A good day ,a wasp's nest and suicidal rabbits

[comanche 2,799]

Just back from a day ferreting with a very old friend and his son on their ground .

We arrived in the farm-yard to ask the farmer if there were any particular spots he wanted us to tackle just as he was leaving in a tractor . Obviously busy he barely stopped long-enough to give us a big grin and point us toward a long hedge-row between a very sparce bit of arable and a well- shorn bit of grass-land .

 

As we approached the dogs put up a brace of rabbits which instead of heading for the nearest sanctuary decided to make a break across the grass field . Normally this would have been a welcome move on their part but unfortunatly the field is bisected by two stock fences topped by the dreaded barbed wire . By the time we realised what was happening both dogs were in full flight with the wind in their ears and intent upon their rabbits .I did try to stop my little bitch but she was too far away and too excited to take any notice of me! . Two years ago she'd lost half an ear on this very same stretch of stock fence and all I could do was grimace and hold my breath as the rabbit went under the wire and the dog went over . Amazingly she caught it and returned over the top strand for a perfect retrieve .It was a good start but I was glad when the dogs attention was safely focused upon the continous honey comb of burrows beneath the hedge . The hawthorn which had probably once served as a wind-break for the farmer's sheep was browsed bare up to about eighteen inches from the ground and its roots damaged and exposed through years of rabbit damage .

The dogs started marking and we set to work. Slowly in leap -frog fashion we moved ferrets and nets down the hedge-row . There were two or three few shallow digs . The dogs gave us a good idea of where lie-ups were occuring and the locators were used for the final pinpointing.

While all this was going-on we were amazed by the number of rabbits out grazing not much more than 150 yards away and every once in a while one or both of the dogs would be overcome with temptation and belt off after them . In this way another half dozen were added to the bag although it must be admitted that several had been touched by myxomatosis. Unbelievably within a few minutes of being scattered the survivors were back out feeding in a truly suicidal manner .This resulted in a couple of pretty exhausted dogs by lunchtime . As it was warm I opted to take the mornings catch to the farm shop that was only a couple of miles up the road rather than have them spoiled in the sun.

Ireturned to find that my mate and his lad had set the nets on the next section and the action continued .

There was a bit of uninvited excitement when I spotted a wasp's nest next to one of the nets . Before I could warn the others a rabbit bolted and came to rest fully enmeshed right on top of the nest . The wasps were pretty quick but my mate's lad was quicker . He leapt forward ,pulled the peg and was away with the netted bunny before the wasps could select a target .

The afternoon bag was even better than the mornings and included a couple of unusually coloured rabbits . They were obviously wild rabbits but seemed to lack the normal yellow guard hairs in their pelts which gave them a soft greyish look and feel.

It was a good day with a good bag but I still have very fond memories of the days long before the lad was born when me and his Dad scratched about for permission and were more than happy to go home with a couple of rabbits apiece and overjoyed if one of the dogs had so much as a couple of good runs let alone managed a catch .

Edited October 18, 2009 by comanche

[Gooner 143]

Well done mate good write up and pictures.

[pelletfobz 0]

great write up and you got the sunshine. and a good bag to boot well done

[trapper123 7]

Just back from a day ferreting with a very old friend and his son on their ground .

We arrived in the farm-yard to ask the farmer if there were any particular spots he wanted us to tackle just as he was leaving in a tractor . Obviously busy he barely stopped long-enough to give us a big grin and point us toward a long hedge-row between a very sparce bit of arable and a well- shorn bit of grass-land .

 

As we approached the dogs put up a brace of rabbits which instead of heading for the nearest sanctuary decided to make a break across the grass field . Normally this would have been a welcome move on their part but unfortunatly the field is bisected by two stock fences topped by the dreaded barbed wire . By the time we realised what was happening both dogs were in full flight with the wind in their ears and intent upon their rabbits .I did try to stop my little bitch but she was too far away and too excited to take any notice of me! . Two years ago she'd lost half an ear on this very same stretch of stock fence and all I could do was grimace and hold my breath as the rabbit went under the wire and the dog went over . Amazingly she caught it and returned over the top strand for a perfect retrieve .It was a good start but I was glad when the dogs attention was safely focused upon the continous honey comb of burrows beneath the hedge . The hawthorn which had probably once served as a wind-break for the farmer's sheep was browsed bare up to about eighteen inches from the ground and its roots damaged and exposed through years of rabbit damage .

The dogs started marking and we set to work. Slowly in leap -frog fashion we moved ferrets and nets down the hedge-row . There were two or three few shallow digs . The dogs gave us a good idea of where lie-ups were occuring and the locators were used for the final pinpointing.

While all this was going-on we were amazed by the number of rabbits out grazing not much more than 150 yards away and every once in a while one or both of the dogs would be overcome with temptation and belt off after them . In this way another half dozen were added to the bag although it must be admitted that several had been touched by myxomatosis. Unbelievably within a few minutes of being scattered the survivors were back out feeding in a truly suicidal manner .This resulted in a couple of pretty exhausted dogs by lunchtime . As it was warm I opted to take the mornings catch to the farm shop that was only a couple of miles up the road rather than have them spoiled in the sun.

Ireturned to find that my mate and his lad had set the nets on the next section and the action continued .

There was a bit of uninvited excitement when I spotted a wasp's nest next to one of the nets . Before I could warn the others a rabbit bolted and came to rest fully enmeshed right on top of the nest . The wasps were pretty quick but my mate's lad was quicker . He leapt forward ,pulled the peg and was away with the netted bunny before the wasps could select a target .

The afternoon bag was even better than the mornings and included a couple of unusually coloured rabbits . They were obviously wild rabbits but seemed to lack the normal yellow guard hairs in their pelts which gave them a soft greyish look and feel.

It was a good day with a good bag but I still have very fond memories of the days long before the lad was born when me and his Dad scratched about for permission and were more than happy to go home with a couple of rabbits apiece and overjoyed if one of the dogs had so much as a couple of good runs let alone managed a catch .

good day,good write up

[andy s410c 59]

Good day out there C well done.

[max abell 196]

Nice pics and a good day out lads well done

[The one 8,398]

Christ im jealous everybody seems to be getting good bags

[rascal_2005 79]

well done mate, im a west sussex boy, were abouts you from?

 

john boy

[Kruger 0]

Enjoyed that read.

[Parabuteos lad 878]

on the top right picture has anyone noticed the rabbit in the hole

[pencoed hunter 7]

Well done mate plenty of rabbits there

[Lucky-shot 0]

great write up nice pics well done

[ferretville 69]

Good read and pics C

[muddy 6]

Great write up. That would have taken me hours to write that. My replys are short cos it takes me 10 minutes a line. :blush: .Nice pics to!

Edited October 19, 2009 by muddy

[ian21 0]

good bag lads