High Ground - Low Numbers

[Brimmer 220]

Seems ages ago since I last put a post together. This weekend we started our season.

 

Last season was cut awfully short by the snow which came on December the 18th 2009. It covered the ground solid, nearly 18" deep.

 

 

It took over 8 weeks to clear patches of green. Previously we had done well, out maybee 2-3 times a week, getting good bags. In 17 days out we had hit over 700 rabbits just with the ferrets and dogs, hitting 60+ four times.

After the snow came, we didnt have a single trip out during that time, fingers crossed hoping the next week would see the thaw.

Eventually, when we did get out towards the end of Feb, the conditions had done our job to rabbit population, corpses just led around on the ground everywhere, every tree stripped of bark for what little food it could provide, every silage stack was hammered by the starving animals, and farmers just killing the bag of bones rabbits with sticks in the farmyards.

 

It was a sorry state. We gave up then and gave them a break.

 

The farmers seemed convinced they would bounce back during the summer, personally I was sceptical. The rabbits on the hills up here only breed a few times a season, maybee 3 generations at best in a year, usually the first lot born in March, with the tail end in Sept.

 

This weekend showed what impact the hard winter had had. We had been forced into action a few weeks early to be honest, keen to get going the other teams had been at the rabbits for a few weeks themselves now, lamping and ferreting.

 

Cannot see what te major rush is to be honest, the numbers are way down, even the farmers are saying there are very few around and are not complaining about them.

Every rabbit we had on Sunday was a three quarter grown rabbit, probs from the second breeding back in July, no match for a half decent lurcher, or a half decent jill.

 

The thing that really sickened me, was the ferreting of a one holer. Usually these are bonus holes in a normal season, but shortly after the jill was entered, I heard the squeaks of tiny rabbits, looked down and saw a young fluff barely weaning age with its eyes still shut trying to escape the ferret. Things like this bother me now, 20 yrs ago i'd have just got on with it, but you start to question what you are acheiving sometimes. If you are killing the babies for nothing more than sport, what kind of b*****d are you.

 

Everything seems to have been knocked back a month at least by the cold weather early in the year. The birds nesting, the fish on the beaches, the plants growing also the rabbits breeding. Although one plus seems like the cold has helped knock the mixi on the head, usually its rife at this time in the season, but for once looks quiet.

 

Anyway, I need to get back on topic and stop rambling, the old feller has had a new knee fitted in recent months, this will see him getting about a bit more now. Also last week, after not breeding any kits for 2 seasons now, I could not resist an offer of 2 albino jill kits off one of the old chaps that work the same land as us, they are quite small and like biting at present!

 

Dinnertime on Sun we ended up with only 15 rabbits, all 3/4 grown efforts, but all in good shape, with plenty of weight on them.

They are thin on the ground, with barely enough around to keep the dogs interest for the day, so looks like this season is not going to be much to write about. We may manage the season just pulling bags into double figures if there are still a few on the rest of the land, but I think it may have to be a steady season and look after whats there to be honest. (Dont think the dogs will settle for that though, may have to find a bit more work for them!)

 

Sorry for all the typing guys, hope you have a good season!

[ferret110 27]

Good post lets hope this winter is not to hard all the best

[Ideation 8,217]

Good post mate, well written,. Sadly it looks like we could be in for an equally hard one this year.

[stealthy1 3,964]

Now then Brimmer, welcome back Dont know what the score is over here, still cant see much for the cover at the minute, but its starting to die back

[The one 8,595]

Another good write up mate much the same here were we hit then hard last season there thin on the ground ,but new permissions showing good numbers

[TOMO 29,427]

we had our first trip up there last week brimmer, we got 46, but that was right in the vally bottom. when speaking to the farmer befor hand , he said there wernt much about...... now 46 aint a bad a score............ but theres going to be very few days with scores like that.

 

i also thought like you brimmer, in all honesty it would be best to leave them well alone ........... but of course you cant do that or someoe else will move in. i think most of my hunting will be done on local permision this year with just a few trips up north to show our face