local farmer threatening dog walkers on bridleway and footpath

My missus sometimes walks the dog on some local footpaths and bridleways. She has met a few people that claim the landowner has threated to shoot any dogs not on a lead. She met someone the other day who claimed he got involved in fisticuffs with a couple walking a dog. There are no farm animals at all in the area, it is 100% arable.

She also met a local dog walker who was in tears after the landowner had had a go at her. She has never met him herself.

I am not going to get drawn into the rights and wrongs of dog ownership and being in control of them and all that, but i am obviously concern that my missus might witness our dog getting shot.

So where can i go to look up the law regarding bridleways and footpaths and rights of access and dogs, and also other than recording and potential discussion with the landowner, what could be done, other than avoiding the area?

Talk to your local Rights of Way Officer (and the Police, if I were you).

Keep dog on lead?

There may be pheasants or the like around. Also the right of way is the strip you walk on not the area the dog runs round in.

I am not going to get drawn into the rights and wrongs of dog ownership and being in control of them and all that, but i am obviously concern that my missus might witness our dog getting shot.

whatever the rights and wrongs they don’t convey any rights to issue threats of, or enact, violence against the dog owners or the dogs.

One thing that becomes clear is the individuals that are the targets of the threats come to realise that they’re not the only ones and if they keep talking to one another and viable case could start to build. People avoiding the area is obviously the point of the threats. Its best to address that not by avoiding the area but by airing the issue to those that use the route and make sure that those threatened know that their case isn’t isolated.

There may be pheasants or the like around.

What right does the land owner have over wild animals?

pheasants are kind of very free range chickens though, aren’t they – they’re introduced, not natural.

I don’t think anyone can legally shot your dog, because it is running over arable land. Only worrying livestock would be considered reasonable.

That leads to two issues, do you let a threatening, bullying Landowner stop you from walking where you legally want to?

Or, do you want to go for a peaceful walk and possibly have that turn into a horrible experience. The choice is yours!

Personally, I would stop the missus walking there herself, but go by myself and front up the landowner, if he appeared.

What right does the land owner have over wild animals?

pheasants aren’t at all wild – they are bred and raised in captivity before release as adult- the landscape around them has been shaped for their rearing and protection – usually strips of dense woodland between cultivated fields, usually with fenced runs and feeders for young birds – some arrable crops are even planted specifically as habitats too.

I’d certainly call the police if he’d mentioned using a gun at all

They will certainly pay him a visit for a chat, that may just put him off doing it again.
I’d keep the dog on a lead for now though

I’m surprised more landowners don’t threaten to shoot people. Especially people who take animals to poo on their land

pheasants aren’t at all wild – they are bred and raised in captivity before release as adult- the landscape around them has been shaped for their rearing and protection – usually strips of dense woodland between cultivated fields, usually with fenced runs and feeders for young birds – some arrable crops are even planted specifically as habitats too.

But are they his farm animals?

He sounds like a complete ****!

Tell the Mrs to take a set of bombers next time.

What is the dog going to do to the pheasant anyway? Surely they would just fly away? My dogs can catch rabbits, rats and moles, they have never managed a bird yet.

winston_dog – Member

He sounds like a complete ****!

So do the dog owners who think it’s ok to foul someone else’s land.

If the farmer was shooting these theoretical pheasants (or perhaps rabbits, crows, etc) and ‘accidentally’ shot a loose dog, whose fault would that be?

Whereabouts?

So do the dog owners who think it’s ok to foul someone else’s land.

What do you mean “foul”? I would say the vast majority tidy up after their dogs.

I suppose all the wildlife uses the local public toilet?

Ha when the next door neighbour threatened to shoot our dog we rang the bizzies
He was surprised to see two armed response cars pull up quickly and practically get his door kicked in
Maybe if he had a shotgun license they might not have been so excessive they take firearm threats very seriously

Report the **** or smash his pots in for being a mouthy bellend

I doubt plod or anyone’s going to do much after hearing “I’ve heard there’s a guy threatening people”…you need more.

Would it not just be easier to stick your dog on a lead next time you use that path, rather than avoid it all together?

If the farmer was shooting these theoretical pheasants (or perhaps rabbits, crows, etc) and ‘accidentally’ shot a loose dog, whose fault would that be?

That’s a fair point. After all, the theoretical pheasants, rabbits, crows etc are all shitting away like crazy on his land. I can see why he’d have an issue with that.

What is the dog going to do to the pheasant anyway?

Erm… tear it to pieces, possibly? Do you know why people shoot pheasants? Because they’re an easy target, being both slow and thick. I’d imagine they wouldn’t pose much of a challenge for a reasonable sized dog to catch and rip asunder

remember pheasants only exist at all in this country so people can shoot them.

i think there is a shoot in the area, so this might be his issue. i have walked with her several times, but she likes to take the mutt there before i get home from work. we did meet a load of people who were mid shoot the other day, and got chatting to them. our dog was off the lead. no-one said anything about him being off lead.

i’m fairly sure threating to shoot someone’s dog for just being off the lead isnt normal behavoir.

There may be pheasants or the like around

Obviously the Pheasants dont like Peasants like dog walkers and walkers, best to just be a pleb.

A local farm by us a farmers wife pointed a gun at two cyclists a few years ago,on a sustrans dedicated cyclepath, result armed responce unit,and lots of police, she was arrested.

cynic-al – Member

I doubt plod or anyone’s going to do much after hearing “I’ve heard there’s a guy threatening people”…you need more.

Trust me, they do, farmers are a easy target for the plod to chat to whenever there is a mention of a firearm 😉

What was she arrested for?

Stupidity?

Tell him if he shoots your dog you will burn him while he’s sleeping

Bet he reports you

winston_dog – I suppose all the wildlife uses the local public toilet?

And that makes it alright for the local dogwalkers to do the same?

Try taking a dump in the middle of a farmer’s field and use the same excuse…

What was she arrested for?

Stupidity? While undoubtedly stupid, pointing a (presumably) loaded gun at someone isn’t funny and I would hope she lost her shotgun licence at the very least.

ps. re arable only land, if it is only used for hay, as the fields near me are, then the owner has every right to object to dogs crapping on it as horses don’t like it.

Hmm… gun control, access rights, dog poo/leads, farmers, potential marital strife maybe (OP hasn’t volunteered to walk the dog himself), policing, random abuse of strangers…
This is shaping up to be a textbook STW thead. Only things missing so far are Hora’s penis and an apology for posting in the bike forum by accident. 🙂

I doubt plod or anyone’s going to do much after hearing “I’ve heard there’s a guy threatening people”…you need more.

yup, just add the word “shoot” or “gun” to the above phrase and see what happens.

BTW, for a laugh, next time you get threatened, point a camera or phone at him and ask him, politely, if he’d care to repeat himself as you intend talking to the police about his behaviour.

Put your dog on a lead on his land is the answer and keep to the path .Its not a public park .I know of farmers who have shot dogs, albeit reluctantly because the public assume they have a god /allah/mohammed given right to go anywhere.

But are they his farm animals?

If they’re on his land and he manages the land in their favour and sells shooting rights then they are his commercial interest regardless as to whether you can state ownership over any single bird. In the same way landowners can have a commercial interest in the fishing rights on a river without owning any of the fish.

FWIW your dog needs to be unde ryour control and not on a lead so explain to them the rules

I don’t think anyone can legally shot your dog, because it is running over arable land. Only worrying livestock would be considered reasonable

THIS as well what exactly would their justification be for shooting the dog.

As fo rth egeneral threats . speak tot he ROW officer and then put up posters with an e-mail address – gmail etc asking those affected to provide details so you can show a pattern etc

I suspect it is a landowner who doe snot liek the fact they have to let the ROW go on so they get annoyed at everyone

TBH if someone thrretened to shoot me or my dog then i would report them and I would expect the plod to take it serioulsy if enough folk are all saying the same thing.

I suspect it is a landowner who doe snot liek the fact they have to let the ROW go on so they get annoyed at everyone

And I suspect that you are wrong, as the OP says: the landowner has threated to shoot any dogs not on a lead. Leads me to think that the landowner is getting a little impatient with dogs that aren’t on the RoW, the only place they are allowed to be.

Do you know for a fact there is no livestock anywhere on the land? Just put the dog on a bloody lead! The landowner sounds a bit of a tool but some dog owners seem to have a massive sense of entitlement.

I’ve seen loads of dogs go for sheep and every time the owners say ‘oh he’s never done this before’. 🙄

What was she arrested for?
Stupidity?

Gun related offences (depended on how she acted in addition to waving the gun) could include:

Threats to kill – 10 years

Offensive weapon in a public place – 4 years

Possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life or injure property – 10 years

intent to cause fear – 10 years

intent to commit an offence – Life

loaded firearm in public place – 7 years

or……. Wantonly discharging in the street….. and earth shaking 14 days! 😯

Keep your dog on a lead, and don’t let it sh!t on their land – simple.

but some dog owners seem to have a massive sense of entitlement.

theres a big difference between advising someone about how they would have to act if their dog was actually out of control and actually causing threat or harm to his stock and threatening to shoot out of principle because he’s a farmer and he believes he can.

And theres the issue of physically assaulting the public as well it seems.

A couple of passive aggressive notes scrawled on bits of plywood are all thats required, if his stock was to be endangered all he as to do is shoot and explain why afterwards.

What was she arrested for?
Stupidity?

Gun related offences (depended on how she acted in addition to waving the gun) could include:
Threats to kill – 10 years

Offensive weapon in a public place – 4 years

Possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life or injure property – 10 years

intent to cause fear – 10 years

intent to commit an offence – Life

loaded firearm in public place – 7 years

or……. Wantonly discharging in the street….. and earth shaking 14 days!
Sorry – wasn’t meaning to make light of it, I was just very surprised she would even think to do something so mind-blowingly idiotic. She deserved everything she got.

Wasn’t having a go 🙂 I have just been looking at the offence tarrifs just now – out of curiosity – as someone of my aquaintaince is planning a pissed up shooting party (they’ve very thoughtfully booked a sober driver) and I was wondering how licensed gun use squares with alcohol. Pretty measley tarrif it seems – 1 month. I was more surprised at intent to cause fear carries a 10 year tarrif wheres letting off firearms in the street only carries 14 days.

But are they his farm animals?

If they’re on his land and he manages the land in their favour and sells shooting rights then they are his commercial interest regardless as to whether you can state ownership over any single bird. In the same way landowners can have a commercial interest in the fishing rights on a river without owning any of the fish.

A lot of money is invested in shoots and shooting rights, and a lot of money is spend rearing pheasants and in their keeping. A shoot near me charges £10-20k for a season “gun” (basically a ticket to turn up and shoot on a shoot day of which there are about 10 a year and about 10 – 15 guns on the shoot)so it is a big money buisness and hence why the farmer / gamekeeper gets rightfully upset if your dog is running loose and scaring the pheasants away onto neighbouring farms.

A lot of the problem with dog walkers is a severe lack of understanding for what goes on in the countryside and the fact somepoele have to work very hard to make a living from it. Some think they have the right to just swan around like they own the place ….