I'm getting a bit afraid now ............

[D14]

First light on Saturday we were trying to locate 40 plus cattle that had, I won't say escaped, as "let out" would be correct. We did get them altogether again after they visited the housing estate - didn't like that so came out again, were on their way to the village playground but we managed to divert them to a neighbour's field. And 6 had gone about 1 mile away, heaven knows how they got there as they would have had to get the other side of a stream and railway line. Our Cousins out lamping again, undid wire and string and didn't bother to do them up again and left the gates swinging. They also went in all the other fields too, as we could see the tyre tracks, but they were stubble with no stock. Reported to Police. Bought a set of fancy padlocks and put them on the gates yesterday.

Awoke this morning to find that all the paddlocks had been smashed and bent to be unusable. These were field gates and to a yard with buildings. So son has been putting trees and logs in all the gateways. But I feel worried in case this gets worse, we don't want a war - they could do so much damage, cutting water pipes, damaging the machinery, fire, flood, the list goes on. We have informed the Police again, but it is very distressing to hear that some farmers simply shoot the hares to discourage the visits. Our hare population is just recovering nicely from being down a few years ago.

We just made up planks of wood with nails and burst all there tyres. We put them in every gateway hidden under long grass. It worked very well.

 

[yellow belly]

Concrete blocks stop the deer poachers round here
There are also monitored by the police and the local poacher watch
During lockdown it was an easy win when a car was stopped at 3 am on a country road
Gates and locks do not stop them unless well reinforced

 

[Doing it for the kids]

I'll just say I tend to get on better with the tinkers if I speak to them civilly and chuck them an old car battery, than if I meet them at the gate with an iron bar over my shoulder.

doesn’t that encourage them back though?