BenBhoy
Well-Known Member
Gateway by road, or by footpath stiles!
Do foxes take lambs?
- Thread starter Crowstalker
- Start date
teyhan1
Well-Known Member
It should be noted that it is perfectly legal to shoot a Badger that is found attacking livestock.
What is not legal is going out with the intention of finding a Badger that has been attacking lambs.
It is a strange quirk of the law but if you are out and you come across a Badger attack then you are allowed to do something about it. You just can’t go looking for it in the first instance.
What is not legal is going out with the intention of finding a Badger that has been attacking lambs.
It is a strange quirk of the law but if you are out and you come across a Badger attack then you are allowed to do something about it. You just can’t go looking for it in the first instance.
Sonicdmb73
Well-Known Member
Yeah those are favourites too
Sonicdmb73
Well-Known Member
Do you happen to know the exact legislation that covers this? Just as a matter of interest as we don’t have badgers here (atm anyway)
Foxyboy43
Well-Known Member
Interesting badger segue - we have had a few issues with Brocks taking pheasants and chickens over the years and it seems that if they get a taste for fowl they do come back for more. I have some pretty interesting footage of two on different occasions destroying, and I do mean destroying, a dead tethered chicken which had been put out to identify an offender.
So if caught in the act, say in a bird coop/ pen, would these fowl come within and satisfy the “livestock” definition thereby enabling me to sort out the problem?
So if caught in the act, say in a bird coop/ pen, would these fowl come within and satisfy the “livestock” definition thereby enabling me to sort out the problem?
teyhan1
Well-Known Member
'Livestock' is a difficult question. If it can be shown that you make commercial gain from an animal then it is definitely livestock. Whether or not 'Chuckles' your pet cockerel is, hmmm not so sure.
Once again, tethering out a bird would show that there was intent involved in killing a badger.
If you happen to hear a commotion and you go with your gun and find a badger attacking your poultry then it is perfectly OK to defend your livestock from attack.
But you have to be sure that you can show that there was never any intent to shoot a badger. It just happened that he was the culprit and that you had no idea he was going to be the offender. That can be the difficult part to prove
Once again, tethering out a bird would show that there was intent involved in killing a badger.
If you happen to hear a commotion and you go with your gun and find a badger attacking your poultry then it is perfectly OK to defend your livestock from attack.
But you have to be sure that you can show that there was never any intent to shoot a badger. It just happened that he was the culprit and that you had no idea he was going to be the offender. That can be the difficult part to prove
I have seen badgers take pheasants on my brother in laws farm. I would not shoot them for that personally but I would love a rock solid reason to shoot them on sight, bloody things. Never seen one attack a lamb but I would not be suprised to see it happen. Badgers are aggressive gits.
Back to foxes though. They are simply opportunists. They are not born to destroy lambs or chickens or whatever. They are omnivores and will dine on what is available to them. I don't live on cheesecakes but if you put a load on the table in front of me, I will eat them.
There is probably little thermal footage of fox attacks, as those who do see this about to unfold or in the middle of it, will almost certainly be stood there with a gun to deal with the issue. I have seen foxes attack all manner of things but I don't sit there recording it, I shoot the thing.
Apart from one place where I shoot which is a local golf course. I help them out with a rabbit problem but foxes are left as the owner feels they do no harm, despite me seeing them digging and crapping all over the course. Anyhow I can record them at my leisure on thermal as I am not there to shoot them. I see them doing some random things but mostly they just follow me round and steal the rabbits I shoot before I can get to them. They are so quick and switched on. The less effort they have put to put in for a meal, the better. I can understand that which is why I eat more convenience food than I should.
This one nicked a rabbit that was half the size of it. I was surprised at how quickly it legged it with such a large gobfull ha ha ha.
Back to foxes though. They are simply opportunists. They are not born to destroy lambs or chickens or whatever. They are omnivores and will dine on what is available to them. I don't live on cheesecakes but if you put a load on the table in front of me, I will eat them.
There is probably little thermal footage of fox attacks, as those who do see this about to unfold or in the middle of it, will almost certainly be stood there with a gun to deal with the issue. I have seen foxes attack all manner of things but I don't sit there recording it, I shoot the thing.
Apart from one place where I shoot which is a local golf course. I help them out with a rabbit problem but foxes are left as the owner feels they do no harm, despite me seeing them digging and crapping all over the course. Anyhow I can record them at my leisure on thermal as I am not there to shoot them. I see them doing some random things but mostly they just follow me round and steal the rabbits I shoot before I can get to them. They are so quick and switched on. The less effort they have put to put in for a meal, the better. I can understand that which is why I eat more convenience food than I should.
This one nicked a rabbit that was half the size of it. I was surprised at how quickly it legged it with such a large gobfull ha ha ha.
Foxyboy43
Well-Known Member
Great bit of footage thank you. I used to control rabbits on an estate with a huge infestation and foxes regularly came calling to the sound of the 17 - it was like a dinner gong - even in full daylight! The owner didn’t want them shot as he believed that they helped with the rabbit problem - until they decided on a change of diet - his elderly mother’s bantams. It wasn’t the most challenging fox shooting I ever had but great fun for a very short period.
Agreed. If they wanted the foxes shot, I would not be surprised to be in double figures within a couple of hours. They know they are are safe, there is a truckload of food and cover available and the surrounding land is full of other fauna.Great bit of footage thank you. I used to control rabbits on an estate with a huge infestation and foxes regularly came calling to the sound of the 17 - it was like a dinner gong - even in full daylight! The owner didn’t want them shot as he believed that they helped with the rabbit problem - until they decided on a change of diet - his elderly mother’s bantams. It wasn’t the most challenging fox shooting I ever had but great fun for a very short period.
Bowderdale
Well-Known Member
Phil fox man
Well-Known Member
More farmers this year are lambing outside on the fields when the weather is good so loses are more noticeable 6 out of ten for poor spelling 
Klench, Are those part of a stone circle in the second pic, almost looks like that hillock is man made as well
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