Living in the shadows.

[Reloader708]

Im trapping squirrels at the moment before there's too much cover and they're still relatively hungry.
Pulled up on the bike at a spot i often see squirrels foraging for a coffee and had the .22 out read to take any opportunitys that might arise.
Anyway before long I heard some voices and saw people coming through the wood so, as always put the squirrels out of sight and gun away.

After they'd gone by I got to thinking, why did I hide what I was doing? Everything was above the law, I'm carrying out my employment obligations.
Same when I'm stalking, I avoid the public, hide gralloch, keep guns out of sight.
Im sure I'm not the only one.

Not sure what the answer is but other than some strange sexual deviancys I can't think of any other activity we try and keep hidden?
Perhaps model railways!?

 

[old keeper]

Im trapping squirrels at the moment before there's too much cover and they're still relatively hungry.
Pulled up on the bike at a spot i often see squirrels foraging for a coffee and had the .22 out read to take any opportunitys that might arise.
Anyway before long I heard some voices and saw people coming through the wood so, as always put the squirrels out of sight and gun away.

After they'd gone by I got to thinking, why did I hide what I was doing? Everything was above the law, I'm carrying out my employment obligations.
Same when I'm stalking, I avoid the public, hide gralloch, keep guns out of sight.
Im sure I'm not the only one.

Not sure what the answer is but other than some strange sexual deviancys I can't think of any other activity we try and keep hidden?
Perhaps model railways!?

I know exactly what you mean. Much of the problem is that the "newcomers" to the countryside just have no idea of country life. It's the same with ferreting, there was a time when folk would stop, ask how you were doing, and very often would go off with a rabbit. Now, people look down their noses at anyone carrying on any sporting activities involving killing.
I have no idea what the answer is, it's just the steady decline in country life.
Of course, much of shooting, trapping etc. involves us being alone and covert which is a hard habit to break, also most of us don't like confrontation which happens all too often nowadays.
What the answer is, I have no idea. Very sad.

 

[VSS]

Hiding what we do is counterproductive. It only serves to fuel people's mistrust.
Better to be open and honest, not hide in the shadows.

 

[User00056]

I don't make any excuses for what I'm doing if I come across anyone when out and about. Everyone gets a smile and a 'hello'. I was once called a murderer, right enough though. But as she was your typical rabid anti-everything with a face like a robber's dog I didn't let it bother me too much

 

[sauer]

i wont hide ... I've had interested folk learn and want to know more .....only once was i threatened by someone and i threatened back that all i had to do was dial 999 say where i was and i wad licensed firearms holder and I'm being threatened i need immediate assistance and they would turn up amass armed response and it wouldn't be me who would be taken away .... the guy pulled his wife back pretty quick after that ... it was his wife who was being abusive and threatening .... pointed out I'm there on behalf of landowner doing a job ...it was crop protection roe in a field of asparagus ...had been fenced but fence kept getting pulled down by local dog walkers which they were... very urban farm edge of town ... they screamed the good old i have right to roam ..i said no you have a right to responsible access.... get dog on a lead ..running about in asparagus stalks/plants and your not meant interfere in estate or farm business.... i phoned police lodged complaint myself.
i advertised venison mince on my Facebook page i have and guess who turned up to pick it up ? gobby wife and her man .. her face was a picture!

i wont hide im quite strong on that front why hell should we ? that woman bought her mince, form the very same beast she was raging about me dropping and she still buys product form me now .... i often speak to folk and try to educate a bit .... if they call me out i ask if they are meat eaters and 99% of the time they are ... the fizzle goes out argument when you ask them if they know where their food came form and what quality of life did it have

i did buy a small body cam to cover my ar5e ....but haven't had to use it again ..

Paul

 

[Malxwal]

i wont hide ... I've had interested folk learn and want to know more .....only once was i threatened by someone and i threatened back that all i had to do was dial 999 say where i was and i wad licensed firearms holder and I'm being threatened i need immediate assistance and they would turn up amass armed response and it wouldn't be me who would be taken away .... the guy pulled his wife back pretty quick after that ... it was his wife who was being abusive and threatening .... pointed out I'm there on behalf of landowner doing a job ...it was crop protection roe in a field of asparagus ...had been fenced but fence kept getting pulled down by local dog walkers which they were... very urban farm edge of town ... they screamed the good old i have right to roam ..i said no you have a right to responsible access.... get dog on a lead ..running about in asparagus stalks/plants and your not meant interfere in estate or farm business.... i phoned police lodged complaint myself.
i advertised venison mince on my Facebook page i have and guess who turned up to pick it up ? gobby wife and her man .. her face was a picture!

i wont hide im quite strong on that front why hell should we ? that woman bought her mince, form the very same beast she was raging about me dropping and she still buys product form me now .... i often speak to folk and try to educate a bit .... if they call me out i ask if they are meat eaters and 99% of the time they are ... the fizzle goes out argument when you ask them if they know where their food came form and what quality of life did it have

i did buy a small body cam to cover my ar5e ....but haven't had to use it again ..

Paul

Be a fair body cam to cover your arse....
Sorry, couldn't help masel

 

[sauer]

wouldnae be far off the ground malx !!! too low too video onybody fae my ar5e

 

[andy R204]

After the first Lockdown,when our great leader of that time gave us our "freedom " back it was a nightmare up where I shoot.
Families & dogs running amock,sheep being scattered,rubbish left.
Had one or two comments about what I was doing however once I explained I had more right on the land than them & I could get the landowner to come and chat with them if they wished things worked out OK.
As I've stated before I have no shame or seceracy of what I do & never will.

 

[User00056]

Be a fair body cam to cover your arse

That was just rude.

Accurate, but rude

 

[sauer]

You pair o c*it's got nowt better to do than pick on short ar5es today ?

 

[Mike L]

One area I shoot is open to the public, quite a few are ‘posh totty type’, they all stop and ask how things are going and are glad the deer are being managed.

 

[Donkey Basher]

One area I shoot is open to the public, quite a few are ‘posh totty type’, they all stop and ask how things are going and are glad the deer are being managed.

Looking for the local gamekeeper are they?

 

[Foxyboy43]

You pair o c*it's got nowt better to do than pick on short ar5es today ?

Not the first to do that…..

 

[Mike L]

Looking for the local gamekeeper are they?

lol, hadn’t thought of that!…………… until now

 

[BenBhoy]

i often see squirrels foraging for a coffee

Costa has a lot to answer for.

 

[Mike1979]

I personally would always prefer to avoid any sort of conflict but by the same token would not hide away deliberately. I did get a load of abuse when I was out shooting rabbits once and basically walked away as the guy was being an arse...so I headed off to the other side of the farm away from the footpath.

In general I think that there is often a lack of respect for different views..but I always try and be polite...but god thaths difficult with ignorant idiots who think they can go where they like and do what they like.

Much prefer ground without any public right of access

 

[vmaxphil]

A lot of people who are brought up on Beatrix Potter, move into the country side thinking it's run along the lines of countryfile ( conservation and artisan crafts), rather than a working environment that needs management

 

[markj1]

...Pulled up on the bike at a spot i often see squirrels foraging for a coffee and had the .22 out read to take any opportunitys that might arise.
Anyway before long I heard some voices and saw people coming through the wood...

That's not a good thing... people 'coming through the wood' in an area where you can lawfully shoot your .22. Did they have the right to be there? Who's the landowner? If permission needed?

Regarding the point you raised... it's human nature, I guess. Most people buying their meat at the local butcher wouldn't want to see what's going on at the abattoir. They do know where their meat is coming from, they just don't want to be confronted with the visual imagery.

Same with culling - people do under that it's needed.... they just don't want to see it.

 

[Klenchblaize]

For the most part we spend our time in the woods & meadows trying incredibly hard to make progress undetected by critters of all shapes & sizes. It's surely just one step/challenge more to avoid unsolicited contact with a representative of the Apex Predator?

K

 

[sauer]

For the most part we spend our time in the woods & meadows trying incredibly hard to make progress undetected by critters of all shapes & sizes. It's surely just one step/challenge more to avoid unsolicited contact with a representative of the Apex Predator?

K

Easy said than done when
1. You have to contend with right to roam
2. The ground your shooting is also a fruit farm on outskirts of town with a very popular coffee shop on site.

Very popular with dog walkers

Despite that the fruit and asparagus fair brings in deer ....lot was fenced off but said Apex predator who thinks they have rights to roam instead of responsible access take Umbridge to fences and kick em down so they can walk where want

Not everyone can shoot in middle of nowhere with miles of roaming woodland and no bu55er there

Paul