Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that parking on the road and fucking shooting just isn't right

30 replies

QuestionableMouse · 21/03/2016 00:13

Just been jerked from bed by a really weird noise- looked out of the window and some jerk is lamping from the road behind my house. (By lamping I mean shining a bright light on to the field and then shooting anything that moves in it.) I don't know if they hit anything but they didn't even get out of the truck to check.

It's less than a 100ft from where they were shooting to my bedroom window FFS. I have it on video but you can't really see any details on the truck- you can bloody hear them shooting though!

(And I'm worried now- big cat got out tonight. Really hoping they didn't shoot her! :()

OP posts:
LaurieFairyCake · 21/03/2016 00:15

Call the police. What they're doing isn't legal.

coffeeisnectar · 21/03/2016 00:15

Call the police? It's illegal surely?

Original poster
QuestionableMouse · 21/03/2016 00:17

They've gone now! It's pointless calling the police because by the time they get out here, the fuckers have gone. (We've phoned them before and because we're miles from the centre of town they never make it in time.)

OP posts:
LaurieFairyCake · 21/03/2016 00:19

Really?

Then get your own damn BB gun and shoot them in the ass Grin - bet the police would be there sharpish

Original poster
QuestionableMouse · 21/03/2016 00:22

Yep, went though a summer of hell a few years ago of them lamping every night and the police never managed to catch them (to be fair, the police were in road cars and the fuckers were in 4x4s capable of using the fields to escape.)

Would it be worth popping into the station tomorrow with the video? It really scares me to have people shooting so close to the houses!

OP posts:
MrsTerryPratchett · 21/03/2016 00:24

Shoot their lights out. Not really but it would be satisfying. And the Rozzers could catch them then!

KiwiJude · 21/03/2016 04:48

Did your cat come home yet? What a knob! (the lamper, not the cat, although one of our cat's many names is Nob Grin ) I'd be worried if someone was doing that around my home, sounds way too close for comfort.

A guy I know was haring down the road in his jeep, saw something he wanted to shoot so stopped the vehicle, used the bonnet to steady himself for the shot and let rip at whatever poor animal it was. Not sure if he got what he was firing at but his windscreen shattered - guess that'll learn him for shooting with some big shot gun thingy. Another knob. Cor, they're everywhere.

Oysterbabe · 21/03/2016 05:18

Did you get the reg?

Roseberrry · 21/03/2016 05:22

Get the reg then the police can track them down.

commonsenseplease · 21/03/2016 06:11

We get that in the large field behind our house.

It's not illegal as the farmers want gun owners to lamp and shoot foxes to stop them attacking lambs.

It's very frightening - they only have to trip with a loaded gun and they could hit anyone through a window or something. I'm doubly terrified as it gives my abusive ex a reason to be behind our house with a loaded long-range rifle and night scope even though he made threats several years ago.

Do you know who owns the land? You could make a complaint to them and ask them to either warn you when the guns are are going to be there or keep them away completely.

I appreciate that they lose lambs to foxes overnight, but to me, human life is more important than lamb loss, and somewhere down the line there probably will be an accident if they carry on lamping near houses.

Giggorata · 21/03/2016 06:17

Poachers often do this illegally, too. But even if it is with permission, you have to be a certain distance from the road to discharge a gun. I'd take the video in & let the police view it.

bimandbam · 21/03/2016 06:22

If you are in the country then you should have a special police officer that deals with this sort of thing.

It's completely the wrong time to be shooting foxes. The vixens are already pregnant so if they lose their mates then it leaves a single parent to raise a litter. This makes her more desperate and she is more likely to take a lamb or raid a chicken coop to get enough food instead of relying on small mammals. That's why the last day of the hunt season was this weekend.

Ditsy4 · 21/03/2016 06:52

Check with the farmer. S/ he may not know they are there.
Funny we had one night before. Same situation field at the back of garden but disappeared when I went down to shut hens in which makes me think they shouldn't be there. I will be contacting farmer today. We had some in the field opposite and adjacent a few years ago. They had permission but not supposed to be in that field so farmer pulled the plug on it when I told him. Same thing with police but once when school alarm went off four cars arrived! Must have been a quiet night.

WellErrr · 21/03/2016 07:00

This isn't illegal and they are most likely being paid by the landowner to be there.

What would you rather? One fox or 20 newborn lambs?

Most people lamping will not be 'just shooting anything that moves.' In fact I don't know ANYONE who would do this.
The equipment needed is not cheap. The lamps used are not cheap. The rifles, scopes, and probable night vision equipment are not cheap.

Fox and rabbit control is necessary and lamping is the most effective and humane way to do it. The animal sees nothing but a light, and due to them standing stock still it's possible to get the best shot you can and kill it in an instant.

So no, not illegal, not cruel - necessary and humane. Get a grip.

JammyGem · 21/03/2016 08:36

WellErr Unnecessarily harsh post there. You may believe that it is necessary and humane, but the point is that surely it shouldn't be happening so close to OP's house, and she has every right to worry and be annoyed about being disturbed by it?

WellErrr · 21/03/2016 08:44

It's a necessary part of country life which by nature can only be carried out at night. So yes, if OP chooses to live in the country she is BU to complain. They're not doing it to piss her off.

And some of the replies here have been appalling.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 21/03/2016 08:47

If it's not illegal why do they always make a run for it Confused?

wonkylampshade · 21/03/2016 08:49

Check with the landowner. It's not a necessary part of country life and we say no to people asking to do this on our land.

WellErrr · 21/03/2016 08:54

It IS a necessary part of country life, particularly at this time of year with young lambs on the ground.

If you don't want people lamping on your land wonky that's entirely your decision but it doesn't change the fact that it is necessary for most sheep farmers.

Original poster
QuestionableMouse · 21/03/2016 08:54

Considering that it's all arable farming around here there are no lambs to protect so I don't buy that excuse for a second.

OP posts:
WellErrr · 21/03/2016 08:57

There are plenty of pests that eat young crops too, rabbits for instance.

Lockheart · 21/03/2016 08:58

It IS illegal to be doing it from the road. If they were in the field with permission of the landowner then there's no issue.

It's also not illegal to shoot foxes this time of year; unlike fox hunting, which operated in a set season, shooting foxes is a year round free for all.

MonsterClaws · 21/03/2016 09:40

I don't live in the country and we get lamping and lurchers letting rip all over the place. We have no sheep to protect just arses who like ripping stuff apart and here it is often a cat and occasionally a dog that is the target when it's not a fox or badger.

There is controlled hunting of foxes in lambing areas but plenty of illegal shooting too, I would hand the details to the police and get them to check.

Original poster
QuestionableMouse · 21/03/2016 09:47

I couldn't get the registration number but I do have a photo/video of the car. Is it still worth getting in touch with the police?

It wasn't any sort of pest control. They basically took potshots across the field and then drove away.

OP posts:
HopIt · 21/03/2016 09:57

my car got shot recently just driving along in the day. A day later i saw the police at the same spot so stopped and told them. They weren't interested at all and just said to get a crime reference for the insurance - i don't give a shit about that, i do give a shit that someone is shooting and actually could have caused me to have an accident and kill people.

Do report it, so at least they can up patrols or something. I hope they take it more seriously

Swipe left for the next trending thread