Went for a ride around the Mendips this morning and just before the top of the Majik downhill was met by 20 people in Landy’s with shotguns. We got chatting and I explained our route as I was conscious not to get in their way and although they were going in the other direction he said we best leave the Mendip’s now. It was all fine until this point and I asked how he could demand that people leave the Mendips and also asked if he would be asking every rider/dog walker/horse rider to do the same? He responded by saying everyone knows to stay out of their way! I tried to stay calm and said we’re off down here have a good shoot to which he responded ‘be safe, remember we’re the ones with the guns’ which totally pissed me off.

What right do they have to dictate where people can ride/walk and demand that people leave the area?? There were no signs anywhere to say they were shooting up there today and looking around on the net nothing here either.

i would have told him to be a bit nicer towards people.
in a nice way obviously………… 8)

Private or Public land? Are there special restrictions when there are shoots on?

I would’ve reported them to the rozzers. Don’t sound like a particularly responsible attitude to have, if handling firearms.

Next time, take a Glock, and if the twunt starts giving it all the biggun, shoot him in the face. Self defence that way.

I would have also informed the police, he’s basically threatening you with a firearm.

remember we’re the ones with the guns’

“yeah and i’m the off duty police officer, and if you want to keep your penis compensator you need to start behaving more appropriately”

Complain to the police, the police take a very dim view of people misusing firearms and this sounds close to threatening behaviour

You’d better leave the Mendips now? In a pigs arse, my friend.

Sounds like he was winding you up tbh.

were you by rowberrow woods?

Get registration of a few of those land rovers you mention and use that as a means of reporting them to the police.

Totally unacceptable behavior on his part…unless he’s US Special Forces. In which case everyone really should stay out of their way. Especially if they have grenades.

;o)

Call in an air strike and attack dogs!!!

As already said, he was well out of order and committing an offence. Too late now but next time note details of vehicle and indiviudal and report soonest

Although it is not a specific offence to shoot across a right of way, it is an offence to disrupt user of that way and cause a nuisance. It is suggested that shooting should halt whilst people use nearby rights of way, and that it is ensured that users have left the area before resuming.

The Public Order Act 1986 makes it an offence to use towards another person threatening or insulting words or behaviour with the intent to cause that person to believe that imminent unlawful violence will be used against him. Further, a person who assaults, or threatens to assault, a path user could be prosecuted under the common law for assault. Assault can include the pointing of a gun, whether loaded or not. Incidents such as these should be reported to the police immediately.

strip naked, draw a bullseye on yer butt with your own poo and run around screaming is the only possible reasonable response to this.

Sounds like a “bark worse than bite” type incident. Chances of them popping a cap in yo ass == approx 0%.

Worth reporting to the rozzers though for the win 🙂

report them to the police, they were bang (no pub intended) put of order

Same thing happened to me on Ilkley Moor the other week. Country ‘gents’ with shotguns and labradors tried telling us our bikes were eroding the trails. Hundred yards further up the hill were parked 15 Land Rovers. I was speechless.

What right do they have to dictate where people can ride/walk and demand that people leave the area??

As the agent of the landowner, and presuming that you were not on a right of way, every **** right in the world!

everyone knows to stay out of their way!

Well, since they’re there with guns going bang, I’d say thats a perfectly reasonable statement – the fact that theres a shoot on is a fairly good indicator thats its best to stay clear and most people respect that politely without getting all hoity toity class warrior chip on their shoulder about it!

There were no signs anywhere to say they were shooting up there today

Why should they need to put up signs saying they’re undertaking a perfectly legal pastime on the land they own, and in the process paying for the land being like that in the first place? Do you think farmers should have to put up a **** sign saying they’re harvesting a field?

Same thing happened to me on Ilkley Moor the other week

Clearly you’ve never had to sit in a meeting with English nature & Bradmet countryside service explaining why they shouldn’t prosecute the riders who built an illegal downhill trail on the moor, right in the sight of the main visitor area on the fall-line, and proceeded to hoon down it tearing up the moor and leaving **** litter everywhere! The phrase “own worst enemies” comes to mind! It wasn’t the (legal) shooters who wanted them banned and prosecuted (technically they were already banned) – it was the local community and local newspaper!

ZE – you’ve obviously missed all the useful comments up above about them not being allowed to order people off ROWs, threaten them with guns, or indeed shoot across a ROW when people are using it. I don’t think you quite understand what an agent of the landowner is, given I suspect he wasn’t one (not that there’s any indication they weren’t on a ROW).

Or that he was on a ROW aracer!

To be honest, If he was on a right of way, I would expect him to have mentioned it, since he didn’t, I strongly suspect he wasn’t 😉

If he was either a gamekeeper, shoot staff, or an invitee to a shoot legally held on private land, then he could have been classed legally as an agent of the landowner!

Yes that would have been near the top of Rowberrow Wood. The landowner does shoots from time to time, which brings income. Shoots are normally signed at the entrances to the woods. I have no problems with this esp. as they are fairly tolerant of cyclists and all the trail building that goes on there. Those berms and jumps on the Majic trail not exactly subtle are they!?

And you were not on a right of way either so he was in his rights to ask you to push off. It’s a stupid law, but there it is.

However, there is no excuse for “be safe, remember we’re the ones with the guns”. What a total berk!

no excuse for “be safe, remember we’re the ones with the guns”

Sorry, I can’t see anyone without a chip on their shoulder reading that as a threat! Its hardly “leave now or I’ll pop a cap in yo ass mofo!”

No of course it’s not a direct threat, it’s a pathetic implied threat. I would have confronted that remark with something like: “So under what circumstances will you shoot me?”

most people respect that politely without getting all hoity toity class warrior chip on their shoulder about it!

Who mentioned ‘class’? What’s ‘class’ got to do with anything?

Seems like you’re the one with the chip, Labby.

Bloke’s attitude is crap. Would he have bin so arrogant without a gun in his hands? Sounds like someone who gets off on handling guns. The wrong sort to be handling them, if you ask me. Reminds me of someone actually…

Bloke’s attitude is crap.

I agree – he was trespassing on private land with a bike, and when told to leave argued back saying he had no right to tell him to leave- would he have bin so arrogant in someones back garden? Sounds like someone who gets off on riding mountain bikes, The wrong sort to be handling them, if you ask me. Reminds me of someone actually…

So come on Labby; what’s ‘class’ got to do with owt? Answer the question please.

Sorry guys, missed the bit about private land. Could someone point it out to me?

Rowberrow Woods is private land that is leased for timber rights to the FC. Theres also a shooting club that pay to shoot there (pheasant).

There are no legal mtb trails in Rowberrow and no legal ROW other than the BW’s, which are clearly marked. As Buzz said, there are signs erected at the entrances on the legal ROW about shooting, which only happens a few days a year. If you entered by an, uh, unofficial route, you won’t have seen these.

If you were at the top of Xmas trees/magic track, you were not on a legal ROW and whilst the fella may have been a bit of a cock about it, he was perfectly entitled to tell you to push off.

Call in an air strike and attack dogs!!!

You’ve been playing too much COD Black opps havent you, take a break from the xbox you’re blurrying fantasy and reality

“would he have bin so arrogant in someones back garden”

Not a good analogy, because it isn’t a private garden. It’s commercial woodland with public access.

When we met them we where both on a public bridal way and had been for most of the day so far other than the odd shortcut.

I never felt threatened by them it was more his approach which annoyed me. Life you have said above, it’s not as if he is actually going to shoot anyone with around 20 witnesses in broad day light.

I have come across guys shooting up there plenty of times and have no problem with it, most are keen to chat to ensure we both have a good day enjoying the sport we love which could be hampered by getting in each others way. This guy took the completely the wrong tact, which was what annoyed me.

“When we met them we where both on a public bridal way “

Ah OK.

“This guy took the completely the wrong tact, which was what annoyed me”

Yeah I agree. I was riding over in the disused quarry near Frome and ran into beaters – they were nice enough and explain where it was safe to go. I went back down to the BW and saw the shooters in one of galleries. Had a decent chat with a chap there and watched the noisy carnage. Mix of partridge and pheasant.

We all have to bump along together.

So the OP was riding illegal trails…idiot with gun was still out of order and worthy of complaint to the police, as Citizen Fred says.

Er, did you read this bit, cynic-al (and you ZE)?

When we met them we where both on a public bridal way and had been for most of the day

If you were at the top of Xmas trees I believe that forest tracks not BW, the BW runs directly from tynings farm and keeps going level not up towards Xmas trees/ Mendip majic

Sounds like clearer signs etc needed for both sides. If the wording is exactly what was said I would make a complaint as that clearly reads/sounds like a threat.

I would have asked him to repeat himself. Sounds like a bully and probably bigging it up for his circle.

Following on from the fight threads, I would have knocked him out.

From OP:

the top of the Majik downhill

That is not a public right of way.

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=346199&y=157222&z=115&sv=346199,157222&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=845&ax=346199&ay=157222&lm=0

With your Bombers GG?

Next time request to speak with the guy in charge. They’re normally more approachable compared to rich monkeys waving their barrels about in the air.

However this appears to be less offical given to tone and manner he spoke to you. Though if he was just a paying gun he may not know that the Mendips were in fact a bit more than just one section of hillside.

There is a growing problem with poaching, although 20 people doesn’t ring alarm bells to anything illegal.

If you felt threatened, contact the police and they’ll no doubt know if there was any organised shoot going on in the area, therefore knowing the organiser. They will no doubt contact them and advice them as would be necessary.

TBH, just sounds like more like an attempt at sarcasm and caution as opposed to a serious threat.

A lot of hysterical over-reaction here (not the OP, but certainly with the follow up posts)…

The chap was certainly being a tosser and could have represented his sport in a far better way, but I don’t see any implied threat.

We regularly used to advise people to leave the woods during the February pigeon shooting season. All the locals would know that Saturday afternoons in February were the annual pigeon shoot, but you’d always get some numpty coming for an amble through the woods.

It’s really not a case of “get orf my land”, more a case of “there’s a shoot on, you’d be safer somewhere else”…

.. and yes I have directly told people in the past that they risk getting shot. That is not in any way a threat – just that you do need to be sure that there is nobody around downrange.

People wandering through the woods are liable to complain about being “shot” when hit by shotgun pellets raining down through the woods. They might by half a mile or a mile downrange, but the shot falls from the sky at some point – it’s called gravity…

We regularly used to advise people to leave the woods during the February pigeon shooting season. All the locals would know that Saturday afternoons in February were the annual pigeon shoot, but you’d always get some numpty coming for an amble through the woods.

It’s really not a case of “get orf my land”, more a case of “there’s a shoot on, you’d be safer somewhere else”…

.. and yes I have directly told people in the past that they risk getting shot. That is not in any way a threat – just that you do need to be sure that there is nobody around downrange.

People wandering through the woods are liable to complain about being “shot” when hit by shotgun pellets raining down through the woods. They might by half a mile or a mile downrange, but the shot falls from the sky at some point – it’s called gravity…

I was going to say ‘unbelievable’ but what you describe is unfortunately still all too common. You’ve got your logic completely the wrong way round rkk.

It’s not
As it says above if he happens to be on a public right of way then “numpty coming for an amble through the woods” as you so nicely put it, has a lawful right to peacefully enjoy his amble.

The landowner and the ‘numpties’ shooting have a legal responsibility to ensure that on no account should they disrupt him or cause him any nuisance.

What you describe, telling people to keep out, allowing shot to fall on people, if they are on public rights of way is illegal. “Custom and practice” maybe but illegal nonetheless.