Gas Gun Bird Scarers

I would just like them to place them away from bridleway gates as very dangerous if you do not know they are there. No one is asking farmers not to use them, just be a little more understanding.
 
A local rider to me was riding a young horse along a bridleway and a bird scarer suddenly exploded several times causing the horse to take fright, unseat the rider and bolt on to a road were the horse was in collision with a car. Sadly the horse was so seriously injured that it had to be put down. The rider was injured, the car damaged beyond repair and the car driver also injured.
The rider was not aware that there was a gas gun bird scarer as it was hidden behind a hedge.
The NFU published a 'Code of Practice' for bird scarers but unfortunately many landowners and farmers choose to ignore it.
These devices can cause accidents and need to be used sensibly.
Please download the code of practice:
http://www.nfuonline.com/news/Download-our-bird-scarer-guide/
 
I have signed. When they are placed around us I am not exaggerating but we have 20 bangs PER MINUTE and sometimes one will malfunction and goes off like a shotgun throughout the night so I don't get a wink of sleep. This happens night after night. Thankfully not this year so far. I don't think they should be banned but they should be better controlled so that they are safer and used within acceptable limits.
 
I will sign, even though I am a farmer and my OH has to keep birds off crops. It is the PLACEMENT of these devices which is the problem. Although I suppose if you are a farmer and there is a bridlepath/track it is obviously easier to put the scarer down by the path, rather than have to lug it across to the other end of the field.
Still to put it close to a bridlepath and/or no warning notices is very irresponsible.
 
chrisritch said:
Lets give the farmers who grow the crops required for horse feed and bedding hard time protecting the crops!

What a fantastic idea this is.
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There should be rules to stop the farmers putting them in unsuitable locations eg by bridlepaths - some farmers do this deliberately to put off riders using bridlepaths on their land.

I have signed
 
Maybe a warning sign on bridle ways that may be effected? Tbh I've never really found them a huge problem but we used to be able to hear them from our yard and time it fairly well. Horses became used to the noise. Would we ban shoots aswell? They cause my more concern being one sudden day of intense noise. It's something we have to deal with or live in a city.
 
Understand the need to control, manage and monitor their use i.e. not on fields with bridleways near busy roads, but the petition is to ban them and I do not support this.

I would support the need for a licence or something for them to ensure they are used appropriately though.

Thanks
 
You should make this an EU petition, at least the NFU have a code of conduct.

I still run a small stud but had to close my trail riding business (to promote my two rare breeds) after a farmer put a cannon beside the Chemin Rural (owned by our commune) it fired every minute, so we could never pass it safely.

No laws in France to protect horse riders from these devices.
 
A local farmer put one of these out 50ft from a road I couldn't avoid & also used by many riders. I asked him nicely if he could move it quite a bit further in as it was making riding past very 'interesting'. It was moved almost right away. There is never any harm in being pleasant & asking nicely as a first tactic, it gets results more often than not.:)

I've also signed as I realise many people are not so lucky.
 
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My ex racer will occasionly pretend he thinks it's a starters pistol if we're somewhere nice to canter but otherwise they don't bother me or my horses. Our local farmers are quite polite where they put them though.
 
If you go for a ban you are more likely to get a compromise as I can't imagine they will actually be banned butmight get some Regulations controlling siting rather than a useles Code of Practice.

I have signed for this reason.

Plus I don't think they actually work on scaring birds just innocent passers by!
 
Wagtail said:
I have signed. When they are placed around us I am not exaggerating but we have 20 bangs PER MINUTE and sometimes one will malfunction and goes off like a shotgun throughout the night so I don't get a wink of sleep. This happens night after night. Thankfully not this year so far. I don't think they should be banned but they should be better controlled so that they are safer and used within acceptable limits.
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We have had the same problem this year, including through the night and bangers left too close to public rights of way. Its the improved regulation that is necessary. Farmers round here seem to have forgotten about shooting pigeons, they are too busy rearing and shooting pheasants!
 
As I have said when I asked the farmer nicely it was moved further into the field, no problem. BUT I signed the petition for some regulation as not everyone has this good a result & their lives made very difficult by these scarers.
 
Having had to endure several Gas Gun Bird Scarers going off from 8.00 a.m. until 9.00 p.m. all over the Christmas period I phoned two of the local landowners/farmers and calmly explained the problems they were causing to me and asked them to do something about them. Sadly neither of them did anything.
In my opinion Gas Gun Bird Scarers cause a danger to horse riders.
Sadly there are some Landowners/Farmers who will not comply with the voluntary NFU Bird Scarers Code of Practice and so as to avoid further disturbance or accidents legislation is sadly required so that those that choose to ignore the voluntary code of practice can be compelled to comply by using legislation.
 
I wouldn't mind if they were kept a reasonable distance from the roadways. We passed one that was sited about 10 yards from the pathway I was riding along. My horse spooked, reared and bucked me off. I suffered a fractured spine.
 
We have them in the middle of our fields and my horses are better about them than I am - I hate them. I will not sign though as I suspect most of you - farmers and farmers wives excepted - don't have any idea of the silly arse legislation already making life difficult, any more we do not need. They shouldn't be situated next to bridlepaths already, its like the gun lobby, don't ban them but make sure the existing rules are followed.

Farmers don't solely exist to ruin the lifestyle of recreational countryside users, we all have to manage in the same area, let's all try.
 
Old Bat said:
We have had the same problem this year, including through the night and bangers left too close to public rights of way. Its the improved regulation that is necessary. Farmers round here seem to have forgotten about shooting pigeons, they are too busy rearing and shooting pheasants!
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Trouble with shooting the pigeons is you entice them in to make them overcome their natural wariness, and on the whole you don't want to entice them onto your rape fields for 2 hours on a Saturday then leave it open house the rest of the week.
 
I might start an online e petition to get farmers to boycott selling any of you lot any straw or hay, see how much of a pain in the arse farmers are then.

Until you can find a cost effective, time saving way of controlling pigeons without gas guns I suggest you take the time to familiarise your horses with them, we have one in the corner of the paddock and it makes hacking out a doddle. Wonder why farmers dislike equine related types trampling all over their land?
 
Run to Earth.
You may remember an incident when the Queen was inspecting the Trooping of the Colour on a horse called Bernise who was an experienced Canadian Police Horse which was given to the Queen by the Canadian Royal Mounted Police Force. Someone fired a gun and the Queen nearly fell off. She never inspected Trooping of the Colour on a horse again. This demonstrates that however well a horse is trained sudden explosions may well set them off and cause a tragic accident.
We all have a right to use public rights of way and the public highways without being put in danger by these devices. In my opinion landowners/farmers should have the courtesy of complying with the NFU guidelines for Bird Scarers.
If some of them continue not to do so then they only have themselves to blame if legislation is brought in which governs their use.
 
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