Poacher

flytie

Well-Known Member
I went to my high seat early on Sunday evening. It was a treat of an evening with little or no wind here, and nice and sunny too. As i was walking up the field along a long grass track, looking for slots and crotties, i was glassing in front of me and I saw movement by my highseat. So i wandered off out of sight and came in, carefully, behind the seat.

Tucked up nicely was a lttle foreign chappie, with four pigeons and two ducks laid out behind him. I coughed and made myself known to him, he went white as a sheet. Politely i asked him what he thought he was doing shooting there. "I have permission" he said. So very quietly and carefully I got out my google earth picture of my permission, highlighted in red and showed him where we were. I also showed him my FAC copy and shoot permission form. I then explained about the game season being over, how long he could go to prison for for committing armed tresspass and how if I was to take a picture of him with my camera phone, he could be in deep trouble.

Recently I have found a few fresh cartridge cases littering the floor by my deer lawn, now i know why. When i asked the nextdoor landowner he denied any knowledge of the little foreigner, but it has made me wonder. I may have wasted my time with this piece of land, which will be a shame.

I went on to have a lovely evening. A stoat came and played in the leaves beneath my seat for a good ten minutes. Then 100yds away in the low slanting sun a cock pheasant erupted out of the hedge and landed in the middle of the lawn. Closely followed by a young dog fox. The fox chased the pheasant, the pheasant flew into the air to land 20 yards away from the fox. Then the pheasant clucked and strutted towards the fox, untill the fox chased it again, and again, and again. I have never seen this before.

Eventually the pheasant got sick of the game and flew slow and low into the spinny against which i have my seat, closely followed by the fox. Eventually, with much snorting and huffing the fox came back out of the spinny and I will admit it, I spoilt his evening.

So, an unpleasant start, but it finished off an enthralling evening.

ft
 
You're a very easy going chap Flytie, why didn't you simply call the Police? Personally, even if it was a case of the bloke unwittingly straying over a boundary, thats what I would have done. If someone had seen the out of season ducks falling out of the sky it would have been your reputation down the pan. I am fed up with people coming into our industry/sport who have no idea what is and is not acceptable. JC
 
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Call the police and say there is a man with a gun on your land, the fright he would get when the armed response police turn up would put him off and he could possibly use his certificate.
 
JC is right Flytie, you are far too nice - the police could have had him literally red handed. As David says, no problems getting them to react the moment you mention a firearm:rolleyes:. Your fellow will probably just go and poach someone else now.
 
Flytie,i think i'd of had a far greater evening watching the armed response team turn up and drag the little scroat off,your way to kind,JMO.
Neil.
 
I was out lamping with my mate on one of his perms, when he decided to get something to eat as he missed out on his evening meal, so off to a local takeaway establishment, he's inside waiting for his order, I'm sat in the passenger seat when I saw two pikey's with lurchers & lamps, (we had passed these two on the way to the takeaway), in full view of the highway they proceeded to climb the fence between the takeaway & the farm, (another of our perms), one of the UK guests workers from the takeaway assisted them to get over!.......... so I tells one pikey he's tresspassing, & in about 200yds we would be at the farmers door,he replies he will break the farmers jaw!.........so after knocking the door we engage in a cat & mouse game down back lanes, with them trying to blind us with their lamps & us scaring the rabbits off with ours, they finally give up on our ground & get back on the lanes, as we passed at around 15 miles an hour one was obliged to step into a water filled ditch, result!:lol:
 
You're a very easy going chap Flytie, why didn't you simply call the Police? JC

JC, I have a very small long thin piece of land, 30 acres with a spinny at either end, surrounded by someone elses shoot. I tried to be considerate as i do not know all the shoot members and I do not want to fall out with them if possible. I think everyone should have a chance, those that abuse it, and me, will find me less forgiving if tresspassed against a second time.

I am not small and I am told people find me threatening. Ugly will do that to you:D I try to get along with everyone if i can, if I find him there again, there might just be a different outcome.

ft
 
I caught a keeper once, literally red handed, gralloching a deer that he had shot. We both worked for the same employer and if I had reported him it would have been a serious disciplinary matter, probably resulting in his dismissal. He begged me, almost in tears, not to say anything. I let it go. Did he thank me? Did he buggery! He just carried on being a typical arogant prat for the rest of the time we worked together. Internal poaching is a much bigger problem than most people imagine especially where the stalking and gameshooting are seen as two separate departments. More recently, I confronted someone over serious wildlife crimes, did it do me any good even though I was totally right and he was totally wrong? Once again...no! Will I go directly to the Police next time?...bloody right I will! The politics of country estates are complex and rifts run deep. Can there be anyone out there that doesn't think that the recent spate of poaching/deer killing at a high profile estate has not got its roots in some sort of dispute? I know no more than the next man but anyone can read between the lines. Sorry guys but I will stick to my guns and say that being Mr Nice Guy gets you nowhere in todays world, it just allows the idiots to become stronger. JC
 
JC, I have just emailed my FEO to see what he suggests as the appropriate action. I will post his reply.

ft
 
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