Illegal shooting taking place in woodland - what to do about it.

[Paul in the woods]

I've had to deal with a few problems over the years and know of a few dodgy people in the area. 

 

I've found a suspicious dead own on my woodland about this time of year but when I looked into it it is not uncommon. Young owl fledglings can struggle to feed themselves and with the recent poor, wet,  weather may starve to death.

 

I'd look closely at the remains and see if there was anything in them. If someone has shot it I would guess unlicensed air rifle or catapult as I don't think owls tend to be persecuted.

 

You could raise it with your local police wildlife crime officer, one I've met was very knowledgeable, but I've also dealt with other police (as a witness) who left a lot to he desired. Or a local owl charity.

 

It would be worth getting to know your neighbours as they may well know what goes on in the area, legal or otherwise.

[Oldfeller]

2 hours ago, Rob D said:

 

It wasn't torn open or anything like that it seemed pretty intact other than the hole in the front - as it's been moved the hole looks bigger than it did because of the body decomposing.

foxes often find road kill, and bury or partially bury it, intending to return, but quite often do not, as they can be legally shot, and even become roadkill themselves, also undertaker beetles can quickly dispose of a carcass leaving holes that can look like a small bullet or pellet wound,  if a shotgun was used the pellets are within the remains after the beetles have done their job, same for a non exited pellet or smallbore rifle, even sintered rounds will leave a trace. 

 

[Joe Newton]

I've known of the odd unscrupulous gamekeeper to shoot owls with a shotgun, but setting out to take an owl with a rifle seems like a bit of a non starter.

 

Ocams Razor: the simplest solution is generally the correct one.

 

To me there are a good few other potential causes. 

[Joe Newton]

5 hours ago, AHPP said:

Could have died of anything and then been pecked in situ. Not a (pardon the pun) smoking gun in my eyes.

 

You should get some guns btw. They're great.

I concur on both counts.

 

Out of interest, what's your "good reason"?

 

I'm going in with both bases covered but it looks like I'll be limited to rimfire for a while at least. 

[AHPP]

Very, very ordinary rabbits, fox, deer on a farm. Nothing weird.

 

There are two phases of my firearms licensed life. Down south, I was deferent and meek and rewarded with a mentor, closed ticket, knocked back for things etc. Up north, I took a different approach from the start. They firmly know they work for me and that I expect to get what I want, on time or I machine gun letters off to anyone who can make their life hard. MUCH better results.

 

But if you're a bitch and only get rimfire, take heart. Rimfire is the best.

[Paul in the woods]

What you are allowed can vary greatly on your county, some forces seem to be more understanding than others. Licencing is also being tightened up since Plymouth with the latest regs coming in last month, so forces may be more strict.

 

It will help if you have evidence of experience, land access etc and can show a general understanding of what you intend to do. The current guidance (Chapter 12) is very helpful when sorting out your good reason, so vermin and AOLQ for a .22RF. If you're after a deer rifle I'd be mindful of the lead ban so wouldn't necessarily go for a .243.

 

The easiest route, which isn't everyones interest I know, is to join a club and if all is well after a probationary period you can get a FAC. That's what I did and I then passed my DSC1 and got an open ticket after that. 

 

 

Edited September 21 by Paul in the woods

[Mark Bolam]

Let’s face it, no one with an FAC is going to shoot an owl.

Even the most hardened under pressure gamekeeper probably wouldn’t, and certainly not in someone else’s random wood.

 

If it was shot it would be a random cretin with an air rifle.

 

I find that a stretch though.

 

Because of the way owls live, the chances of a sitting shot at one are pretty rare.

 

 

[Scuttlefish]

I found a dead sparrowhawk on my land which looked odd but it was soon apparent that it had hit a glass panel surrounding my neighbours decking - probably whilst chasing a small bird down. It had catapulted over the panel and landed up in my garden... There was a definite mark on the panel where it had hit it.

[AHPP]

1 hour ago, Mark Bolam said:

Let’s face it, no one with an FAC is going to shoot an owl.

Even the most hardened under pressure gamekeeper probably wouldn’t, and certainly not in someone else’s random wood.

 

If it was shot it would be a random cretin with an air rifle.

 

I find that a stretch though.

 

Because of the way owls live, the chances of a sitting shot at one are pretty rare.

 

 

 

Told my mate about this thread earlier and then as chance would have it we poked our heads into a barn and found a barn owl! I woke it up and it rocketed out parting his hair when I said to look in. We'd both just been saying how you'd have to work pretty hard at shooting one but thinking about it now, night vision and thermal is so good and cheap these days that the gap is narrower.

[Oldfeller]

49 minutes ago, Scuttlefish said:

I found a dead sparrowhawk on my land which looked odd but it was soon apparent that it had hit a glass panel surrounding my neighbours decking - probably whilst chasing a small bird down. It had catapulted over the panel and landed up in my garden... There was a definite mark on the panel where it had hit it.

I had the very same thing happen to me twice, once with a sparrowhawk, that hit my french windows and was unconscious, I checked and as far as I could tell, no bones broken, I placed it it a quiet place and kept an eye on it, within 10-15 minutes it had regained consciousness and after a short time flew off strongly.

an almost identical occurrence but with a kingfisher and a different window, that to survived, it was dazed but not knocked out completely, my missus took a picture of it and did a cross stitch picture of it.

but the oddest one was a robin being pursued by a sparrohawk that flew inside  my open combat jacket and hid until the threat passed, the sparrowhawk veering off rapidly upon seeing me, I was driving the tractor at the time. I remember feeling it's heart beating at a rapid rate.

where I was working at the time you only had to pick up a spade and the local robin would follow you to where you started digging and were tame enough to take worms and grubs from your hand.