Poaching

[marsh man]

1 hour ago, Grandalf said:

I was mentored into fowling by the well known rogue, and my friend, Sid Wright of Wash fame.   We often poached together pretty much as you describe above.   He knew every gutter and hidy hole on those marshes and they came in usefull on several occasions.   The land behind the sea wall was our favourite area though.   Very productive on the right night.  We were both ex army, fit and up for the game.   Neither one of us needed to do it but the TV was rubbish and the internet was not even thought of.

They were not only happy times they were also exciting times , our local W A club was formed then but didn't have any marshes to go on , the only shooting we had was on the estuary , no crops were grown on the marshes then and once the cattle was off they were left alone , this was when our night times activity came to life , we knew all the access points and many a time we would go and have a look first to see if any bikes were leaning against the gates or foot prints in the snow , how ironic that a lot of the land where we roamed without the owners consent we got the full go ahead later on in life, either by the land owner or at club level and I still roam and shoot the exactly same marshes that I did nearly 60 years ago , could we have got away with it now if we were only just starting out ?, not a dogs chance in hell and we would lose our s g c before the ink was fully dry 

[wymberley]

While staying with my uncle and his family (up the valley in South wales which should give an idea of his work) I'm told we're going fishing. Now, 11 years old or not I'd fished for a few years and knew full well that you needed things like rods, reels and some form of bait. Nothing. Just a rucksack and roll of chicken wire - and what the devil are we doing at the stream at the bottom of the garden? A few  muffled thuds and a look at the wire now spread across the stream a few minutes later answered my question. Way to go!

The above took care of the scales and for the feathers all that was needed was the old style cone shaped sweet bags, some treacle and some grain. A Thermos of Camp and a packet of Woodbines were also handy while you waited for the fun to start.

[aldivalloch]

Story from my late father:-

When he was a young man, back in the 1920s, he became friends with the local bobby, who owned a motor bike and side-car.

When they went "out for a shot" (poaching), dad drove the bike whilst the bobby deployed his 12 bore from the side-car.

The bobby always wore his uniform, and on any occasion they were intercepted by keepers he would leap from his chariot, (in which he had carefully covered up his gun and "bag"!), put on his cap and declare, "Aye, indeed, I heard shots fired somewhere here, and I'm investigating. You can leave this to me!"

 

Edited June 22, 2022 by aldivalloch

[enfieldspares]

This is a true story. Many years ago a friend who is now in his late seventies told me that he and his male friend were taking deer, at night, on Cannock Chase with a legally held BSA .22 Hornet. But of course poaching they were.

They had maybe shot one, or two deer and were sat in their minivan with the windows open having a cigarette. When coming up behind them on the forest road they saw a flashing blue light. The light stopped and the occupant got out, advanced towards their vehicle. "Quick,"  says my friend to his passenger, "Put your cigarette out and give me a kiss!"

His friend briefly protests, but after being told again, in an urgent tone, he obliges. At the next moment at the open window appears a heavyset police sergeant flashlight shining into the minivan. "Oh! Sorry lads. I didn't know. Carry on. I'll leave you to it."

As my friend related it was a narrow escape. Yes said I when he'd finished his account. You maybe have never thought through how narrow the escape was. You were very lucky. For all you know the sergeant might have asked if he could join in!

Edited June 22, 2022 by enfieldspares

[London Best]

11 hours ago, enfieldspares said:

This is a true story. Many years ago a friend who is now in his late seventies told me that he and his male friend were taking deer, at night, on Cannock Chase with a legally held BSA .22 Hornet. But of course poaching they were.

They had maybe shot one, or two deer and were sat in their minivan with the windows open having a cigarette. When coming up behind them on the forest road they saw a flashing blue light. The light stopped and the occupant got out, advanced towards their vehicle. "Quick,"  says my friend to his passenger, "Put your cigarette out and give me a kiss!"

His friend briefly protests, but after being told again, in an urgent tone, he obliges. At the next moment at the open window appears a heavyset police sergeant flashlight shining into the minivan. "Oh! Sorry lads. I didn't know. Carry on. I'll leave you to it."

As my friend related it was a narrow escape. Yes said I when he'd finished his account. You maybe have never thought through how narrow the escape was. You were very lucky. For all you know the sergeant might have asked if he could join in!

Interesting ruse!

Personally speaking, I would rather have been branded a poacher.

[marsh man]

46 minutes ago, London Best said:

Interesting ruse!

Personally speaking, I would rather have been branded a poacher.

I don't think , or rather I know that nobody in our village would ever had came up with that idea , my ole mate only shaved now and again and bath nights were far and few and mainly when the moon was Blue , no doubt we looked and smelt the same so no one was really bothered , as for the police officer joining in , three in a mini might be pushing it a bit , excuse the pun 

[Grandalf]

When I was a nipper our next door neighbour was the village bobby.   Jack Dean had been policing the village for a long time and was known by everyone as a good and fair man.    I went out with my elder brother one night to 'aquire' a Christmas tree.   This was not long after the war finished and everything was still rationed and nobody had any money.   Up near the A4 was a small row of suitabe trees planted by some farmer just behind the road hedge.   I was holding the torch while my brother did the business with the saw.   A light flashed just once on the other side of the road hedge.   Jack's voice said 'There had better be one of them by my back door when I get back - Good night'.   There was.

[chrisp]

A guy i used to work with had many stories if poaching salmon on the river tweed In his younger days 

 

It was all very well organised with look outs posted on the river bend above and below the action (both would always have dogs as an excuse to the bailiffs) 

 

There were rods hidden inside rotten trees so not to be seen with one 

 

Also had to help empty some old buildings on an estate a few years ago and found a few gaffs (apparently back in the day it was very common for the shepherds to take fish regularly to feed the family and his dogs)

Edited July 2, 2022 by chrisp

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, years ago there was a well known salmon fisherman in Scotland can't remember name but did some TV programmes, got caught salmon poaching !!, He was always at the  game fairs showing his skills at casting and giving talks, think that ended his career after ending up in court, maybe a PW member from Scotland might know name, ?

 

[snarepeg]

Snaring rabbits at 8 years old, out before school to check them, no rabbits no meat to come home to.

catapult in pocket with appropriate ammo, nuts (steel) worked well for anything daft enough to let me get within shot.

closed season? There wasn't one, 

then at 15 I got my first decent air rifle, Webley mk 11 service, we didn't go hungry after that, box of 500 Beatall pellets put a lot of meat onto the table, of the floor or out of the trees.

swapped it for a Le Enfield mk4 in 53 ,happy days, and still stretching the rubber on accasion with 9mm lead balls which really do stop stuff.😊👍🇬🇧

[Aled]

20 hours ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

Hello, years ago there was a well known salmon fisherman in Scotland can't remember name but did some TV programmes, got caught salmon poaching !!, He was always at the  game fairs showing his skills at casting and giving talks, think that ended his career after ending up in court, maybe a PW member from Scotland might know name, ?

 

Hugh Falkus was once banned from the Junction beat of the River Tweed for using a prawn (Ref: Hugh Falkus a Life on the edge by Chris Newton page 249), don't think it ended his career though. 

[aberisle]

20 hours ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

Hello, years ago there was a well known salmon fisherman in Scotland can't remember name but did some TV programmes, got caught salmon poaching !!, He was always at the  game fairs showing his skills at casting and giving talks, think that ended his career after ending up in court, maybe a PW member from Scotland might know name, ?

 

That would be Peter Anderson he died last year i heard that covid got him, he was a nice guy i dont know how true the poaching thing was i know it went to court.

[oldypigeonpopper]

2 hours ago, Aled said:

Hugh Falkus was once banned from the Junction beat of the River Tweed for using a prawn (Ref: Hugh Falkus a Life on the edge by Chris Newton page 249), don't think it ended his career though. 

Hello, no not Hugh , 

1 hour ago, aberisle said:

That would be Peter Anderson he died last year i heard that covid got him, he was a nice guy i dont know how true the poaching thing was i know it went to court.

Hello, I think your right, ended in court after being caught poaching, there call proctors in Scotland eg our magistrate ?

[Aled]

Well i'd never heard of Peter Anderson, but a quick bit of googling and i'm scratching my head and wondering why. Seems he was well known in Game Angling circles. Yes his brush with the law was mentioned.