that he saw one around Hertford way about 5 years ago. And I read a story of a farmer in Scotland found a dead one or **** one and buried it so as not to draw attention Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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