# Is shooting pheasants across a public road illegal?



## noblesteed (5 December 2009)

This morning I had a scary experience. I took my boy out alone along the road in a circular route around the village. When we were just about to turn onto our homeward leg, he refused to go any further, past a 4x4 parked in a field entrance. I thought he was just trying it on as he can get a bit nappy, though never on the way home. so we had a fight in the middle of the road, while traffic had to wait for us. I thought, I can't let him win this, so I jumped off to lead him past the spooky car.
No sooner had I got him past and patted him and told him how brave he was, there was a load of shouting from the field, 3 pheasants flew over our heads followed by a hail of gunfire!!!! Needless to say Mr horsey AND me BOTH had kittens, and turned tail and legged it back down the road, me screaming abuse at the men in the field!
Once we were well out of earshot Mr horsey let me get back on and speedily took me home! But I don't think this incident will make his napping problem any easier 
	
	
		
		
	


	




I am SO cross with the TOSSERS who shot over our heads! I thought they weren't allowed to shoot near a main road! And the land belongs to the farmer from whom I rent my stable, and he certainly doesn't allow shooting on his land. 
Do I report them to the police?


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## LynneB (5 December 2009)

I am surprised you have to ask!!I would have been straight on the phone, how stupid and dangerous!  What a horrid experience for you both and yes, report them.


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## jrp204 (5 December 2009)

No, they are not allowed to. OH thought they had to be 50 yds away.


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## Skittles (5 December 2009)

Yes, that is illegal. If you know the owner of the land, ring the police because someone will get their shot gun licence taken away - and they should because shooting near the public is really dangerous and that is why there are rules about shooting near to public rights of way.


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## bahumbug (5 December 2009)

Too bally right it's illegal!

It is an offence under the Highways Act 1980 s 161(2) to light any fire on or over a carriageway, or discharge any firearm or firework within 50 feet of the centre of a highway which is a carriageway, with the consequence that a user of the carriageway is injured, interrupted or endangered. The section applies to rights of way over which there are vehicular rights, e.g. ways shown on the definitive map as byways open to all traffic, but not to footpaths and bridleways.

Re patha and ways whilst not a specific offence it IS an offence to disrupt a user of the way and cause a nuisance.

Report 'em - they're giving conscientious shots a bad name. Makes me so cross....harrumph.


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## CorvusCorax (5 December 2009)

It is illegal, as my mother found out after some stupid plonker browned her car when it was sitting in a pub car park. She was actually only metres away when she heard the bits of shot landing on it.


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## noblesteed (5 December 2009)

Thanks guys, they must have been less than 50 yds from me certainly, adjacent to a junction of a main road - and a very busy A road at that! I wish i'd got the number plate of the truck now. I'm gonna tell the farmer when I see him. I have seen the truck around the village before so hopefully I can catch the numberplate.
They will certainly have heard me coming, you can't miss that sound of horses hooves, so they'v got no excuse!


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## VictoriaEDT (5 December 2009)

Still you need to report it now - dont wait. Even if you dont have the number plate right now.


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## S_N (7 December 2009)

There is also the possibility of poaching?  Though they must be more than a bit thick to do so, so openly...


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## Clodagh (7 December 2009)

I had a shot pheasant land on me and my 4 year old one day...my God, it woke us up!
Also out hunting we were where we weren't meant to be and a shoot shot low over our heads, which was scary!
They definately shouldn't be shooting over a road, but how far does shot travel beofre it comes down again? (I don't know)


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## christi (7 December 2009)

Yes what they did is illegal, report it. i live on  a game shooting estate and it would never be allowed here.


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## Nickijem (7 December 2009)

How scary for you and your horsey - it is an incident that I dread because I know how easy it could happen to me.  There are 3 organised 'shoots' on my regular hacks, my husband is a member of one of them.
The other week I went with him on a shoot and I was shocked that we (the guns) stood in one field that was next to a road, whilst the beaters went into the wood across the road to drive the pheasants over us.
I can't imagine how awful it would have been to have ridden up that lane at that time when beaters are waving flags and making noise in the undergrowth whilst the guns are shooting towards the road!  
When I asked the shoot organiser about this he said that it was legal to shoot within 50 feet of a road, although he agrees this is too close really but if he heard a horse he would ask the beaters to stand still and the guns know they shouldn't shoot if they can see or hear a horse.
I'm not totally convinced though.


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## MissSBird (9 December 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
I had a shot pheasant land on me and my 4 year old one day...my God, it woke us up!
Also out hunting we were where we weren't meant to be and a shoot shot low over our heads, which was scary!
They definately shouldn't be shooting over a road, but how far does shot travel beofre it comes down again? (I don't know) 

[/ QUOTE ]

The distance is depending on various factors, but regardless, I believe the law states the shot cannot leave the boundary of land where you have permission to shoot.


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## FRESHMAN (10 December 2009)

I agree with the above miss bird. I also believe it is illegal to even fire a gun from a public highway into private land. Many years ago I caught a guy on the highway shooting  the ducks on my pond on my land, he was arrested


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## Ravenwood (10 December 2009)

It is not illegal to shoot over a road as long the gun is standing 50ft from the centre of the road.

Most responsible shoots will have a person standing either end of the drive to warn anyone passing whilst the drive is in progress (assuming you are talking about a commercial game shoot).

There was an incident a few years ago where two horses bolted having been frightened by beaters in the hedge and since then most shoots now put up "Shoot in Progress" signs on the days they are shooting.


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## Scranny_Ann (10 December 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
 most shoots now put up "Shoot in Progress" signs on the days they are shooting. 

[/ QUOTE ]

This is what we do ...


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## silvershadow81 (11 December 2009)

I had the exact same thing happen to me on Saturday..

we had been for a long one and were heading home, it is a B road, so not that busy, walking along then she starts to get all tense and started jogging, I then spotted about 12 4x4 all parked along the side of the road- not leaving much room to get through, they were shooting not very far at all from the road, I could see them and the dogs.

I decided it would be dangerous to squeeze through sideways through the cars, so went onto a set aside field, only to find more card parked there (this field has a foot path which they had driven down to park on the field)

I just turned for home and let her canter back as any longer she would have become too dangerous.

We were not that far away when they started up again... the field i was going up is very open - i am on a bright grey horse, they must have seen me!

Got home (about a mile away from the shoot) and put out into the field, all ok then they all came driving up the fields which surround our paddocks, flags, dogs, the whole lot, horses went spare, so just about managed to bring in before the guns went off!

Had to call the farmer to ask him to let me know next time there was a shoot, he didnt say much, was silent for a long time.... have heard he dosnt like horses much!!   not the best of experiences!


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## wench (11 December 2009)

My dad runs a shot, and never ever drives anything towards a road, always stand with your back to the road.

Even out after bunnies and foxes at night none of the local farmers shot at a road! (I have been out quite a few times with them!)


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## zoeshiloh (11 December 2009)

They do it regularly around us - I almost hit about three dogs a few weeks ago that had been sent off across a busy road to retrieve what the guns had shot on the other side! I have also had a half dead pheasant land on my car bonnet!


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## Scranny_Ann (11 December 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
They do it regularly around us - I almost hit about three dogs a few weeks ago that had been sent off across a busy road to retrieve what the guns had shot on the other side! I have also had a half dead pheasant land on my car bonnet! 

[/ QUOTE ]

Does annoy me - it's irrisponsible idiots like this that give shooting a bad name!  
	
	
		
		
	


	





We do shoot near to roads but have signs up and are extra careful with dogs/humans being close the the road. 

Also have public footpaths through the woods, again signs up and all shooting is undertaken in a safe and responsible manner.


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## Pedantic (16 December 2009)

Legal or not it sounds extrememly dangerous and I would have been bloody livid  
	
	
		
		
	


	




, well now all you have to do is find someone in authority who actually gives a toss, good luck.
Nati........................................


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## Ravenwood (16 December 2009)

Why would you have been livid Pedantic?

The countryside is not only for everyone to enjoy (not just horse riders) but also shooting alone brings in millions (yes, literally - £6m just to this small area) every season to an area that is severly poverty stricken - as are most rural areas in this country.

It is desperately important for all walks of life, sports and businesses to work together and live alongside each other if there is any chance for the people who live in rural societies to survive.


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