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

[Rob D]

I bought some woodland earlier in the year - yesterday while out walking I noticed a dead owl in a ditch.. turning it over it had been dead a while (2 weeks) and a bullet hole in it's chest.

 

I've taken some pictures and will inform police. Also will likely put a camera or 2 up in this area

 

- any other advice or thoughts on this?

 

I don't own a gun and know very little of how they are licenced but am assuming shooting on someone else's land without permission is a fairly serious offence.

[AHPP]

Go steady with the owl. Police are morons, arseholes or both. They might start dreaming up wildlife crime charges for you for something to do.

Edited 5 hours ago by AHPP

[dumper]

Put cameras to cover your cameras !

[BillQ]

Bullet hole? Was there an exit wound?

[AHPP]

Plus also bear in mind possibility that the owl got shot (or otherwise injured) elsewhere and then flew onto or was carried (by human or animal) onto your land to die.

 

Any other signs of intruders? 

Edited 5 hours ago by AHPP

[Rob D]

1 hour ago, AHPP said:

Go steady with the owl. Police are morons, arseholes or both. They might start dreaming up wildlife crime charges for you for something to do.

 

They can be but hopefully me reporting it and not owning a gun would make it difficult.

[Rob D]

31 minutes ago, AHPP said:

Plus also bear in mind possibility that the owl got shot (or otherwise injured) elsewhere and then flew onto or was carried (by human or animal) onto your land to die.

 

Any other signs of intruders? 

 

Good point - I didn't check for an exit wound but the bullet hole in the front chest I'd say it would not have survived that. In a small hard standing area off road can see that a vehicle got very badly stuck so that could of been them. It must have been a very tough job getting it out.

[Rob D]

57 minutes ago, BillQ said:

Bullet hole? Was there an exit wound?

 

 

I'm not sure I didn't check the other side 

 

 

 

[Mick Dempsey]

Sure it’s not just another raptor taking it out (not with a gun)

[Mark Bolam]

As above Rob.

That’s not necessarily a bullet hole.