Hunting with an air rifle really isn’t that difficult. Grey squirrels will flock to peanut feeders, rabbits will appear if you stay still long enough in the right place and feral pigeons will line up to be shot in farm buildings.
The real challenge is finding somewhere to do all those things. Getting permission to shoot on someone else’s land is perhaps the biggest frustration for aspiring airgun hunters.
I am blessed with plenty of permissions and sometime feel like I have more than I can cope with easily. But I’ve worked hard for decades to get them and during that time I’ve had plenty of knock backs. I’ve also learned a few things as well.
I don’t claim to have a secret magic formula for securing a shooting permission, but for what it’s worth, this is how I do it.
Most landowners want free pest control
Let’s be clear: you’re asking someone you don’t know to let you roam around the place that they and their loved ones live and sleep, with a gun and likely in the dark. That’s a big ask.
The one thing you have on your side is that same someone is likely to be almost as concerned about the impact pests have on their livelihood – be it eating crops or threatening livestock. They would love someone they can trust to deal with the problem, especially if they can do it for free.
But make no mistake – you won’t be the first person to have offered to be their salvation. Your aim though is to be the last. Success depends on convincing them you are more trustworthy, professional and competent than all the hopefuls that have gone before you. And to achieve that, you must understand the natural and instinctive barriers and suspicions they will have and you will have to knock down.
The first step is to know who you are going to ask. Think about how far you are willing and able to travel. Farms and golf courses are obvious targets but get creative. What about garden centres, stables and paddocks, plant nurseries, animal parks? Think of anywhere that pests are unwelcome and problematic.
Assuming you’ve worked your way through the low hanging fruit of friends and family, as well as friends of family and friends of friends, the only thing left to do is approach complete strangers.
The internet is an invaluable tool. So too is social media. Chatting with the owner of some paddocks I shoot on one evening made me understand just how much she worried about a horse breaking a leg in a rabbit hole. Her gratitude made me think there must be more horsey people in the area who were just as concerned.
That night I joined a horse and pony Facebook group for my area and posted this message: “Hello. I shoot rabbits, rats and pigeons on several paddocks, stables and equestrian centres around Berkshire. If you have a problem with rabbits digging holes in your paddocks, pigeons pooping on your tack and rats being rats, I’d be happy to help. Silent horse/pony-friendly air rifles used and shooting at night in the dark not a problem. No charge. Fully insured and qualified. References on request.”
Then I went to bed.
The next morning, I had more than a dozen replies from people wanting to speak to me. By the end of the week, I had a dozen more. Some didn’t work out for one reason or another, but I ended up with three great new permissions that I still have today.
Your list of potential permissions will break down into two basic groups: the cold ones with whom you’ve never spoken to before and the slightly warmer ones – respondents to a Facebook message or perhaps a tip off from someone.
Let’s take the cold ones as they are trickier. You could simply knock on doors of course, or ring them up. Personally, I’ve not had much luck with either technique. I don’t like strangers knocking on my door or phoning me to flog something, so why should landowners?
Instead, if I can find an email address, I’ll send a message. Of course, the details will change depending on your own circumstances and background, but this is my stock email:
SUBJECT: Polite Enquiry
Hello –
Firstly, let me apologise for the unsolicited email.
I am sure you receive plenty of enquiries from people asking to shoot on your property. But if pests are a problem, please allow me to present why I could be a free solution for you:
If you have a pest problem, I’d be more than happy to discuss how I might be able to help. Please let me know if there is a convenient time to discuss further. And of course, please let me know if I can provide any further information.
Kind regards.....
I’ll be honest, I can only recall once getting an email back asking me to get in touch. Instead, the email gives me an excuse to make a follow up call a week or so later. And in my experience, the conversations go one of two ways.
Most common is a ‘no thank you’. If you find rejection hard then grow thicker skin and simply thank them for their time, apologise for the intrusion and say goodbye. Don’t ever make the mistake of pushing back. Nothing you can say will get them to change their mind and if you get into a row – remember that landowners talk to each other and finding a permission may suddenly get a whole lot harder.
But stick with it and with luck you’ll get a bite. If that happens, your next objective is to secure a face-to-face meeting.
Below: Social media can be a great asset when seeking a shooting permission - horse and pony groups are a good place to start
It’s easy to feel nervous, especially if this could be your first permission, but try to stay calm. Remember that the only reason the landowner has agreed to meet is because you sound more promising than the last bloke to ask and you might just be the solution to their pest problem.
Success depends on portraying the right mixture of affability, confidence, professionalism and competence. You want the landowner to come to the conclusion that ‘he seems like a nice chap who knows what he’s doing.’
That’s easier said than done of course. So, what can you do to stack the odds in your favour? It’s always best to over prepare but prepare to be flexible. I’ve had some landowners who’ve pretty much made their mind up to let me shoot before we’ve even shaken hands. Others want the full dog and pony show.
My particular performance consists of turning up on time and being dressed appropriately. In other words, don’t look like your about to go to war or attend a board meeting. Country casual is just fine.
Be prepared to ask lots of questions. Are there any public footpaths or bridleways? Do people walk their dogs on the land whether they are allowed to or not? Where are the borders to your land? What crops are grown? How many horses – are they stabled at night? What about staff – how many and what times do they start and finish work? Is there a number to call if you see suspicious activity, or should you call the police direct?
All useful information of course, but the real reason for the interrogation is to impress upon the landowner a sense of professionalism.
I always take a rifle with me in the back of the truck, especially if I am meeting with someone horsey. Their biggest concern is usually the potential for gun shots to spook their horses, so I offer to show them how quiet my PCP air rifle is. I make a big show of handling my rifle safely – take the magazine out, safe direction etc – then dry fire it towards the ground in a safe direction. Every landowner I’ve taken through this demonstration has been underwhelmed and immediately put at ease.
If you have them, references from other landowners upon whose land you shoot is gold. It’s a small community and there’s a good chance your prospective permission owner will know the person on whose land you already shoot. Failing that, a character reference from your employer or similar helps.
Insurance is the right thing to have for all kinds of reasons. However, I’ve never met a landowner yet who shows any interest in my BASC insurance but they all like the fact I have it because it demonstrates I am serious about what I do.
The same can be said for independent qualifications and certifications. There are plenty out there both free and commercially available. Among them, The Shooting and Hunting Academy offers the LANTRA accredited Airgun Proficiency Course, BASC offers a free Air Rifle Safe Shot Theory Test, and the Airgun Training and Education Organisation (ATEO) offers several courses too.
Being honest again, I’ve never had a landowner want to look at the certificates I have earned. But the fact I have them sends another important message about competence and professionalism. And there’s a good chance none of the hopefuls before me have been able to wave as many pieces of paper about.
To ram home the competence and professional message, I let potential permission owners know that I contact the police on 101 before and after each session – something I recommend you start doing if you don’t already do it. Again, the landowner will likely show indifference, but you’ve made your point.
Below top: Gaining a recognised shooting qualification can help to convince landowners that you are a safe and responsible shot
Below bottom: Nurture a good relationship with the landowner and more permissions should follow once you secure that tricky first one
Once a landowner has agreed to meet up with you, they are, let’s face it, already minded to let you on their land and the permission is yours for the taking. Meeting you in person is usually just to make sure you’re not some kind of swivel-eyed lunatic. So, stay humble, be professional and friendly and there’s every chance you’ll have secured your first permission.
If you get knocked back, think hard about what you might have done wrong and how you might tweak your approach the next time. If you think you have struck up a good enough rapport there’s nothing wrong in dropping a line or making a call to ask why they decided against giving you their permission.
At the end of the day, getting a shooting permission is about kissing lots of frogs. So pucker up and good luck.
The Shooting and Hunting Academy's Airgun Proficiency Course (APC). Click here
Airgun Training and Education Organisation (ATEO) courses. Click here. Click here
BASC for shooting insurance and training. Click here
Article first published 22nd April 2025
