What is Allowed

[airborne09]

In my younger days , having been into what used to be called Survival skills and now termed Bushcraft (yes I know the two can be classed as different , but do cross over each other in practice) , I am interested to know what skills are actually permitted at bushmoot meets ! For instance traps and trapping to catch permitted small game ? the making of certain weapons for hunting etc .
Just interested .
thanks

 

[Mesquite]

If you mean the Bushmoot then there's been workshops on snares and traps as well as bowmaking, atalatls, slings, catapults. All the workshops give you the opportunity to make the items and have a practice with them.

Putting them into real use isn't allowed as most of the snares demonstrated would be illegal to use in the UK. Same as any projectile weapon that you might make. Plus I don't think the estate would allow the use of legal snares. I know the new venue for next years moot certainly wouldn't allow it.

 

[Broch]

At any meet, and I assume the Moot is the same, whereas there may be instruction and demonstrations in various primitive hunting methods, only those legally allowed in the UK would be allowed to be practiced in real application. On top of that, the meet would have to have the landowner's permission before any actual hunting took place - something I doubt would be easily obtained.

For example, it is illegal to hunt with a bow in Britain but there are regular bow making courses at meets.

Even when I do fresh meat preparation on a course I do not allow the participants to shoot the quarry; they get to practice at a target but the chances of failing to get a clean kill if they have not had a lot of practice is too high. Using primitive weapons would be even more difficult.

Steve has posted whilst I'm typing - we're in agreement (though I think he said it better)

 

[Mesquite]

Steve has posted whilst I'm typing - we're in agreement (though I think he said it better)

You're so kind but I missed out the bit about any meet, not just the Moot

 

[Wayne]

I’d suggest you take a look at the Countryside and Wildlife Act for a starting point on what’s permitted in the English and Welsh Countryside. Scotland no doubt has similar legislation.

There will be other species specific legislation as well. Water voles have special protection for example.

landowners will also have policies on what’s permitted on their land eg in my woods Carbon Arrows are banned. Most will have have a no fires policy.

 

[Toddy]

Species management

The Scottish Government's policies for managing specific species in Scotland.

www.gov.scot

I know that we're not supposed to use rat traps where there are water voles too, and there's something about trapping grey squirrels when there are native reds about or pine martens. Live capture traps must be used then, iirc.

 

[gonzo_the_great]

I suspect that with so many people around the woods, the wildlife will have run off anyway.

 

[Wayne]

I suspect that with so many people around the woods, the wildlife will have run off anyway.

I was teaching young people with Autsim on Saturday in a small copse beside a very busy road. the land belongs to an activity centre so plenty of people around.

4 roe deer happily wandered around the edge of our teaching area. Buzzard perched above on a broken birch. I saw Shrews and field mice.

wildlife has to make a home where it can these days.

 

[Poacherman]

I suspect that with so many people around the woods, the wildlife will have run off anyway.

The woodpigeons would be long gone