Rules re. hunting in UK?

Will it be legal for me as a foreginer to go hunting with someone (not a profesional guide)?
Can I legaly borrow or rent a gun for such a hunt?


And off cours; if anyone wants to spend a day or two hunting together with a norwegian-send a PM

Edit-relativly near Aberdeen that is!
 
There are two questions here, the issue of whether you can hunt unaccompanied and how to legally use a rifle.

There is no law requiring any hunter, British or foreign, to have a professional guide. There is no law preventing you hunting with someone who is not a professional guide or completely alone. Having said that most UK hunting is on private ground and the landowners will usually take a responsible attitude to deer management and will need evidence of your experience and competance before permitting you to stalk deer without a guide but this is not a legal requirement. It would be perfectly possible for you to lease some stalking and then to stalk it by yourself or with someone else.

If you had imported your rifle with the proper paperwork this would be the end of it and, if you could find ground on which the owner would let you stalk unaccompanied, that would be fine. However your question suggests that you will need to borrow a rifle and that changes the situation slightly.

It is perfectly legal for you to use what is known in law as the "estate rifle" and this is a suitable rifle legally owned by the estate on which you are stalking, by one of the estate workers, or by the person who leases the shooting and many estates/stalkers offer this facility, sometimes free of charge.

However I think that I am right in saying that if you use the estate rifle you have to stalk under the supervision of the responsible person which in effect means that you have to be guided. I'm sure that others will correct me if I've got this wrong.
 
"I think that I am right in saying that if you use the estate rifle you have to stalk under the supervision of the responsible person which in effect means that you have to be guided. "

That's right, and is one of the better aspects of our law here.

You do not need to have a FAC if you use a rifle lent to you by the 'occupier' of the land - and that includes the person who has permission to shoot there. But you need to be under their supervision - within sight and earshot.

You also need to make sure that their permission to shoot on that land given by the land owner extends to you.
 
Thanks for the answers!
Best would be to bring one of my own guns, but keeping it onboard a norwegian flagged vessel sailing in and out of Aberdeen 2-3times a week means importing and exporting it 2-3times a week. To much fuzz.

I am not after anything fancy, I just want to use the possibility (if any..) while I am here to do some hunting. Rabbits would be fun as I am quite handy with a shotgun:)

Can a foreginer not residing in UK obtain a shotgun or firearms certificat?
 
I doubt it, because the police have to physically check where your gun will be stored and would not be able to do as thorough a criminal records check/references etc.

Best to come over as a guest/paying guest and use an estate/guest gun.

We have a UK member here (or it might be another forum) who is giving up his guns/FAC becasue he will be out of the UK for 18 months.
 
I have a hazy recollection ...

... I believe that there is some area of law dealing specifically with firearms carried on ships and aircraft.

If I remember correctly, such rifles do not need to be processed as imports, provided that they are not disembarked.

This would mena that our Norwegian hunter would only have to go through the paperwork when actually disembarkeing the gun for hunting, not on every visit to a UK port.

Can anyone shed any light on this?

James
 
Stayangry, I think that this was meant to refer to ship's equipment rather than personal firearms. Mention is made in the firearms act to disembarking firearms for repair or storage.
Our Norwegian friend would no doubt have to obtain a visitors permit and be sponsored by someone if he wishes to bring his own guns into the U.K.

I can't imagine that it would be a major problem providing a suitable sponsor could be found. Pity that the U.K. doesn't recognise the european firearms passport as it was intended to be used and insists on a visitors permit.
 
A firearm belonging to the vessel causes no problems as long as it is kept onboard, its goverened by international rules. My private effects however has to be declared for every entry to a non-norwegian port and normal rules re.import and customs apply.
 
It is worth mentioning that the UK laws relating to shotguns are substantially different to the laws relating to rifles.

You still have similar issues for importing them but I think that you would be free to use a shotgun lent to you by anyone legally owning it on land where you or they have permission to shoot whereas rifles can only be used on land cleared by the police for the use of that calibre.
 
thenorwegianguy said:
One last (just kidding:)) question; when you guys talk about an "open licens", what do you mean? One can buy what on want?

In the context of a Firearms Certificate an "open" ticket means that you are not restricted to a particular piece of ground but can use your rifle on any ground where you have permission and which is suitable for shooting a rifle on. New holders of FACs are often required to give proof of being allowed or invited to shoot on a particular piece of ground and may be restricted to this.

An open licence does not allow you to buy any firearms you want, each weapon and ammunition has to be applied for, justified to and authorised by the police.
 
paul k said:
It is worth mentioning that the UK laws relating to shotguns are substantially different to the laws relating to rifles.

You still have similar issues for importing them but I think that you would be free to use a shotgun lent to you by anyone legally owning it on land where you or they have permission to shoot whereas rifles can only be used on land cleared by the police for the use of that calibre.

Paul, you are correct that shotguns and rifles are dealt with slightly differently though it is difficult to see how these differences would have any affect on a visiting gun, suppervision and control is still required. I will have to refresh my memory on that one.
I would like to point out that many of us shoot over land that has never been inspected or cleared by the police, and probably never will be. We have open certificates and the onus on deciding if the land is safe to shoot on is entirely on our shoulders. We have been accepted as experienced "safe" shooters who carry out our own assessment of risk.
 
Quite right 8x57, but I think that's pretty much what I said in my post on the open ticket when I said "and which is suitable for shooting on", although I perhaps could have been clearer. My own FAC is open and on this basis.

My comment on police clearance was in the context of a foreigner using a rifle in the UK although technically, if using an estate rifle held on an open ticket, police approved ground will not be required.

I think the difference between the laws on shotguns and rifles can best be encapsulated by the fact that you can have a SC unless the police can show good reason why not and with a FAC you have to show good reason to have one.

Also, although individually accounted for once the SC is granted there is no practical limit or control on the number of shotguns and ammunition that you can buy, own, borrow or use whereas with firearms each and its ammunition is individually authorised and accounted for and its use restricted.
 
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