Strangest Thing Interrupted While Stalking/Shooting

[NickJ]

There's an echo in here...here...here........

Ahhh, I didn't realise this was a very old post that someone had resurrected sorry!

 

[timbrayford]

Once on a private estate in the New Forest somewhere around 100 fallow spooked past a few hundred yards away and the cause was soon revealed. A militant rambler who was miles from the nearest footpath appeared from behind some rhododendrons and asserted that he could walk just where he liked. He said that he was in no danger from a stalkers bullet because he would sue if he got shot. He just couldn't understand the hazardous situation that he had created!.

 

[PaulCat]

A militant rambler...

Now, the best way to dispose of a body is pigs...

 

[Rake Aboot]

I would respectfully disagree. We have umpteen encounters with people popping up where they shouldnt, dogs off the leash, kids leaving the footpath to go climbing around in trees and whatnot. I was stalking a few months back and found a group of kids out geocaching and they were totally off the footpath - How is that safe? What happens if they climb a tree and fall out? Who's liable?

I heard not that long ago about a farmer who had a tree on his land that local kids liked to climb. It was well away from any footpath but the kids still used to go to it, and he didnt have the heart to cut it down as he could see how much fun they were having. One day one of the kids fell out of the tree and did themselves a fairly serious injury and guess what? The parents sued the farmer, he was found liable because he knew kids climbed the tree and hadnt done anything to prevent them from doing so. The resultant payout meant he had to sell his farm and he lost everything.

And bearing in mind I am only out on the ground 1 day a week I would say I have an encounter every couple of months. I'd have to ask the gamekeeper how often he sees people where they shouldnt be but I do know its a constant challenge he's dealing with.

Landowners arent denying access just because they own the land. They are denying access because they (or the people they have let the land to) are running a business on the ground and dont want Jonny Dog Walker marching through it in his Hunter wellies and Barbour, and because its for peoples own safety that they stick to the footpath. If I'm out stalking I know where the paths are so if some random sticks his head out from behind a tree where he's not meant to be then thats hardly safe for them.

One of the areas on our ground has recently had a barn converted into a series of houses and the estate agents have clearly been telling all the prospective buyers "Look how close you are to the country, you can just walk out your front door and you're right there."

So the last few months have been an education process of yelling at various new local residents to educate them that no, you CANT just walk out your front door with your dog and go where you like, you have to stick to the footpaths and no I dont care that you have to walk down 30ft of road to get to the entrance to the footpath and yes this is exactly the same as if I came tramping through your garden stalking deer and you wouldnt be very happy about that.

I personally think there are more issues created with right to roam than are solved by it, and the denser the population gets in a location the worse the problem. Go into the countryside by all means but stick to the paths.

All well and good but I'm talking about Scotland where people are ALLOWED to leave the footpaths and have full access to the countryside.

The tree story sounds like an urban myth and as I said, in Scotland "Jonny Dog Walker " can go where he likes whether some land owner says so or otherwise.

They ARE denying access just because the own it as has been shown in Scotland where unfettered access has been a massive success.

You have to also imagine that the people have a right to go out into the countryside and that right is as important as your right to shoot a deer.

 

[Woodsmoke]

funny when two people turn up, obviously trying not to be seen together, then both dissappear into the same patch of shrubbery

That reminds me. I was once peacefully minding my own business hiding in a bush waiting to see if any deer would appear out of a field edge, when a couple appeared out of nowhere and started 'enjoying' themselves a few yards from me. I wasn't sure if clearing my throat to alert them would have caused the female member of the pair to clench her teeth in fright, so I thought it best to pretend I wasn't there. Reckon I potentially saved the bloke a nasty injury . . . .

 

[Kalahari]

A gunshot would have probably caused a certain amount of "clenching"!

David.

 

[stubear]

All well and good but I'm talking about Scotland where people are ALLOWED to leave the footpaths and have full access to the countryside.

The tree story sounds like an urban myth and as I said, in Scotland "Jonny Dog Walker " can go where he likes whether some land owner says so or otherwise.

They ARE denying access just because the own it as has been shown in Scotland where unfettered access has been a massive success.

You have to also imagine that the people have a right to go out into the countryside and that right is as important as your right to shoot a deer.

Understood that you are talking about Scotland. I'm not referring to any particular location, my view is that right to roam can cause more issues than it solves and the more crowded an area is the worse the problem. Part of the reason its been less of an issue in Scotland is, I suspect, due to the fact that the population is far more sparse.

The tree story was told to me by a friend of mine and I have no reason to believe he is lying.

Landowners are not denying access to the general public just because they own it. You make it sounds like they are sitting there in their houses going "muah ha ha haaa" and rubbing their hands together with glee. They're denying access to it because businesses are operating on the land and having people mincing about all over the place is going to cause issues.

It might work in rural Scotland but try it in Surrey. You'll be knee deep in ramblers by the end of the week.

People do have the right to go out in the countryside as well they should. They should just stick to the footpaths when they are doing it

I have had a number of people in Scotland tell me that right to roam has caused problems with dogs scaring livestock amongst other things. I dont want to deny people the right to enjoy the outdoors, I just dont think farmers should bear a cost as a result of that right.

Ultimately it sounds like we have some differing points of view on this one so I will leave it there, always nice to hear other peoples thoughts on things though!

 

[PaulCat]

I've no strange stories to add but a few where people just seem to think it's okay to walk across land because reasons. Most recent example was yesterday evening. A dog walker who, when I stepped out of cover (sans rifle, obviously) put the dog on a lead but kept walking toward me. He had his head down and put earphones in and tried to pretend he couldn't hear me from ten feet away. Maybe he thought they made him invisible. They'd be great for stalking.

 

[geordieh]

Years ago I took a mate out lamping rabbits on salisbury p!ain we only had the rimfire with us i was riding the quad and lamping,my mate was shooting we spotted a set of eyes about 300 yards away.Fox we said, I'll get closer i said,we got to about 200 yards and flicked the lamp on, eyes still there.Lamp off moved closer to about 100 yards i then said something not right here.My mate said no I can shoot it from here it is a fox.I said no, unload,switched the main lights on and ride towards it and the eyes stood up it was reflectors on the back of a squaddy's rucksack.

 

[TH4]

Strangest thing I have seen was a bloke using some sort of straight pull rifle thing with a wierd bolt if I remember correctly he had named it after his jacket, a blazer or was it blaser. Cant see it catching on myself.

 

[8x57]

Strangest thing I have seen was a bloke using some sort of straight pull rifle thing with a wierd bolt if I remember correctly he had named it after his jacket, a blazer or was it blaser. Cant see it catching on myself.

Oh I don't know.
I remember saying the same about Glock pistols when they were first demonstrated. " I can't see them catching on, who the hell wants a plastic pistol" was my comment.

 

[foxdropper]

In England there is no such thing as trespass ,only trespass with intent or armed trespass .A chap or persons found wandering where there is no footpath has done no wrong unless he has committed a crime whilst doing so .
Too many people thinking they are in positions of authority who don’t actually know **** all where the law is concerned .
I’m not standing up for anyone off piste just stating the law as it stands .

 

[novice]

In England there is no such thing as trespass ,only trespass with intent or armed trespass .A chap or persons found wandering where there is no footpath has done no wrong unless he has committed a crime whilst doing so .
Too many people thinking they are in positions of authority who don’t actually know **** all where the law is concerned .
I’m not standing up for anyone off piste just stating the law as it stands .

I thought there was a criminal offence of aggravated trespass, where the tresspasser is interfering with lawful activity? Was it not brought in to deal with hunt sabs etc?

Happy to be told otherwise, but it's always worth bringing up with know all dog walkers, hikers etc. Also technically worth reporting to police and getting a crime reference number in such circumstances.

Novice

 

[foxdropper]

Aggravated trespass yes but this infers there is an underlying reason for trespass ie to interrupt a lawful activity .For joe public just off the beaten track with dog on lead or just walking there is no crime committed despite what some so called “managers “would like to tell them .
In my experience it’s better to pass the time agreeably with those genuinely out to enjoy the countryside ,a fact soon picked up on unless you have gone in one foot swinging ,telling them they are on private property .Technically there is no such thing unless stated with visible signing and even then you would be hard pressed to find a crime committed by a persistent walker .
Ive had dealings with many types in the past whilst keepering and soon got to know the law and who was breaking one .

 

[slider]

THERE IS NO RIGHT TO ROAM in Scotland, what we have is a right of responsible access taking. But.... badly introduced and badly promoted. Anyone know how to put a Genie back in a bottle????

 

[James0586]

I was out with friends ferreting in Herefordshire and we were on a fern bank, just put the ferrets in loaded the shotguns and were waiting for the little bunnies to bolt and out of nowhere these 2 bushes stand up and walk off....

two squaddies in gillie suits!

I **** you not, I was amazed.... lucky nothing run to ground on the approach otherwise we could have killed them!


My mates young springer dog ****ed on one of them too the one soldier gave the best dirty look I have ever seen!

 

[NigelM]

Out in a piece of ancient woodland in deepest darkest Essex stalking Fallow at about 0500 one morning. Stalking into the wind and the dog had gone on point to a bramble patch about 200 meters in front of us. Stalking in very slowly on a very still morning I picked up the sound of someone running down the gravel footpath about 100 meters to my right. I stopped next to a tree with the intention of letting them go on and get well out of sight before I continued.

I turned to look at who was out running at dawn, to be greeted by a bloke who was stark bollock naked apart from a pair of running shoes and a small back pack. I had to get the bins on him to make sure I wasn't imagining it! Got on the radio to another lad who was in a high seat just off the footpath about a mile and a half away and he didn't believe me until the chap ran past him too.

There were four fallow in the brambles but unfortunately they bolted before I could get a shot at them.

 

[Rake Aboot]

THERE IS NO RIGHT TO ROAM in Scotland, what we have is a right of responsible access taking. But.... badly introduced and badly promoted. Anyone know how to put a Genie back in a bottle????

Why on earth would you. It's been a fantastic thing allowing the people of Scotland to experience Scotland.
The countryside is not the preserve of the few and you or I have no greater right to experience it than anyone else.

 

[slider]

Why on earth would you. It's been a fantastic thing allowing the people of Scotland to experience Scotland.
The countryside is not the preserve of the few and you or I have no greater right to experience it than anyone else.

It is a fantastic thing, most of the time. Unfortunately the responsible bit gets forgotten more and more often. Littering, abandoned tents, bbq during a drought and dog worrying are now major problems.

The responsible are very welcome. The rest.....

 

[Swedish]

Why on earth would you. It's been a fantastic thing allowing the people of Scotland to experience Scotland.
The countryside is not the preserve of the few and you or I have no greater right to experience it than anyone else.

This is a very interesting perspective. Almost all of the subscribers here will have had ancestors that fought and died for this island and as such, rights of access to land, sensibly administered is a good thing. Although I do acknowledge that policing such a policy must be difficult.