Do Your Neighbours Know You Shoot?

[B725]

Everyone who knows me either were I live and those at work all know I go shooting never tried to hide it from anyone, just got on with what I do. 

[Imperfection]

I think everyone on my small road know i shoot. They've seen me walking to & from car often enough with rifle/shotgun slips etc over the years. The one neighbour who my house is joined to though is an anti despite being brought up on a farm so have to be careful around him.

The guy opposite is fine-infact he is one referees for my fac and vice versa.

[Minky]

To qualify what I previously wrote, I  have an example of possible issues that are potential risks. ... some years ago one of my daughters was on her way out to her friends and she returned to tell me, "Dad I think that someone has been sick on your bonnet"!  "How pleasant I replied ". I  went straight out there and instantly realised that it wasn't sick and that it was probably Nitro moors.  I grabbed the garden hose and started washing the slop off of the bonnet...l the roof and the front wing. The articles was parked off road on my ground. I  then noticed that two of my neighbours cars had been treated in the same way as  mine.  None of us had any idea as to why. All of us were middle aged family blokes who don't owe. Money or have kids that are at home. Now two of the cars weren't anything special but one was a very clean nice Alfa a couple of years old. So no known culprit, no obvious motive, 3 badly damaged vehicles.   Eventually plod showed up,  one said" that's not nice.!... we'll give you a crime number.!!  My patience was wearing thin at this point and I let my annoyance be known to him:;:.   I  said don't be so stupid.  The insurance companies will write two of these off without question.  Its stupid brainless comments like this by plod that don't help.  We never did find out who or why but I had my suspicions that the fact that it could have been tied up with a neighbour and drug dealing.  SO be  careful about how the actions of third parties  an seriously affect you, your property and your life. Some of these low life antis wouldn’t think twice about setting fire to your shed or vehicles and  you'd never know who or why.

[Shadowchaser]

In answer to the question as to whether or not my colleagues know I shoot, then yes they all do. As I've explained I live on a farm and help run my families business from here. Some of my colleagues have been up to shoot clays with me on the odd occasion. 

One or two of them don't believe in or couldn't bring themselves to shoot animals (they're not vegans or antis in any way, more that they couldn't face killing something and preparing it to eat). I guess that accounts for a lot of the population. 

I did work in retail when I was younger (early 20's) and some of my then colleagues knew that I shot, but I limited it to telling them it was clay pigeons only. 

 

[strimmer_13]

Yes to both questions. 1 neighbour who didn't agree with it even got his mindset changed eventually.

And everyone at the council when I worked there knew, some I even took out for clays and pigeons and now being self employed I actually take my gun in sometimes as I'm requested to clear out pests of fur and feather. 

 

Life couldn't be better and **** the rest

[retromlc]

Everybody know I shoot, I don't hide it and in not bothered about telling people my hobby is clay pigeon shooting, sometimes I get asked if I shoot live quarry, most seem relieved that I don't.  Most people are more bothered when they hear I ride off road bikes, they think I'm one of those people that tear up greenlanes and make loads of noise, they seem happier that I only race them and don't use them on public roads.

I do what I do and I don't really care what people think tbh 

[Green hornet]

2 of my neighbours shoot but they don't know I do 🤣.I like to keep it that way.

[Rim Fire]

When i am dragging a Boar or Deer down the drive or Pheasants after a shoot day they must know 

[MWildfowler]

None of my neighbours know I shoot. Once I was carrying my gun it’s slip to the car and a neighbour asked me if I’m going fishing so I just went along with that. I guess a lot of people seeing a gun slip wouldn’t automatically think gun. 

[Scully]

6 hours ago, Rim Fire said:

When i am dragging a Boar or Deer down the drive or Pheasants after a shoot day they must know 

😂

[Pops_Hants]

One of my neighbours knew, the day I bought my first gun I was walking in with a browning ABS case, with logo, he was an older chap and somewhat grumpy around people (can't blame him), he looked me up and down, and just gruffed "browning?", which I replied yes and we got into a conversation, since then he's been less grumpy with me, so no bad thing.

My other neighbours if they see me or ask I just tell them I am fishing, personally the less that know I have guns at home the better, a simple dispute around parking, noise levels etc can lead to me losing my licence if they want to make a (false) complaint about guns, but no one is going to claim I was waving my fish rod around, although if they did, perhaps I might get questioned about indecent exposure as I don't own any fishing rods...

 

Different times today, I was never shooting in "The Good ol' days", but I still appreciated what was accepted historically is no longer the case.

[Scully]

A few friends have shooting related number plates, which aren’t subtle at all. When my nephew was still at school he used to bike to his weekend job with his shotgun over his shoulder, with Beretta in bright orange lettering down its length. 🙂

He’s grown up now of course; he’s a Browning man! 😀

[Biffo1262]

I believe any attempts to conceal you shoot might be misconstrued and invite further investigation.  I make no secret of it but never shoot in my garden when neighbours are out in theirs out of sheer consideration for them.  I live in a large end of terrace with commercial properties at ninety degrees to mine all with open rears, no boundary walls.  We have disused allotments to the rear and in the last few years we have had a rat problem from the allotments.  They burrowed in the land to the rear of the commercial premises and I've shot 20+ in my back garden alone.  I was given permission to shoot at night on all the commercial properties.  We haven't seen a rat in the garden or commercial yards for over a year so I have good standing with my neighbours.  In fact one or two have come in for a shoot themselves.

[marsh man]

I don't think , or to be more precise I know we won't see the days come back like the little film I have just watched of Kenzie Thorpe walking  back along the road with his gun un sleeved under one arm and carrying two dead Pink feet in the other hand , you can watch this on E A F A and it was taken in 1961 .

Maybe someone brighter than me can put a link to it ( Lincolnshire Poachers )        THANKS.

Edited October 16, 2023 by marsh man

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Here you go John.

https://eafa.ehost.uea.ac.uk/work/?id=750540

[marsh man]

2 hours ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

Here you go John.

https://eafa.ehost.uea.ac.uk/work/?id=750540

Brilliant ,    Many THANKS T C

[mowdy]

My neighbours know I shoot as I  shoot in my field behind my house

[Penelope]

18 hours ago, marsh man said:

I don't think , or to be more precise I know we won't see the days come back like the little film I have just watched of Kenzie Thorpe walking  back along the road with his gun un sleeved under one arm and carrying two dead Pink feet in the other hand , you can watch this on E A F A and it was taken in 1961 .

Maybe someone brighter than me can put a link to it ( Lincolnshire Poachers )        THANKS.

Once took a pair of Greylags into the city on the tube; that was the early 90's though, but I would have no qualms doing the same now. Stuff 'em!

[manthing]

Yup.

It's their land I shoot on. Lol 😆 

[RyanMc]

Most know I shoot, neighbour to one side was one of my references and my boss the other! The children don't know, only young and don't invite unwanted attention/loose lips from them, in slip, out to car, they have no clue.

I try to promote shooting, don't have to kill things I tell them but for the technical end of target shooting or the fun of just having a go at the clays. I do mention the conservation, pest control (control not eradication is what I lean on) and that after taking a number of foxes out of an area I now see more cute furry animals running around. Seems to help their attitudes more.

[marsh man]

On 16/10/2023 at 14:54, Penelope said:

Once took a pair of Greylags into the city on the tube; that was the early 90's though, but I would have no qualms doing the same now. Stuff 'em!

Evening Paul ..... A lot of water had gone under the bridge since the early 90s which is 30* years ago , you could still get away with it today but the world is now a violent place and I don't think I would dare to take a pair of Greys hanging up by there necks walking through the centre of Norwich let alone London .

One rule in the local wildfowling club now is all fowl to be put in a bag when leaving the marsh as on one block of marshes the members have to leave there motors on the village church car park and I don't think it would look good if people are attending the graves when someone walk past on the highway carrying a few duck and a couple of Pinks for all the world to see .

In the 80s two of us used to get the train from Yarmouth to Berney Arms , these were first class marshes and part of them are now owned by the R S P B , we would be up there a little after 8am and the morning would be spent walking the dykes up , walking through the reed beds and criss crossing the marshes for Hares , on a good day our bags would be pretty full by dinner time , in the afternoons we would carry the bag to the un maned station and walk the dykes up till a little after 3 pm , then we had to make sure we were back at the station before the train came as this was the last one till the following day , we would sit on the bench with our two dogs and in the distance you would see a little light coming towards you from a fair way off , this was the time to put the dogs on a lead and stand there with your arm out , the train would slow down and come to a halt , on we got and as it only took less than 10 minutes we stood near the door instead of sitting down , you can imagine the passengers straining there eyes as we often had a game bag full and we might be holding a couple of dead Hares , now and again someone might say did you do any good and we would just reply , yea we ain't done bad and we never got any sly comments , not so sure if the same thing would happen this day and age . 

[London Best]

I think the majority of shooters are not helping the cause by constantly hiding their way of life from the general public. Consequently most Joe Public’s now think it is illegal to own guns or shoot anything. The population need re-educating. There is no law against walking down the street carrying a dead bird. No law against taking one on a train or bus. They are only meat after all. And I am sure there is no law against walking down the street with an unsleeved gun, except in the Airguns and Shotguns (Young Persons) Act, which only applied to persons under the age of seventeen. I am not aware this law has ever been changed to include adults.

[Aled]

Reading all this makes me feel quite lucky as i live in a small village and all my neighbours know i shoot, and many of them are farmers and i am allowed to shoot on their land. Things have changed though, used to see people walking through the town with gun slip over thir shoulder and a dog on a lead heading somewhere for a bit of hunting for the pot. Been a while since i saw that....although having said that i cant remember the last time i saw a person walk through town carrying fishing kit, that used to happen regularly!! 

[marsh man]

1 hour ago, London Best said:

I think the majority of shooters are not helping the cause by constantly hiding their way of life from the general public. Consequently most Joe Public’s now think it is illegal to own guns or shoot anything. The population need re-educating. There is no law against walking down the street carrying a dead bird. No law against taking one on a train or bus. They are only meat after all. And I am sure there is no law against walking down the street with an unsleeved gun, except in the Airguns and Shotguns (Young Persons) Act, which only applied to persons under the age of seventeen. I am not aware this law has ever been changed to include adults.

You well may be right L B about educating the public , but I would rather be on the side of caution , if you do need to walk down the road carrying a gun and a brace of Pheasants then is it any hardship to at least sleeve your gun and put the brace of birds in a game bag ? , we are a fairly small village that is on the edge of open countryside and yet there are three schools within a few hundred yards from each other , you can imagine what it is like with mums taking the kids or should I said driving the kids to school between 8 and 9 in the morning and 3 and 4 in the afternoons , now even though you say it is not against the law , would it look right if someone who might well be dressed in camo gear , walking down the road with a un sleeved gun and carrying a hand full of birds ? , I could well imagine the police would be called out , where if he was a bit more discreate and sleeved his gun and putting the birds in a bag then there would be a good chance he could carry on without hardly a notice .     MM

[London Best]

That is the whole point, MM. Th police shouldn’t be called out. You would be doing nothing wrong. Time was nobody would have batted an eyelid.  The public need educating. And, in many cases, the police too.