Poacher in action?

[Landpikey]

We had a tree come down across the road (farmer moved it out of the way and we've chopped it and removed it) and it broke down the chestnut fencing. This wasn't really a problem as the whole frontage needs attention but we propped it up as best we could so that it made it at least slightly difficult for anyone walking along the road to get in. There is some cut up (>1m lengths) sitka spruce around that area but certainly not easy to get out - but if people really want to get in and take it then there isn't much stopping them.

We put the wildlife camera in the area and got some interesting shots. This isn't my arm!!! These were taken on 9th January 2014. There are a heap more pictures which seem to show 2 torches being shone around on 23rd December around 21:00 to 22:20 - a strange time to be in a woods.

Speaking with other wood owners in the area it seems that one person has lost his whole summers worth of wood stack which he'd wheelbarrowed to the edge of his wood ready for collection. Another has had to put gates across his entrance to deter pikeys. They've both seen signs of poachers (a deer's head) and we've had bits of rabbits found by the dogs (yuk!).

When we first put the camera up last winter we caught a few rabbits in the pictures. However, recently we haven't had ANY in the ones we've taken. It would seem that even though we have near perfect breeding conditions for the little blighters there is very little evidence of them this year.

An arm - and no, it's not me

We think that the poaching has always gone on and most likely a bit of "help yourself" to some fallen trees etc. Now all the woods are under management however they seem to be moving onto taking the stacks.

Other discussions on here mention the big penalties involved for using firearms without land owners permission. Is it 5 years detention at Her Majesty's Pleasure?

[Dexter's Shed]

across his entrance to deter pikeys.


Other discussions on here mention the big penalties involved for using firearms without land owners permission. Is it 5 years detention at Her Majesty's Pleasure?

sorry, had to laugh at that sentence, considering your forum name

yup it is indeed a minimum 5yr stretch


its a wonder they didn't pinch your trail camera
thankfully to get to our plots, they would need to break through two locked gates plus the 1/2 mile drive inbetween, unless they wanted to carry stuff out on foot,

[oldclaypaws]

I think you'll find these useful, landpikey.

Set up a couple and they won't be back again. They'll also need a change of underwear.

http://www.stalkersuk.com/product_info.php?cPath=48&products_id=456

[dredger99]

Hey Landpikey.

I haven't noticed anything unusual on my side of the road but i haven't been up in a wee while.
I actually thought i was being a bit of a toonzer by keeping my gate locked but now i'm hearing about Pikeys, poachers wood thieves and god knows what else.
I may never return

I think a trailcam might be a worthwhile investment.

Keep in touch.

[Rod Taylor]

I think a trailcam might be a worthwhile investment.

The trailcam I have was sold as "invisible" flash (and is). Bit more expensive but worth the extra for human targets, as less likely to go missing if well concealed as no advertising beacon.

[SitkaSpruce]

Does make you wonder what goes on in your wood at night. We've clearly had horse riders on our woods. We've had to clear rubbish that appears to be drug taking paraphernalia from the entrance. The police got involved in this one and are keeping an eye on the area. Once arrived to find an actively occupied car in our entrance!- we used the other gate. I've not tried a trail cam- have been considering for some time but had perhaps naively thought I would just capture deer and the odd fox!

[Meadowcopse]

"Does make you wonder what goes on in your wood at night"

The trackway to my plot tends to attract procreational activities and minor drugs use / exchange and fly-tipping in the darker hours.
I find a non-engagement approach, but lurking in a long black robe with a scythe tends to encourage folk to drive off - some don't even bother putting their clothes back on.
Having a bit of river mist and a mediaeval castle ruin opposite adds to the mood...

https://twitter.com/meadowcopse/status/424531999253364736/photo/1

[Dexter's Shed]

it makes you mad, and you can see why owners don't want people on their land.
In front of our woods are a couple of fields owned by the farmer whose land our private track runs through, on Saturday gone in the hours of darkness, thieves cut through the locked gate and drove in with a considerably sized motor (prob a flatbed truck) drove the 1/2 mile track and dismantled and removed a very large storage shed, must of been 30x12 at least made from hardwood, probably destined to become a horse stable or something

[docsquid]

If they are hunting at night, they will be able to see the cameras if they have night sights or night vision goggles. We were cleared out of 7 (seven) well concealed black flash cameras due to poachers using night vision about a year ago. They were off the path, camouflaged and cable locked to the trees. They spotted every one. We even had two looking at each other in the hope that they would not spot one and get caught on camera.

If you have people about at night and want to keep your camera, remove it. You just have to accept that people will come in. We do the best we can with our boundaries but it doesn't eliminate people coming in completely.