Shooting UK: getting shooting rights

If by rough shooting you mean vermin control, rabbits, pigeons, corvids, etc. then the best tried and tested method is to spend some time driving around your area and approaching the landowners and ask politely.

This can take some time and you will get knocked back a lot of the time, especially if you live near a major town as shooting is often in short supply.

I tend to approach farmers openly and explain my background, it helps that I am from a farming background and atuned to the way they think. I always take some business cards, you can order them free on line in various places, with my name, contact numbers etc on. If you get knocked back they have the card and may call you in the future.

I also make sure I hold the relevant insurance such as offered by BASC or CA membership and make sure the farmer knows I am insured.

Don’t go door knocking at busy times or on the weekends though. If busy they wont want to talk to you and at weekends they wont want to be disturbed as they don’t get much time off!!!

If you see vermin problems as you drive around say what you have seen and say how you would control it, you might get a pass straight away as I once did.

Door knocking does work but it takes time, and I mean months for it to work at times.

Other approaches are:

Get to know the farmers in their local pub, you might get offered shooting once you have built a rapport.

Find out where there are game shoots in your area, get to know the keeper and offer your services to help him with his game birds or beating, again this may open up some shooting for you.

Build a rapport with other shooters in your area though forums such as this, pigeon watch, sporting countryside, etc. You may get asked out onto others permissions.

All of these methods have worked for me, but it is not easy.

If it is game rights you are after then it can get a lot harder!

Hope that helps

Jerry