Shooting near the public

[hattochr]

Hi all. I have a field of OSR which on one side has a quite well used footpath. The footpath is lined with trees which the pigeons are sitting in and dropping down into the field. For a good few weeks now the numbers are building up and i'm at the stage where i need to be doing something about them as they are battering the crop. How do you suggest i tackle this problem as the only hedge i can set up against runs directly along the pathway? Do i have to be a certain distance from the path, bearing in mind i will be shooting away from the path and there is no access into the field for the public? Cheers Chris.

[Beardo]

i'd perhaps put signs either end of the path (where it crosses the field) stating "Warning, Shooting in progress".

but you're perfectly entitled to shoot near or even from the path (if it's on your land) - it's only byways and roads you have to watch out for)

[J@mes]

Have a look here: http://www.basc.org.uk/en/codes-of-practic...ng-practice.cfm

 

under " The Public Highway", paragraphs 1 and 3.

 

Lawfully, you cannot shoot within 50ft of a vehicular highway if you cause interruption, injury or endangerment.

 

There appears to be no such law applying to footpaths, and although you obviously cant endanger or injury people on the path I cant see interrupting their country walk being a legal issue.

 

As long as you shoot away from the path you should be ok. thats how I read it anyway

[Warlock]

You CAN setup right next to the footpath and fire your weapon so long as it isn`t over the footpath, However you must not disrupt, hinder, scare or otherwise inconvienience a member of the public using the footpath.

[hattochr]

Thats great guys thanks. The signs sound like a good idea. The pathway isn't on my permission and on the other side of the field is a road and each end there are houses!! I know just my luck! Big field though around 50 acres so shouldn't bother the people in the houses or the road. Was a bit worried about people walking dogs though. Last thing i need is an armed ploice unit turning up hey ha ha. Great stuff will get some signs made up and try and get on top of them cheers all.

[GatGun]

I tend use the moderated shotgun when shooting in areas which are close to areas where there are walkers etc.

[mikee]

last week i shot a field of osr with a railway line directly behind me a road and a couple of houses to the left about 300yds away and about 200yds away on the right was a row of houses, i tried to set my pattern to get the birds to come straight in and pushed two 10ft long sticks into the ground infront of the hide slightly to each side and only shot birds between the sticks in an arc of about 120 degrees, i managed 32 but had to let a lot of birds go past the sticks that would normally have been shot at, but it was the only place on the field the birds wanted to land and i got some shooting i wouldnt have had otherwise

 

mikee

[fieldwanderer]

build a hide out in the field? Only a suggestion but worth thinking about, especially if you can do it and leave the hide built for a few days before you shoot.

[pegasus bridge]

i like to use google earth to measure the distances involved, on one of my permissions i have houses, paddocks and footpaths around, so i use google earth to identify 'safe' firing positions, ie: at least 250 yards away from any of these. A couple of good positions that i had thought would be too close to paths / buildings turned out to be safe enough once i had got an accurate measurement. I know its easy enough to guesstimate when in the field, measuring it accuratley gives you a bit more peace of mind.

[Salop Matt]

Get 2 signs to put up when your shooting to put at either end of the footpath and put a whistle on each !

 

 

I went to a clay ground once that had a footpath runing through it and they did this so when the whistle was blown all shooting stopped untill the walkers had passed through !

[Ozzy Fudd]

i used to hand a red flag up on the lane when i was shooting, was no real danger to people but at least it gave them a heads up i was out

[top shot]

i have two fields the same i have two signs that i took from builders and i wrote ''CAUTION PIGEON SHOOTING IN PROGRESS APPROACH WITH CAUTION'' believe me it works people walk more into the field to be seen and by law your allowed to shoot over a footpath not over a road hope this info is good for you ..

[fullbore]

i used to hand a red flag up on the lane when i was shooting, was no real danger to people but at least it gave them a heads up i was out

 

 

Ah bit you live in a LOCAL town for LOCAL people and all the no tails know you (or are related to you)

[GStrider]

What distance do you have to be from houses and also motorways?

Edited April 17, 2009 by GStrider

[Ozzy Fudd]

Ah bit you live in a LOCAL town for LOCAL people and all the no tails know you (or are related to you)

 

true, but this was when i was an outsider and living in hickville, everytime i went to the local shop it was like that scene from the league of gentlemen...

[Billy.]

I tend to shout "FORE" just after taking a shot.

[activeviii]

I tend to shout "FORE" just after taking a shot.

 

 

I tend to shout **** it after a shot.

[rigwallet]

i have same problem i put signs up saying shooting in progress but still ended up with armed police coming after someone reported us far shooting near them which was rubbish. best idea ring police to let them know what time you are starting to shoot and what time you will be finishing this way if anyone fones them they will inform that person that they know you are there

[Imperfection]

i have same problem i put signs up saying shooting in progress but still ended up with armed police coming after someone reported us far shooting near them which was rubbish. best idea ring police to let them know what time you are starting to shoot and what time you will be finishing this way if anyone fones them they will inform that person that they know you are there

 

Im still amazed that the Police take this so seriously after what i've read on here.I achknowledge that they're required to follow up reports of shootings,but surely if someone phones 999 and says they've heard gunshot or someone with a gun has been spotted in a field-common sense would say its a legitemate gun owner.It just seems such a waste of time and resources.

[Justintime]

Hi all. I have a field of OSR which on one side has a quite well used footpath. The footpath is lined with trees which the pigeons are sitting in and dropping down into the field. For a good few weeks now the numbers are building up and i'm at the stage where i need to be doing something about them as they are battering the crop. How do you suggest i tackle this problem as the only hedge i can set up against runs directly along the pathway? Do i have to be a certain distance from the path, bearing in mind i will be shooting away from the path and there is no access into the field for the public? Cheers Chris.

Stay well clear or you will be in trouble, Theres soon to be a story about just such a thing in the sporting shooter

[Bunny-Blaster]

This sounds interesting...Can you enlighten us please?

 

Happy hunting,

 

Jase.

[DR JAMES]

Im still amazed that the Police take this so seriously after what i've read on here.I achknowledge that they're required to follow up reports of shootings,but surely if someone phones 999 and says they've heard gunshot or someone with a gun has been spotted in a field-common sense would say its a legitemate gun owner.It just seems such a waste of time and resources.

 

I now always phone the police HQ and inform them where I am (Farm & Area) and what time I am starting shooting and then phone them back after I have finished as I too have had F A P O " Fire Arms Police Officers " on more that 1 occasion as JOE BLOCKS ( Public) have reported a suspicious looking person in a field dressed in camouflage carrying a gun EH! what so suspicious about that. They now contact me if there is a report made just to confirm its me where they have seen me. I dont mind doing this if it stops having a gun pointed at me NOT A NICE FEELING "GULP"

[Highlander]

I’m no golfer so pardon me if some of my references are below par! :blink:

Why should it be that we, shooters, have to call the police to let them know when we’re going shooting? Golf courses (among other sports) are just as dangerous to casual walkers/users but you don’t find them calling plod to let them know every time a balls in play.

 

People out walking are the bigger problem, wandering where they shouldn’t or deliberately (given their concept of the ‘right to roam’) and getting all upset when confronted by legitimate country sports.

 

It’s perfectly legal to shoot near or on a footpath and other places as long as you’re sensible about things and are seen to exercise ‘due diligence’ so don’t let people (or plod) say any different. In fact, stand up for your sporting rights and don’t let the ******** grind you down.

 

Personally I think given the brain power of the average citizen a red flag wouldn’t work but a damn BIG sign might (always assuming they can read). My favourite...WARNING SNAKE BREEDING SANCTUARY.

 

BTW putting a hide under the sitty trees may not be such a good idea as the birds will tend to fly into them before dropping onto the field to feed but with you there shooting them they may just b***** off! Better to set up somewhere under the flight line into the trees OR use a moderated shottie.

[al4x]

time your visits better as well, saturday afternoons are a bad time to try it but weekdays may be no problem. I've a big reservation as well about calling the police telling them i'm going to be out doing a legal activity. At times i'd be calling them daily which isn't going to happen, theres also the idea that once we all start doing it it will become compulsory.

[Dunkield]

I've a big reservation as well about calling the police telling them i'm going to be out doing a legal activity. At times i'd be calling them daily which isn't going to happen, theres also the idea that once we all start doing it it will become compulsory.

:blink:

This one comes up all the time, I am sorry I just don't believe they would not respond to a report of an armed person just because you called in.

Imagine the public outcry if they later said "oh sorry we thought it was Joe Blogs so didn't bother responding, guess it must have been someone else "