Can Large wild cats be shot AOLQ

pendle

Well-Known Member
Question due to supposed local sightings of puma's .

It could be . I think I saw or it looked like a large cat


Can large wild cats be shot on AOLQ .
Eg Puma type are they classed as feral cats
 
Personally, I can't see why it would be illegal. They aren't a protected species and so shooting them would be lawful, making them lawful quarry.

I suppose the only reason it would not be is if its a Zoo escapee etc where the Zoo could claim it to be its property.

I'd agree with Muddy42 though. Unless it was making a real nuisance of itself, I wouldn't want to find myself in the papers having shot one of these beasts. I shudder to think of the abuse you'd receive.
 
My FAC used to carry this wording. Just looked at my current version that section has gone. I've got the whole lawful quarry thing now, but this older version is interesting. It was a common clause back then but MUST be read with the rest of the FAC. But clearly the idea of shooting animals for protection was a concept that had not gone unnoticed. Numerous people I met thought that they had deer on their ticket because of clause (a). They did not. But some wouldn't listen of course. This only applied to the ammunition. Now what I never considered was that I might have needed a clause in relation to the firearms that said I was allowed to shoot animals for the protection of other animals. As the question never arose I never asked. Frankly given the chance, I'd leave it. I could do without the media s*** storm that would go with it. Lawful or not!

Screenshot 2021-01-22 at 15.03.40.webp
 
My FAC used to carry this wording. Just looked at my current version that section has gone. I've got the whole lawful quarry thing now, but this older version is interesting. It was a common clause back then but MUST be read with the rest of the FAC. But clearly the idea of shooting animals for protection was a concept that had not gone unnoticed. Numerous people I met thought that they had deer on their ticket because of clause (a). They did not. But some wouldn't listen of course. This only applied to the ammunition. Now what I never considered was that I might have needed a clause in relation to the firearms that said I was allowed to shoot animals for the protection of other animals. As the question never arose I never asked. Frankly given the chance, I'd leave it. I could do without the media s*** storm that would go with it. Lawful or not!

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I had very similar language on mine at one point, but then as you say, most moved over to AOLQ or ALQ.
 
I just love these posts where people are looking for new and interesting things and want to kill them. Or where they are so keen to push the boundaries of their certificate conditions and look for someone on SD to say "Yep that'll be okay" as if it will justify it.

Don't you realise how endangered big cats are in the UK? There's this one black panther that is rushing around all over the country to provide sightings. If he actually gets shot, then the monthly post on here about big cats in the UK will disappear. Maybe. Probably not.
 
Good point well made. Think of all the costume makers who also provide the outfits for him to dress up as a cheetah and an alligator too!

Heaven forbid there should simply be someone with an enquiring mind. We'd have to shoot and mount them too.
 
Not too long ago I was called by the Police to liaise with them at a local beauty spot and large public access area, where there had been several confirmed sightings of a wolf. There was ‘photographic evidence that had been confirmed by a local zoo’. The wolf was approaching members of the public and there was a grave fear for their safety. Needless to say it turned out to be a dog.:lol:
 
So an old farmer I once worked for used to keep a small bag of wool in his gun cabinet, when he had cause to go and shoot a dog that was worrying his sheep, the bag came out with the ready loaded gun (how I know that bit is another story, suffice to say “treat every gun as if it was loaded” served me well). When the offending dog was dispatched and he went to it, the wool would be placed into the dogs mouth ready for the arrival of the village Bobby. Proof you see.

In your case I would suggest a similar approach, keep a small bag of poo ready, then when the old bill turn up you can say “scared? I sh1t myself”
 
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While a large cat wondering around the countryside would be better dead, I would be concerned with the following:

-The terms of my lease states deer, not big cats, therefore i don't have the land owners permission therefore it is not legal quarry.
-It may be someones property escaped and I may be liable for damage in a civil court.

I don't see why we can't have a blanket permission for big cats, and more likely to occur, escaped skunks, racoons and racoon dogs to shoot on sight.
 
I just love these posts where people are looking for new and interesting things and want to kill them. Or where they are so keen to push the boundaries of their certificate conditions and look for someone on SD to say "Yep that'll be okay" as if it will justify it.

Don't you realise how endangered big cats are in the UK? There's this one black panther that is rushing around all over the country to provide sightings. If he actually gets shot, then the monthly post on here about big cats in the UK will disappear. Maybe. Probably not.
I am not looking at it to kill it .
I asked the question . As its on Facebook daily post page. In comments they are classing it as a feral cat .and can be shot on AOLQ . I could not find what a puma was classed as .
There has supposed to have been numerous local sitings since before Christmas.
 
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