Shooting tenant farm

[Overby]

I've asked this in the Tenant section but as long as nobody minds i'll stick it in here too as I really could do with as much advice as possible.


A query for those tenants amongst us (or those with knowledge on such matters).

Our landlord has upped his commercial shooting enterprise. The farm has several woodlands dotted around it and these are now all occupied by commercial shoots. The woodlands are not part of the tenancy, the surrounding fields are.

We get on well with the landlord and are on good terms but the shooting aspect has become a bit of an issue.

The individuals who are in the shoot have now taken to (without informing us) driving all their vans and pick ups etc into our fields that surround the woods. They then park wherever they like, exit said vehicles and 'sweep', Rambo style through our AB9 towards the woods, guns out and cocked (not a few metres, they creep through a 5 ha plot in a 30 acre field).

A grass field we don't drive on in the winter to preserve the condition was awash with pick ups racing over it 2 weeks back.

There is obviously the Game Acts and the Wildlife Act etc, which are in our tenancy, as is usual, but this seems a bit off.

We also have a few horses, (with LL permission) and these areas now being ridden roughshod over are where the horses get hacked, so they're either out of bounds or the riders get terrified.

Is all this normal? The shooters aren't entering the land for rodent control, the birds are bred in the woods for commercial purposes. The LL has the shooting rights but this is randoms who've paid to shoot in the woods, strutting all around the farm, guns out.

Do people who buy shooting syndicates off the LL for the adjacent woods have unlimited access to our entire farm as and when they please?

I'm all for give and take but not a fan of taking the pi55.

Any experience?

 

[Rob Holmes]

Have you spoken to LL about your issues/concerns?

 

[7610 super q]

It's very rude to shoot tenant farmers.

 

[Courier]

Ask your landlord politely to inform the shooters that he will have to charge the rent for the damaged areas to the shoot along with consequential loss which you will be claiming for - Might even need to get a "Land Agent" involved at their expense....

 

[neilo]

Speak to LL (or his agent) in the first instance. Depending on the reaction, be prepared to get an agent to act on your behalf.

I met with my LL’s agent on just this matter recently, although my inconsiderate d*ckheads aren’t as bad as yours, and dispute is far from settled as yet.

If everyone got on and showed abut of mutual respect then there would be no great issues.
Most of the time, farmers just grumble and put up with a bit of damage from the drunken morons, but you don’t have to. Shoot tenants will normally be liable for any damage they do, as well as reinstatement if necessary.

 

[thesilentone]

This has become a bone of contention as communication has been poor.

I have shot over Estate owned tenanted farms, where the tenant(s) were far from amused by the whole situation, and in one case became obstructive, so I stopped going.

If the landlord made everything 100% clear from day one, these situations should never arise.

There has been several threads about this, going as far as the tenant farmer claiming losses from the shoot.

It all makes for bad-blood and confrontation - no good.

If I were you, I would find out who the shoot captain is, and raise your concerns with him/her.

If everyone is reasonable it should be easily resolved.

If you cannot agree, then take it up with the Landlord.

 

[Suffolk Serf]

Does the landlord retain the sporting rights and let some days shooting out or have they let out the sporting rights as a whole?
In my experience things usually work better for the tenant in the former case rather than the latter, as long as relations with the keeper are okay.

 

[Nearly]

TFA

Get some wire mesh baskets upturned on the crops and go back to the landlord for compensation for bird damage in spring. This can focus the mind.

 

[Forkdriver]

Your tenancy agreement may provide for your quiet enjoyment of the land. Shooting rights do not allow carte blanche to drive all over the place, merely to take game.
You are entitled to claim compensation from the tenant, but I think you need to escalate your concerns to your landlord as if he or she is not local they may not realise what a bunch of cowboys they are.
Perhaps you could take the shooting rights and run the shooting yourself?

 

[hally]

That’s what we do, take the shooting rights ourselves…..even though we don’t shoot.

 

[thesilentone]

This is a code of practice.

New Sporting Rights Code of Practice issued | Thorntons Solicitors

In the agricultural world, it is not unusual for landowners to let their land whilst retaining the sporting rights.

www.thorntons-law.co.uk

 

[serf]

I've asked this in the Tenant section but as long as nobody minds i'll stick it in here too as I really could do with as much advice as possible.


A query for those tenants amongst us (or those with knowledge on such matters).

Our landlord has upped his commercial shooting enterprise. The farm has several woodlands dotted around it and these are now all occupied by commercial shoots. The woodlands are not part of the tenancy, the surrounding fields are.

We get on well with the landlord and are on good terms but the shooting aspect has become a bit of an issue.

The individuals who are in the shoot have now taken to (without informing us) driving all their vans and pick ups etc into our fields that surround the woods. They then park wherever they like, exit said vehicles and 'sweep', Rambo style through our AB9 towards the woods, guns out and cocked (not a few metres, they creep through a 5 ha plot in a 30 acre field).

A grass field we don't drive on in the winter to preserve the condition was awash with pick ups racing over it 2 weeks back.

There is obviously the Game Acts and the Wildlife Act etc, which are in our tenancy, as is usual, but this seems a bit off.

We also have a few horses, (with LL permission) and these areas now being ridden roughshod over are where the horses get hacked, so they're either out of bounds or the riders get terrified.

Is all this normal? The shooters aren't entering the land for rodent control, the birds are bred in the woods for commercial purposes. The LL has the shooting rights but this is randoms who've paid to shoot in the woods, strutting all around the farm, guns out.

Do people who buy shooting syndicates off the LL for the adjacent woods have unlimited access to our entire farm as and when they please?

I'm all for give and take but not a fan of taking the pi55.

Any experience?

Is this AHA or FBT

 

[neilo]

TFA

Get some wire mesh baskets upturned on the crops and go back to the landlord for compensation for bird damage in spring. This can focus the mind.

And photos, lots of photos.

Your tenancy agreement may provide for your quiet enjoyment of the land. Shooting rights do not allow carte blanche to drive all over the place, merely to take game.
You are entitled to claim compensation from the tenant, but I think you need to escalate your concerns to your landlord as if he or she is not local they may not realise what a bunch of cowboys they are.
Perhaps you could take the shooting rights and run the shooting yourself?

Quite. 'Peaceable Enjoyment' is the term iirc.

 

[Hfd Cattle]

Have replied on the other thread before I saw this one

 

[Overby]

Is this AHA or FBT

AHA

 

[serf]

AHA

Well surely you have got the upper hand to lay the law down and not have randoms traipsing over your crops and they park on the road or in the woodland thats not on your tenancy!

 

[YorkshireAndrew]

If you’re not a member of the TFA then join immediately as they can give you advice on this . We had a similar problem some years ago & was told that as a tenant you have a ‘Right to quiet enjoyment’ , some shooting folk are quite belligerent as regards their attitude to tenants . I’ve just seen @neilo has beaten me to it .

 

[Forkdriver]

And me in post 9. Just saying

 

[serf]

We're only halfway in so a long time AHA to go!

Well I'd stand your ground then, nip this nonsense in the bud , can't have randoms all over the shop like that , will do your lid in ....

 

[Overby]

Well surely you have got the upper hand to lay the law down and not have randoms traipsing over your crops and they park on the road or in the woodland thats not on your tenancy!

Does an AHA gives more protection than FBT?

I'm quite happy to help out and compromise with the LL but am now wondering if I can tell the arrogant fools who are strutting round with impunity to bore off (due to us having an AHA).

We're only halfway in so a long time AHA to go!