Stump shooting / roving archery, the legalities?

[MagiKelly]

Having recently got into archery and enjoying it thoroughly the next thing i want to do a bit of is roving / stump shooting.

I have a few places in mind and can probably get permission for some of these but wondered what the legal situation was. I suspect that being on land with a bow and no permission may be armed trespass but don't know and am not sure if the law is different in Scotland.

I suspect that regardless of the law being seen out with a bow acting responsibly will be less of an issue than being out with a gun.

So does anyone know the actual legal situation?

 

[tobes01]

My understanding is that if you're on private land with permission from the landowner then you're fine. I wouldn't dare go out without their consent (but I appreciate Scotland may be different).

Are you using a longbow? British Longbow Society membership is cheap, seems to be massively weighted in favour of Scottish clout shooting (ie at stumps) events, and I think it carries insurance with it.

Tobes

 

[Toddy]

There was a group who used a specially fenced out area at Palacerigg country park near Cumbernauld........might be worth seeing if they're still there and contacting them for advice.
iirc there was also an archery group based at Jordanhill, and Strathclyde Uni had one too.
Don't know if this helps but they might be startiing points.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Adrian]

You usually need landowner permission, and I'd carry a written permission on you. The main issue is safety - ie whats behind the stump, and the risk of overshoots. An arrow from any decent bow can inflict injury a lot further than many people think. Even though it's not a firearm, the police will still take a dim view if you are anywhere near a footpath or public land.

Actually, the police take a dim view of anyone wandering around with a weapon of any kind in an unsupervised environment, or indeed at all in the case of many officers!

 

[MagiKelly]

There was a group who used a specially fenced out area at Palacerigg country park near Cumbernauld........

I have seen references to them and they are the closest field archery club to me, or at least as far as I know.

I have been going to the Linwood archery club and have enough room in my garden for most practising but it was the stump . clout shooting I was interested in trying as well.

It will probably be an American flatbow I will be using most of the time once I buy one. I have the use of a recurve and flatbow at the moment.

 

[Grooveski]

Don't know the legalities. If I have the ok to camp somewhere I take a bow, if not I leave it at home.

Was thinking of heading out the farm(by Wishaw) on saturday for a few hours if you want to come along. It's not the friendliest roving wood(very scrubby) but even wandering round the fields lobbing a tennis ball ahead of you is good practice.
....and once you've been there I'm sure it'd be cool for you to go back anytime, you've met Scott a few times after all.

Have you got any judo points? They make life real easy.
(if not I have plenty to spare)

 

[tobes01]

You usually need landowner permission, and I'd carry a written permission on you. The main issue is safety - ie whats behind the stump, and the risk of overshoots. An arrow from any decent bow can inflict injury a lot further than many people think. Even though it's not a firearm, the police will still take a dim view if you are anywhere near a footpath or public land.

Actually, the police take a dim view of anyone wandering around with a weapon of any kind in an unsupervised environment, or indeed at all in the case of many officers!

I'm using a 6ft yew longbow. First time I tried it in the garden, I overshot and punched an arrow clean through a closeboard fence. Plod would be perfectly reasonable to treat that as an offensive weapon...

 

[MagiKelly]

I have judo points on the way and have a few blunts.

This weekend is likely to be a non starter for me but I will be in touch when I can sort something out.

 

[Grooveski]

Anytime. over the winter we're out quite regularly.

 

[Overlander30]

sorry to hijack but Tobes, is that you on Hammock forums with a clark NX 250?

 

[Chainsaw]

No idea about the legal stuff I'm afraid. I think you can do it with permission, same as shooting but I do know that my GNAS insurance is void, even on my own land.

Last time I was up Beecraigs they had a field archery course, and looking at the site it may be available for hire. Their target course is only 10.80 an hour for group hire. Josh may be able to spread more light as he does a fair bit.

Cheers,

Alan

 

[tobes01]

Yes, that's me

sorry to hijack but Tobes, is that you on Hammock forums with a clark NX 250?

 

[Grooveski]

Last time I was up Beecraigs they had a field archery course, and looking at the site it may be available for hire. Their target course is only 10.80 an hour for group hire. Josh may be able to spread more light as he does a fair bit.

Sorry, never heard of it. Would be up for a round sometime though.

Border Bows have monthly shoots down by Mellerstain. Never made it along as it's a bit of a traipse but I've heard it's quite an impressive course. You have to own one of their bows though.

No reason we couldn't put a shoot together ourselves. If everyone grabbed a butt and we just spread them around a bit. Chuck in some fluffy toys/balloons/whatever.....
The farm only has limited parking(3-4 spaces) for vehicles that can't make it into the top field.

 

[Toddy]

Might be worth pm-ing Robby or Drew1166, they're both in the Glasgow Vikings and I know they have regular long bow practice sessions somewhere around Lanarkshire.

Wiston said we could use bows if we came with our insurances and h&s sorted out.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Chainsaw]

Sorry, never heard of it. Would be up for a round sometime though.

Sorry I meant you do a bit of general shooting on private land, not that you frequent beecraigs... (it read fine when I wrote it!! :sulkoff

Wiston said we could use bows if we came with our insurances and h&s sorted out.

insurance?????

Cheers,

Alan

 

[Grooveski]

(it read fine when I wrote it!! :sulkoff

If you say so.

Wonder what the insurance bods would make of iron horse archery?

 

[silvergirl]

I have been going to the Linwood archery club and have enough room in my garden for most practising but it was the stump . clout shooting I was interested in trying as well.

I used to be a member there, 25 yrs ago!

I'm also curious about the legal position too.
I have a bow that I use in the garden and we are surronded by fields and woodland, and you never see another soul. I was hoping (assuming) that so long as the land owner didn't mind then stump shooting should be fine.

I am no longer a member of the GNAS and I hadn't even considered insurance.
But then I haven't been out the garden yet.
Honest :theyareon

 

[Rob]

As far as I am aware, there is no problem - as long as you have landowner's permission.

The major archery societies don't like roving / stump shooting - as they feel that you won't have checked out the shot in the same way as you would if you were "plonking a target out to shoot at". To this end, their PL insurance won't cover you if something goes wrong. There is a gap in the tules if you are a member - they refer to freelance roving - so if you plan your route and check the safety, then you may well be covered.

So make sure you can see what is in any overshoot area and you should be ok. Consider judi points or blunts - possibly with flu-flu fletch to slow the arrows down and minimise the chance of problems.

 

[Moff8]

Having started shooting in the garden out to 20 yds I was thinking of taking the bow out and about. Beecraigs sounds like it could be a great way to try out a golf like course.

Thanks for the thread - very useful info.

 

[MagiKelly]

As far as I am aware, there is no problem - as long as you have landowner's permission.

Part of what I was wondering is under the Scottish land reform law I am allowed access to pretty much all land for carrying out hobbies, walking, photography, biking, horse riding etc. Does this law give me default permission to take a bow or does a bow have specific laws regarding its use?

I suspect that unless a bow is by default classed as a weapon (which I doubt or you would have the selling of them licenced) then roving archery, provided you are not damaging the property should be allowed.