Shooters

[Tantalus]

A question brought up in another thread made me decide to post this

What do you do if you hear shots or see a party of shooters?

Slink away out of sight (and line of fire) and hope you are not noticed?

Stay put and visible while trying not to disturb game ?

Walk towards them attempting to drive quarry into the guns while staying visible?

I dont know the answer to this, but my temptation would be to try and make contact so as to avoid any further conflict of interests

Perhaps sharing info would be useful to the shooters - like "we just came up the other side and didnt see anything - or saw a huuuuuuge group of ...whatever, deer, rabbits, grouse"

Opinions please

Tant

 

[ilovemybed]

A question brought up in another thread made me decide to post this

What do you do if you hear shots or see a party of shooters?

Slink away out of sight (and line of fire) and hope you are not noticed?

Stay put and visible while trying not to disturb game ?

Walk towards them attempting to drive quarry into the guns while staying visible?

I dont know the answer to this, but my temptation would be to try and make contact so as to avoid any further conflict of interests

Perhaps sharing info would be useful to the shooters - like "we just came up the other side and didnt see anything - or saw a huuuuuuge group of ...whatever, deer, rabbits, grouse"

Opinions please

Tant

With small game and any shotgun outings, I'd work out where the firing line is, and shout "Hold your Fire!!" really loud and get as much attention as possible until you're sure you're behind it. They should appreciate the safety aspect and perhaps politely remind you that if you're on a known shooting ground you should have checked when/where there was a shoot on. Of course, they may behave differently if you're not supposed to be there at all but better to face the music than the business end of a 12 bore (hopefully they're aiming above the heads of the beaters so you should be safe...)

For deer stalking, you probably don't need to draw quite so much attention to yourself, but you should try to make the hunters aware you're there. The first shot you hear should be the only one at that prey, so you should be ok to approach them for a wee while, and the shooters should have it drummed into them to ensure they know what they're shooting at.

For either type, If they complain you've spoilt their hunt then kick them in the knackers for being so selfish. If they shoot (at) you by accident then get their details, and if they keep shooting, then throw stuff back at them!

 

[outdoorcode]

I would be very wary of slinking away out of sight (and line of fire) and hope you are not noticed as they may well move to a point where you are in the line of fire and I wouldn't trust anyone pointing a gun in my direction When I have been out shooting myself and seen/heard someone else I try and make my presence known, depending on how far away they are of course and what type of gun they are using i.e a shotgun 800 yards away isn't much of a danger as oppose to say a centre fire rifle.

The thing I most hate is hearing some one shoot when its dark, if they have a lamp I feel better as identifying people is a little easier but I'm always nervous of people with NV as eyes just look like eyes in the dark and I don't to be mistaken for a fox or rabbit. I always put my torch on or lamp if I'm lamping and again let them know I'm about....but if course you run the risk of meeting poachers at night which is not ideal.

 

[mark a.]

I like the idea of making myself known. Being in front of guns doesn't sound ideal to me...

 

[Andy]

What should you do if you get in line of fire when your on a road? I got very scared a year or so ago when some idiot was shooting across a road on a bend. He didn't hear a mountain bike coming. At the time I was a little shaken up but I really think I should have done a bit more since he was shooting across a blind corner

 

[Tantalus]

i guess bikes are quiet and move faster than a shooter tends to think about

but shooting where you can not see is worth a bit of a bollocking in my book

i am happy being out with a gun and not generaly unhappy when they are around but safety is a must

as to your rights Andy, it is illegal to shoot within a short distance of a public highway

but getting a name and adress out of an armed sombody you have just chewed the ear off may prove to be difficult

exactly the kind of situation i wanted to discuss , how to be able to use the countryside without conflicting interests

shooters have a ight to shoot (responsibly)

walkers campers cyclists have a right to walk camp cycle (responsibly)

so how do we best avoid the conflict?

Tant

 

[greg2935]

I guess like the above: shout "hold your fire", he should not have been doing that, it is illegal and should have his licence revoked.

 

[greg2935]

I guess if you have permission to camp, then the problem you will have will be with poachers as the landowner should know where you are, obviously like everyone else I think it would be silly to take a risk if you are in the firing line. The use of a torch might be a good idea as it would be obvious you are not prey. Hopefully poachers would not be stupid enough to then try and fire at you. If you are camping without permission, you should be able to hear them a long time before you see them and should be able to leave, if that is not possible I would again use a torch to get attention and face the music: better face the wrath of a shooter than wind up dead.

 

[ilovemybed]

I believe you're not allowed to shoot within 50m of a highway or towards a highway. Anyone who has an FAC should be aware of the rules and if they're not they should have the FAC taken away. The only thing to do is call the police. Nothing shakes a shooter up like a visit from the Busies!

 

[halo]

i,m a range officer and comittie member at my local airgun/clay shooting club,the easiest way to make yourself known is to blow a whistle as any shooter worth his/her salt will imedietly show clear and safe no matter what the reason until notified otherwise

halo

 

[JFW]

I have encountered numerous shooters when I have been out walking - usually shotgun - and I always make a point of calling or whistling to make them aware of my presence.
Once they know I'm there I approach them and have a bit of a chat, establish where their line of fire is, what is their prey and what is their programme. I then let them know where I will be going and what time I will be returning. I usually part on good terms and always jest that if they bag an extra rabbit they could always leave it for me - point to a nearby tree that they can hang the catch off. I have only ever had one left for me.
Not had any problems to date and the shooters have been a mix of Poachers, sports and game hunters. Most of them have passed on various tips about sites in the area.

Cheers

JFW

 

[Rob]

I think that you really need to attract their attention. Level of risk will give you an idea of how loud you want to be and what methods you use - so you can respect their activities as well as yours, without putting yourself in harms way.

If you are meant to be where you are, then I would certainly investigate it further. If they have permission too, then it would have been nice to have been informed. If you all have general access granted - then ask where they park and let them know how you get there, so you know to watch out for them if needs be.

If they are dodgy, then you will just have to learn from the experience and play it by ear.

 

[chris chris]

When i'm out I allways carry a whistle for use in an emergency, I think I would use it in this instance to get the shooters attention to hold fire.

 

[Ogri the trog]

Yup, agree so far,
But I'd like to add - slinking off through the undergrowth, especially dressed as many of us do, in browns and drab colours, you might get mistaken for prey. A loud whistle and a flashing torch should do the trick, day or night.
As Rob says, it depends on the percieved level of risk as to what action may be necessary. shouting your mouth off or standing to show your position.

Worthy point Tantalus.

Ogri the trog

 

[TheViking]

Every good hunter will take care of what is behind the game and so he or she should to avoid accidents. Sorry, it all just sounds too dramatic to use a whistle or begin to shout.

 

[Bob Hurley]

Every good hunter will take care of what is behind the game and so he or she should to avoid accidents. Sorry, it all just sounds too dramatic to use a whistle or begin to shout.

I agree completely. Most of my time in the woods is spent "hunting" ("shooting" is for the range"), and if you even see me before I see you then you're very good in the woods. Even if I don't you are safe, as I don't even know how to field dress a human and the neighbors would fuss if I brought one home and hung it up in my carport to butcher it.

 

[TheViking]

LOL, Bob

Accidents happen very rarely and what goes for stalking is almost the same as shotguns. Check what is behind the game and hold your fire if you're the least unsure about it.

A good deer stalker will hold his fire if the background isn't secure. A tree, a hill or pile of dirt or a steep angle into a field are acceptable backgrounds, while a little bush with a bushcrafter in it, isn't.

2 cents

 

[tomtom]

Every good hunter will take care of what is behind the game and so he or she should to avoid accidents. Sorry, it all just sounds too dramatic to use a whistle or begin to shout.

andy, i started out writeing a post making the same point you do but ditched it because not only do i know you are dead right i also know someone (and now im going to do it to you) would have pointed out that not all hunters (or people with guns) and 'good' at what they do nor do they all take care in what they do! so dramatic as it may sounds, because you cant be sure if your dealing with a 'good' hunter or a bad one, i think i'll draw attention to myself.. better safe that sorry and all that

 

[TheViking]

You do have a point there.

 

[swyn]

I would not care either way whether or not someone was trespassing or lost or just out for a wander providing that they made their presence known in whatever way was necessary, so i did not put my gun up towards them. shooting in unfamiliar territory must be the most difficult, that's not something i have ever done, but people wearing green/brown even in familiar territory are un nerving. Its only happened once and i had doubts as i had seen my quarry behave unexpectedly and then heard unfamiliar noises. Lo, two people popped out of a thicket! lost!