Patrick’s top tips

• Some farmers are religious – try to find out if this is the case beforehand and, if it is, don’t swear in front of them, and if it’s an issue, make it clear that you will never go onto their property on a Sunday.

• Always call before you turn up on site unless you have a specific agreement with the landowner. Also, find out how they prefer to be contacted, such as if they prefer texts to phone calls, etc.

• Be responsible while you’re there – close gates behind you, don’t scare the livestock, don’t tear the ground up and don’t leave carcasses lying around, especially if there’s any public access nearby.

• If the landowner likes to know how you’ve got on, don’t forget to make the relevant phone call or send a text message or email.