Reply With QuoteThese days I would'nt want to be caught without written permission from the owners, in the long run it could save you hours of serious grief or worse should the owners suddenly forget that you have been given permission.
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Hi there, The other night one of the regulars in my local was talking away as per usual and when i realised he worked at a golf course.
I asked him if there were any rabbits there and if anyone did any shooting. He said most the bunnys had moved down to the lower part of the course where noone was bothered about. He said some people did go shooting down there without permission, but noone was bothered.
I said i would be interested but would need to sort some proper permission paper work out and take some kind of insurance. He came back and said that the head green keeper said it was fine just let him know first. He asked the management who also said they were not bothered but were not too keen on putting anything on paper
So my question really is this... If noone minds me been there and certainly would not call the police or complain, would it be ok to shoot there ?
I did read that getting caught on private land even with an air gun its classed as armed trespass. Surely tho to get in trouble for this the actual land ower would want to press charges ? Or is it one of those crimes that the police can just slap on you ?
Cheers in advance for anyones help on this...
BSA Birsporter open sights .22 / BSA Airsporter scoped.22 / BSA Meteor .22 / Webly Tracker .22
Gulliver's big brother.
These days I would'nt want to be caught without written permission from the owners, in the long run it could save you hours of serious grief or worse should the owners suddenly forget that you have been given permission.
"Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons"
Ultra MK3 hunter
Steer clear unless it's on paper.
"But the management said I could shoot!"
"No we didn't."
People can be very fickle.
Make sure you've covered yourself!
Born To Be Mild.
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Just a simple sign on the line job will be fine!
But it pays too be covered!
"The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark."
Registered User
Hi,
I have one permission where there is nothing in writing from the landowner.
However I have made sure they have a letter from me with all my details and the finer points of the (verbal) agreement.
Also, whenoever I go shooting on this farm, I make sure the landowner gets an email or note from me in advance, stating the times, where I will park, and approx. location and what I am doing (rabbiting, woodpigeons, hide, walking..) AND I call in to the farm before I start, to make sure they have seen my face.
In my view I have covered my back and I have build up a track record (emails, PC docs) in the unlikely event there would ever be a problem.
DSC2, BDS Deer Manager
Based nr. Cheltenham, Cotswolds, Gloucestershire.
Registered User
Hello Trolley,Originally Posted by trolley2182
As the others have said "steer clear" You know you have permission but do the others that are shooting there? from your post it seems not. If someone were to get shot with an airgun who is the only person they've given permission to? YOU!! as far as they are concerned even though it's not in writing, if the worst happens you could be in serious sh*te or they could deny giving you permission which would exonerate them from all blame and you could end up with an armed tresspass charge and carrying an unauthorised airgun in a public place.
I'd give it a miss unless a) they put the permission in writing and b) they either give the others already shooting their permission and make a note of their names or stop them shooting. The law would probably say "hang on you're the only one with permission to use an air rifle so it must have been you" if anything went wrong.
Btw I'm speaking from experience here, I was given verbal permission to shoot rabbits and pigeons on a couple of fields near me, luckily I was given the permission in front of an independent witness. The following season I was quite happily walking round the fields with my shotgun when the landowner came over and asked what thought I was doing. He denied giving me permission but the adjacent landowner was the one present when he gave me permission and he reminded him that he had.
He still denied giving me permission and consequently I lost that shooting but what would have happened if he'd have called the police and I hadn't had the witness I shudder to think.
Sorry to be a doom and gloom merchant but better safe than sorry.
Regards
Last edited by Greylag; 23-09-2008 at 03:41 PM. Reason: extra added
Dave (www.kwacs.org.uk) "Wildfowlers do it in the mud"
Registered User
Right thanks for all your points on this... I am going to try push for a signature somewhere... I wonder if the signature from the Head green keeper would be enough, thats if i carnt get the owners.
Ive seen a form on here somewhere someone wrote out as a template for asking for permission ill see if i can find that.
Thats also another good point mentioned... If i was the only one with permision and someone else (who was there without permision) had some kind of problem there i could have the finger pointed at me...
Mmmmm I really will have to try push for a signature... shame to lose it tho because theres not many places near me to shoot
BSA Birsporter open sights .22 / BSA Airsporter scoped.22 / BSA Meteor .22 / Webly Tracker .22
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