A day in the Durham Dales With Chipper

[Giro 2,648]

Last week i was lucky enough to make a journey across the water and up to Northumbria.

 

My good friend is old pals with the Canny wee bloke chipers smith and he kindly offered us a walk out on the moors...

 

Its was a Excellent day and the company and crack was second to none It was the first time i had met or ever spoken to chipper he made me so welcome and extended his welcome to giving me a game carrier and the bag full of rabbits we took that same day...

 

 

I and my friend Had our collie lurcher's and chip had a young Shepard bitch 11 months old, This young dog had the highest standard of obedience i have ever seen it was bomb proof chip gave the odd command but mainly the young bitch was working to hand signals.

 

We stared out at the base of the fells walking up grass fields with stone walls The dogs hunting up.. We approached a field set which all the dogs gave a strong mark So we put a ferret to ground and stood back and waited.. The young bitch sat alertly and the lurcher's were on tender hooks hearing the ferret / rabbits beneath them in the ground, it was barley 30 seconds and we had our first bolt the lurcher's failed to pick it up as it first left the set but were in hot pursuit gaining on the coney and putting him under a fair amount of pressure but as lass he made it through a stone wall and away.. The ferret was still to ground working away and again a bolt but this rabbit done a duck and dash and made it to the next hole a foot away.. We waited on a min or too But knew this ferret was the killing type i took to the box and scanned the ground. Fantastic a 12 inch dig got the spade broke through almost straight away got the ferret and thumbled my rabbit which was in a pipe and lost him darn and blast..

 

Re entered the ferret and it could not find the rabbit which was hard for me to understand with it being such a sallow spot but we boxed him up and moved to the next set which was ten or so yards away this set was to prove more fruit full as we bolted two accounted for by the lurcher's and one sallow dig again while we were ferreting chips dog sat alert watching it was almost humane like in the excitement of a bolt it pursued a rabbit which the lurcher duely snapped up the Shepard and lurcher held the rabbit softly and i called my lurcher off she left the rabbit and the Shepard bitch retrieved the rabbit live to chips hand like a spaniel.

 

Again we moved on along the fields the dogs working cover there was a lot of fresh sent about and my bitch even marked a few rushes dived in and expected a rabbit but no reward they must of just left we still had not put a rabbit up but the walk and scenery was fantastic we approached a larger set on a a small bank with a small beck running along side it was a fair sized set not massive but not small with 20 ish holes chipper had two young ferrets which was there first outing he put them both t ground one at one side of the set and vice versa. It was not long before rabbits made a run for it the first like a bolt of lighting straight across the beck the lurcher smashing into the water and up the small bank but the first one got away as the dog were returning one bolted and ran straight to them a easy pick up and another in the bag.. I was standing next to chipper silently we could hear the rumble beneath out feet then some serious thumping then the scream of the rabbit it was clear the ferret had bottled this on up we listed and the screams stopped chipper said thats a dead and out with the box he got his mark 1 1/2 foot so i took to the spade this dig was not as easy as the first but i wont complain it was not 6 foot after all tho a little stoney i broke through straight on to the rabbit removed the rabbit which was stone dead with the ferret attached to it head.. "Well thats a worker i said laughing" As this was going on my friend at the other end of the set also said to fetch the box and spade we got the mark at a foot broke through and again rabbit stone dead ferret attached we boxed one ferret up and reentered the other which produced and other two bolts for the dogs which they accounted for.

 

We had not even been out an hours this was all in site of the moter at this point chipper pointed up and said "that's were we are going" so we made our accent on the moor from grass Fields the to moorland the ground got rougher and rockier with wild grass and bracken this is were we made contact with the real rabbits we spread out my self with my lurcher J with his lurcher and chip with his Shepard the dogs were scenting well Hoovering the ground stopping sniffing the air then quartering and finding a line. It was very blustery which the wind chip said could blow sent away from a dog as sooner carry it to them. It was not long till the dogs put up a few they were running well taking a few off the chair and some explosive runs and a few catches and a few misses..

 

Chips shepherd which i was watching hunt from the distance hunted like a terrier at a fast but controlled pace head down and tail wagging all the way this dog knew its job following lines to sets and marking them in also flushing it fair share of rabbits just lacking that speed to catch them on the run. As we were reaching the top to regroup between us we had a couple of decent healthy rabbits which I was now carrying in my new game carrier which was a handy bit of kit the one thing i learnt straight off was to drain the rabbits as i was covered in piss never the less i was more than happy.. The two guys i was with have had dogs longer than i have been alive the knowledge and advice i was getting was text book First hand the real thing.I was not made to carry the rabbits everyone offered but i felt it was my schooling and my apprenticeship i was lucky to be there and i think every old timer could do with a young rabbit carrier LoL.

 

We were walking along a nice bit that had leveled out so it was kinda flat this is where i gained my breath as it was a healthy lung busting walk for me compared to the flat paddocks i walk in my area. Again chips dog marked one in again we used his ferrets they bolted five from this set accounting for 4 and again one shallow dig. I don't take many photos when i am out as i mainly hunt alone or lamp with my friend but i decide to take a few snaps at this point as it was such a treat to be up on the hills well would'nt you know my battery was flat and i only got two shots LoL tho two crackers one of chips bitch and one with the man doing his bit with the box and my friends old lurcher bitch.. After a few jokes at me not being very prepared with my camera and i had also forgot me sarnies but never mind we headed on descending a little through rabbit town lol there was loads it was like a pice of swiss cheese but it was so rocky the dogs did not make much of them it was also a place not to work the ferrets as you would of need nets for these sets and a keenness for the spade they looked deep to..

 

We carried on just taking it all in chip giving me a few pointers showing me seats letting the young dogs have a sniff the day was not over yet we ferreted a couple more burrys as we hit the lower grassier ground bolting a few catching a few and missing a few but you cant catch them all we had walked a fare few miles and been out for a good few hours as we walked the little red dot of the moter was getting larger and we were getting closer to the end. The dogs lifted a few more Bunny's which for me is the best to see as the dog follows it nose stands points diving in and producing game my little bitch put one up chased it turned it right back to us went thought the gears and picked it right up on the straight which i was more than happy with chips little dog got in on the action and they jointly received the rabbit to me no fuss pulling at the rabbit what so ever. That was the last we caught we put a few more up but missed them and right before the moter we flushed one from under a tin sheet which should of bean lunch but it was not ment to be. We had a great day seen plenty of game if we had taken nets we could of taken a good few off the ground it was more about the dogs that day watching them hunt and catching a couple we ended up with 17 rabbits not a great bag but not a bad bag but the best thing for me was being out there on the lad with my dog and such great company...

 

I really thanked chip for the day out and my friend for the introduction it was a quality day one i wont forget , Don't think chip gets on the web but thanks again true gent a real rabbiting man..

 

shame about my camera but the two pics i managed to get...

 

 

Edited November 13, 2007 by Giro

[jultaylor1972 2]

Great post! Brilliant read.

[Guest Frank]

Id say that was an eye opener, good man, thanks for the wright up, good read.

Chippers Shepard dog looks interesting, love to see more pics of it, as it does not look like your usual show type, which is good.

[IanB 0]

Hey chalkie you should be giving mini-me a piggy back ... A grand day out by all accounts Giro

[phil wright 2]

GOOD POST GIRO.

 

IM GLAD YOU ENJOYED YOUR DAY OUT IN DURHAM.I KNOW IM BIASED BUT WE HAVE SOME FANTASTIC COUNTRYSIDE ON OUR DOORSTEP HERE.

[socks 32,253]

Hey chalkie you should be giving mini-me a piggy back ... A grand day out by all accounts Giro

 

giving the fella a piggy back the guy is lucky he is even carrying 2 rabbits ............

[Malt 379]

nice write up. sounds like you enjoyed yourself.

[ferretville 69]

Good stuff giro cracking county northumberland happy hunting FV

[Giro 2,648]

Cheers for comments was a top day my driffel dont do it the justise it desrved

 

Thanks folks

[john hubery 9]

chippers dogis a malinois[belgian sheperd]I have hunted a number of times with cipper and this dog, it is truely an exellent rabbiting dog with unbeliveable drive and just lives to catch rabbits, even after a full day on the moor when lurcher have long faded fizz just keeps on going

[Giro 2,648]

chippers dogis a malinois[belgian sheperd]I have hunted a number of times with cipper and this dog, it is truely an exellent rabbiting dog with unbeliveable drive and just lives to catch rabbits, even after a full day on the moor when lurcher have long faded fizz just keeps on going

 

 

Yeah it never tiered when we were out...

 

Malinois I could not spell that What a dog, Honestly surprized me I thought it would be obediant never knew it would hunt as well as it did really smart dog.

[ferretman 0]

my mate bought a long net off chipper and we saw the dog at his set up.i would not like to go in to his kennels on my own the dog will ripe you to shreads it was a complete nutter but a nice dog all the same.

[john hubery 9]

know what you mean giro and ferretman this dog seems to have no end to its talents, I have always been a collie cross devoatee but if this dog or another of its type where to be crossed with a greyhound or greyhound/whippet I think I would be in line for a pup, a dog that has incredible nose more than capable of finding and catching its own rabbits marks sets with the best of them and better than most, as the intelligenice to know when not to give chase and the caperbilaty to tackle bigger things, work with a gun on any thing from pigeons up over and set about any one you dont want around your kennles, if this dog sounds like some sort of super dog then that is about what it is,I have worked lurchers and gun dogs for over thierty years, and seen many breeds and cross breeds work, now although I am experienced in the working dog world I am by no means the world renowned expert that some on this site would have us belive they are[ some folk are good with words writen and spoken that makes them authors not experts]I feel this could truely be the alround dog we have all been looking for over the years, like I say Im no expert these are just my thoughts, as the saying goes each to his own, but those of you that have been fortunate enough to see this dog work, and it will only get better know what I mean

[Giro 2,648]

What type of jukle is it chalkie??

[john hubery 9]

Giro Im not to clever with the computer when I work out how to get the stills of my vidio camera I will put some more pics of chippers dog up for you