Hands of Stone 154 Posted March 29, 2015 Report Share Posted March 29, 2015 Even if she sees the sitter don't slip her, walk her up to it till it makes a move. I find it really confuses a green dog as when the nice juicy squatter suddenly disapears, then the dogs looking at you not the beam as the "easy" rabbit makes an easy escape.... as everyone says pick your rabbits, but know find out what you need to look for! Quote Link to post
peterhunter86 8,627 Posted March 29, 2015 Report Share Posted March 29, 2015 (edited) Dont worry mate they don't all catch gut skin and cook rabbits for you first night lamping like some of the dogs you read about on here give the dog a chance Edited March 29, 2015 by peterhunter86 1 Quote Link to post
look up 406 Posted March 29, 2015 Report Share Posted March 29, 2015 We're east anglia are you.....I'm In Ipswich and if you want .you can come out with me and a mate on the lamp with your dog to get it started if you like ....atb I'm in cambridge, I'll hopefully get out with her a few more times locally and see how we get on. Thanks for the offer though, going out with someone experienced would be ideal.... Your about a 1hour away the offers there when you want ...atb 2 Quote Link to post
skycat 6,172 Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 Is 50yrds a bit too far away to be slipping? Much too far: if you really mean 50 yards. Rabbits in this area are on speed, especially at this time of year: anything that has survived the winter is pretty clued up in survival technique, even if it hasn't been lamped before. Plus lots of light pollution round Cambridge: never truly dark at night. You need to find squatter, like others have suggested. Walk it up with bitch on slip until you are only a few yards away, then put it up, don't slip her on a squatter she won't have seen. Maybe even let her watch it run while you keep the beam on it for the first time, without slipping her. Let her learn to follow it in the beam without running it.. Once she understands what she is looking at then you can slip her. On grass or drilling the rabbit will go at the speed of a rocket, so don't expect her to catch many if the rabbit only has a few yards to go before it hits home base. 1 Quote Link to post
mhopton 807 Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 We're east anglia are you.....I'm In Ipswich and if you want .you can come out with me and a mate on the lamp with your dog to get it started if you like ....atb Good offer that well done to you not many of us who is willing to help newbies left out there top bloke 2 Quote Link to post
Casso 1,256 Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 Is 50 yards really too far ?? With conditions like that how are you going to get any nearer ?? Only ever saw experience of the dog as a barrier to really long slips 200 metres or more, only because the dog knows through experience there is something out there If Ya can't start a dog on 50 metre slips , do Ya just come home again , 50 yards arnt all that far , Quote Link to post
s.e.s.k.u 1,893 Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 Some dogs click faster than others..be 100% sure dog has seen bunny before you slip..I'd say you'd benefit from a night out with an experienced lad/lass..and good luck. .atb sesku Quote Link to post
skycat 6,172 Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 50 yards is a long way for an inexperienced dog to sight a rabbit, and if the rabbit is up and running the chances are that the dog won't try to cut it off without experience in doing so, so it will be running to where it first sees the rabbit, more or less, then have to run like the clappers to get up on it again, if it has managed to follow the beam: fine for experienced dogs, but for a first timer I'd be creeping along the hedgerow/dyke side and looking for a squatter I can walk out to, purely to get the dog practice in actually running the rabbit and learning how they dodge, stop and set off again in the opposite direction. That's always worked for me and I've never yet taken a young dog out and failed to catch on its first outing. 1 Quote Link to post
Casso 1,256 Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 Pace out 50 yards , some large dogs won't even be up to speed at that distance , it's not that far Quote Link to post
slip lead 862 Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 Practice makes perfect. For anyone bringing on a pup buy a ferret a some nets, then find the biggest field you can find, and then the pup will have ample time to practice his trade. 1 Quote Link to post
J Darcy 5,871 Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 On the lamp 50 yards is a hell of a long way. 30 yards on the lamp looks like 50 yards in the light. I would imagine that the distance was much closer than 50 yards. IMO, forget hunting now, start up again in August when the rabbits are young and green. 3 Quote Link to post
Casso 1,256 Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 (edited) Let's get this straight, A rabbit 50 yards away in a big field is beyond a young dogs capabilities, not talking a pup here , a young dog coming up on 11 or 12 months old How else are you going to get him running the beam if you don't practise it Edited March 30, 2015 by Casso Quote Link to post
skycat 6,172 Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 Running in the dark lit only by a small patch of light is something that a dog has to learn how to do; If you've ever stood 100 yards away from someone else who is lamping a rabbit, even from human height it is hard to distinguish much at all, let alone see detail. Now get down to dog height and try to see and run after a rabbit surrounded by darkness all the while being occasionally blinded by the beam when you turn into it, and the problem is obvious. IMO you practice on targets that are much closer to begin with: let the dog build confidence at short range before slipping it on something 50 yards away which is likely to run out of its line of sight before it gets there, requiring much more effort to get up on it again. Then, when the dog is running flat out and the rabbit knows exactly what is happening, it is much harder for the young, inexperienced and over enthusiastic dog to apply the brakes and turn with the rabbit when it does a 90 degree turn. Like I said before, add light pollution into the equation as well as savvy bunnies at this time of year: all making it much harder for the dog. 3 Quote Link to post
Casso 1,256 Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 Let's get this straight, A rabbit 50 yards away in a big field is beyond a young dogs capabilities, not talking a pup here , a young dog coming up on 11 or 12 months old How else are you going to get him running the beam if you don't practise it He's talking about the dogs very first night out lamping rabbits If you had a young dog on a slip and is sighted of a rabbit 50 yards away do you slip it yes or no, Quote Link to post
Casso 1,256 Posted March 30, 2015 Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 (edited) Out in the field yes or no, I have a marker 50 yards down the field and would slip a young dog all day at that distance Been said on here 50 yards is too far for varies reason , light pollution , clever rabbits , Edited March 30, 2015 by Casso Quote Link to post
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