Wanted: Need shooting experience-Gloucestershire

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Robvalley2026

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I need to get my firearms license to protect my lambs from foxes. I have a very small farm near Stroud. I only have 3 outings so far and the FAO refuses to progress my application further until I have more overland experience. I am struggling to find anyone to go out with. A few local guys have taken me out but they are so busy its hard to pin them down. Happy to pay a reasonable rate for peoples time. The police are keen to see the calibres applied for used, and details of what I shoot. If anyone is interested, please get in touch. Very frustrating as I lost so many lambs last year and nobody controls the foxes in my valley as others lamb indoors.. Many thanks.
 
Are you in any organisation? As someone who keeps livestock i think that's just reason for grant.

Although if you're losing that many lambs to a fox then have a word with your shepherd!
 
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I’m not a foxer but there must be many in that neck of the woods.

I’m up at Bisley/Camp 2 or more times a week stalking from Bristol, so happy to have a look at your ground and to advise on safety, etc. I do have thermal, NV equipment (and DMQ NSC) and a FoxPro, but there must be more experienced guys local to you who’d probably be much better placed to assist.
 
BenBhoy said:
Are you in any organisation? As someone who keeps livestock i think that's just reason for grant.

Although if you're losing that many lambs to a fox then have a word with your shepherd!
Click to expand...

What he says ^^^

You have sufficient "good reason" for grant, so you shouldn't have to jump through additional hoops.

But if you're loosing a significant number of lambs to foxes then you have a shepherding problem as well as a fox problem.
 
Robvalley2026 said:
I need to get my firearms license to protect my lambs from foxes. I have a very small farm near Stroud. I only have 3 outings so far and the FAO refuses to progress my application further until I have more overland experience. I am struggling to find anyone to go out with. A few local guys have taken me out but they are so busy its hard to pin them down. Happy to pay a reasonable rate for peoples time. The police are keen to see the calibres applied for used, and details of what I shoot. If anyone is interested, please get in touch. Very frustrating as I lost so many lambs last year and nobody controls the foxes in my valley as others lamb indoors.. Many thanks.
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Go the other route and get a SGC as far less hoops, hundreds of foxes are shot with a shotgun, 3 or 3.5" magnum 3 shot auto with a heavy load also you can get 3 shots off very fast. No land clearance (Think out of the BOX)
Call them in or bait them...
Cage traps/snares work 27/7 just follow the guide lines
 
I think you need to challenge this. You have good reason to acquire, and you have your own land. It's not the FEO's job to decide whether or not an application progresses. Their job is to ensure the requirements are met, and to submit the application. Over-reaches such as this really irritate me
 
How much ground do you have and what calibre have you applied for?
I'm the other side of Gloucester to you, but I'll see what I can do to help out.
 
Quixote said:
I think you need to challenge this. You have good reason to acquire, and you have your own land. It's not the FEO's job to decide whether or not an application progresses. Their job is to ensure the requirements are met, and to submit the application. Over-reaches such as this really irritate me
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Absolutely, on face value this is ridiculous.
 
Thanks for the responses guys...I will pm/ring some of you for sure. It does seem harsh as I visited the Corinium range for experience and have been out several times with locals too.. I think asking for a 243 was my mistake. I was told the minute you start asking for deer calibres Glos police become very difficult. That said, I offered to drop it to 233 but he's still not happy. The website said a year wait so I stuck the application in and expected to gradually get the experience over 1 year. Then he rings after 8 weeks!
Perhaps a shot gun may of been a better place to start...
 
Robvalley2026 said:
Thanks for the responses guys...I will pm/ring some of you for sure. It does seem harsh as I visited the Corinium range for experience and have been out several times with locals too.. I think asking for a 243 was my mistake. I was told the minute you start asking for deer calibres Glos police become very difficult. That said, I offered to drop it to 233 but he's still not happy. The website said a year wait so I stuck the application in and expected to gradually get the experience over 1 year. Then he rings after 8 weeks!
Perhaps a shot gun may of been a better place to start...
Click to expand...
You can justify the calibre. Plenty of guys use .243 on foxes, and what if you decide to buy stalking? Stick to your guns (literally!) and challenge this idiocy
 
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