Lamping

Lamping

Lamping is the practice of hunting or vermin control conducted at night using a rifle with a hi power search light mounted above or below the barrel

Here , is a picture of a lampers weapon : lamping gun

The lights used are very powerful , with outputs upto 1million candle power , which can cast a useful beam upto 200 m and are visible from kilometers away

Here are the specifications for a typical light used : lamp_specs

Note the filters used

The most efficient way of conducting a lamping hunt is for the hunter to lie in wait at a hide or prepared rest , While colleagues act as beaters , driving game into his field of fire

Other lampers use animal call whistles to attract quarry , and encourage them to betray their presence . [ again these strange sounds can be muffled and distorted at a distance , and be mistaken for other things by the untrained ear )

Electronic amplified calls are even available , which can mimic an array of prey over a large distance , here is the specs for a typical call : digital_call

The hunter sits as still as possible , only toggling his searchlight when he hears an animal approach him . The hi power lamp shining in its eyes dazzles the target , giving the hunter the 2 seconds he needs to aim and shoot .

Lastly the hunter or his assistant may use a low powered lamp with red filters ( to preserve their night vision ) when collecting their kills

Here is the BASC guide to lamping :BASC_website

What has this got to do with ATS ?

To the uninitiated a team of lampers can seem strange and confusing

The sound of beaters working the woods , followed by the sudden glare of a brilliant search light piercing the darkness . Then a rifle report , which may be suppressed , and further muffled by terrain , Then darkness and silence , until the next target is engaged

If there are multiple pampers in an area , using filtered lights – the scence may look very strange , Very easy to mistake for UFOs or other activity that should be investigated by a diligent ATSer esp. if you are unfamiliar with country practices .

Legitimate hunters avoid lamping near roads and houses , and take steps to minimize the risk and disruption to others their activities may generate

Poachers however do not follow the BASC code of conduct , and are by default breaking the law already . Poachers can be notorious for shooting anything that moves , and as they are criminals , they often have a violent aversion to discovery . Poachers are not stupid enough to shoot people deliberately , but they regularly try to punch and kick their way out of “ trouble “ .

And even legal hunters occasionally make mistakes , Byron Evans was tragically killed in 2004 while lamping , the story is online at : Guardian_online

Wandering off into the night chasing lights in the woods can be dangerous , for many reasons . the dangers of lamping are very small , but it is a real risk that can have fatal consequences .

At the risk of sounding melodramatic , you have been warned .

APE OUT

Yet one more explanation as to what you saw all those years back actually was.
Good post IA. I've never even heard of lamping. At least now I'll know what happened to me when I get blinded and then shot in the woods at night!

what kind of prey do lampers go after?



Pie

Originally posted by ignorant_apeWhat has this got to do with ATS ?

Hi Ignorant_Ape,

As you may know, lamping has been put forward as a somewhat controversial explanation of at least parts of the story of an alleged UFO crash in Wales (in the UK) in January 1974 - the Berwyn Mountains Incident.

Andy Roberts has commented: "On the evidence available it is certain that the nurse saw the poachers with their lamping lights".

See:
www.uk-ufo.org...

All the best,

Isaac Koi

Isaac :

thats cool , no i didnt - i havnt looked into the berwyn incident as closely as i should , but wil now . ty for the info .

but first the secret siminan dance of vindication - w00t

Pie :

rabbit , fox , deer [ though mostly by poachers - legal deer hunting is a day job ] ,

poachers also lamp for badgers ~ the bastards

lamping also wroks on any nocturnal vermin

in short anything except birds - lol

Rocks :

glad to be of service mate - i wouldnt want you geting shott , unless i am pulling the trigger < tasteless joke >

Hey all,
as for the question and answers for what they lamp hunt, that also includes racoons, mt. lions and even beaver and coyotes. At least where I come frome, just thiught I would share a little more info. on the topic, this is a fair warning to those that don't know about these hunting parties/ situations.

Thanx Ape!!!

btw, I am from nw Iowa and se South dakota. Basically been there and done it before while I was growing up. We were legal of course. Fur bearers permits and tags you know.

Hey ALFRED : thas a very good point about different practices , in different countries .

as folks may have guessed , i wrote up this thread from personal experience of UK hunting , and ATSers from different countries may be used to radically diferent practices .

i have already read on another thread , from a member in australia - that lamping as i describe it here is almost unknown there

so to target the entire ATS globe , i would invite members to submit a paragraph on how lamping techniques in thier country differ from UK methods

or indeed to simply point out that " we dont do that here "