PUPS FIRST OUTING

[tote 870]

I've been itchin' to get Blue started on the lamp but the weather up untill last night hasn't been great so I decided to wait. Yesterday it blew most of the day and was still blowing last night so it was time to get started.

 

Picked my mate Tam up on the way and he brought his air rifle along as he for a shot or two. Got to my permission at 9.30pm and spoke to the farmer for 20 minutes, he was glad to see us back and assured us there were plenty of rabbits about.

 

We headed off into the first field after negotiating over and under some electric fences. The beam was switched on at 10pm and the fun began, as usuall you never know what to expect with a pup on it's first session.

 

We decided to try and let Tam shoot the first which he did but it was a runner, Blue was slipped and caught it which wasn't hard as it was struggling. I then reached for my whistle to peep him in but I'd left it at home.

 

Tried whistling with my mouth but it's doubtfull if he could hear me for the wind so gave him a few shouts but he was that wound up he wasn't going to bring it back, infact it looked like he was going to eat it in the end. One for the ferrets that one.

Next rabbit was the same, shot by Tam but running. Blue caught it and this time he carried it half way back before dropping it.

 

By now I wanted him on the next rabbit without it being shot. We went into the next field and found a suitable rabbit and after a nice run with 5 or 6 turns Blue had his prize. After much encouragement he brought it some of the way back.

 

Blue got the next rabbit unaided aswell and this time brought it in to about 10 yards so he was getting closer all the time. When he picked this rabbit it was doing a lot of squealing, I had the lamp off and when I switched it back on I could see a set of eyes darting across the field towards us, at first I thought it was the dog running about with the rabbit but it was a fox coming to the squealing rabbit as soon as the beam hit it it was off.

 

Tam shot the next two rabbits stone dead, there were 6 in the bag now so we left them hanging on a gate near the farm and set off to do two more fields. Blue was slipped on the next rabbit that was heading for a dry ditch that had plenty of brambles, hawthorn trees and undergrowth growing in it. When the rabbit went into the ditch I thought "that's the end of that" but Blue followed it in and forced it out, in it went again then back out, this happened 3-4 times before we finally heard the rabbit squealing in the ditch and Blue appeared with it in his mouth.

 

The next two rabbits were shot and running and Blue caught both of them. Rabbit number 10 was shot through the eye so wasn't going anywhere. The last rabbit of the night was caught by Blue again in the same ditch at the far end of the field and this time he retrieved it about 50 yards but stopped 10 yards from us.

 

I only mentioned the rabbits that were caught above, just incase anyone thinks we didn't miss any Blue ran another 5 or 6 rabbits that got away. You can't get them all with an experienced dog so there's not much chance that a novice will manage it.

 

By the time we gutted the rabbits and walked back to the car it was 11.10pm so it wasn't a bad wee session. Overall I was pleased with the pups performance, okay the retrieving could have been a lot better but hopefully we'll see an improvement as the season progresses.

 

Pic from last night.

[storm323 191]

sounds like you had a good night how old is the pup he looks nice what cross is he?

[tote 870]

sounds like you had a good night how old is the pup he looks nice what cross is he?

 

He'll be 11 months on thursday storm. He was bred by Miss Lurcher Bitch and is,-

 

sire,- 3/4 greyhound, 1/4 collie.

 

dam,- whippet X 3/4 greyhound, 1/4 collie.

[Irish Lurcher 1,013]

sounds like you had a good night how old is the pup he looks nice what cross is he?

 

He'll be 11 months on thursday storm. He was bred by Miss Lurcher Bitch and is,-

 

sire,- 3/4 greyhound, 1/4 collie.

 

dam,- whippet X 3/4 greyhound, 1/4 collie.

 

 

Well done to that dog, he is a fine looking animal

[KittleRox 2,147]

nice animal.atb

[matmorgan 49]

sounds like your gunna have a usefull dog there chap.well done.atb.mat

[pit bull 15]

well done mate it sound like itz gna be good dog pal

[Keano 74]

nice one mate

[Guest vin]

fine looking dog..well done .

wish i could have 1 night like that in the whole season.

[tb25 4,627]

mint looking dog that

[storm323 191]

sounds like you had a good night how old is the pup he looks nice what cross is he?

 

He'll be 11 months on thursday storm. He was bred by Miss Lurcher Bitch and is,-

 

sire,- 3/4 greyhound, 1/4 collie.

 

dam,- whippet X 3/4 greyhound, 1/4 collie.

looks a nice dog same age as mine,bet your looking forward to getting out with him more?

[miss lurcher bitch 319]

nice one tote cracking looking dog really pleased hes turned out good for you hope you have many season with him atb mlb

[richie198 28]

well done sounds like a good night was had by all

[lamping rabbit 11]

good start to the season ..

[tote 870]

I was back out tonight with Blue, weather wise it was far from ideal, calm and muggy but at least it was dark. We only did a handfull of fields and there was a herd of inquisitive cattle in every field bar one which put a bit of a spanner in the works.

 

Anyway onto the lamping, Blue missed the first four rabbits but that was down to inexperience he was tight onto them but his timimg isn't there yet. He did roll one of them but he also rolled himself and by the time he was righted the rabbit was in the hedge.

 

He did manage to nail the next two rabbits and retrieved them kind of, the first one he brought back into 10 yards and the second into 5 yards. By this time we'd done the loop and were back at the car.