Illegal Hare Coursing and Night time Deer poaching

[User00025]

Both of the subjects in the heading are becoming more and more endemic in my areas and the surrounding Counties by both day and night. We are having weekly visits and due to lack of manpower the police seem almost powerless. We have had hare coursers of the Travelling fraternity, with no number plates boxed in and they have gone at high speed to jump a roadside ditch and escape without stopping at a halt sign on to a main A road,which stopped us from catching up with them.
The deer poachers using rifles,crop locks and gate chains and even pull locked barriers out of the ground to access some of the land. Who are these people who do such things and drive straight across standing crops to achieve results, they must brag about it to someone.
I can only give thanks to the unknown vandals in our society who found a known vehicle in a field one night and trashed it, at least it may steady the criminals a little.
What can we do if it happens on a Saturday night when the Police are busy elsewhere,we can no longer tackle them ourselves if they are armed as someone is likely to get shot at or worse killed. Is it not about time that long custodial sentences were brought in for this kind of criminal damage so that some of us may have a peaceful nights sleep

 

[exmarksman9870]

The police are not interested in the criminals poaching they are more interested in trying to stop the lawful sportsman and woman on following there passion of hunting...

 

[Op_JB]

I deal with poachers through private prosecution, but we need the police to carry out a name and address check through the Police National Computer. We are encouraged to ring 999 if the offense is still being carried out as the 101 number can lead to waiting times of over an hour before getting to the front of the queue to talk to someone. The incident is then given a priority listing and depending upon the time of day or day in the week, we are sometimes told the will be no assistance. Our Police & Crime Commissioner is keen to deal with wildlife crime so we may get a better priority listing in future.

Unfortunately, the Irish Caravan Club are above the law and it's as simple as that. They are going to do what they want and there is little you can do other than move them on. As enforcement becomes more and more stretched all sorts of illegal activity will become more apparent.

 

[DeerDucksFishin]

itll never be stopped too much police cut backs they aint interested in wild life crime certainly in SW Scotland quite often see a van full of blokes in the middle of nowhere we all know what they are upto the police aren't to bothered when I have called up, to busy dealing with junkies, chavs and kids on mopeds not really the attitude I know but hey I hate paedophiles and they still exist!

 

[JH83]

The police are not interested in the criminals poaching they are more interested in trying to stop the lawful sportsman and woman on following there passion of hunting...

Total rubbish. A huge amount of work and effort goes into prosecutions, that often goes unrecognised.

 

[limulus]

Total rubbish. A huge amount of work and effort goes into prosecutions, that often goes unrecognised.

We are lucky to have some very determined officers in lancs/west lancs that have successfully achieved some brilliant results lately along with the keepers on various estates in the area.
Running long dogs on the Withins field and Lydiate coursing grounds still seems to be some sort of kudos to these people even though those fields have long been sacrificed to the plough.
Hare numbers are much less than they used to be because they are now shot to keep their numbers low to help reduce the poaching, something that cuts deeply into those that love the sight of hares on this ground.

 

[Scarlet]

Do you have any statistics (Data) of convictions available for 2015/2016 that those determined officers of Lancs/west Lancs, limlus?
If you don't i`m sure our Mandy will have?
Only I`d love to see how brilliant they`ve been over a 12 month period at achieving convictions?

Been a few years since I visited Lydiate, I know it well. Well I knew it well...
It was once the mecca of all coursing enthusiasts by that I mean for various breeds of dog and owners.
A very well looked after environment by sporting conservationists and dog men who had the interest of the Hare first and foremost.
The passing of the hunting act spelt the end of that place and it was inevitable that the greedy shooting boy`s would soon take over for the own enjoyment.
With the use of that well exercised excuse "we do it to stop poaching"...

 

[limulus]

I don't have the statistics, just the knowledge of some major convictions over the last twelve months to two years.
The ground and the hares have always been looked after by keepers and the shooting community with only a very modest contribution from the hare coursing club of Great Britain. The contribution was similar to that expected for about 4 days of game shooting.
Once the cup stopped the funding from the hare coursing club of Great Britain also stopped and with that the underkeepers job was lost. This also resulted in the funds used to compensate the farmers for the damage caused by the considerable number of hares on the ground being withdrawn so the numbers had to be reduced to a manageable level.
The ground has never been used for 'various breeds of dogs', it was used, legally, for coursing hares with greyhounds....thoroughbreds in their own right. Anything other than that was poaching associated with the pond life that think nothing of parking a saluki x at each corner of the field in the most unsportsmanlike like manner to simply kill the hare....usually to gleefully leave it where the keeper has to drive past it the following day.

 

[Scarlet]

So the Hares were shot to a manageable level (amount) to prevent agricultural damage. Now that sounds more realistic than the "spin" that you put on it. Wording it as to reduce poaching..
But anyway could you post a link or just inform us of these major convictions that you have knowledge of please.. Last twelve months will do..

 

[limulus]

I don't have any links and wouldn't post them anyway.
They are also shot to reduce numbers to help keep the poaching fraternity less interested.
Its a never ending battle between those legally going about their business and those choosing to live outside the law. The hunting with dogs act did nothing to stop the poachers, they were already illegally coursing and continue to try and do so. Only vigilance and courts able to give harder sentences might make them think twice, if in fact they have the ability to think at all.

 

[Scarlet]

I don't have any links and wouldn't post them anyway.

I will

http://www.lep.co.uk/news/fears-for-lancashire-wildlife-as-poaching-calls-spiral-1-7079878

http://www.briefreport.co.uk/news/f...ildlife-as-poaching-calls-spiral-2933778.html

So those determined officers sure did come up with some brilliant results. They managed to convert 187 logged complaints into just 15 convictions. Wow..

 

[limulus]

Every conviction for poaching is a winner in my book.
Almost a 10% conviction rate...that's actually quite good given the difficulties of getting the offenders to court etc.

 

[Scarlet]

Brilliant results eh less then 10% success ,lol. Glad that impresses you because it don't do my confidence much good..

 

[unicorn71]

Maybe it was only 10% because do gooders decided that the accused were only kids who needed showing the correct way to enjoy the countryside

 

[exmarksman9870]

We are lucky to have some very determined officers in lancs/west lancs that have successfully achieved some brilliant results lately along with the keepers on various estates in the area.
Running long dogs on the Withins field and Lydiate coursing grounds still seems to be some sort of kudos to these people even though those fields have long been sacrificed to the plough.
Hare numbers are much less than they used to be because they are now shot to keep their numbers low to help reduce the poaching, something that cuts deeply into those that love the sight of hares on this ground.

Not in my neck of the woods.....gypos throwing dogs out van windows to run deer and hare.. some deer left dead in the fields when they have been shouted at and drove off....whats happens to them sweet f@&k all...

 

[nun_hunter]

Brilliant results eh less then 10% success ,lol. Glad that impresses you because it don't do my confidence much good..

Almost twice the success rate of rape convictions so I'd say they were doing pretty well for a crime that generally occurs in the middle of nowhere at night with little to no tangible evidence left and almost no chance of offenders being on scene when/if the police arrive

 

[Gunner1985]

A good friend of mine is a stockman manager on a big dairy farm, which has a good head of hares on it.
In return he gets a fair share of unwanted guests on there.
He has now given up calling the police he takes the law into his own hands and shoots there dogs!!!!

 

[TOMMO.B]

Is it only travellers that run dogs in England? because thats all that you read on here.
So i take it none of you ever had dogs. that nabed a hare or maybe landed that illegal fish.
or shot that buck you thought was a doe.
The damage they do to get on land is out of order. and the lack of morals is a problem.
But if you think the police are going to do any thing, then think again. Too many law abiding folk to charge and gain pennys from.
I dont support the Illegal actions of some. but can understand the (sport) and the traditions as a country sport that dates away before guns.

 

[Tartan_Terrier]

What kind of punishments are being handed out for hare coursing? I presume they'd lose the dogs and get a (hopefully hefty) fine?

 

[JTO]

Local keepers have long been shooting hares on sight, to keep the dog people away. Now, 3 local estates have decided to get rid of the Sika for the same reason. The 'deer managers' do not kill enough. No quary = No poaching, and the damage and thieving that goes with it.