Dodgy dealings in the woods..

[LostPups]

I walk my dogs though a wood every day. I've walked there for a couple of years, but the last few months it's been daily rather than sporadically as my previous walking area has closed to the public. The wood is quiet and because noone really goes there, I can let my dogs off lead to run and chase pheasant and squirrels etc... and they r safe and other dog walkers and dogs aren't disturbed by them. I enjoy the walk and so do the dogs.

But in the last couple of months I've noticed men hanging around at one particular spot which is accessed from a nearby pathway adjacent to a train track. They seem to arrive by bicycle and they r always in the same spot, usually sitting or standing behind a tree (which made me jump the first few times!)

The men I see are usually always alone. They look very out of place as they are generally young (18 to 35), wear puffer jackets, nike trainers and have their phones out. Looks out of place in a muddy wood! Occasionally there'll be a more vulnerable looking man instead of or a little after/before the more trendy looking men.

Anyway, the first few times meeting or seeing these random lone men, it didn't bother me. I:d say hi, they'd say hello back, and I'd carry on my way.

But recently I've been feeling quite unnerved and if I'm honest, a little scared.

I am almost 100% sure the men in the woods have something to do with drugs. I don't know what is happening, who is dealing what, the ins and outs of what they r up to, and nor do I care. But I am starting to get paranoid someone might be finding me annoying and might try to bump me off!! Please tell me this won't happen!?!!

I really don't want to stop walking the pups in this wood, but equally I don't want to spook or piss off a drug dealer!

So .. am I'm being crazy to feel scared and paranoid I might get hurt because I have inadvertently found myself stumbling into the middle of a large drug operation!

Do you think the dealers or whoever they are, actually care im there?

Should I stop walking in the woods? (this will.b hard as nowhere local to let dogs off lead except the woods, and one of my dogs needs to run far and fast)?

Is it a known thing that drug deals happen in woods? Or could something else be going on?

Not far from this field there are also a couple of spots where people seem to regularly have fires, and also an area where there's lots of litter (cans, crisps packets etc..) and evidence of further dodgy stuff - clothes with shop tags still on sprawled.on the ground - stolen goods?

I'm so sad my country walk now feels like I'm intruding into the criminal world and that I shouldn't be on their turf :(

They’re not squirrels. If you hide your stash in a wood it will simply get affected by the weather or dug up by foxes or dug up by people who know where it is. Then all your money is gone.

If a dealer has a lot of drugs, they will owe someone for those. And it'll be big bucks. I don't understand then why so many different people are hanging around as that would be a risk to any large stash.

They are not doing you any harm so why not carry on as you do now and put thoughts of drugs or whatever out of your mind. You could be wrong about that and, if you are not, it isn't going to affect you. Just behave as you always have.

Exactly. Why take that to a wood not easily accessed? So you can’t get away quickly. It would make them vulnerable. If they’re going to deal somewhere out of the way it would be from their car.

People are being ridiculous OP. The pheasants aren't wildlife they'll be farmed and have escaped from somewhere. But there's nothing a game keeper can do about your dog chasing them if they're now on public land, they raise hundreds if not thousands as they know they'll lose loads.

How ironic to be concerned for the welfare of escaped pheasants that were only born to be shot for sport. No care for the ones that are still on private land waiting to be shot or starving to death because they don't know how to look after themselves though.

And squirrels can climb trees - dogs really aren't a threat to them.

I wouldn't have thought the legal wall would do much to deter them as they are after the thrill of the sneaking around/ notoriety from getting their name up in places they shouldn't be, so I did wonder if that might be an area they had cut the fence onto the train line... The bridge at the least would have walls they could paint. But i agree it would sound odd they would keep coming back just for that.

Which brand of trainers are acceptable to wear in the woods?

🤣🤣

(I think my point was that if you r there to enjoy the countryside you might be in wellies and old clothes! These guys definitely don't look like they are there to enjoy the countryside! They look like they've cycled in on the pathway, in their puffer jackets and trainers to do some kind of a deal off the main path and in the wood, and then disappear back on the main path to the city again...)

We get a lot of foragers around with plastic bags, often hiding and lurking because they are illegally selling to gastropubs etc. Dog always finds them and it's very unsettling.

We have this in our little wood. I assumed it was a drug drop. I just ignore and go about my day. If they stop me enjoying my wood then scumbags have won and I’m not having that.
I do walk 2 very big dogs though who look like they would eat anyone who tried to mess with them. If you walk a chihuahua or 2 I can see how it would be unnerving.
Dont let them stop you enjoying your wood - take sensible precautions, turn on phone tracking but enjoy your life if they wanted to mess with you they would have already.

Just go up to them and ask if they have anything for sale 😂