are farmers more friendly the further from the city

[seb]

I live just outside Birmingham, there are loads of farms near me yet every one I have tried has turned me down. I have also written maybe 100 letters and not even had a reply.

No one has been that friendly and they all seem to have city folks horses on their land and wont allow any shooting as it might scare the horses.

 

Anyway

 

I was working maybe an hours drive away the last few days and the first 2 places I tried said yes come and shoot here and were really friendly!

 

It makes me think the further away from the city the better luck you have gaining permissions.

[JohnGalway]

Closer they are to the city it's more likely they'll be asked a lot more about permission, have more trouble with people being on land they shouldn't be on and doing things they shouldn't be doing.

[tazkb]

farmers are a funny breed full stop, i spent half my life with them and i still don't fully understand what makes em tick

[Baldrick]

Talking as a farmer, I assure you that farmers prefer face-to-face or verbal contact. One well-timed conversation is worth a hundred letters, whether it be in the local or in the farmyard. A lot of farmers, even in this day and age, still cannot read and write (I know several). If you can offer a service (e.g. electrician, IT, tree surgery) in return for enjoying some shooting, then you are several steps ahead of the average punter wanting something for nothing.

 

That makes me sound churlish, which I am not. Just pick the right moment: a week day when the farm is quiet, and the OSR is blue with pigeons. No amount of flash business cards and charm will succeed if you turn up when the combine harvester has just caught fire.

[lurcherboy]

And the answer to your question is yes

 

 

 

 

 

LB

[mark_mjs93]

DAMN i live on the outskirts of bedford but still in a place were the nearest fields are a good long walk down the road BUT DOES IT HAVE A FARM HOUSE ON IT... NO.

DO I KNOW WHO THE OWNER OF THESE FIELDS ARE??? COURSE I DONT... this really sucks because i have been looking for land for ages, and if the combine harvester had just caught fire, i think the first thing i would say is "ill come back later" ... im running out of ideas, i have never liked face to face meetings... but i geuss its going to get that way

Edited January 23, 2009 by mark_mjs93

[Cosd]

Talking as a farmer, I assure you that farmers prefer face-to-face or verbal contact. One well-timed conversation is worth a hundred letters, whether it be in the local or in the farmyard. A lot of farmers, even in this day and age, still cannot read and write (I know several). If you can offer a service (e.g. electrician, IT, tree surgery) in return for enjoying some shooting, then you are several steps ahead of the average punter wanting something for nothing.

 

That makes me sound churlish, which I am not. Just pick the right moment: a week day when the farm is quiet, and the OSR is blue with pigeons. No amount of flash business cards and charm will succeed if you turn up when the combine harvester has just caught fire.

 

 

Thanks for your input Baldrick, thats sound advice from an actual farmer....

 

 

....got any shooting land then :lol: :lol:

[JohnGalway]

i have never liked face to face meetings... but i geuss its going to get that way

 

I'm afraid buddy it's the best and about the only way. Am a farmer too, only one fella has asked to shoot on my land besides me and it's no problem because I know him and he's got a bit of cop on and respect for the farm. Trust will be a big thing, I'd be more of a believer in face to face than ringing, writing or email.

 

Only ever ran two lads off the place, there together. They never asked, ewes were in lamb, dogs about the place, and one of them almost accidentally shot me

 

Perhaps surprisingly, the most thing I was PO'd about was I wasn't asked

Edited January 23, 2009 by JohnGalway

[POW!]

Another Farmers point of view here ,

 

I totaly agree with the other comments , Yes , its become much more difficult as housing estates are closer to the business Farm , Dog walkers , Ramblers , Quad bikers to name just a few see an open field as a place just for them ,

 

Its only grass I hear so many times BUT, its a feed crop to us! , I wasa tempted to reply last night to the topic on Short sighted Farmers ,

It is such a complex issue now , the paperwork and Legislation is legion! , Of late Insurance companies heve dictated who and what is insured , aheadace not needed often after a 10 hour day another 4 hours spent on paperwork is tiring , a wrongly timed phone call after tea ,just as yopu are about to start paperwork is the last thing you want ,

 

YES , face to face IS the way to do it , But, NO is in our vocabulary too!! Lets be real here .......

 

A guy comes along and asks to keep ypur pigeons down , you say yes , Fine , .... One day he,s there , NO pigeons about , BUT , a chance at a Woodcock . Duck , Pheasant , and he takes it ,

{ DONT , tell me it doesnot happen! } , He thinks we dont notice !!! Wrong , We notice everything almost !! ,

 

Can you imagine the number of Letters , Phone calls , visits , regading shooting , [ and ALL want it for free!!] So here is the chance >> What can you offer , say if you are for example a Train Driver ! [ SORRY M] , its even more difficult when you cant turn up when they phone , As for sending another in your place !! I for one like to know my people on here ,

 

SO , Yes is easied for farms further away , just as its easier to live in a village than abig estate ,

 

THere is NO best time to call , And remember too , the Farmer does not allways have the right to allow shooting , most will not tell you that as the like to think they are in control [ rightly so in most cases] , Its not as straitforward as it apears , , Be patient , offer what you can in terms of help ,

Its often easier for us to say NO than Yes , reading posts that label us as short sighted , is NOT the way to get your foot in the door ,

 

I help a lot of farmers with paperwork now I an SO called semi retired !! , a lot may not post on here but, DO read it , I know how many have Sussed me out , and ribbed me , !!

 

I dont have an answer but, I am trying to let you see it from another angle , Shooting IS welcome ,

The attitude of the Shooter is more so , POW!

[seb]

On my way out of Birmingham today I realised the further away from the city the happier I got

The farms round here are deffinately getting surrouned as the city grows.

[noluv6]

Also live local to you with end less amount's of refusal's and as one farmer said not all the farmer's have the permission to give as I've spoke with farmer's who say straight off they can't can't say yes as they rent the land but they will have a word with the boss "they were ready to say no as stated it is easier to say no" but I sort of pleaded like surely one day a week won't hurt? any way popped back a few days later we have 2 guy's on but please pop back to see if any fall to turn up one day "fair enough".

 

The thing I've found around our city is actually finding the farm owner and most the owner's are not farmer's they just rent the land to farmer's.

 

and I've also noticed that one main farmer will rent all the land off the land owner's and can not permit shooting or if he can the permit's to his 2 shooter's who only shoot the one field.so then there's the rest of his rented land un shot.

 

Also heard a farmer say "If i was to let you on and our other shooter took a dis liking he could take me to court as i have signed a agreement that they can shoot on the land".

 

To be honest I'm sick of the excuse's even though I fully understand what some ar saying, and I tell you I alway's have had a lough with them,even been envited for a cofee but no permission granted.

 

I've been on friend's shoot's and heard farmer's blatently say "oh got a letter for some shooting i just binned it but if he had come and asked face to face I would of give him", funny indeed.

 

Think you will also find by looking threw the post's that there is land collector's around Birmingham who have way more land then they shoot and I often think what is the future for the city folk and it looks blank shoting wise any way as no one seem's to want to help.

 

Thing that get's me the most is when you offer to drive and get permission,no one want's to come try get there own permission,they just want it handed to them,so i for one will be very picky on who i take out when I do get the land I'm after "been about 3 year now" but god knows how long it will take,been ready to just flog all my gun's many a time.

Edited February 15, 2009 by noluv6