Thinking Of Going Out Tomorrow

[mr scent 665]

Finished diggin three weeks ago cubs are on the ground let them breed to f**k

[greenshank1 406]

There is two different things on this post.

Many of the lads on here work terriers for sport . Getting out and working their dogs at weekend and holidays and fair play to them. There are also guys who have been criticised for being shooters and spoiling sport by lamping with the rifle and digging cubs for game birds or retaining permission or just fair weather hunters who dig cubs which may make the sporting lads sick but their aims are totally different.

Here in North West highlands keepers / hill shepherds will from now on check all dens they know with the terriers but as spring approaches also take with them shotgun and lamp and rifle and sleeping bag. If they find an occupied den they will aim to get the cubs and hopefully the vixen . If the vixen or dog bolts and is missed or is away from the den then they stay out all night as they will likely return to the den during the night when they can be lamped or accounted for in the half light of dawn. This is traditional pest control with some dens having been visited every year since Victorian times. You might not like it but that's how it is done to protect grouse , lambs , pheasants.

As long as you look after the terriers and respect the fox different people will always have different aims.

 

And what you have described does exactly that (respect the fox) whilst it may be hard on any fox population in that area during lambing/breeding season in reality after springtime not much, very little or any control is done in those areas during the rest of the year after the breeding/lambing season so other foxes move into the ground hence why the same dens are visited year after year it doesn't wipe out the population but controls it during a critical period.

For me it's about a balance of control which if done right can keep numbers under control whilst also allowing the area to re populate during less critical times and thats why most hunt country or land worked by sporting/weekend terrier men (for want of a better phrase) or indeed sporting rifle men have foxes on year after year whilst also controlling numbers.

All that said if your employed on a commercial shoot it's your job to control predation and understably less tolerance is given all year round and much harder approach is taken which I can fully appreciate.

The bit that doesn't sit right for me are those that have already been mentioned that would be classed as sporting/weekend terrier men but yet haven't had a fox to ground all year but surprise surprise come springtime when cubs are about or vixens to ground have had a "call out" and just have to kill the cubs or they'll lose permission....which they haven't been on all year anyway! There will always be the need to control specific problem foxes during cubbing but they are few and far between if you've been on the land the rest of the year, and let's be honest if your out digging the rest of the year most farmers/land owners will have seen enough of you during the season to not be threatening to remove permission if your not on there digging in spring.

JMHO but as they say each to their own.

 

Jasher

 

I totally agree with you. What I described isn't done year round it's a season job for a real reason . I also agree that weekend terrier men with no birds , lambs or deer calves to protect and haven't been out all year but start on vixen and cubs are not real terrier men or countrymen.

Atb

Green shank

[morton 5,367]

A lot of terrier lads cannot work certain area,s until the shooting is over,the busiest time for them is this time of year,unsavoury but necessary part of terrier work.If the terrier lads don,t shift them the snares,traps and bullets will.Many terrier lads will persuade some of them to take up residence elsewhere.