optimum time for lamping

[rob190364 2,594]

I went lamping this morning just after 4am and went to two different farms and there was literally sod all about. Dog got 2 runs in 2 hours, seriously poor! Am I better going earlier than that? what time do people normally go?

 

I must admit at one farm there were tyre tracks all over the fields (tw'ts!) so it's possible the chav brigade were there just before me scaring everything in sight, but there's usually plenty of rabbits at the other one and it was dead, we saw 1 rabbit!

 

Would I be better going at about midnight rather than early morning?

[Simoman 110]

It all depends on the area Rob, some spots are fine to lamp an hour after dark, some at midnight and some at 3am, depends on how educated stuff is to the beam, is it near housing etc etc, bit of a piece of string answer really but one place i lamp is fine an hour after dark, another i hit at 12am and another after 1am.................

[rob190364 2,594]

It all depends on the area Rob, some spots are fine to lamp an hour after dark, some at midnight and some at 3am, depends on how educated stuff is to the beam, is it near housing etc etc, bit of a piece of string answer really but one place i lamp is fine an hour after dark, another i hit at 12am and another after 1am.................

well that was the other thing I was going to ask, one of them is inbetween an A road and a housing estate....it's never pitch black because of the glow of the streetlights/road etc! we do get a few runs but it's just bloody hard work to be honest. Any tips on that sort of place?

[Simoman 110]

It all depends on the area Rob, some spots are fine to lamp an hour after dark, some at midnight and some at 3am, depends on how educated stuff is to the beam, is it near housing etc etc, bit of a piece of string answer really but one place i lamp is fine an hour after dark, another i hit at 12am and another after 1am.................

well that was the other thing I was going to ask, one of them is inbetween an A road and a housing estate....it's never pitch black because of the glow of the streetlights/road etc! we do get a few runs but it's just bloody hard work to be honest. Any tips on that sort of place?

 

 

Depends Rob, i'd be wary about the a road depending what sort of road it is, had some scary moments with dogs being taken over roads, all i can suggest is try and get between the rabbits and their warrens, you could alwasy string a long net out but im assuming you want to run the dog?

[rob190364 2,594]

It all depends on the area Rob, some spots are fine to lamp an hour after dark, some at midnight and some at 3am, depends on how educated stuff is to the beam, is it near housing etc etc, bit of a piece of string answer really but one place i lamp is fine an hour after dark, another i hit at 12am and another after 1am.................

well that was the other thing I was going to ask, one of them is inbetween an A road and a housing estate....it's never pitch black because of the glow of the streetlights/road etc! we do get a few runs but it's just bloody hard work to be honest. Any tips on that sort of place?

 

 

Depends Rob, i'd be wary about the a road depending what sort of road it is, had some scary moments with dogs being taken over roads, all i can suggest is try and get between the rabbits and their warrens, you could alwasy string a long net out but im assuming you want to run the dog?

No there's no chance she's going to go on the road, there's two high fences seperating the field from the road. I'll just have to persevere and pick them off a few at a time, nothing else I can do really.

[Ossie n Arch 1,683]

Iv'e often wonderd this, but for another reason. I'm a terrible sleeper, so i go out early rather than get up early the next day. Iv'e been out early in the morning when on holiday and seen a few about. But i only lamp lateish at night now. Went out at 9:30 last night. Went local and was back for 11:30. Not the best night for it, but a few out. Would i have been better setting the alarm for stupid o'clock ??

[artic 595]

I've been lamping at many different times of the morning and night, it varies. Crop plays a good part too.

 

If I'm going with rifle to shoot foxes then just after dark I find is when they are out in numbers.

 

With the dogs I normally head out at 10:30, but then it depends on how much ground I'm going to cover. I tend to find 3/4hrs is enough for me these days as I only lamp for the table, numbers do not interest me no more.

[FightTheBan 1,147]

For rabbits I usually find at least an hour of darkness helps to get them out in the field feeding and not just hugging the hedgerows. After 3ish or later they seem to be more flighty and want to head back to the burrows more readilly as they have been out all night.

 

Foxes usually just lamp from an hour of darkness onwards and hope to bump into one.

 

But each area is different and you will only find out by trial and error.

 

FTB

[The one 8,594]

Aye i like to give them at least a hour after its dark to come out and settle down and start feeding away from the burrows I was out at 21.30 tonight and they were out ,but at my work its at 01.00 and they seem to come out

[rob190364 2,594]

For rabbits I usually find at least an hour of darkness helps to get them out in the field feeding and not just hugging the hedgerows. After 3ish or later they seem to be more flighty and want to head back to the burrows more readilly as they have been out all night.

 

Foxes usually just lamp from an hour of darkness onwards and hope to bump into one.

 

But each area is different and you will only find out by trial and error.

 

FTB

I'm off out tonight at about 10pm to the same place, it'll be interesting to see if it's any better than on the morn.