[Mrs Snoodles]

So it all ends on the 31 Jan and you have until the Autumn to sort out a plan.  Check what rights are over the land, if the shooting rights belong to someone else then you are stuck (the fact that you keep livestock on the land is probably here nor there as they would argue that you should have known about the shooting rights prior to renting).   

It would be well worth a chat with the gamekeeper.....Perhaps you can work out a deal.  Best of luck.....
I'm gobsmacked that these people are so inconsiderate. I work in the shooting arena and wouldn't of thought for one second that anyone gamekeepers I know wouldn't have tried their very best to work around you. 

[Ladygrey]

Thanks everyone for your replies!

We were not told about this when we moved in, only that the shoot operated "nearby" the first year we lived here, we woke up to find 4-5 landrovers parked outside our kitchen window! with the men all walking around our garden!
We complained and they now park further down our track (we are the only house down a bumpy dirt track)

However they still walk past our kitchen window, around our chicken shed and up into the field, the field has very short grass but thick cover and hedges all around it, which they beat the pheasants out of and towards their field.

Seeing my two little kunekune boars run up to greet these people at the top of the field, only to run back down screaming in fear after they started shooting was really sad 

We have called a meeting with the estate manager and game keeper and will see how it goes, if they have been walking across their for the "20" years and we cant stop them then we will move, as yes the shooting stops end of january but from next year I will be lambing beginning of january.

Possibly we can cut the cover/hedges right back and move all our fences to right up against them, leaving nothing for them to beat at and nowhere for pheasants to hide!

[in the hills]

A neighbour of mine rents her property from the estate. She has 9 children. The landrovers park in her yard, under her kitchen window, and the guns sometimes stand on her front lawn and shoot directly over her house. As a pheasant narrowly missed her kitchen window last season, she was livid to hear the guns remark, "better luck next time, you nearly got that window". She usually gets about 10 minutes notice that they are about to arrive and is expected to open the gates for them and has to run around locking up her dogs and getting the children indoors. She feels unable to complain as she feels she may lose her home.


You are not alone in having problems.


Surely if your field is now well grazed they won't need to use dogs to flush game from there as it won't hold birds and if they are just using it as a "right of way" then the dogs should be at heel anyway or could be if you can reach an understanding with the gamekeeper.

[fifixx]

Might be worth getting advice from the Tenant Farmers association - or the NFU?

[SteveHants]

I'm pretty heavily involved with shooting and my remark was nothing to do with the legality of the situation - it just isn't 'done'. I'd be embarrased if I was on that beating line and would have a word with the keeper myself. Beaters aint paid enough to put up with hassle, they usually just do it for fun.




And as for people shooting in front of ones house etc - Id be tempted to ask the landlord how up-to-date his insurance policy is, and make it abundantly clear if a pellet goes anywhere near you, your stock or your property, you will be claiming.

[lachlanandmarcus]

Agree SteveHants, as even if landlord doesnt want the hassle of rocking the boat, whatever tenant replaces the OP will likely want to keep livestock to - to me unless they can do that then the land is useless/ worthless to the tenant and the rent should reflect that.

[Small Farmer]

There is a serious health and safety point.


We were on a public bridleway a few years ago on horseback with hi-viz jackets.  The beaters were beating over the bridleway to the guns lined out on the other side.  We were seen and acknowledged by both groups.  Then a bird flew over and the man on the end raised his gun and shot directly over us.  All hell broke loose and we halted the stampede about a quarter of a mile away.  It was a real hang on like grim death moment on a narrow path with low branches


They were pretty apologetic but the local field master's husband was in the line so it was "just one idiot". 

[SallyintNorth]

Poor you, LG    It's horrible when you think you've found your idyllic home and then something like this comes along to burst your bubble. 

However, hopefully you have time before the next season to get things on a better footing.  Would it be possible for you to move the sheep into a building or different field when the shooters are coming?  They will know in advance where they're likely to go beating, I would have thought, and should be able to give you a day's notice of a likely visit.  I do hope there's someone sensible and understanding on the shooters' side who can work something out with you.

[Ina]

This kind of carry-on is just why I won't ever contemplate renting a property to keep livestock on... My last house (a tied house), they basically shot across my garden (with goats in it). I'm sure they told the landlord when they were coming, but his mantra was "information on need-to-know basis", so we never knew what was happening. That included range rovers driving across the yard at full speed, with kids and pets out to play... Those bl**dy mates of the manager's also treated us poor "labourers" like s**t. The looks we got from those gits - they clearly said everything; we actually had to work for a living, whereas they saw making our life hell as the living they had to make!

Sorry - shouldn't have started on this - it still hurts.

[Ina]

This kind of carry-on is just why I won't ever contemplate renting a property to keep livestock on... My last house (a tied house), they basically shot across my garden (with goats in it). I'm sure they told the landlord when they were coming, but his mantra was "information on need-to-know basis", so we never knew what was happening. That included range rovers driving across the yard at full speed, with kids and pets out to play... Those bl**dy mates of the manager's also treated us poor "labourers" like s**t. The looks we got from those gits - they clearly said everything; we actually had to work for a living, whereas they saw making our life hell as the living they had to make!
 
 Sorry - shouldn't have started on this - it still hurts.
 
 (Which reminds me - a friend of mine had proof that members of a hunt shot towards her (rented) house, with dogs and kids in the garden... Does it make you wonder why I am so against everybody who shoots "for sport"?)
 

[sabrina]

People shoot on land near us but due to the fact that both my neighbours have horses not on any land around us thank goodness. years ago I almost lost my chickens when shooters were in the area. They were after geese in the field next to me. Now due to the horses are banned.