Shot Fall

Miroku6000

Well-Known Member
With the game season over the landowner of our pheasant shoot wants us out in the woods on a Saturday doing a bit of roosting. The best wood is right on our boundary. I shot it with another gun this week and would only take shots that meant the pellets would fall on our land. The other gun wasn't bothering, a good number of his shots would send pellets over the fields we don't have the rights on.

He reckons it isn't a criminal offence, I reckon it is.

I know the chances of being caught etc are minute but what's the actual legal stance? He reckons its a civil matter not a legal matter.
 
its a tricky one.... because you could be 300+ yards away and the wind could carry the pellets.... its only " dead shot " it wouldn't hurt if it hit a person. but I couldn't see a problem as long as he isn't shooting quarry over the boundary. of cause if there was houses close to the boundary then it isn't worth the hassle, but fields I wouldn't worry your self. and if your that worried about it call round and explain to the farmer next door that your shooting and that shot might fall on his fields. and he may allow you to shoot on his too.... but you could always contact basc, ngo, sgo, countryside alliance. take your pick. you would be better going to one of those, and ask if they could email you with the relevant bits so if you get asked you can prove you have already covered your back...

charlie
 
I spoke to my FEO about this when I lived in lincs and he said shot falling over the boundary was not a problem, in his opinion neither were dead birds as long as we didn't want to retrieve them without an agreement being in place with the neighbours.
 
I spoke to my FEO about this when I lived in lincs and he said shot falling over the boundary was not a problem, in his opinion neither were dead birds as long as we didn't want to retrieve them without an agreement being in place with the neighbours.
+1

shot isn't a legal issue.

Pete
 
Its specifically a criminal offence to fire an air rifle pellet over your boundary.
Shotgun pellets are a civil trespass and you are liable for damages.
Its also bad manners and irresponsible, particularly if there is any property, livestock or people there.
any distress, injury or damage caused however could change this into a criminal offence.
Common sense
 
With the game season over the landowner of our pheasant shoot wants us out in the woods on a Saturday doing a bit of roosting. The best wood is right on our boundary. I shot it with another gun this week and would only take shots that meant the pellets would fall on our land. The other gun wasn't bothering, a good number of his shots would send pellets over the fields we don't have the rights on.

He reckons it isn't a criminal offence, I reckon it is.

I know the chances of being caught etc are minute but what's the actual legal stance? He reckons its a civil matter not a legal matter.

Nobody seems to have suggested the obvious and best way forward and that is to simply inform the neigbouring landowner of your planned shooting activities and ask if he minds if some shot may fall on his land and if you may please retrieve any birds.
As 99% of people are perfectly reasonable you may well find it is no problem at all and you can enjoy your day sport without any concerns.
 
Nobody seems to have suggested the obvious and best way forward and that is to simply inform the neigbouring landowner of your planned shooting activities and ask if he minds if some shot may fall on his land and if you may please retrieve any birds.
As 99% of people are perfectly reasonable you may well find it is no problem at all and you can enjoy your day sport without any concerns.


if your that worried about it call round and explain to the farmer next door that your shooting and that shot might fall on his fields. and he may allow you to shoot on his too....[/QUOTE]
 
Nobody seems to have suggested the obvious and best way forward and that is to simply inform the neigbouring landowner of your planned shooting activities and ask if he minds if some shot may fall on his land and if you may please retrieve any birds.
As 99% of people are perfectly reasonable you may well find it is no problem at all and you can enjoy your day sport without any concerns.

I should have said at the start! Said landowner is a bit of a city kid turned lord of the manor! We've asked him in the past and got a resounding no! He's the sort who puts out feeders on his boundary but never shoots! Anyone got any diesel!!!!
 
As far as I'm aware, up until now buck shot falling over the boundary has not seen anyone successfully prosecuted. It has however resulted in clay shooting grounds being closed down. It is still a civil trespass. If by asking you know that the answer will be a resounding 'NO' then take your own choice. You know the ground and likelihood of being complained about. If by asking you increase that risk then shut up and crack on. Sometimes the less said the better!
Baguio
 
2p worth
if the pellets are not doing any damage to crops or building then i would have no problems in an open field you back garden is another matter as a projectile may not leave the confined's of you land, but if in doute then don't shoot that way just stand with your back to the other land ! and shoot to your front only :tiphat:
 
Any projectile from a firearm must be contained within your boundary where you have the right to shoot.

. . . and 'dead shot', who the hell made that one up?!
 
It seems pretty straightforward to me. If your shot is going over land where you don't have permission, then you're shooting over land where you don't have permission. Whether it's a criminal offence or a civil trespass is neither here nor there, the thing is, it shouldn't be happening.

The answer is to get permission or don't do it, rather than discuss how naughty or not you are if you do it. The adjoining land owner may well be quite amenable and there may be no consequences, but isn't it only polite to ask, or not do it?

Put the shoe on the other foot. If it's your land and someone is regularly shooting so that shot travels across it, even if you have no objection, you'd think you were being taken for granted because they couldn't even be bothered to ask you. In those circumstances, who is being the annoying neighbour?
 
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