Deer Stalking… reliable word of mouth recommendation from someone you know has undertaken such stalking being offered by a specific syndicate is best. Like other walks of life, stalking has its scammers. E.G., make sure there is deer, of the species sought, on the land being made available; that appropriate insurance is in place; that there is recourse for recompense if it all goes wrong. In addition, obtain and understand terms and conditions; consider the implications of allowing a syndicate leader to be a FAC mentor; make sure ‘coaches’ are suitably qualified; consider the quality of deer management, the construction & execution of a shooting plan and safety; determine if the land is over-shot.
LONDON — The sniper arrived at sunset with infrared binoculars and a silencer in his tennis bag. He set up his .22-caliber rifle in the back of a Victorian townhouse, cracked open the glass door and pointed the shrouded barrel toward the far corner of the narrow garden. Then he waited, his right eye glued to the scope, as the last light leaked away.
It took less than an hour. A shadow crept out of the dark and into his field of vision. A crack, barely audible amid the roar of rush hour, and the target collapsed into a lifeless heap of ginger-colored fur.
“Baby scores again,” the sniper said, patting his rifle. He turned to his client, a 37-year-old mother of two who had come in from the kitchen: “Do you have a bin bag?”
Interesting feature on what seems to be urban pest controllers using .22 rifles in urban back gardens.
Can you get away with firing live ammo in someone's urban back garden without your firearms licensing department going all "American cop faced with innocent black man" on you? Or has the US hack forgotten to mention that "Paul" was using an air rifle?
Come to that, is it legal to shoot foxes with non-FAC .22 air rifles?
I write words for money - but not here. If you think my words here are written to the same standard as my words for money elsewhere, you're wrong. Have a nice day.
I must admit, when the article first appeared (Daily Mail?), I couldn't figure out how it could be legal to shoot a fox (either with firearm or airgun) in an urban back garden.
Can I, for example, shoot small bore rifles from my bedroom window down into my garden, on the basis that i think its a suitable backstop?!
There was a program on TV years ago about shooting foxes in London with CF rifles. Seems a bit crazy but he did get himself set up in a first floor window so he had a safe angle of shot. You'd have to be a fool to do it if it wasn't legal.
It's not the pace of life that concerns me, it's the sudden stop at the end!
As already said, if you have a suitable backstop and aren't causing a nuisance or danger to the public and have an open ticket which includes fox or humane dispatch for your rifle then there is nothing stopping you technically. People use .22lr and small pistol calibres, as well as .410 shotgun for humane dispatch of foxes caught in traps in similar surroundings too.
There is no legal minimum calibre for foxes, and I very much doubt at the distances being involved with urban foxes there is any welfare issues.
To be quite honest, I hope that people are sensible enough not to make an issue over this, because the natural balance of nature is well and truly farked when it comes to urban foxes.
I regularly take urban foxes with either a .22rf, .222 or .410. The 222 is used with a soft load and isn't much louder than the .22 but if using it, I do inform the neighbours.
As long as you are not causing a nuisance, and thee shot is safe, and a suitably conditioned ticket, it's perfectly legal.
It's obviously not an air rifle. I think it would be pretty crap shooting a fox with an air rifle, also think it's pretty crap using .22lr in the middle of a housing estate. This bloke is down stairs, what's his back stop, next doors wendy house?
Not good!
Gazoo wrote:It's obviously not an air rifle. I think it would be pretty crap shooting a fox with an air rifle, also think it's pretty crap using .22lr in the middle of a housing estate. This bloke is down stairs, what's his back stop, next doors wendy house?
Not good!
unless we know the layout then we have no idea if it safe or not, however I would be prepared to give the shooter the benefit of the doubt as indeed have his licensing authority when they issued his open certificate, rather than rushing for the rope and tree limb! (if he hasn't an open cert then he is a silly boy inviting the press along !)
