Thursday, 10th April 2008 - 09:29CET
Hunters advised on how to deal with trespassers
The hunters' federation has issued a guide to those holding land for hunting purposes, with advice which it said is aimed at avoiding incidents with trespassers, especially in view of the BirdLife Spring Watch Camp which starts in two days' time.
The guide says land owners should cooperate with policemen and give their identification and hunting licence details, when requested.
Trespassers on private property should be verbally warned, without any threats or insults, and the police should be informed.
Land owners have a right to mark their property as being private and they have a right to photograph any trespassers for use as evidence, the federation said.
They do not, however, have a right to use force to evict people from their property. Nor do they have a right to insult them or point a firearm at them. Hunters also cannot take away or damage photographic equipment or anything else held by trespassers.
The federation urged its members not to allow themselves to be provoked, even when such provocation was premeditated.
Hunters, however, had a right to the enjoyment of their private property and privacy, the federation said, and any abuse should be immediately reported to the police.
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Comments
The amazing thing is this; you are relaxing in your private propert, enter someone and pretends by right that you don't tell him what he is doing there!!! It happened many times.
The guiding principle was always this simple rule: "Take only photographs; leave only footprints".
I found that, faced with this attitude, most landowners found no problem in allowing free passage through their open, uncultivated, land to responsible persons 'armed' with only a camera.
As for the issue of game birds, no one is trying to prevent you from eating quail (which, I admit, is rather tasty) but captive bred or freshly hunted does not make a difference in the pot. You might of course argue that you would rather eat what you hunt yourself but just imagine what would happen if everyone decides to do the same and goes to hunt his own beef, pork, rabbit or chicken !!
I believe FAA had requested the authorities to regulate, scrutinize, and only authorise after due verification - any 'private' signs or peculiar boundary walls.
Can the authorities get going please?
we’re not expecting hunters to crack jokes, juggle, or come up with hilarious performances….they only need to lay down their guns, and appreciate nature (including birds) with their dogs and families…nothing more, nothing less.
Nyal- just as you feel incensed by anyone who enters your property and destroys any plants or crops, the majority of the non-hunting population cannot see any justification why hunters shoot down birds that they don’t own, and shower the countryside (not just their plot) with lead.
Steve- birds have no additional privileges than the ‘captive-bred’ creatures you mentioned, thus the point is logical, albeit essentially invalid from a vegetarian’s point of view. Moreover slaughterhouses are (dubiously) portrayed as humanely controlled, whereas flying/fleeing ‘winged targets’ are not. However gullible as we may all be, protected birds have been shot down time and again, in the presence of law-abiding hunters, who unfortunately, failed to report and round up the criminals involved.
Just remember not to trespass on private property as its owner would be the one to laugh last.
Reading your comment only makes readers and hunters realize what utter nonsense truly is.
Your attempt at making humour fails miserably since what you say is typical of a person who knows very little if not nothing about hunting.
To a responsible hunter, protected birds are of no interest apart from enjoying watching them fly. What a real hunter shoots are game birds - not song birds, not birds of prey and definitely not human beings.
There are birds that look good in the air but then there are game birds that are there to be hunted and eaten, just like a turkey, chicken or a rabbit.
The majority of hunters are law abiding citizens so please do not confuse these with criminals.
Obviously you are one of the gullible who swallow the usual half truths and lies about hunting.
Nonetheless they are more than welcome to photograph any bird (trespassing or otherwise), for use as evidence, of such feathered creatures’ majestic beauty!
What’s the fee to become a member of the FKNK? I want to join!
I think we need clarifications and guidelines since anyone can put up a painted sign saying it is private. I think such land should have a proper sign issued by the competent Authority to avoid misunderstanding.