Sporting shooters who own rifles restricted to deer stalking will now be able to have their firearm certificate conditions amended so they can take foxes, ground game and other pest species.
Currently in England and Wales, Chief Officers generally prohibit the taking of smaller pest species with larger calibre rifles used for deer stalking. Certificate holders rightfully need to deal with reasonable eventualities when managing estates and wildlife and now with the help of The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Firearms and Explosives Licensing Working Group, this new policy should make wildlife management easier without compromise to public safety or animal welfare.
This practice has been applied in Scotland for some time now without problem. The ACPO Firearms and Explosives Licensing Working Group now recommends this approach to all forces as policy in England & Wales, however it must be remembered that it is still for individual chief constables to make their own decisions
Anyone who requires their certificate condition to be amended is invited to submit their certificates to their respective force Firearms Licensing Departments.
ENDS