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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have gut reaction something's off.

144 replies

Carouselfish · 05/03/2018 00:37

Live rurally. Lane with approx. 30 houses spread out over a mile, leading to small village (no shops) one way and main road the other way. Sunday, high snow banks on sides of road and slush all over. Driving into town, third of way up the lane, had to squeeze past group of 8 men, all about early thirties, very grumpy looking, with collection of dogs, mastiff, couple of lurchers, several little black terriers, making their way down towards the village.
I know it sounds very League of Gentlemen, but they weren't from the area, didn't have guns so not poaching, weren't dressed in wellies or walking boots or anything (I was passenger so had time to look). Would you just say large group of male friends who all have dogs out for a Sunday afternoon stroll somewhere random that was making them all very grumpy or what? It just seemed weird.
DP has suggested dognappers giving their stolen dogs a toilet break! I would have said poachers looking for places to come back to, especially as in the last couple of months have had two late at night incidences in the neighbouring field of people creeping about with dogs. But...they didn't look at all 'countryish'. Maybe those have made me paranoid...
MN verdict?

OP posts:
Original poster
Carouselfish · 05/03/2018 00:39

Sorry, to clarify, there were about 10 dogs.

OP posts:
frasier · 05/03/2018 00:41

Hunting with dogs.

user1473878824 · 05/03/2018 00:42

...your gut feeling is what? That some men looked grumpy but weren’t poachers? I mean this in a nice way because you’re doing what I do an second guessing yourself but about what exactly?

Riverside2 · 05/03/2018 00:42

"DP has suggested dognappers giving their stolen dogs a toilet break!"

hmm, but then where would they live? Is he thinking they drove to the most secluded place they could find? I don't imagine dognappers are likely to do that.

I'd ask your neighbours if they saw them or maybe know them.

DalekDalekDalek · 05/03/2018 00:44

I don't think dog nappers go around in large groups tbh. It doesn't sound very suspicious to me.

GreyGardens88 · 05/03/2018 00:47

Sexist just because they;re men doesn't mean they're up to no good

PhelanThePain · 05/03/2018 00:47

They’re hunters. Rabbits or badgers probably. The lurchers run after them across the ground and the terriers go down the holes and chase them out.

Original poster
Carouselfish · 05/03/2018 00:47

Just that they weren't innocent dog walkers I guess. Large groups of men don't just do that do they? If it was a social thing you'd think they'd look less hostile.
I guess that's what I'm asking. Whether I'm paranoid. And if not, whether most people would think illegal hunting or casing houses or what (way too conspicuous though, right?). And whether anyone else had seen similar.

OP posts:
PhelanThePain · 05/03/2018 00:48

Dog nappies don’t parade their loot on full view. They use cars and vans and don’t travel in packs.

PhelanThePain · 05/03/2018 00:48

Nappers!

frasier · 05/03/2018 00:49

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-42185346

Or it could be badgers, deer, foxes...

RavenclawRealist · 05/03/2018 00:49

Dog nappers seems unlikely to me, given what you say about recent incidents poachers are possible but I would expect poachers to be a bit prepared for country life/fields ect so my first thought went to dog fights! Hopefully we are all wrong but that many people with dogs in bad weather out of the blue I would be suspicious too!

Does your road lead anywhere?

Original poster
Carouselfish · 05/03/2018 00:50

I'm only saying men because it WAS men. A large group of hostile looking women out here would also be weird! The fact that it was all men is itself weird, if it was just a friendly dog walk it'd be more likely mixed, no?
I'd just assumed hunters would have guns.

OP posts:
AdidasGirl · 05/03/2018 00:52

They will be out hunting.
Terriers to dig the rabbits out.
The lurchers to chase after them.

frasier · 05/03/2018 00:53

No, hare coursing etc. is a sport for the dogs. They do the chase and kill, so no guns.

Spinsterf · 05/03/2018 00:53

Think Fraser's link has got it, they sound like hare coursers.

PhelanThePain · 05/03/2018 00:53

No they don’t shoot their prey. The whole “fun” Hmm of the thing is in training their dogs to chase them out and either shake them to death or rip them apart. Nice hobby to have.

Original poster
Carouselfish · 05/03/2018 00:55

Phelan that explains the mix of dogs I suppose plus mastiff for extra killing power. Again, have mostly seen rabbiters with Jack Russells and guns, wellies and green coats! These were not wearing the right stuff.
Suppose they were grumpy because they hadn't caught anything then. Surprising since most of the rabbits round here have mixy. Sad

OP posts:
PhelanThePain · 05/03/2018 00:58

They don’t take home their catch so you wouldn’t know by looking if they’d caught anything. It’s literally just for the “sport” of the chase. They leave the catch where they kill it.

Original poster
Carouselfish · 05/03/2018 00:59

Ah yes, Fraser could well be then.
Gerroff my land! Twits.

OP posts:
Original poster
Carouselfish · 05/03/2018 01:00

Grumpy at being seen then, Phelan.

OP posts:
frasier · 05/03/2018 01:01

Yes, might not have liked being spotted like that all together. Is is a place where there wouldn't normally be much traffic? Did they have to walk on the road for a bit inbetween bridle paths or footpaths and were unlucky a car was coming?

frasier · 05/03/2018 01:02

It's illegal by the way!

PhelanThePain · 05/03/2018 01:05

Yes far more likely grumpy at being spotted. They might have expected the road to be very quiet with the snow.

ReanimatedSGB · 05/03/2018 01:09

I'd be inclined to think: dog fighting. Though it's a bit odd that they were all walking there in a group on a day when most people were staying off the roads.