To not want to see somebody shooting a gun from my kitchen window?

[Staffielove23]

We back onto a field and the farmer is literally going round with his gun shooting at ‘I’ve no idea what’. Is this legal to do this so close to somebody’s house? We can see him so we are in the firing line. I mean, I know he wouldn’t intentionally shoot as us but what if he gets us while aiming for something else, I know the farm was here before us, etc but I feel slightly unnerved as my children play out in the garden in the evening times with the lighter night, and there’s loads of other fields behind this one that don’t directly back onto people’s houses.

The effective range of a shotgun is only 35 metres so he would have to be extremely close to your property to be a danger.

Honestly OP I don't think you properly thought through the realities of living in rural areas and maybe you might be happier or less stressed living back in a more urban environment.

This is a joke, right?

If farmers are shooting vermin they will phone the police and inform them beforehand.

give 101 a call, they will know if it’s a legal shoot.

umm I lived in the countryside for years as a kid and never once saw or heard someone with a gun! I’d not like it either! I don’t think anyone HAS to shoot at anything? What exactly HAS to be shot? Mumsnet is so weird sometimes.

You're being ridiculous and should never have moved next to a field/farm if you don't like what happens in fields and on farms. You've essentially moved right on to a factory floor - the farm is producing food, not providing a backdrop for your children and chickens. Keep your own cats in your own garden and to be honest I'm quite surprised that you're allowed to keep chickens in a new build. I would think that there's every chance that the farmer is ready to shoot your neighbours dog - letting it repeatedly access a field of sheep and lambs is appalling.

I'll save you both a phonecall and wasting police time by telling you that no law has been broken, and the only law involved will be that landowners actually have a legal responsibility to control rabbits on their land.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rabbits-how-to-control-numbers

Don't be that annoying townie that creates problems where there really isn't any.

in your responses you choose to belittle well meaning views from pp who understand how farming and life in the countryside works - you sound so entitled.

good luck with your attitude, I have a feeling all will work out extremely well for you 👍

Not consistently they don't. And even if they do, 101 may not have the answer to hand, depending on how it's been recorded.

Source: - 12yrs in police 999 call centre.

Nope.

See vermin, get gun, shoot it. Why on earth would you think that the police be phoned? People are so removed from the reality of rural life.

If you do phone the police OP please be honest. Don't say the farmer is waving his gun round. He isn't, from your description he is on his own land behaving perfectly within the law.

Tell the truth and say you've not encountered it and are asking. I think it would be very unfair for you to call using the language you are using here.

I know absolutely nothing about farms etc and am horrified to read that lambs get their eyes pecked out. That's horrific.

Me too, grew up in countryside, back onto fields, no sight of guns in 45 years. Tractors at all times yes, farm noises and smells, yes, guns near people no.

Other amusing nimby complaints:

metro.co.uk/2022/08/15/man-blocks-combine-harvester-because-it-got-dust-on-his-sandwiches-17187784/amp/

metro.co.uk/2023/01/09/woman-buys-house-next-to-cricket-pitch-and-complains-about-cricket-balls-landing-in-garden-18067914/amp/

metro.co.uk/2021/06/10/church-bells-silenced-after-single-complaint-they-are-too-noisy-14751731/amp/

This reminds me of the thread where the poster moved to a new area and got all annoyed at someone in an archery club's field - wait for it - doing archery. How very dare they, don't they know she has a dog to walk?!

Think this thread needs saving so it can be signposted when someone asks why country folk are automatically wary of townies 🙄. Op, you sound very much like you belong in suburbia - and got a good feeling you're going to end up there; reckon you may start to realise you don't actually like the countryside all that much after all once you've piss off the locals, especially the bloody farmer! You may find his slurry pit suddenly needs relocating 😂Try not being such an entitled little madam - you chose to move in next door, pretty revolting actually to insert yourself into someone else's culture and demand they change their ways to suit you.

OP,

My DF’s family is well ensconced rurally and I think many PPs are honestly trying to help you.

You haven’t given us any useful qualitative or quantitative information. Is it an air gun? A shotgun? A rifle? Just how far away is the shooting? If you can’t estimate, it isn’t very close.

Unless the farmer is very close indeed, which I think you would have told us, only a rifle is a conceivable threat and even that requires a lack of expertise.

From what you have written the farmer appears to have the law on his side, as a glance at the links provided by PPs will show. And whatever you may think of their tone, I believe PPs who are trying to warn you that the farmer and police are likely to have a constructive relationship already are correct.

Crows will quite happily take the eyes of lambs and sheep the minute they are incapacitated for any reason. They literally swoop down and take them

They also really like lambs tongues which is even worse, if they take an eye the lamb/sheep can still live without an eye but the lamb can't survive without its tongue. We had to put an otherwise perfectly healthy lamb down this lambing time for that reason.

They will attack and kill newborn lambs by taking out their insides through their navel

They also attack sheep while they are lying on the ground lambing or unwell. They will peck out their anus and their udder.

coming from a farming family, I totally agree with this. It’s not just random shooting, they’re shooting for a specific reason and are t going to start shooting in the direction of your house/children, grant them done common sense. Sounds like living near a farm isn’t for you.

How exactly is it inconveniencing you? Shooting in the countryside is allowed and would not be counted as a disturbance. I mean my neighbour mowing his grass disturbs me but I doubt I’m allowed to ban him from doing it. You can’t just claim you were caused fear or distress, it has to be deemed he was doing something which would cause an average person fear or distress. And a farmer legally shooting on his land abiding by rules such as not shooting into your garden, or even in the direction of your garden from a certain distance, would be deemed to not cause most people fear or distress.

saying that my mum did get shot in our back garden when I was a kid. It was a twat of a neighbour who was target shooting, thankfully just with an air rifle. I’d imagine most farmers are more sensible.

What did the police say?

Entitled not to get shot at. Yeah, ok. I’m not sure about approaching him just based on some of the responses on this thread. People getting pretty angry at legitimate concerns. Best to let the police deal with it imo
But you aren't being shot at!

People pointing out that local farmers tend to know a lot of people locally isn't saying he's going to threaten you. It just means that people are likely to know that's the person who falsely accused Farmer Smith of shooting at her and called the police.

Combine that with your It's against the law to disturb me or inconvenience me. I'll keep reporting him to the police, (tilty head tinkly laugh) ... If he isn't breaking the law then it isn't a problem but let's keep ringing the police to see and you sound like you're spoiling for a fight.

My brother used to shoot down our garden. As long as there's something there to block you should be fine.

Doesn't necessarily have to have a licence depending on the gun. And it doesn't always work how you think, my brother shot towards someones dog that was going for him. He reported it to the police they just added something on his licence to say he could shoot dangerous animals.

Seriously, you’re going to phone the police for advice? Advice about a farmer legally shooting vermin on his own land? What advice do you think they’re going to offer? Just speak to him, ffs, he’s not going to shoot you, is he?

But the same laws don't apply lovey. Farmers and landowners are allowed to shoot to protect their livestock and crops. You know, the food they produce for the rest of us to eat?

Every one can't go out in their suburban backyard and start blasting away, but this is farm ffs!!

Bloody hell the "if you don't like it here move back to the city" brigade were out in force.
Let's not get carried away with the solid sons of the earth crap.
There are plenty of them out there coursing or shooting badgers and dumping them by the side of the road to make it look like roadkill.
The farmer's son next door was arrested for getting stoned with his mates and shooting at cats from his bedroom window.
There are plenty of dickheads in the countryside. And they have shotguns.

However if the farmer was simply doing what he's entitled to do by law then your only option is to move if you don't like the sight and sound of guns close to your house.