Ferreting with Dogs - Vandal
Having just got back from a combined dogging and family holiday in Poland, I was looking forward to the weekend when I was due to pick up my new pup. As my kennels had not been built yet, the pup had stayed with the breeder past the usual eight week term due to the fact that I had nowhere to put it. Consideration was given to having it indoors with the two bull terriers, but as good as they are with each other, I couldn’t guarantee they would be as docile with a new dog in the house, and I didn’t want to be burying a pup the day I brought it home. Another problem I had was that straight after the pup reached it’s requisite eight weeks, I was due to go to Poland for some earth trials and to see some Airedales work.
This meant that the pup would barely have time to settle before it was shipped off to boarding kennels, which I am sure you will agree, isn’t the ideal way for a dog to spend it’s formative days. So the plan was to ask the breeder if he wouldn’t mind hanging on to the pup a little while longer, thus giving me time to get back from Poland and get the kennels up and in good order. Fortunately for me the breeder is a very decent bloke and agreed straight away after I had explained the situation. I wonder how many breeders would agree to do the same. Obviously, if the answer had been no, I would have been really stuck and plans would have to be dramatically altered. As things worked out, I got the best of both worlds – being able to go to Poland and getting the pup too.
Once Christmas was out of the way and I had got back off my travels, I was looking forward to making the trip north to get the new dog. The days were not going quickly enough and I seemed to be treading water, just waiting for the Friday to come around. After speaking to Matt (the breeder) everything was arranged. I was to travel up on the Friday and we’d have a few beers, then the Saturday I had been invited ferreting, which was excellent news, and I’d travel back with the pup on the Sunday. Looking forward to the weekend had just become a huge understatement!
After an uneventful four hour drive to the north, I went round Matt’s house to see the pup for the first time. As soon as I had got through the door, I was handed a beer and a handshake and taken out to the yard, where all of the dogs were kennelled. The Dam was eating from a bowl in the centre of the yard, whilst all of the other dogs were locked down. My pup was kennelled with the pup Matt was keeping back and upon sight of us, they were both up on their hind legs, wiggling their arses and wanting to greet us. Having been kept informed of the pups progress via emails and photographs, I knew what she looked like, but to see her in the flesh was something else. What I was greeted with was a fit, healthy, energetic pup with a lovely coarse coat, bright eyes and full of life. I was over the moon. Retiring to the pub for a few beers, my mind turned to the ferreting which we had planned for the next morning.
Waking at 5.30am with the taste of chips, peas and gravy still in my mouth, I was up and about, getting myself ready for the day ahead. After a quick breakfast and numerous cups of coffee, I looked outside into the dark to see the snow falling, illuminated by the sodium of the street lights and a short wheel based Land Rover pulling up outside the house. Grabbing my bag, I slurped down the last of the coffee and went outside to greet Matt and his mate Carl, who I had conversed with via email but only met in person the night before. Carl had kept me up to date with the pup’s progress as he had taken one off Matt as well.
The journey of just over an hour flew by as we talked dogs all the way. You know what it’s like when you get together with other hunting folk; time has no meaning anymore and the minute’s fair whiz by. As we travelled further south into higher ground, the more it was apparent that the snow was worse here than from where we had travelled from. No matter, it simply added to the beauty of the landscape. The Land Rover took us from the country lanes and half way up a hill, from where we were to walk the rest of the way.
This landscape was a world away from the small fields and hedges that comprise my ferreting permission down south. What was in front of me was vast open spaces with only the dry stone walls to break the contours. I have large stretches of sets that I can ferret but due to the brambles, nettles, elder and bracken; its difficult work and hauls are low. This was an entirely different proposition. We were to be using long nets, which as a virtual ferreting novice, was a first for me. Carl had been explaining how they worked the previous evening, but due to my ignorance (and the beer!) I couldn’t grasp the method entailed. Now I was going to get a demonstration which would hopefully sink in to even my thick skull!
After sorting all of the kit and making sure we had everything, we had set off. Typically I hadn’t brought a ferret locator box with me which I neglected to mention so we only had two to work with once we got going.
The going was slippery and steep but we were soon at the first set, which Matt’s excellent collie was marking for us. Carl ran off the 50 yard long net from the cradle as I followed watching how the rig worked and how it was set. The 25 yard one was also used and we could have done with another, but no matter. Having what I considered an un-ferretable bank on my permission, I was particularly interested in long netting and how it might help me with this bank at home. What was once too big to undertake due to me having only purse nets now seems like a viable proposition thanks to these nets and Carl’s demonstration.
As the morning wore on and we moved from set to set, carefully observing Matt’s unfaltering collie, the rabbits were hitting the nets and if I remember rightly, we only missed one which managed to free itself. We were using three small jills and a fairly large hob that went by the name of Bobby. This thing was a monster…a pure killing machine! Every time you put him down, it wasn’t long before you heard the unmistakeable squeaking of a caught rabbit. Ignoring the cold completely, I was having a great time. This whole day was fantastic for me. We were ferreting land which was completely new to me, using a dog whose nose was incredible and in a landscape that was breathtaking. Many of the sets were in hollows in the ground and these were actually covered in snow so the dog couldn’t mark and we couldn’t net up. This meant that the haul was going to be down on the usual standard but that really didn’t bother me. The lads kept apologising for the low numbers due to the conditions but it wasn’t something that they needed to apologise for. Low numbers for them is a large haul where I come from! Sometimes actually just being out and seeing a great dog work, being in the cold, crisp air and having a good craic with the boys is enough. Numbers become secondary and whilst it is nice to have a good bag at the end of the day, just being there is reward enough. Carl and Matt invited me up again once the weather gets better and I will definitely be there when they ring. A day like that is worth a four hour drive any day of the week.
Only once did we lose a ferret and that was only a temporary affair. Covering the ground inside the long nets with the boxes, we couldn’t get a mark at all. The rocks were giving off the odd “knock” every now and again, but the ferret was nowhere to be found. Trying outside the netted area yielded no results either and I for one had started to worry as I had put this particular ferret to ground. We searched for what must have been 20 minutes and we never got a signal. It was only when Carl thought to move the box containing the other ferrets (all wearing collars!) we were able to get a bearing – right underneath the ferret box! Digging down, the ferret was retrieved as well as the rabbit it was hanging on to! Relief all round and another rabbit!
We had made a circuitous route and we were getting close to Land Rover again, so we stopped and gutted the rabbits, leaving the entrails for the predators and scavengers and took some pictures.
I could have gone on all day as it really was a joy to be there, but time was called and we made our way back to the jeep for some of the best coffee I have ever tasted, not it any way connected to the brandy that was in it!
As well as having a great days sport, I had been in excellent company and will always be indebted to the lads for that trip. I had seen how to set a long net which is going to be very useful for the pest control in my neck of the woods and will hopefully yield better results than I have been achieving so far. I had also had the privilege of watching a top notch ferreting dog at its work. Not once did this dog lie to us. If he marked, the ferrets went down and the nets went up - simple as that. To have such confidence in your dog is a wonderful thing and if I ever have a dog that works that well I will consider myself a very lucky man.
Sunday morning started with me picking up the pup from Matt’s house and preparing for the long journey home. Having only ever been in a car twice before, she had to be picked up and placed in the back of the estate. After stopping to clean out the accident she had and buy two air fresheners (!) we were soon on our way home. Home to where she will have all the work she can cope with, once she’s of the right age of course, and to where she will hopefully make a decent dog.
All that’s left to say is a huge thank you to Matt and Carl. Top weekend and top pup! What more can you ask for?