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This is a question Down on the Farm

Have you ever been chased from a field by a shotgun-wielding maniac? Ever removed city arseholes from your field whilst innocently carrying a shotgun? Tell us your farm stories.

(, Thu 24 May 2012, 13:19)
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Nope.
But other comically rural types think there is, so it works out well.
Trespass being a civil offence and walking in his field not being a threat to the life and/or limb of the farm owner there is no legal defence for shooting someone. I suppose "accidental" shootings could be got away with in terms of jail time but then there would be the matter of civil damages to the victim.
Whilst it would be a very unpleasant experience to be shot with a 12 gauge by somebody at the other end of a field as far as I know it would likely not be fatal so the "no win no fee" people would have a field day (oh, accidental pun).
(, Sun 27 May 2012, 11:33, 1 reply)
On the other hand...
... here in the UK you *are* allowed to use "reasonable force" to defend yourself. Now on farms you have a lot of very valuable equipment, materials and livestock. Quite often you find that people want to steal it.

It's a pretty safe bet that anyone who rocks up at your farm in the small hours intent on stealing a couple of hundred litres of diesel and a couple of hundred kilos of nitrate fertiliser is probably not a group of Boy Scouts up to some silly prank. It's not entirely outside the realms of possibility that these people may have a very specific reason for stealing fertiliser and diesel and may themselves be armed. In this case it's perfectly acceptable to squeeze off a few warning shots into their heads.
(, Mon 28 May 2012, 0:30, closed)
"To defend yourself."
If you think you are in danger then, of course, you are allowed to defend yourself. This means that if somebody breaks into your house and you happen to have a shotgun handy you can probably point it at them and might get away with firing if they threaten you in some way. What it does not mean is that you can attempt to protect your property by shooting at people. As you say, a warning shot could be reasonable to warn them away from you, but shooting at anyone that's not "coming right for you" is likely a very bad idea.
However, the whole "ger orf moy laahhnndd" situation which I think apeloverage was alluding to is just farmers either scaring gullible people or trying to get themselves jail time.
(, Mon 28 May 2012, 1:01, closed)

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