Harassment of shooters in the field

Questions about Victorian gun and ammunition laws. Victorian Firearms Act 1996.

Harassment of shooters in the field

Post by NTSOG » 18 Mar 2021, 7:35 am

G'day,

Occasionally people driving by see me unloading my gear from the car or see me, carrying my rifle, backpack, etc., just having entered a paddock to walk to my chosen shooting site. It occurred to me that, with the increased number of city fools coming to live in the country, sooner or later I am going to run into some Bambi-lover who decides to disrupt my shooting activity. [We have already had issues in the past with city people coming to live nearby who complained about routine farming activities and even our cattle mooing!] Are there any regulations that specifically offer protection against those who seek to disrupt legal shooting/hunting activity? Obviously laws governing trespass apply if I am shooting [with permission] on a private property, but are there any other Laws that might apply?

Jim
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Re: Harassment of shooters in the field

Post by No1Mk3 » 18 Mar 2021, 10:01 am

G'day NTSOG,
No, there aren't any "protection" Laws in the sense you seem to mean. However the term "disrupt" could be defined by the action of any numpty so if one "disrupts" you by ramming your car that's an offence. But if one simply stops and berates you (no racist, religious or gender slurs) then that is their right to comment, and you have the right to respond in kind. Others have posted on the forum about anti-shooting wankers calling the Police on them during lawful shooting activities, Police respond, investigate then leave and this is an annoying interruption that I feel may become more common but which we need to respond to politely and co-operatively so that the Police readily see it is the groaners who are always at fault. Cheers.
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Re: Harassment of shooters in the field

Post by Oldbloke » 18 Mar 2021, 10:07 am

[We have already had issues in the past with city people coming to live nearby who complained about routine farming activities and even our cattle mooing!]

No doubt about it. World is full of imbeciles.

No laws that I'm aware of. There were some passed regarding duck opening a few seasons back.

I believe there have been instances of people vandalising shooters/hunters cars in SF. But no personal experience though.

Someone I know always leaves a bird identification book on the front seat. I have one for native flowers & do same thing. Simple diversionary tactic. Lol

Cover up anything related to shooting.
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Re: Harassment of shooters in the field

Post by on_one_wheel » 18 Mar 2021, 2:20 pm

You really need to make an effort to be more discreet.

Even if only for your own security....
Park your vehicle in such a way you can't be seen unloading or loading, choose a time when there's nobody driving past to unload / load your gear or depart on foot from the vehicle.
If there's no cover in the said paddock, park as far from the road as possible.

I'm always conscious of who may be able to see me, personally I don't care what they might think or say, I'm more concerned with being tracked to my residential addres and robbed when the opportunity arises.
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Re: Harassment of shooters in the field

Post by Bugman » 18 Mar 2021, 2:44 pm

Unfortunately, discretion is the key as stated previously. Due to an ever changing society, keeping a low profile in that type of situation, imo, would be best.
I don't like it one bit, but after being involved with hunting and target shooting for over 55 years, I like to stay well and truly under the radar.
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Re: Harassment of shooters in the field

Post by NTSOG » 18 Mar 2021, 3:17 pm

"You really need to make an effort to be more discreet."

Fair enough, but none of us can predict who will be coming along and and when. The car has to be parked by the roadside when I go out into a paddock - usually in the early evening - and nothing is left in it of value or specific to shooting. I'm not worried about the long-term locals who know me by sight. It's the new chums who are of concern. They seem to believe that they're still in the city and have the right to throw their weight around and to hell with the long term locals.

As for "anti-shooting wankers calling the Police on them during lawful shooting activities" I had a chat with the local DFO two weeks ago about a strip of river bank near me legal for shooting and asked if he could see any issues with me shooting some bunnies amongst the gorse and blackberries with a .22 LR. I felt it worthwhile to speak to the DFO before I went shooting so he would know who was doing what and where. It was clear from his response that he has had to deal with 'tree changers' causing problems in relation to shooting/hunting/pest control for long-term locals in the recent past.

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Re: Harassment of shooters in the field

Post by on_one_wheel » 18 Mar 2021, 3:31 pm

I simply look and listen, If I can't see or hear any cars then the coast is clear.

Are you dealing with a busy freeway where cars are streaming by?
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Re: Harassment of shooters in the field

Post by NTSOG » 18 Mar 2021, 6:39 pm

"Are you dealing with a busy freeway where cars are streaming by?"

Mostly I'm shooting on large properties along a back country road so the traffic is not generally intense save morning and evening 'commute' times: there is one small 'settlement' back in the bush, but the whole area is gradually being 'invaded' by city types looking to 'feel the serenity' due to subdivision of larger properties into blocks. All in all it's a pretty good area, but the place is changing and not always for the better in the eyes of the long term locals. It's better to be prepared in case something does happen, and, as I said in my initial post, we had a pretty torrid 5 years of harassment including assault, endangering behaviour and general abuse from a 'tree changer', who moved in nearby, just for carrying out our normal farming activities until the local copper gave him a real 'proctology' exam.

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Re: Harassment of shooters in the field

Post by on_one_wheel » 18 Mar 2021, 6:48 pm

"Proctology exam" :lol:

I feel your pain, when I first moved into my current home I could shoot rabbits from my front verandah.
I wouldn't dream of doing that now.

Its a shame that we feel the need to creep around in the cover of darkness to do what is completely lawful especially considering that not that long ago you could catch public transport with your rabbit blaster without raising concerns.
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Re: Harassment of shooters in the field

Post by Ziege » 21 Mar 2021, 10:48 am

No1Mk3 wrote:G'day NTSOG,
No, there aren't any "protection" Laws in the sense you seem to mean. However the term "disrupt" could be defined by the action of any numpty so if one "disrupts" you by ramming your car that's an offence. But if one simply stops and berates you (no racist, religious or gender slurs) then that is their right to comment, and you have the right to respond in kind. Others have posted on the forum about anti-shooting wankers calling the Police on them during lawful shooting activities, Police respond, investigate then leave and this is an annoying interruption that I feel may become more common but which we need to respond to politely and co-operatively so that the Police readily see it is the groaners who are always at fault. Cheers.



in most states disturbing the peace, then refusing to cease, is a breach of law. I'd say being a C#nt to someone minding their own business on private property would be a breach of the peace indeed.
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Re: Harassment of shooters in the field

Post by Ziege » 21 Mar 2021, 10:53 am

NTSOG wrote:"You really need to make an effort to be more discreet."

Fair enough, but none of us can predict who will be coming along and and when. The car has to be parked by the roadside when I go out into a paddock - usually in the early evening - and nothing is left in it of value or specific to shooting. I'm not worried about the long-term locals who know me by sight. It's the new chums who are of concern. They seem to believe that they're still in the city and have the right to throw their weight around and to hell with the long term locals.

As for "anti-shooting wankers calling the Police on them during lawful shooting activities" I had a chat with the local DFO two weeks ago about a strip of river bank near me legal for shooting and asked if he could see any issues with me shooting some bunnies amongst the gorse and blackberries with a .22 LR. I felt it worthwhile to speak to the DFO before I went shooting so he would know who was doing what and where. It was clear from his response that he has had to deal with 'tree changers' causing problems in relation to shooting/hunting/pest control for long-term locals in the recent past.

Jim



We have had our share of those here too, treechange morons that is, luckily this town and 99% of the surrounding ones and districts are very clique orientated, these opinionated city wankers with no clue have found themselves on the outside of literally every social circle and event in the district, I am surprised that they even hang around anymore, they might as well be lepers they're that unwelcome. so a fact I used to hate about this town may just be its saving grace.
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