a firearms law Q

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sunndog

Full Member
May 23, 2014
3,561
477
derbyshire
or maybe just have a friendly chat with the fella and probably end up with some free rabbits left at your back door
 

lannyman8

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jan 18, 2009
4,005
3
Dark side of the Moon
or call the police, say you're in your house and you think there's a man outside with a gun...

I dont know you kaiAnderson and dont want to be rood, but its comments and actions like that and people like you that give shooters a bad name, and that is bad for ALL shooters. Yes the farmer may have annoyed his tenant by shooting close to the house, but REALLY, no need mate, im sure a quiet word is all it needs, the farmer probably does not even realise a problem has happened.

Kind Regards.

Chris
 
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Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
……okay, devil's advocate here….how about you don't know the intent of someone outside shooting too close to your house ?
If the resident feels any concern or fear, then tough luck shooting folks, they've every right to call the police.

Up here the inconsiderate (at best) oik would get a warning or breach of the peace…defined as.
"conduct severe enough to cause alarm to ordinary people and threaten serious disturbance to the community"

or in England and Wales,
"defines a breach of the peace as existing whether harm is actually done, or is likely to be done, to a person or his property, or a person is in fear of being harmed through an assault, an affray, a riot, an unlawful assembly, or some other form of disturbance "

The OP said, at nearly 10pm, "….has just been right next to the house (well 15-20m away from the living room ) blatting away( at hopefully rabbits and not our cats)with a shotgun whilst on a quad. '

Someone shooting that close to the house, why should they not phone the police ? because honestly, that is neither decently safe practice or considerate.
Or are the shooting fraternity so scared that they'll all get tarred with the idiot's mud that they will come down on anyone who would respond in such a way ?

…….and before anyone launches into me, bluntly, I am not anti-gun, I am anti stupidity with a gun.

M
 

Macaroon

A bemused & bewildered
Jan 5, 2013
7,209
362
73
SE Wales
If you called the police in this part of the country and said "you're in your house and you think there's a man outside with a gun...", there'd be a very quick response from a large number of large coppers with even larger guns. If you then told them the full story as the OP has posted they would be very ticked off indeed and you'd be very lucky to not be charged with wasting police time.

In the current climate, the armed response units are busy, on edge, and have plenty to do without rolling that whole operation out to find it's the neighbour's idiot son being inconsiderate.

To paraphrase whoever it was, "jaw-jaw, not bang-bang"...............Just my take on it, though :)
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
Heck of a ticking off for the brat though….and having spoken to a policeman not long ago about this; he said they'd rather be called out and do a pre-emptive, than have to deal with a set to with a gun involved.
The last thing they'd do is turn on someone genuinely concerned about someone shooting right next to their home.

M
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,709
1,947
Mercia
Exactly so Macaroon. By all means call the police with all known info, e.g.

I believe that my landlord or his son is shooting on his own land

If you think they are a bit close to the house then say that (and add that you have not yet asked them to move away)

Making deliberately misleading statements that "there may be a man with a gun" is using vagueness and withholding information to provoke a disproportionate response.

That risks wasting police time at best and possibly worse. It is highly irresponsible.
 

lannyman8

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jan 18, 2009
4,005
3
Dark side of the Moon
again Mary of course if the home owner tenant ect is in genuine fear that should be the first people to call...

but the OP stated it was the land owner/son shooting who own the land there for have reason/permission to shoot, the issue here is that the people in the house where disturbed by the noise and inconvenience, and quite rightly so from what i have heard/read too.

but as many have stated a quiet word with said persons will probably be enough.

and what i was trying to get across in my earlier post, is that

#1 not all shooters are idiots and think about other people noise at night and so on.
#2 better tools could be used ie, a .22 rifle.
#3 a quiet word with an enthusiastic young man, who may have made a MISTAKE by shooting to close to a house at night, might be better than getting him nicked by the rozzers, wasting police time and probably scaring the you know what out of the poor lad,for what he thought was a good nights shooting.

think of it like this...

a) beer swilling live tree cutting down area destroying leaving rubbish mess and destruction BUSHCRAFTERS

compared to

b) the polite sensible people of this forum

it only takes a small number of people to give shooters a bad name, some thing which will effect the better more experienced honest people to take part in the sport.

no offence at all meant, just my thoughts

regards.

Chris.
 
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Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
I quite take your points Chris, I really do, but what if someone feels really uncomfortable, or disturbed at even trying to have a quiet word with someone like this lad ?
The obvious recourse is the police and hope that they'd mediate and not conflate the problem.

Which ever way the OP decides to deal with things is going to be uncomfortably awkward.

M
 

lannyman8

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jan 18, 2009
4,005
3
Dark side of the Moon
thats true Mary, letter maybe????? but i dont think the armed response would be better, having been on the receiving end of that when minding my own, pigeon shooting and they turn op to arrest me, H&K in my face because a dog walker 2 miles from any paths reported me for shooting, when they where trespassing.

anyway, hope it all works out for the best for all...:):):):)
 

Goatboy

Full Member
Jan 31, 2005
14,956
17
Scotland
It's already been said that the OP should have a word with the lads father who is also his landlord. This way it's kept friendly, not escalated and the way it's been sorted out in civilised societies for a long time. (If it doesn't work it can then be escalated in different way) The landlord has a responsibility to his tenant, especially if he want's to continue leasing the house. Maybe the loon doesn't realise he's causing bother, I know I would've been mortified that I'd upset my neighbours that way. And as a youngster also worried that my father would've clouted me round the place for annoying other,
 

Uilleachan

Full Member
Aug 14, 2013
585
5
Northwest Scotland
Baikal "stealth" .410 - still enough to knock rabbits - blimmin quiet.

Exactly, that and the quad combo seems to be a method being employed most effectively over flat fields, two up on the quad one driving/lamping and the other shooting. Just the noise of the quad to contend with really.

Rabbits quickly get gun shy from loud bangs, but not so with a suppressed 410 and at mobile lamping ranges a 410 is all thats required. There is a cost implication as 410 ammo is more expensive, but being a much more effective method there should be much less time lost to pest control duty.
 

Mandos

Nomad
Jan 23, 2013
322
1
30
Downham market
It's been my experience that inviting the authorities into your life is almost never a wise move. Either minding one's own business or handling the situation yourself is usually the better option.

i second this bringing outsiders in will only make the situation worse for everybody and could cause alot more problems in the long run.
 

MT606

Nomad
Jan 17, 2013
432
11
North of the southern wall.
well I let the landlord know his lad was firing rather close to the house and to tell him if he's gona be shooting so close to either let us know or just be more aware of what he's doing as it was so close we thought someone was banging on the front door.

will see what happens I guess.
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,709
1,947
Mercia
Am I correct in believing that your complaint is about the noise the young man made rather than any unsafe practice?
 

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