Page 17 | Told by the farmer to keep dog on a lead?

Ineedaneasteregg · 26/04/2021 17:34

Yes, I grew up in a pheasant shooting area.
Come autumn there are total pillocks blasting pheasants ineffectually leaving injured birds alive and suffering for some weeks afterwards.
But the rearing of pheasants at least keeps habitat for other birds available.
I find fewer positives about grouse rearing which leads to the destruction of other moorland animals.
But that doesn't change the fact that OP should have had dog under better control and read the countryside code before heading out into it.

Quaagars · 26/04/2021 17:34

@bitheby
@LizzieMacQueen

We have wild peasants who often visit our garden and the dogs go crazy! They'd never catch one though

Do you live in the Middle Ages?

Good spot, made me actual lol

SueSaid · 26/04/2021 17:36

'Ok...not derailing I hope, but am interested re those who are seemingly horrified at dogs chasing pheasants....are you aware that come shooting season the farmers/landowners use beaters with dogs to put the pheasants up to be shot...?'

Ah that's OK you see! because the farmer may have once bought a pheasant so is in charge of all pheasants and also gets to charge the shoots I'm guessing, as they're on their property 🙄. They don't seem 'attached' pheasants do they.

RowanAlong · 26/04/2021 17:41

He’s in the right I’m afraid.

AllThatisSolid · 26/04/2021 17:41

@Scrowy in my experience, a lot of people think that "living in a village" qualifies them to know about farming. It might, but mostly it does not. I've been away from the farm I grew up on for 40 years - I don't really know how they do it any more, but I wouldn't go around pontificating.

Although I still have very clear memories of lambs with their insides trailing on the ground, and the distressed bleats of the ewes. You don't forget that. Darn right my father shot the dogs that were running across our top field. He left the carcasses out there to serve as a warning (no public footpaths in that bit of the property).

beepbeepbonk · 26/04/2021 17:42

You thought you could let the dog off the lead, you were asked not to by the farmer. No big deal.

LittleTiger007 · 26/04/2021 17:42

We have dogs and if we let them off lead when crossing a farmers land he would have all the right in the world to shoot them! It’s their land! A right of way is just that... access to pass through.
Find an area where off lead walking is permitted, in the country there are many such areas.

Planttrees · 26/04/2021 17:45

@Wombatt

Blimey you've had some uneducated responses. No, by law you don't have to keep your dog on lead. You need to keep it under control. No the farmer cannot shoot your dog for simply being off lead. That's absurd. Mumsnet can be a strange place and these threads seem to bring all the mouth frothers out. The reason no one has quoted a law at you is because there isn't one!

Under control means walking to heel. In England it is the law to keep your dog on a lead (max 2 meters) during nesting season on open access land.

KurtWilde · 26/04/2021 17:46

It's the farmers land. Just because there's a right of way doesn't make it any less his land. He told you to keep your dog on a lead. Be respectful and do it, or find somewhere else to walk your dog.

MiaChia · 26/04/2021 17:47

OP, you wrote "Shoot my dog for no reason and just wait to see what happens to your sheep... apparently it's the lawless Wild West out there with all these gun shooting farmers so I can just do as I please also... 🙄🙄"

I will repeat, you don't sound like any sort of animal lover I've ever met 🙄

SueSaid · 26/04/2021 17:50

'Although I still have very clear memories of lambs with their insides trailing on the ground, and the distressed bleats of the ewes. You don't forget that. '

Oh fgs. I accept it's loss of earnings if you lose a lamb but do you worry about the 'distressed bleats of the ewes' when you're packing them off for a distressing rammed journey to slaughter? Thought not.

MiaChia · 26/04/2021 17:52

@JaniieJones

'So do you suggest there shouldn't be any predator control and the ground nesting birds should just be left to die out? I don't think it's something to laugh about really?'

I'm laughing at someone gushing that they are 'attached to wildlife' except the ones they shoot.

Perhaps some of you need to read up on public rights of way.

To whom are you referring? I think you are getting yourself very muddled, sadly. I'll try to explain it to you.

If Person A says on a forum that pheasant shoots are run as a business and anyone stressing/potentially killing pheasants which have been bought and paid for, along with their food and release pens as well as the time and effort expended on them and Person B says they are an animal lover that's perfectly fine. Person A is NOT Person B you see. Hopefully, that will help you not to conflate various posters arguments into one huge one. Hint, we are all individuals with our own thoughts and ideas. HTH 🤗

CandyLeBonBon · 26/04/2021 17:52

@Blinkingbotheration

Ok...not derailing I hope, but am interested re those who are seemingly horrified at dogs chasing pheasants....are you aware that come shooting season the farmers/landowners use beaters with dogs to put the pheasants up to be shot...?

The difference is, those dogs are trained for that purpose, (as are their owners/handlers) as opposed to your average mutt, who will probably lose his shit at the sight of birds flapping up out of nowhere, go into full prey-drive and cause utter fucking havoc.

It's not that hard to see how different to two scenarios are really, is it?

derxa · 26/04/2021 17:56

@JaniieJones

'Although I still have very clear memories of lambs with their insides trailing on the ground, and the distressed bleats of the ewes. You don't forget that. '

Oh fgs. I accept it's loss of earnings if you lose a lamb but do you worry about the 'distressed bleats of the ewes' when you're packing them off for a distressing rammed journey to slaughter? Thought not.

The difference between a sheep being savaged by a dog and despatched quickly in an abattoir is quite considerable.

MiaChia · 26/04/2021 17:56

OP, you claim to be an animal lover and yet you posted this "I accept I should have my dog on lead. That's fine. Don't have to like it or agree with it."

Why don't you agree that your dog should not be given the opportunity to potentially kill ground nesting birds, pheasants, cause abortions and possible death in sheep and cattle etc. I shall repeat once again that you don't sound like any animal lover I've ever met. Or are you just strangely attached to the animal (dog in this case) that you own? Do you not think that other people might be equally attached to their own animals and want them to live peaceful and stress free lives? Like I said, I breed pet sheep and I would shoot your dog if it worried them. Your dog's rights to have a lovely play in my field does not trump the rights of my sheep and if you don't like that a) you're not an animal lover and b) tough!

RoseAndRose · 26/04/2021 17:57

are you aware that come shooting season the farmers/landowners use beaters with dogs to put the pheasants up to be shot...

And are you aware that the ground nesting season (when all dogs should be on lead, wherever they are and whatever you can/can't see) does not overlap with the shooting season?

HalzTangz · 26/04/2021 17:58

@mudstuck

I was walking my dog through a field and the farmer came up on his tractor and complained that he had seen my dog off the lead. There are no sheep or livestock around, and I would always always put her on a lead if I there was any chance of encountering any livestock.I did raise the fact that the field was empty with him and he said there are young pheasants going about... I apologised and agreed to keep her on a lead in future. However on reflection I am wondering if he is in the right to ask that of us? My dog doesn't have a very high prey drive at all and lives happily with three house cats. I don't allow her to chase wildlife although her recall, even though it's good, is not 100% and we have had the very occasional chase of a squirrel or deer. She probably would chase a pheasant if she saw one running away but she would never catch it. What do you think? Like I said I am happy to keep her on a lead just for an easy life. I live close to the farmer and don't want the trouble/conflict. Just wondering who is in the right..

So your dog has no prey drive yet chases squirrels and deers, and by your own admission would chase the birds. Your dog doesn't have good recall

Yes the farmer I'd right to expect a lead on the dog, especially if it's his field

DoubleTweenQueen · 26/04/2021 17:58

I think it's the law, to have dogs on leads until end July because of ground nesting birds. Mine is on a long line and we're sticking to bridleways. We saw a pheasant but she couldn't chase because she's on a long line and in training/under control.

We did see a large black lab off-lead running amok in the crops however.

So yes, YABU, and not the farmer.

KOKOagainandagain · 26/04/2021 18:04

I rent a farmhouse on an estate with a shoot onsite. Lockdown has meant shoots can't happen and there are a fuck load of pheasants, bred to be shot, all over the place. Pretty but stupid. The only reason that they are not shot now is because the season has ended.

From my conversations with the gamekeeper, the income is already lost. They need to buy poults for the next season anyway so the survivors are dead birds walking.

Luckily my dog, who is never off lead, accepts them as a constant. Along with sheep. He's ok with squirrels, stoats and badgers. He has a weird friendship with wood pigeons. I have worried that he'd connect the deer in our garden with the carcasses he eats - sometimes furry legs, ears and tails but he's oblivious. They are brought for him by the gamekeeper.

The countryside may look open but it is already an occupied land. If you are humble in your approach you will be welcomed.

Planttrees · 26/04/2021 18:04

@DoubleTweenQueen

I think it's the law, to have dogs on leads until end July because of ground nesting birds. Mine is on a long line and we're sticking to bridleways. We saw a pheasant but she couldn't chase because she's on a long line and in training/under control.

We did see a large black lab off-lead running amok in the crops however.

So yes, YABU, and not the farmer.

I think the maximum length of the lead is 2 meters so a long line is a help but not within the law unfortunately. There was also another post on MN about a poster whose long line snapped - apparently it is very common with the automatic winding ones.

HalzTangz · 26/04/2021 18:07

That's precisely why you should keep the dog on a lead, you don't know what stock is or isn't their

AllThatisSolid · 26/04/2021 18:09

The difference between a sheep being savaged by a dog and despatched quickly in an abattoir is quite considerable.

Indeed @derxa

The dogs that attacked our sheep didn't kill them. They were attacking for sport - the "prey drive" I suppose. Then they went home to be fed, I presume - these were dogs from a nearby group of houses where people kept them in all day, then just let them out for a run when they got home from work.

Totally irresponsible owners.

And I suppose the type of people who would say that they "lived rural" and knew all about farming because they could see a farm from their back doors.

The resentment towards farmers from some PP on this thread is extraordinary. Who do you think grows your food, and keeps the countryside in order so you can walk your dogs?

AllThatisSolid · 26/04/2021 18:10

If you are humble in your approach you will be welcomed.

This ^^

CuriousaboutSamphire · 26/04/2021 18:10

@JaniieJones

'think you'd feel inclined to shoot crows'

I'm not interested tbh animals bred for slaughter aren't exactly destined for a nice life are they? though of course farmers would be out of pocket. The 'we love wildlife' is a bit selective that's all.

It's called being pragmatic.

Many people can love wildlife, animals in general, and see the need to control some, eat some and pamper some.

HalzTangz · 26/04/2021 18:13

[quote mudstuck]@FrangipaniBlue
I have and will continue to do as asked. That was always going to be the case. Just wanted to get some more understanding... bloody hell. Wish I'd never posted on here now. You're all nuts. [/quote]
You asked if it was fair for the farmer to request your dog be on a lead, everyone has responded yes, and provided reasons why.

I never get why people get upset when the answer doesn't go there way, you were clearly hoping for everyone to say the farmer was unfair