Terrified by shouting, angry farmer .. what to do next?

HariboJunkie

poet123 wrote: »

Tbh regardless of your likes re whether the dogs are on/off a lead, the fact remains that the country code does dictate that in these circumstances dogs should be on a lead. Lots of us may rather not confirm to various "constraints" but we do, because they are generally accepted to be for the best.

That said, his threatening tones were unacceptable, particularly his threat towards your person. So, I would report him, whilst accepting and acknowledging your part in the issue when you do so. It will do him no harm to have it pointed out to him that guns are lethal weapons, and talk of using one is not to be taken lightly, and is not taken lightly by the police. Mark his card, and keep on walking there, but with the dogs on a lead.

I agree with this entirely. The countryside code DOES dictate that dogs be restrained when near livestock/wildlife and technically you have broken that code. However he had no right to behave so aggressively and I'm surprised that anyone would condone his threatening behaviour. If you do approach the police to report the threats of violence then you must be honest that you were in the wrong to have the dogs off the lead.
I trust my dog too but she is always kept on a lead where there is livestock just in case.

WolfSong2000

You may know your dogs are well behaved, but the farmer wont, will he? Off-leash dogs cause no end of problems for farmers, and if you're worried about cows going for you, just drop the lead, or try and avoid fields with livestock at times of year when you know cattle are likely to be more agressive (e.g. when they have calves at foot).

ceridwen

Well - I think this is actually in The Grand Scheme of Things a "storm in teacup". So - please don't take this as being any disrespect - but I think its now time to pass on to other matters......

aliasojo

ceridwen wrote: »

...and his behaviour is not particular to large male farmers. I am not in any of these categories - I'm small/female and not a farmer - but my temper in his position would have been VERY much worse than his actually. I dont often lose my temper - but that WOULD have been one of the occasions where people would have found out about it and never forgotten...<cough>:o. So the fact that he was large and male is irrelevant - with both of us being small/female/greyhaired.

In that case your behaviour would be as questionable as his.

The fact he was large and male is not irrelevant, the fact that you are small/female/greyhaired, and share the same temper, is.

I think most people accept the farmer had a point and a genuine concern. His behaviour however, was threatening and unacceptable. Being worried about what might/might have happen(ed) is no grounds for behaviour like that.

Reggie_Rebel

Don't worry about it.

Farmer Giles will be too busy filling out his EU subsidy forms to shoot your dogs

bestpud

Unfortunately, you probably followed a long line of idiot dog owners who have no regard for farmers, livestock, or the countryside in general. Some are a right pain in the rear tbh.

They should be on lead of you are by livestock and you can then just let go of the lead if need be, as said. There is sometimes cattle where we walk our dog and we always put him on lead when there is - it's a pain, but it's the only downside of having open countryside to walk him in so I can live with it!

I can see why he is probably fed up and went off on one and he is within his rights to shoot a dog if it poses a threat to his livestock.

However, he has no right to threaten to shoot you!

In this instance, I'd probably let it go, but you could mention it to the local CSO if you can get hold of them?

I guess any action would depend on any previous reports they may have, or you may add weight to any future issues with this guy...?

tandraig

personally - I think you should forget the matter - and when walking your dogs in that area put them back on the leash. for their safety too. i understand that your dogs were under control even off leash. but, perhaps the farmer had lost calves in past or just had a bad day!

ceridwen

tandraig wrote: »

personally - I think you should forget the matter - and when walking your dogs in that area put them back on the leash. for their safety too. i understand that your dogs were under control even off leash. but, perhaps the farmer had lost calves in past or just had a bad day!

quite:T:T:T

So - can we pass on to discussing other matters now. Rather than asking everyone who is advocating further aggro - just why they are doing so/have they had a bad day?

End of story......conclusion....curtain drops on play....

JCS1

From the farmers side:

Some (but not all) dogs without leads are a problem. Dogs have been known to come running into the house, would you be happy with strange dogs running around your house? With the walkers laughing about it and not even saying sorry? Dogs running sheep in a field can cause death of the animal and more frequently miscarriage and still births many weeks later. Also hikers who leave the field gate between rams and ewes open with lots of lambs as a result :rolleyes:, and people who can't read a map and insist that there's a footpath through your garden, and complain about the radio being on as I'm "disturbing the peace and quiet of the countryside" (don't hear the neighours 1/2 a mile away complaining ) and cars parked in gateholes so you can't get tractors into your fields when you want to (frequently happens on weekends and bank holidays as some people think that farming is a Mon-Fri job)

If you politely remind people to put their dogs on a lead, you tend to either get ignored or sworn at.

Yet these are a very small percentage out of the hundreds of walkers that use the footpaths on the farm. And it is these few people who are giving everyone else a "bad name". So whilst the farmer in the OP was wrong, I can understand why he lost his temper.

mountainofdebt

being abit of a devils advocate here but there have been several cases where dog walkers have been killed by cattle who have stampeded as a result of being frigtened by dogs.