Hands of Stone

Its more important that the young lads getting into the sport have good mentors!

I have a 3/4 welsh sheepdog 1/4 acd. I think she would make a fair ferreting dog, but I can't see any advantage to not having any running dog.... If you just want a marker and a net guarder bring the old dog out of retirement

Mine go something like this. Ring 11,11,11,11,13,13,15,15,17,17,19,19,19,19,17,17,15,15,13,13,11,11,11,11 you can either tie rings on end or sliders as these can be used as rabbit style 'poke' nets

Letting a pup have a look in a stop end is a good way to find out if your dog WANTS to go to ground. Especially if quarry is a bit scarce. Its always better when a pup drops in and finds on its own but some times you need to set things up in a pups favour

I had one years ago, She was a handy bitch on lamped rabbits, ran well on day time hares. But unfortunately she was 3rd hand by the time she came to me and I had her pts . If I'd had her from a pup I'd like to think she'd have been a corker. I'd definitely consider another

yes

Gutted for you Phil. I remember reading about her in one of your books.

Its the worst part of keeping dogs, but its honourable that you care for your friends fate. So many macho types that would do it without a second thought or worse still, not do it without a second thought.

Depends on the workload but I always feed morning and night and sometime a third meal if the dogs are being rested.

I've got one for work (I'm a keeper) and they are handy, I use mine with the rifle, but I always take it lamping with the lurcher too. Handy for getting up to lampshy quarry, and also useful for keeping light disturbance down when free lancing! Had an hour stand off when me and the head keeper were eyeballing each other from across a valley.... happy days!

ive seen some good ones, one of the best lurchers ive seen was a straight from dave sleight. and ive also seen some less good ones..... all of them hated foxes with a passion!

Call me a jesse, had too much heart ache with rock earths...... these days unless I NEED the fox dead i leave him in there! But that's because there are few rocky spots on my ground, further north (or west) the ground and the lads are tougher than me!

Years a ago I had a welsh collie x greyhound. she was a good bitch and took a lot of game with her. welsh collies are generally more independent than border collies and get on with the job instead of looking for instruction. I don't know whether this trait makes a difference when breeding lurchers?

Make sure your dog is fit before the season, don't just take a couch potato out lamping in September when its still hot, the grounds rock hard. You'll slip your dog and that could be it till Christmas if you have luck like mine!

I'd say its one of his better books..... Ive not long finished sean frain's latest book. that was hard work but ok....