Keepers in the front line against hare poaching

Animal welfare consultant Jim Barrington goes on a tour of hare poaching victims in the Eastern Counties of England. With poachers damaging crops and farm equipment, it is up to gamekeepers to defend the land. Tony Blair’s 2004 ban on coursing was meant to have stopped this. Jim meets gamekeepers Geoff Garrod and Ed Coles and hears first hand how Blair’s ban has failed.
Ed Coles’ petition to increase poaching sentences petition.parliament.uk/petiti...
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[@ps-ty4mw]

I used to do single handed hare coursing during the winter months,but I would never drive the land,that sort of stuff spoilt it for all of us.

[@catrynwilliams4353]

They need to realise this and make it legal again with permission only

[@justinbennett3385]

Repel the ban!!! I can’t believe a hunting channel would post this they know if it was legal to course hares the hares would only benefit

[@tanfosbery1153]

Always wonder why the animal rights people, who seem to have plenty of time on their hands, aren't out in force trying to stop this

[@billycrotty4102]

Because they'll get a good fu cking hiding off us lurcher boys that's why 🙄.

[@Timberdoodle197]

@@billycrotty4102 spoken like a true lurcher owner 🙄🙄

[@Anglisc1682]

Because it's cheaper to signal their virtue instead of getting their hands dirty. Seeing people talk about poaching like it's some heinous crime; it's as if they haven't bothered to look up the definition of poaching and think it has to be cruel or immoral. Illegal doesn't mean it's immoral. Depends on how it's done of course.

[@EDH2019]

Because they are not brave enough, Hare coursers are a different kettle of fish, the Antis don't want to confront these folk because they know what the end result would be.

[@Ca_Tule_Ninja]

Imagine if you only had access to weapons to defend yourself from these violent people… You wouldn’t have to worry about people using “catapults” on you on your own property. They would think twice about this behavior if they knew a 55 grain bullet or some buckshot could be headed their way.

[@jaseoutdoorsin3075]

I’m a shooter of a catapult, I’ve never been involved with anything like this, with permission I only seek duck, pheasant, pigeon and ( squirrel )for good sport or ferret food lol, and in season, only commenting as shoot catapult competitively and would want this to put a thorn in the works

[@ThisIsMyUsername01]

we can only hope that catapults will stay legal, but the more and more they're used wrongly the worse and worse it looks for us. me and a handful of mates have started getting out and about with them, taking targets with us into the woods and using clearings that are well suited to it and even that is a split opinion from alot of the general public. we're always polite and respectful, but while alot of the older generation seem to enjoy seeing it (sometimes asking us if we're going for a few squirrels after with a wink) , its quite often the younger families etc that instantly flash a funny look and make off quickly to a different spot. awful shame really for such a legal and inclusive sport to be so publicly shunned all because of the people who tarnish the image by shooting cars, pets, people etc.

[@kevinturner5857]

@@ThisIsMyUsername01 catapults r evil dangerous sinister things

[@ThisIsMyUsername01]

@@kevinturner5857 they really aren't.. The problem is the same as anything, in the wrong hands they gain a bad reputation.

[@mydog3627]

Good luck banning our cattys haha, A stick and some excercise band, with a bit of old leather. Good luck indeed

[@catrynwilliams4353]

Repel the ban the hare would benefit so much actually hare coursers want lots of hares around make it legal with permission only!

[@pinocolada4254]

People shouldnt talk about poachers. You should only encounter them once, and make sure nobody does again.

[@wolfysmith4752]

It won't stop until we deal with the 'community' (and we all know who I'm talking about...) who are mostly behind this, and kick them out.

[@samiadb8503]

Problem is "they" are pretty much untouchable and the police don't want the hassle. much easier to fob off hard working farmers and game keepers.

[@TheBudgetOutdoorsman]

You mean on regular hunters that also do poaching or? We had few cases like that here. Beside paying the ticket they were expelled from local hunting comunity and our state assosiation,wepons were took away from them, 1-5 years of no hunting amd after that they had to go from start like a young hunter school - exem - then 1 year without rifle going to every hunt,work action etc and after that they can apply for rifle.

[@tonyromano6220]

@@samiadb8503 being in the USA I have no idea what you are saying.

[@ibexhunter5624]

What Community would that be

[@TheBudgetOutdoorsman]

Poachers truly are a menace no matter what do they poach so to say. And lack of authority and power in hands of gamekeepers makes the fight against them much harder. We took a fight to them by keeping cameras in areas of interest for whole year and if caught on them they are delivered to police department and in hunting alliance here (atleast in my parts). Unfortunatly for now that is the only legal way to fight them.

[@nicksokaluk9518]

it's called an accidental disharge that just happened to be in a poachers direction

[@shaunpreston3212]

I used to be a keeper and some you win some you lose but what coursers don't like is tough boys with tougher trained attack dogs! And if they come after yur property or yur folk you respond accordingly! An eye for an eye!

[@robertmitchell9415]

Shaun Preston thats true, they sense weakness, and like most bullies when they get proper called out they fade away for a few years. A mate had bad problems in Cambridgeshire years ago, one day the redmist came down and it ended up like a wildest movie for a few minutes = no problems for years after that!

[@Farmer6491]

🤣 what if the lads lamping are tougher than you then and one of the dogs in the back is even tougher still ?

[@pinocolada4254]

Back in the 80s a elderly local gamekeeper here was beaten to pulp by some poaching pimps, who poached with dogs and rifles for the fun of it. The gamekeeper told the cops he couldn't remember what happened that nigth. His son dug a fcking big hole the next day and the gamekeeper filled it back up as soon he was back up and running. Any man who poaches for fun, poaches pregnant or nursing game*, poaches to make money, threathens other men or acts violently to others like withnesses/gamekeepers, should be on the bottom of a pit like that. *Unless he'd had to do it to feed his kids, wich shouldn't be a possibility these days in my country.

[@robertmitchell9415]

@@Farmer6491 well Nigel and his lad chased them down in their Hilux and emptied a 7 shot pump action 20 bore into sides of their 4x4's, they just f....ed right off after that. And that was at 9.30 in the morning with a bunch of lads having a gamble on whose got the best dog.

[@Farmer6491]

@robert Michell 🤣🤣🤣 okay lad 🤦‍♂️🤣

[@vk_6915]

Yes, driving land and damaging property is wrong, but gamekeepers do enough criminal activity themselves. Don’t try to take the higher ground and try throw lurcher lads under the bus. If you think people outside country sports looking in, think there’s a difference between someone hunting a hare and standing in a line shooting pheasants, your very wrong. This is what happens when they banned hare coursing. If it was legal and governed then I can guarantee that most this wouldn’t happen as it would be legal.

[@billycrotty4102]

Perfectly put 👏🏼

[@RRMpcs85]

👍

[@jamesmalott7851]

You should use a few caltrops around you gate area on the inside to take care of any unwanted vehicles that enter.

[@tiernanwearen8096]

Repeal the ban!

[@leecoomber3877]

I love the coursing, but walk the land, I'm totally on the side of the land owners, I give crop ,livestock, etc,respect and the only way you would know I'd been is my foot prints in the mud.

[@rufus_farming_life]

Great video I love going out shooting

[@kevslife]

Throw the book at them.. We've all got to obey the laws.. if you don't you pay the price. Simple.

[@allgood6535]

So why can fieldsports Britain hunt them then awnsaw that go on.

[@billycrotty4102]

What about when your sport gets banned. Simple that's you, simple.

[@Anglisc1682]

Yeah as if you've never broken the law. Most people have committed enough crime to get them in prison for a few years

[@RedZu1]

Sounds like Keith allen narrating

[@paddydoyle4234]

The tougher the sentences the more violent people will become to avoid being jailed. The only way to stop this is legalizing it.

[@lutzgodeke7350]

Seize cars and dogs, make them public record. Its not like they could not handle the problem, its that they do not want to because the effort is to high for the "pay-off". Last week two poachers killed two police officers (armed) in Kusel/Germany while being caught in flagranti, poaching a boar while having multiple deer in the car. Suddenly the police takes those reports of poachers very seriously again...

[@paddydoyle4234]

@@lutzgodeke7350 and when lads refuse to pay the fines then what? Who pays for there prison sentences? The only way to tackle this is to legalize it.

[@ps-ty4mw]

Yes,then I can get some more salukis and start coursing again.

[@robeaglestone764]

legalizing it wont stop it

[@shaunmccaw2911]

A dozen hares they must have been on steroids 😂

[@ps-ty4mw]

I bet that lot shot them

[@waynesmith4612]

This is the trouble when you live in a namby pandy state, some just do as they want..

[@goodtimes2hellyeah169]

Why don’t you mention which section of the population are doing this

[@michaelleaperGreyhound]

Is there not a limit on how many dogs u can hunt with

[@shaynebrewer6306]

The only trouble with this and I quite like the video is the unadulterated slaughter that’s going on the grouse shooting estates,anything that’s not a grouse dies all on the quiet

[@rickystubbs6893]

People like geff that are the real poachers

[@hawktalkuk]

Yep, Wolfy Smith is ofcourse correct, they're not british , send them back Ireland, just a pain in the arse .

[@roberthacking6867]

No wonder why you carnt gain eney permission for shooting of farmers because there will not trust nobody with what these people doing

[@secondsmilli7164]

Valentine's day massacre

[@onemeggamer8323]

Give the people that are poaching the death penalty that's my point of view an eye for a eye

[@ps-ty4mw]

What country do you come from,death penalty for hare coursing?

[@onemeggamer8323]

@@ps-ty4mw I'm from your neighboring country. I hate poachers. They are scum. There never going to stop unless the face severe consequences. Prison time or €500 fines are not good enough because they do the time and pay the fines and do it all over again.

[@ps-ty4mw]

@@onemeggamer8323 I'll keep off your land 😂

[@vk_6915]

@@onemeggamer8323 I bet you shoot deer and think because you have a license, that you own every deer in the country. The wildlife own themselves and if someone wants to go out and catch one with their dogs, then so what. As long as their respectful to the land and the quarry.

[@onemeggamer8323]

@@vk_6915 no I don't hunt deer. And no one owns any animals. It doesn't matter if there on your land or in your fields you still don't own them. The only animals I own are my dogs

[@Timberdoodle197]

We all know what kind of people run lurchers and course hares they usually have no fixed abode 🙄 time for the law to come down on them, a scourge on society.

[@kevinturner5857]

Catapults r a dangerous sinister weapon