When to Hunt

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Personally, I think the old maxim about " An 'er in the month " started falling apart over a decade ago and is now rapidly demonstrating itself to be shot to shit, by 'nature', that is. Or at least by those phenomenon which we now class as 'natural; Seasons and climatic behaviours and such. I mean, September? I'm hearing the buzz right now that Eire is due to get its long awaited " Summer " this August / September. I'm having my own hay field cut today. First of august?! We've suffered a time slide.

 

Think back to even just last september. How many of ye here were reporting milky does? What about last december? Simple fact is; The b*stards never stopped breeding! Rabbits, at least. They may slow down a little, thus far, yes. But there's no more of the old rock hard, frosty ground and full grown rabbits guaranteed from october onwards, is there?

 

Regards the other aspect? I wiped out an entire wasps nest last night. Doubtless killed thousands of baby waps. Anyone crying? Uncover a nest of pink rats and what do ye do ....? If ye being paid to exterminate a creature on somebody elses land, and it's a verified 'pest', knocking out a pregnant female is a bonus all round! No room for sentimentallity. No room for sport.

 

So where does that leave us? Off the top of my head? I guess the Pest Controller goes after them year round. Killing one and taking nine out of the equation being a bonus. The Spotsman? You tell me. I'm a Field Sportsman too. I understand and embrace the ethics, in my own time. But what are we then to do?

 

I suggest we'll have to either go with the flow and get used to the idea of helping stem the strenghening tide of 'pests' out there. Or else simply accept the point that 'baby bashing' is not sporting, and not for 'us' and so bow out of it and find some other pass time.

 

Fact is though that a Pest Controller can't pick and choose his periods of activity by the content, or otherwise, of an " 'Er " in the month. Just how much longer does the Field Sportsman truly consider He can hold onto that ideal?

[juckler123 707]

Summers are for mouching and letting pups learn i get out early and late and a bit if bunny bashing with the old dogs on them estates that are too warm to do later in the year .

Apart from laying the ferret up and leaving larger game alone life goes on as normal cant see the point in getting the dogs and myself out of shape just cos theres no R in the month i thought that applied to shellfish not shushies .

[Ludwig 0]

LUDWIG DO TWO GRAVEYARDS IN LIVERPOOL YOUR RIGHT MATE THEY DO SOME REAL DAMAGE

what happens if your ferrets lie up?

are you allowed to dig?

 

On the Graveyard I work digging is not an option so i just wait until the Ferret comes up (never more than an hour and half) This has never caused me a problem; but a mate did try putting a hob down with a FF collar on (I can't see the point if you can't dig) and apparently he never came up, my guess is he caught the collar on something but he never worked out the exact location because something was giving false readings on the locator.

 

I only started using FFinder last season and never had a problem with lie ups as I just waited till the ferret came up and made sure that the ferrets were well fed before going out. The only thing that gets irritaiting is when you get a ferret who kills underground more often than not , as even though it will come up soon enough it still is one less for the bag.

 

as a foot note Cheers for all the responses on this topic its definatly food for thought. All of the permission I have I can loosley say I am on for pest control perposes, but most of it is a pretty fruitless in the summer months appart from the graveyard; As I can't work the Dog on it cause he'll injure himself on the gravestones it doesn't get its fair share of attention in the winter because of this I figure it is fair to work it at least 2-3 times in the summer; especially when rabbits are breeding all year through down here in the south.

[Ricky-N.p.p 0]

Personally, I think the old maxim about " An 'er in the month " started falling apart over a decade ago and is now rapidly demonstrating itself to be shot to shit, by 'nature', that is. Or at least by those phenomenon which we now class as 'natural; Seasons and climatic behaviours and such. I mean, September? I'm hearing the buzz right now that Eire is due to get its long awaited " Summer " this August / September. I'm having my own hay field cut today. First of august?! We've suffered a time slide.

 

Think back to even just last september. How many of ye here were reporting milky does? What about last december? Simple fact is; The b*stards never stopped breeding! Rabbits, at least. They may slow down a little, thus far, yes. But there's no more of the old rock hard, frosty ground and full grown rabbits guaranteed from october onwards, is there?

 

Regards the other aspect? I wiped out an entire wasps nest last night. Doubtless killed thousands of baby waps. Anyone crying? Uncover a nest of pink rats and what do ye do ....? If ye being paid to exterminate a creature on somebody elses land, and it's a verified 'pest', knocking out a pregnant female is a bonus all round! No room for sentimentallity. No room for sport.

 

So where does that leave us? Off the top of my head? I guess the Pest Controller goes after them year round. Killing one and taking nine out of the equation being a bonus. The Spotsman? You tell me. I'm a Field Sportsman too. I understand and embrace the ethics, in my own time. But what are we then to do?

 

I suggest we'll have to either go with the flow and get used to the idea of helping stem the strenghening tide of 'pests' out there. Or else simply accept the point that 'baby bashing' is not sporting, and not for 'us' and so bow out of it and find some other pass time.

 

Fact is though that a Pest Controller can't pick and choose his periods of activity by the content, or otherwise, of an " 'Er " in the month. Just how much longer does the Field Sportsman truly consider He can hold onto that ideal?

 

 

not long if ye as me ditch ! i was getting pregnant doe's and baby bunnies in january last year !

just part of what we have to deal with now

[Guest ceredigion bull cross]

Im the same. They will chase the odd one over summer, and the terriers get a few bushing this time of year, but i dont deliberately hunt ie lamping/ferreting untill Sept.

ALL animals deserve the chance to breed, a rabbit is no less worthy than a hare/roe/fox.

MOLL.

 

same here

[gibby 0]

I shoot rabbits in the summer but just enough to keep the ferrets fed.

 

Unless I got asked specifically to do it for pest control then I would take as many as I could and would even use ferrets if it was the best option. Because there are some occassions when if you turn down the landowner you risk losing the permission.

[Tallyho 181]

september to late feb

[BULL 100]

september to late feb

sept to march but dont mind the odd bunnies over the summer when they have cut