Parinoia About Cleaning Nets.

[Tiercel 6,986]

I have been reading back over old threads and it never ceases to amaze me how many people are paranoid about a net picking up rubbish. So much so that they will use nets that are totally unsuitable for catching rabbits just to avoid a couple of minutes cleaning a net.

 

Yet the same people will dig 2, 4, 6 ft just to get a fecking rabbit. It is not that difficult to clean a net, just follow a few simple rules. Any twigs pull out backwards (from the thickest end) with a shaking motion and not to enough pressure to close the meshes, any bracken just leave it there it will fall out on it's own. Leaves depend on what tree and how dry they are the larger the leaf as a rule the easier it is to get out of the net just treat as twigs and grab by the stalk. Small leaves can be a bugger to get out when wet so I just leave them, when dry just crunch them up in your hand and they will fall out themselves. The worst that I have had is rape stubble roots as they are all twisted, but providing you do not put enough pressure to close the meshes the do come out quite easily.

 

I would rather spend my time cleaning a net then counting the rabbits, than have a clean net and no rabbits to count.

 

TC

Edited November 13, 2014 by tiercel

[The one 8,595]

I hang my nets by the two end pins on nails in the garage and every time I pass it give it a shake and spend five minutes cleaning it ,it gets done in no time

[bullx100% 681]

Good post tc I very rarely get crap in mine as I set my net a it away from the hedge as to let the rabbit get up speed and by the time it's hit the net its at full speed only thinking about what's behind it and not what's in front. Also when I do pick up my net I make sure it's high eunf off the floor I collect all bagging in one hand and if there are any twigs it takes seconds get them out. Some times if it's a big twig I will snap it in the net as I find it comes out in two half so easier. Leaves and grasses are left in till next time I set by then ther dry and like you say the just crumble ..

[Tiercel 6,986]

Good post tc I very rarely get crap in mine as I set my net a it away from the hedge as to let the rabbit get up speed and by the time it's hit the net its at full speed only thinking about what's behind it and not what's in front. Also when I do pick up my net I make sure it's high eunf off the floor I collect all bagging in one hand and if there are any twigs it takes seconds get them out. Some times if it's a big twig I will snap it in the net as I find it comes out in two half so easier. Leaves and grasses are left in till next time I set by then ther dry and like you say the just crumble ..

A bit of a double edged sword by there, by setting the nets away from the hedge you save on cleaning, but gain the bounce offs because of the speed the rabbits are travelling at. It's just trying to find that middle ground where the net stays reasonably clean and the rabbits do tangle not bounce.

 

TC

[bullx100% 681]

Good post tc I very rarely get crap in mine as I set my net a it away from the hedge as to let the rabbit get up speed and by the time it's hit the net its at full speed only thinking about what's behind it and not what's in front. Also when I do pick up my net I make sure it's high eunf off the floor I collect all bagging in one hand and if there are any twigs it takes seconds get them out. Some times if it's a big twig I will snap it in the net as I find it comes out in two half so easier. Leaves and grasses are left in till next time I set by then ther dry and like you say the just crumble ..

A bit of a double edged sword by there, by setting the nets away from the hedge you save on cleaning, but gain the bounce offs because of the speed the rabbits are travelling at. It's just trying to find that middle ground where the net stays reasonably clean and the rabbits do tangle not bounce.

 

 

TC[/quo

 

Yes I agree if the net is too far away it does cause bouncers. I find 99% of my bouncers are when the nets are far away and the rabbits run at theme strait on how ever when they bounce they normally then run along the net and try to get out further up but then they hit the banging at a angle and secure them self in. I also set a stop net in side if I have to set the nets further away from the hedge due to hedge cuttings

[krawnden 1,036]

I have been reading back over old threads and it never ceases to amaze me how many people are paranoid about a net picking up rubbish. So much so that they will use nets that are totally unsuitable for catching rabbits just to avoid a couple of minutes cleaning a net.

 

Yet the same people will dig 2, 4, 6 ft just to get a fecking rabbit. It is not that difficult to clean a net, just follow a few simple rules. Any twigs pull out backwards (from the thickest end) with a shaking motion and not to enough pressure to close the meshes, any bracken just leave it there it will fall out on it's own. Leaves depend on what tree and how dry they are the larger the leaf as a rule the easier it is to get out of the net just treat as twigs and grab by the stalk. Small leaves can be a bugger to get out when wet so I just leave them, when dry just crunch them up in your hand and they will fall out themselves. The worst that I have had is rape stubble roots as they are all twisted, but providing you do not put enough pressure to close the meshes the do come out quite easily.

 

I would rather spend my time cleaning a net then counting the rabbits, than have a clean net and no rabbits to count.

 

TC

 

I agree in principle, but there's 'crap' and there's 'crap' if you see what I mean. Twigs and leaves aren't too bad. But the 1 - 2" thorn stubs from a flailed hawthorn/blackthorn hedge (that I was referring to in my "10oz sheeting" post) have to be seen to be believed. If there's a quick and simple way to get them out I've yet to find it. I've had 50 yard nets set alongside that sort of hedge that take anywhere from half an hour to an hour to clean. Easy to set the net away from the hedge for a night time drop, but for daytime ferreting where the rabbits run down the hedgeline, unless you set the net in tight to the hedge you won't catch anything.

[J Darcy 5,871]

That rape stubbles the worst stuff, the last time I had a morning long netting hares we laid 300 yards of net and the best place co-incided with a field of rape stubble. That took some cleaning up I can tell ya! We got what we needed to get, so picking stalks out is just part and parcel of it all. One thing I learnt when netting at night is to set the net a little farther out from the wood if you can, there's a few less snags and debris out there than tight against the woods edge.

[Tiercel 6,986]

 

I have been reading back over old threads and it never ceases to amaze me how many people are paranoid about a net picking up rubbish. So much so that they will use nets that are totally unsuitable for catching rabbits just to avoid a couple of minutes cleaning a net.

 

Yet the same people will dig 2, 4, 6 ft just to get a fecking rabbit. It is not that difficult to clean a net, just follow a few simple rules. Any twigs pull out backwards (from the thickest end) with a shaking motion and not to enough pressure to close the meshes, any bracken just leave it there it will fall out on it's own. Leaves depend on what tree and how dry they are the larger the leaf as a rule the easier it is to get out of the net just treat as twigs and grab by the stalk. Small leaves can be a bugger to get out when wet so I just leave them, when dry just crunch them up in your hand and they will fall out themselves. The worst that I have had is rape stubble roots as they are all twisted, but providing you do not put enough pressure to close the meshes the do come out quite easily.

 

I would rather spend my time cleaning a net then counting the rabbits, than have a clean net and no rabbits to count.

 

TC

 

I agree in principle, but there's 'crap' and there's 'crap' if you see what I mean. Twigs and leaves aren't too bad. But the 1 - 2" thorn stubs from a flailed hawthorn/blackthorn hedge (that I was referring to in my "10oz sheeting" post) have to be seen to be believed. If there's a quick and simple way to get them out I've yet to find it. I've had 50 yard nets set alongside that sort of hedge that take anywhere from half an hour to an hour to clean. Easy to set the net away from the hedge for a night time drop, but for daytime ferreting where the rabbits run down the hedgeline, unless you set the net in tight to the hedge you won't catch anything.

 

I have been using long nets for over 35 years I was a gill netter for 15 of those years believe me you have never seen a really dirty net as I stated in the post above there is an easy way and a hard way. Get your self a small screwdriver heat the end and flatten it then bend the end over 90 degrees you only need about 5mm bent. Then grab a piece of thorn by the base and use the bent screw driver to stroke the meshes off the thorns.

 

TC

[Tiercel 6,986]

I just made one up out of an old fork drill a hole in the handle and add a lanyard and your ready to go.

 

When using it DO NOT pull the netting tight, grab the thorn by the base and stroking away from yourself use the bent tip to gently pull the meshes off the thorns. Gently is the operative word here.

 

 

 

 

TC

[krawnden 1,036]

Thanks tiercel. Sounds good - I'll give it a go.

 

This is one of the things I love about this site - if you ignore all the d**kheads who get into pointless slanging matches there are some really helpful people who are only too happy to pass on tips and advice.