Other field sports

[Cranfield]

That's interesting, in 1944, at the age of ten, I was entrusted to go out with a gun on my own. Mind you, I had a rigorous briefing and training from my great-uncle, a hard-bitten Norfolk farmer I was in considerable awe of. "Never point a gun at anyone unless you intend to kill him" was his mantra.

 

Over the years children have increasingly become "protected" (mollycoddled?) so that these days the idea of a minor carrying a shotgun would produce a turnout of the social services, an armed response unit, and the town band.

 

I had a well worn second hand Diana Original Model 3 .177 air rifle when I was 9, the spring was so weak you could see the pellet leave the barrel.

 

2 years later I was given a Spanish single barrel 12 bore and a few boxes of Min of Ag "Rabbit Clearance" cartridges by a Farmer and paid pocket money to scare pigeons and crows.

I should mention that I was helping the shepherd and driving a tractor round the Farm by that age.

Perhaps its my imagination, but I think we matured a bit earlier then, than now and I would often spend half the night with a gun patrolling the lambing fields and still go to school the next morning...on time.

 

Following otterhounds, foxhounds and beagles while growing up, shooting geese under the moon, ferreting rabbits, clearing rats from barns, fishing on the marshes and endless other country activities, has given me some fantastic memories.

 

I accept that it would be very difficult for a lad nowadays to do what we did at that age, as things have changed in perceptions and society.

I would often go out at 7am and come back when it got dark, my Mother never had need to worry about my safety, or what I was doing.

The fact that I never went many places without a dog with me, may have had something to do with it.

[thurso angler]

OK, I'll let you off with that one mate...

Yep, It does get a bit of a "Compulsion"...I must admit to being the same when I had my Ferrets... I would think nothing of walking lots of miles working them....

 

I wish you had told me about his living there before now...I would have made a wee pilgramage !!! :P

 

I have now "progressed" to an air rifle ( still a rubbish shot , and much lazier too ), and shoot on a friends farm at the back of my house, he has a real rabbit problem....which is good for me...

 

Hopefully up before the end of the year, with the boat ... we could do a "trade"

 

 

Yes it sure does, my mates are sick of me asking them if they want to come out a look, no shortage of them on a good day, but on a wet cold day they suddenly have other things on

 

Ive never been to where he stayed i must go sometime though.

 

Well bring your air gun up also, another passion of mine do a fair bit of that also!

[finfighter]

WE WHERE ALL HUNTER'S/GATHERERS AT ONE POINT IN TIME!

 

I HAVE A PASION FOR WILDLIFE

 

I HAVE A PASION FOR HUNTING/FISHING

 

I JUST HOPE MY SON'S SON CAN HAVE THE SAME BEFORE IT ALL GETS BANNED BY IDIOTS IN SUITS

[Newt]

I JUST HOPE MY SON'S SON CAN HAVE THE SAME BEFORE IT ALL GETS BANNED BY IDIOTS IN SUITS

You may have to leave the UK at some point but there are still many parts of the world where you need not worry about that.

[thurso angler]

You may have to leave the UK at some point but there are still many parts of the world where you need not worry about that.

 

 

i feel you are right there Newt!

[Guest Rabbit]

WE WHERE ALL HUNTER'S/GATHERERS AT ONE POINT IN TIME!

 

I HAVE A PASION FOR WILDLIFE

 

I HAVE A PASION FOR HUNTING/FISHING

 

I JUST HOPE MY SON'S SON CAN HAVE THE SAME BEFORE IT ALL GETS BANNED BY IDIOTS IN SUITS

 

We (Man) turned from the hunter gatherer into farmers. Instead of having to find the food we propagated and reared food. It was the start of civilisation, it was the reason we are like we are today,for good or bad.

 

I have a passion for wildlife also, and yet I too fish, but fishing is recreational, I am not dependent on catching fish to feed my family, and neither is any coarse angler in this country. So to make a comparison with recreational fishing as to a right that fulfils our hunter gatherer instincts is misplaced, it does not follow therefore that hunting wildlife for 'sport' or the 'table' is any more acceptable, or necessary..

 

However if you wish to exercise your legal rights to hunt then fine, but please do not attempt to drag angling into an area that the public and a large amount of anglers do not want to be.

[Guest Rabbit]

You may have to leave the UK at some point but there are still many parts of the world where you need not worry about that.

 

Maybe so ...but because of the very guns that shoot the wildlife these 'free to hunt' most countries are bereft of anything to shoot Newt.

[Newt]

Rabbit - I am not an expert on "most countries" but in the States, thanks to conservation and habitat preservation/improvement by several generations of hunters and other outdoors types (but mostly hunters), we have better populations of many game animals than we had 50 years ago. We also still have quite a bit of public land open to hunting as long as you have a license.

 

Hunters have a vested interest in keeping healthy populations so we can continue recreational hunting so have been willing to invest time, effort, and money into making things better for all who enjoy dealing with the wildlife - hunters, photographers, and others who just like the out of doors.

 

I only fish these days but still donate to organizations that work on hunting issues both because I enjoyed it for so many years and because I want my grandchildren and their children to have the same opportunities I did.

[thurso angler]

We (Man) turned from the hunter gatherer into farmers. Instead of having to find the food we propagated and reared food. It was the start of civilisation, it was the reason we are like we are today,for good or bad.

 

I have a passion for wildlife also, and yet I too fish, but fishing is recreational, I am not dependent on catching fish to feed my family, and neither is any coarse angler in this country. So to make a comparison with recreational fishing as to a right that fulfils our hunter gatherer instincts is misplaced, it does not follow therefore that hunting wildlife for 'sport' or the 'table' is any more acceptable, or necessary..

 

However if you wish to exercise your legal rights to hunt then fine, but please do not attempt to drag angling into an area that the public and a large amount of anglers do not want to be.

 

So when they try to ban fishing in 10, 20, 30 years time, you wont be expecting any support from the shooting fraternity?

 

United we stand, didvided we fall?

Edited September 14, 2007 by thurso angler

[Guest Rabbit]

So when they try to ban fishing in 10, 20, 30 years time, you wont be expecting any support from the shooting fraternity?

 

United we stand, didvided we fall?

 

This is what I am saying...dont lump angling with the shooters, or the hunting fraternity. the hunting days are numbered not so angling. Angling does not need the 'support' of the shooters