A day in the Durham Dales With Chipper

[Giro 2,648]

eye spot on fella that will be good look forward to it

[samba 534]

CHIPPER IS ONE GREAT GUY AND GOOD DOGMAN

[Phil Lloyd 10,736]

CHIPPER IS ONE GREAT GUY AND GOOD DOGMAN

 

You are right there Samba,...he has always been very decent and showed great hospitality to me...

[nrat 8]

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.

ARTICLE WAS A GOOD READ ,THE SHEPERD LOOKS LIKE IT MIGHT HAVE MALINIOS IN IT CERTAINLY A GOOD LOOKER

[john hubery 9]

nrat chippers dog is a pure malinios, and your right it is a striking animal, though I dont thing the dog is papered up, owing to the dog that was used being of a milatry service back ground, so it is not bred from hair brained show stock which shows in the dogs ability to use its nose and think for its self, a true joy to watch in the field, at the danger of repeating my self this dog has to be one of, if not the best all round dog I have seen, in my opinion the way forward

[marco 24]

IV'E KNOWN CHIPPER FOR MANY YEARS AND HE IS A GOOD FRIEND,HE'S ALSO A GENUINE AND KNOWLEDGEABLE DOG MAN WHO IS DEDICATED TO HIS CHOSEN SPORT AND ALWAYS HAS GOOD WORKING STOCK ON BOARD,KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK MATE

[Guest warren]

Thanks; Samba, John and Chalkwarren. I have walked out with john and chalky and had some great times with them both. They are both as good as company can be. John Hubery is no fool when we get talking about our rabbiting dogs and Chalkwarren is like a lurcher dictionary and I like nothing better than having a chat and listening to his; sometimes funny, sometimes seriouse, sometimes passionate but always knowledleable lurcher craick. Regards Warren

[Guest warren]

Sorry to leave you out Marco and thanks for the kinds words. Pop in for a cuppa when your passing. Regards Warren

[chink07 0]

just reading about the Durham dales with chipper brought back some memorable days hunting coney with a very good dog called bob (star of the rabbiting mam 1)and the man himself,about 8-9 years ago we covered most of the same ground of the dales as this post ,putting the fear of god in the lucky rabbits that managed to escape the jaws of bob i managed to soak up a fraction of this mans knowledge to put me on the right road to hunting coney.yours in sport chink

Edited November 25, 2007 by chink07

[malinois-dogs 0]

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...

 

 

[Giro 2,648]

just reading about the Durham dales with chipper brought back some memorable days hunting coney with a very good dog called bob (star of the rabbiting mam 1)and the man himself,about 8-9 years ago we covered most of the same ground of the dales as this post ,putting the fear of god in the lucky rabbits that managed to escape the jaws of bob i managed to soak up a fraction of this mans knowledge to put me on the right road to hunting coney.yours in sport chink

 

 

Bob was grand sire to my current lurcher bitch..

 

[malinois-dogs 0]

ok lets all talk about chipper, well my first impression of him was when i got invited up for a few days ferreting on chips mountain , i arrived early one morning with my friend vic to the smell of eggs and bacon cooking and was greeted with a big smile and a hand shake, and he welcomed me into his home as if he had known me for years and sat me down as if being seated in a restaurant, and brought me the biggest breakfast and cup of tea you had ever seen.He then said make sure you eat it all as you will need all the energy you can get, then i was soon to find out why when we got to chips mountain,chipper had a dog with him called nell who soon found a rabbit and was straight into action before the rabbit had chance to get going nell had picked it up took it back to chipper without a mark on it,it was then gutted and passed to me and this went on for about an hour until we were about half way up the mountain, i have never seen such stamina in a little dog chipper must really look after his dogs as this dog never seemed to tire, then the dog started marking holes then chipper in a second had got them all netted up and nell kept pointing towards the hole where the rabbits were going to come out and out they did all 53 of them, obviously not all out of the same hole all around the mountain. by the time i had got back to the car i could eat an elephant, i was knacked and i am a fit guy but what a day and what a great bloke i really enjoyed myself and the hospitallity , this guy knows what he is doing he is a credit to the dog world

[Giro 2,648]

Yes truly a proper rabbiting man...

 

I was out with the fella again last week same crack excellent day!! Got piss wet through but was well worth it..

 

chipper gave me a biscuite and a bag full of rabbits

 

Chipper was working NELL excellent bitch made some wonderful catches and had a nose like a blood hound this bitch missed nothing..

 

He's a busy fella but knows he is more than welcome to come and walk our small piece of land..

 

I will carry the rabbits

[john hubery 9]

those of you that know chipper, will know that its not just nell and fiz that are the cream of rabbiting dogs, he as all the dogs in his kennle trained and working to an exellent standard, I have had the plesure of walking out with chipper and his little pack a number of times and seen his dogs work under many differant conditions, I can only say it is time well spent in the field, I was also lucky enough to have him pass a little black lurcher bitch on to me earlyer this year, she has become my constant ferreting and mouching companion, a big big thankyou to chipper from me

[Guest warren]

Well lads I am flatered to say the least and I thank you kindly for the good write-ups but you have finaly penertrated my thick skin and I am a little embarrassed now. I have had a good week in excellent company. Through the week I had a very enjoyable day with two keen dog lads, giro and a vey good mutal friend of ours, it was a joy to be out with them and what cracking lurchers they have. two good mates from Staffordshire have just set off for home and I'm sure they have had a good time. yesterday we along with the dogs got soaked to the skin but we wre rewarded with some fantastic dog work and regardless of the gale force winds and pouring rain all three dogs; Monty a Malinois x Greyhound, Fiz a pure Malinois and Nell my lurcher kept searching and catching rabbits with gusto. The dead bracken was holding a lot of bunnies so we came home with a respectable bag. We got soaked again today while out bushing with our bobbery packs, 1 rabbit is all we got but an excellent time was had by all and isnt that what its all about?

Regards Warren