NewAirGunner Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 Hello all, Love the site, Been reading it for quite a while now, but havnt posted. Ive just got back into shooting after quite some time away from it. Where I used to live I had an abundance of farmer friends who'd let me use their land, but nowadays im a little more stuck for choice. I intend on askign round a few local golf courses soon, as suggested on yr site, but I was wondering does anybody know what the law is with regards to shooting on common land? I know you have to be a certain distance from a public highway, but other than that is there anythign to stop me shooting on common land provided I shoto responsibly and take every possible precaution to avoid members of the public? Thanks for any help in advance! Look forward to asking you helpful bunch plenty more questions, HA HA HA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AIRARMSTX200 Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 what ever land it is you need permission from the land owner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeihrauchPower Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 Yep, All land is owned by someone. I've seen many a Duchy of Cornwall owned piece of land over run with rabbits. Maybe i should write to his Royal Earness The Duke Of Cornwall (Prince Charles) for permission. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeyjaimz Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 As allready stated mate, all land is either owned privately or by the government (local council), you will need permission from whoever owns the land you intend to shoot over to go on there with an air rifle. To shoot without permission is to commit armed tresspass and nobody wants to go there Other than gaining permission, some of the general rules are keeping a safe distance from any public rights of way, make sure the backstop is safe, know the boundaries of the land you are allowed to shoot - even to allow a pellet to stray over onto a neighbours land is to commit an offence hope this helps mate Welcome to forum and back to airgunning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewAirGunner Posted February 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 Cheers guys, I didnt realise common land was owned by anyone, I guess I thought it was just somehow owned by the public, daft i know, a quick google search soon showed be the errors of my ways! Anyone know what department within my local council would I have to cntact about getting shooting permission on government owned land? Or would that be a waste of time in any of you more experienced fellows opinions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeyjaimz Posted February 5, 2008 Report Share Posted February 5, 2008 Hard to say really mate, my guess it would be some kind of groundskeepers department or section of the council? Another thing that is very helpfull in gaining permission is insurance - either BASC or BASA (im a BASC member myself) will go a long way to making people feel better about you being on their land with a gun. I would imagine that the council wouldnt even think about it without insurance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David BASC Posted February 6, 2008 Report Share Posted February 6, 2008 Many councils do offer shooting rights- but they tend to let the rights over large bits of land- and will go for upwards of £5 per acre per year. Try something like the Estates Office, or just ask for the department that looks after Council owned land. MonkeyJ was spot on about insurance, they will want to make sure that you are covered AND that your policy covers them as well, Going back to the question about common land- remember that the land and the shooting or sporting rights can be owned by different people - or in some cases the sporting rights can be held by Trusts for example. But it is absolutely correct that you cannot and must not shoot anywhere that you do not have permission to do so, and in my opinion that should be written permission. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casts_by_fly Posted February 6, 2008 Report Share Posted February 6, 2008 david, does the BASC insurance cover the council in this case? I have BASC insurance and there is quite a lot of common land around me that I wouldn't mind bumping a few bunnies from. thanks rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David BASC Posted February 7, 2008 Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 Hi, Yes it does, it is a clause called 'Indemnity to Principal' the principal being the Council in your example. Anything else I can help with let me know. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubbertspeak Posted February 7, 2008 Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 Is there a cost free way of finding out who owns a field? I walk the dog past a funny little field in the middle of nowhere, no more than an acre I reckon, of scruffy pasture and it's teeming with rabbits, but there's never anyone around to ask who it belongs to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewAirGunner Posted February 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 Thats a very good question Hubbertspeak, id be eager to get the answer on this one too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeihrauchPower Posted February 7, 2008 Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 I may be wrong but i think you can find out through the land registry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David BASC Posted February 7, 2008 Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 Take a look http://www.landregisteronline.gov.uk/ Not free- but not too expensive! David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubbertspeak Posted February 7, 2008 Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 Take a look http://www.landregisteronline.gov.uk/ Not free- but not too expensive! David Yeah, I know about the land registry from when I was looking to find a plot of land to build my house, but it can take quite a long time (I think they said up to 21 days ? So you think to yourself: 'I'll get a few together and do them at once' and then you realise you get quite a bill! Unless anyone can think of a way to short-circuit the system, I think I'll hang around looking suspicious (no gun obviously) until someone turns up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeihrauchPower Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Why not knock on the doors of any near by farms and they'll probably know, or start an argument over who really owns it like a friend did in Cornwall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubbertspeak Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 I'll try and figure out who's nearest next time I go past and like you say, knock on their door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.