Hi

The unbelievable happened today. I share my deer stalking with a new pheasant shoot this season. As agreed I always park my vehicle in plain sight to let them know when I am in the wood, I keep out in the evenings and three days before they shoot,I also shoot the odd fox for them.
While safely re-zeroing my rifle today (ear-defence on) the keeper drove his quad at full pelt past me. Not only did he cover me and the rifle with liquid mud he also drove right in front of the rifle without slowing down.
I can live with the extremly rude behaviour but not the reckless attitude.I am still lost for words at the stupidity. One can't make shooting 100% safe but we don't need idiots who should know better deliberately driving in-front of loaded rifles.Needless to say the landowner was informed immediately. He was warned earlier in the season when he drove straight across the backstops of both my highseats.
Some of our gamekeeper brethren dont seem to have a clue of the danger they put themselves in needless to say the psychological and legal consequences to the deer stalker if an accident happens.
I have heard that this can be deliberate act to force the deer stalkers off leaving the pheasant shoot in full control of fur and feather.

Mark

>Not only did he cover me and the rifle with liquid mud he also drove right in front of the rifle without slowing down.<

Not good - this sort of deliberate provocation (following a 'warning')does not indicate much support from the landowner.

I have a bad feeling concerning your future on the ground.

rgds Ian

Mark,

I've heard it said that a couple of poisoned rabbit carcasses and a call to the RSPB will sort a Keeper problem out !!

Regards,

Pete

Get yourself a moderator so the shoot are less aware of your activities. Audible gunshots are certain to provoke in any shared sporting set up.
I would be actively looking for alternative/ more ground especially on all the boundaries of the present stalking area, then when Ians' prophecy comes true it won't present too much of a problem/disappointment.
Sadly if the gameshoot are a paying set up, when push comes to shove they'll likely triumph... one door closes ensure another opens.

Hi Guys

I was using the moderator on my 308 at the time. I dont feel there is a problem with the farmer in fact he seemed pretty concerned and suspects one of the keepers specifically. The farmer does not run the shoot. However as you say money talks but without going into details the farmer needs me more than I need him so we will see.
I wont let the little brainless shit win but at the same time I need to stay sqeeky clean. I'll ask BASC to help draft a letter to the Shoot Organiser and see what happens.
The danger is that a warning could be interpreted as a threat

Mark

I would imagine that under health and safety at work regulations he could actually be prosecuted for negligence of his own safety.
I still like Pete"s idea, a dead buzzard in his dustbin would soon see him off!
good shooting

Mark

it seems that there is nearly always tension between the keepers and stalker if they are separate entities. Where I stalk we have the same problem, unfortunately some people were just born rude.

Give em enough rope and we know what happens next!

Keep your powder dry.

Commercial pheasant shooting and greed tend to go hand in hand. That is probably the cause of your trouble.

Mark,

It never ceases to amaze me the sheer stupidity of some people. We often get walkers going right through the middle of a drive which they can see going on. Not to mention the comment that "we were listening out for shots" when they walk off the footpaths along our backstops....

For this reason we have made a policy with landowners at the start of any lease that there will be no other access for shooting on the ground over which we stalk/shoot. I've been offered a number of bits of stalking in the last year that I have turned down for this reason.

It sounds like the keeper is trying to get hold of the stalking for himself. Do you pay for the stalking? & how big is the ground?

Good luck with the dilemma,

FB

Sounds very scary indeed.

It is possible to coexist with game shoots especialy if the keeper is older (generaly cares more for the birds and has less energy to do additional things such as deer).

At the very least I would suggest a letter setting out an agreed means of communication and the resultant actions eg 'I will call on your mobile the evening before stalking at which point you will undertake not to be present on the ground until 90minutes past first light' or similar.

That said where birds are present in any number I hammer the bucks just before the poults come and then stalk elsewhere until 1st Feb at which point I hammer the does. Areas with no game birds are dealt with until 31st Jan at which point I vanish until 1st April.

The proposed 2 week extension to the doe season will make a big difference IMHO.

Not a nice situation to be in

I would suggest that as the farmer appears to be on your side, that you go the route of flinging as much muck as possible in the direction of the keeper. Get the BASC to help you with drafting a letter, get on to the health and safety people, all of the things that have been suggested get as many agencies as you can directing inquisitive correspondence in the direction of the pheasant shoot. I bet the syndicate who have the shoot will soon sort the keeper when they are bombarded with letters from departments who they do not want looking at their shoot too hard. With all the new do's and dont's associated with running a shoot nowadays they will probably want to keep as low a profile as possible.

Of course if that does not work then Plan B, with Pete E's suggestion may be worth a look.

I wish you well with this.

John

Sounds like you have a bit of a problem, once the 1st Feb arrives, I am sure the 'keeper will chill abit!!
If its a commercial shoot he will have been under a bit of stress - its his life not just recreation!

Please don't go the route some are suggesting with setting the 'keeper up, the only losers at the end of the day will be fieldsports again (foxhunting/shooting clash - united we win and all that!) Unfortunately I have been on the receiving end of a set up, its not pleasant, but thankfully the truth won through in the end!

Good luck MarkH

Cheers Guys

Thanks for the support.
Nighwalker worry not, I have to remain squeaky clean even under the most severe provocation. Infact the only person who really misses out is the farmer if I pack-up I have more than enough stalking.
I'll have to keep my presence felt in the wood and I wouldnt give the idiot the satisfaction of moving me off my stalking, just carry-on as normal ( except check the high seat for sabotage and take a small digital camera).
So more agro means more walking around the wood and if I saw and injured pheasant I could always humanely dispatch it with my 458 Lott

Mark

It may just be stupidity on the keeper's part. I nearly shot two ational Parks and Wildlife Service Officers who decided to take a short cut through my farm and "didn't stop to ask permission because we thought you might be asleep". They had to drive around FOUR drums with rifle targets on them them, full of bullet holes, which I had placed on the track. Driving back the had the windows up and the air conditioning on and claimed they didn't hear me fire any of 18 shots with my 458WinMag. Luckily I had just stopped shooting to replace the targets when they appeared from the creek.

mike