To ask my neighbours not to hang dead animals from their fence?

[Bdg212]

New neighbours like to shoot. That’s their choice, but they hang the animals they kill from their front garden fence for all to see. It’s usually pheasants and sometimes rabbits. Aibu to think this is pretty inconsiderate behaviour? I’m veggie and find it quite upsetting. There are kids about too.

Fair point about not killing for fun, I personally have no issue with shooting to get dinner but I personally wouldn’t kill for fun either. Crabbing is my limit and we’re gentle and release after. No offence intended just discussing

One of my friends had chickens - when the chicks grew and some turned out to be roosters, they were dispatched and then had to be plucked and drawn.

I went over to help out with the plucking but refused pointblank to put my hand inside and get the innards out - luckily I have large hands and my friend has small ones, so she got that job

I can't remember if she gave the innards to the dogs - is that a good thing to do, or not? If it is, she did - she would have researched it first, she was very conscientious about that.

@Skinnydog

Pheasants are not native wildlife, they’ve actually replaced our own native version and as someone else said sadly I agree with the buzzards but that’s a whole other argument. Pheasants you see running around are either the minority who survived, ones who’ve wandered further than expected. They are literally reared as chicks in big pens, go to bigger more naturalistic enclosures and released. It’s a sport, some are eaten, some aren’t depending on who’s shot them.

There is no native UK version of the pheasant - you might be thinking of the grey partridge which has suffered a massive decline due to agricultural changes, so the ones you see running about are red -legged partridges. They go wild very easily - there is a covey on the shoot I beat on which seems to be self-sustaining. Efforts are underway to build up the grey partridge population again.

I've beaten on two shoots, and have a friend who beats on another, and all the game that is shot on those shoots is eaten. Guns take some, beaters take some, the rest is processed (or not) and passed around to friends and neighbours. That's usually when you see game hanging out of doors - it's either awaiting collection or has just been dropped off.

And regarding buzzards: I can't speak for every shoot, but there are loads of buzzards, kites and kestrels over our local shoots.

@Monopolyiscrap

Plucking and disembowelling pheasants is a horrible job. You get gifted pheasants because the people shooting do not want to actually do this to eat them. They just want to kill live things for fun.

I know a lot of people who shoot. Most of my friends, my bf and I. Can categorically say this is complete rubbish. I love having decent fresh meat, it isn't a horrible job plucking and cleaning and is a damn sight better than buying 2 for £5 chickens or cheap badly reared meat from the supermarket. We only free range, local meat usually direct from the farmer and game. I would rather live off pasta that eat chickens that have suffered 21 days of overcrowded agony before being slaughtered and yet people who shoot are the ones who are judged.

The shooting season ended at the end of January.

I def know the difference between partridge and pheasant, partridge very sweet and smaller we see them occasionally, pheasants tend to see when I’m driving and normally at the side of the road debating whether to run or freeze at the last second

I don’t bother with plucking and dressing pheasants, much quicker to skin and take breast and legs, not messy at all.

Yes, we do that, unless we're having guests, when we pluck them in the more usual way.

We frequently arrive home to find braces of pheasants or couples of rabbits hanging off our gates, thanks to nice shooting friends.
Our drive gates are on the pavement, so people walk past them at head height. If anyone complained I’m afraid I’d just giggle at them…

We used to know a gamekeeper in my childhood so we got the odd kill to eat.

My mum used to hang them in the shed. Made great stews in the winter.

We are disconnected from where our food comes from but some people choose not to eat meat for a variety of reasons so out of respect for them, I'd say OPs neighbour should hang them out of public sight.

We used to get all sorts hung on our fence. Mushrooms, hares, rabbits, game birds. The local forager was always very generous and the local shoot and lampers would leave something as an apology for the noise. If you didn't like it you said something to a local farmer and it would stop. New next door neighbours asked us and we passed the message on. They got cakes instead 🙂

It's part and parcel of living rurally in an area where every bit of ground is put to use. It's how many dairy farmers round here remain just about solvent. If you don't like the thought of it them tough. That's your opinion. No more right or wrong than that of people who quite literally live off the land.

why so many comments ' thats rural life so ok' why is it ok shooting wildlife isnt ok, its vile whether you live in a town or village.

@samsam123

why so many comments ' thats rural life so ok' why is it ok shooting wildlife isnt ok, its vile whether you live in a town or village.

Well, regardless of your own dietary preferences growing food, meat or plant based, requires the killing of some animals. If you can't accept the reality of that become an airatarian.

@samsam123

why so many comments ' thats rural life so ok' why is it ok shooting wildlife isnt ok, its vile whether you live in a town or village.

It’s not wildlife.

Pheasants = bred for slaughter (like chickens)

Rabbits = pest control, meat as a byproduct

Moles = pest control (trapped not shot)

@Giggorata

Yes, we do that, unless we're having guests, when we pluck them in the more usual way.

We frequently arrive home to find braces of pheasants or couples of rabbits hanging off our gates, thanks to nice shooting friends.
Our drive gates are on the pavement, so people walk past them at head height. If anyone complained I’m afraid I’d just giggle at them…

That response sounds terribly unkind. Perhaps you could recognise that other people may feel differently to you and try to meet them halfway.

Some town people have no understanding of how the countryside is. Obviously people can express their views (and I am very pro shooting and meat etc) but we don't all have to agree with those who do not want anyone to eat meat.

Perhaps you could recognise that other people may feel differently to you and try to meet them halfway

You come across as not wanting to recognise or do this either!

There are some rules (for hygiene and vermin reasons) in the UK - there’s a guide here: www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/media/document/wildgamephotos.pdf
If you think that the way they’re hanging their game is compromising either, contact a local councillor. Foxes and other vermin can climb fences and publicly displaying rotting corpses could be considered to be pretty antisocial towards health and hygiene!

@Giraffesandbottoms

Perhaps you could recognise that other people may feel differently to you and try to meet them halfway

You come across as not wanting to recognise or do this either!

Where would you think that? I have maintained that I respect their choice to hunt. Just would like to walk down the street without having to look at dead animals hanging off a fence. Is that too much to ask?

I think even if you eat meat, reasonable to ask. I'd be surprised if they agreed but if they do, good.

This thread isn’t about the ethics of eating meat. Don’t know why folk are trying to turn it onto a debate on veganism just cause I’m veggie. People are way too keen to jump on the vegan and made a point to shove their meat eating in our faces. I’m a quiet peaceful person, I don’t go round telling people what they should or should not eat.

@Monopolyiscrap

I cant picture this fence. Surely on an ordinary fence the foxes would just eat them.

Almost 6ft high

I just think it would be potentially quite upsetting if you had a pet rabbit or something

Sorry but a hundred and one things in like are 'potentially quite upsetting' to some people for all manner of personal reasons. Doesn't mean other people aren't allowed to do them. You feel that strongly about it you need to start a campaign to get it changed in law but don't be a dick neighbour foisting your beliefs on others just because you made a choice.

Veganism is a philopsophy recognised by law so I'd play that card if I had to

And you'd be rightly laughed at. Philiosophy recognised by law means you have the right to not be discriminated against on the basis of it (employment/housing etc). Not that you have the right to change other people's behaviours because it goes against your philosophy. Religious groups have been trying it for years (think abortion, gay rights etc) and have quite rightly been laughed at and told to mind their own business.

Personally don’t see the difference dead animal body in supermarket, side of the road, or on a fence it’s all the same. Yes someone may have had fun killing it with a rifle, you could say the same about a fishermen, slaughterman. Whatever it’s all the same to me, dead body, sad for the animal but would really give it a second thought tbh. An abused animal yes I’d be shocked and upset but dead pheasant/bunny I just see it as someone’s dinner hanging on a fence. Clearly you feel differently as a vegetarian fair enough but you can’t expect everyone else to agree with you. By all means ask your neighbour I’d be happy to be more concerned but don’t be surprised if they ignore your request ordoiteven more. Sadly some people are like that

If they’re hanging them on their front fence, where people pass by, rather than in their back garden, then I think they’re basically just bragging about what they’ve shot and/or trying to provoke a reaction.

Most people who shoot just get on with it, and would hang game either in a shed or at the very least, at the back of the house. But there are some people who seem to feel the need to be performative about this kind of thing. My mum had a neighbour a lot like this. It’s basically the hunting equivalent of people who open their car windows and turn their music up.