Where are all the hardcore Varmint hunters gone ?

[Montey]

 I spoke to Kent firearms straight away when the lockdown started and was told as long as I'm by myself and I had my permission slips with me I'm fine.

 I have been told in other counties that is not the case anybody heard different ?

 

[Rob1562]

Certainly South Yorks, and Humberside are OK with you carrying out "vital and essential" crop protection if it is your paid employment, you can observe social distancing and there is absolutely no other alternative available to the landowner.

You must also have a written request from the landowner (not just permission notice) and a log number having reported the fact that you are shooting to the control room.

The above is from FA licensing, however when the control room is contacted their advice is "follow Govt guidelines"............its been said many times before the safest and fairest thing (for everyone) is just stay at home, don't risk it because if you get issued with a Corvid  fixed penalty ticket this may or may not cause issues come renewal time......it certainly will not make renewals easier. There is also some suggestion that as all major shooting organisations are saying stay at home, then your shooting insurance may not be valid were you unfortunate enough to need it. 

[No i deer]

That just scare mongering.

You going out to do crop protection or predation on lambs etc should not go against your firearms license if you were pulled going to do what you have been issued the license for...!!

These things are classed as essential and your a key worker and play your part on the farm for the landowner whether your paid or not.!!

I bet 99 percent of us that have our licenses are unpaid..!!

Why does being paid too do it make any difference..??

Your carrying out things that the firearms people has granted the use of your firearms for..!!

If you are alone I can't see that's its a problem..

99.9 percent of the time I hunt alone..

That's my thought on it right or wrong....

[Rob1562]

I agree with a lot of what you're saying, but "work" is a key issue. If we're not getting paid for our toil/work then it's recreational....and as we're aware all recreational sport is currently not allowed.....including shooting.

The whole point of "policing by consent" is that there is a veiled threat of what may happen if we do not comply......the fact that a FA license holder gets issued with a FPN, especially under the current restrictions will not assist at renewal time....it may not effect the process at all but it will not make it easier....that is fact.

The Govt is currently adopting a 'softly softly' approach to policing this pandemic but if the public continues to flout the restrictions then we will find ourselves being policed very differently for a month or two. 

I also hunt alone almost exclusively.....but I'm not fortunate enough to live/work full time on a farm....if I did then maybe i would class myself as a "key worker', but as a recreational shooter/hunter/pest controller.....definitely not. 

Again.....just my twopenneth.

Regards, Rob.

[No i deer]

Not getting paid for doing it they call it voluntary work 😉😁.

Volunteer work is still work and not recreational 👍

 

[Montey]

I was advised to contact Kent police by a friend who is a serving officer who I shoot with I think it was good advice as it seems every county has its own policy ( we see this a lot don't we ) 

kent were really helpful and used the fraze common sense a lot I'm very impressed with the answers I got from both the main office and my local enquiry officer. 

Common sense dictates I'm more at risk riding a horse or using a chain saw both of which I do a lot of as part of my work.

 

[No i deer]

I think it will be worth making a call Monday.

Cheers Rich 

[Kevgun]

I spoke to Hampshire firearms dept and they said unless it’s your main job then no, stay in basically, no point in risking my ticket too much investment in it, so I’ll sit it out.

[bighairyhaggishunter]

Advise from SACS if your farmer/ landowner is willing to sign a letter saying your activity is essential  then it is.if they won't then clearly it is not cheers

[VarmLR]

On 4/18/2020 at 7:08 PM, Montey said:

I was advised to contact Kent police by a friend who is a serving officer who I shoot with I think it was good advice as it seems every county has its own policy ( we see this a lot don't we ) 

kent were really helpful and used the fraze common sense a lot I'm very impressed with the answers I got from both the main office and my local enquiry officer. 

Common sense dictates I'm more at risk riding a horse or using a chain saw both of which I do a lot of as part of my work.

 

Yes, that about sums it up.  There isn't currently any globally agreed strategy by police service areas across the UK.  Each one seems to have a slightly different take.  I called and got an email (Glos) whose stance is different from neighbouring counties (for now).  In my case I was advised, paid or NOT, if the farmer relies on me (as he does as the chap is in his 70's) for vermin control then especially during lambing it becomes something of an animal welfare issue so they were happy for me to carry on and control vermin for that reason alone providing that social distancing was maintained and common sense maintained (that phrase again).   I am not getting into the crop protection side of things because that may be more difficult to defend politically although we can all see the obvious need...it's the farmer who decides if he can sustain any losses not random forum members or BASC officials.  Animal welfare is more of a politically acceptable one so is easier for some to justify I guess.

I've taken the step of keeping in regular contact with the farmer to ensure he lets me know when he needs me up based on any fox or corvid trouble.  If he doesn't, I don't go, if he does, I'll be there.  One thing I'm acutely aware of is during lockdown there are many more people out using POWs, straying off those paths and permissive paths so there is more likelihood of coming across members of the public off the beaten track where normally they wouldn't be. 

That and the chance that they may call the police of they hear shooting (as happens pretty regularly at a guess).  In these unusual times I have decided much against my normal judgement that I'd call in to raise an incident number based on my shooting land covered for those days I get called out.  That prevents unnecessary waste of policing resources in the event the public out for exercise hear shots or see someone with a rifle and report it in.  Normally I wouldn't as that's the thin end of an unwanted controlling wedge but we're not dealing with normal times.

I keep my kit lightweight....no bipod or LR rifle set-ups, but a sporting rifle and lightweight belt mounted telescoping vanguard tracking tripod weighing next to nowt.  I don't want to be seen with anything blacticool which gives the ignorant the wrong impression.  For cals, I just take one....223.