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Getting near the end for me after this jolly


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Well today was a session I wont be forgetting in a while. I thought I would give my local golf course another go this morning, after having a look around in the snow yesterday for warrens. There seems to be plenty of warrens about the place, but a majority seem to be empty, unlike years ago, where the place was alive with rabbits. Ive only had this permission for 6 weeks, and it seems to be much more of a struggle than doing paddocks/agricultural land which im used to. All the small patches of gorse that has holes in them dont seem to hold anything, but the big expanses have a few, but they are so big I cant net them up. Well after having a look in the snow yesterday, there were a few areas that appeared to hold rabbits. I went to the first area, where the gorse sections are 100 yards long and 50 yards wide. I managed to cut through thinner areas and run longnets to divide them off. well the first one had a fair few foot prints around the edge, but the main number of holes were in the thicker stuff, but I can only try. The first section was a triangle, roughly 30 x 30 x 20 yards. It had 4-5 holes, which I hoped would hold one or two. In go the two jills, and after 2 minutes, one rabbit bolted like lightening, hit the net and flipped over. Bloody typical!  They the ferrets were up again. Stuck them in other holes, and back again after a few minutes. Boxed them up and put the longnets back in the basket.

I then walked along the section of gorse, and there seemed more holes in the middle of it, but couldnt do bugger all with it. The far end had a thinner area, so out with the secateurs, and run the longnets round. Not a sausage in here.

I then walked to the far end of the golf course, but it was just a thick mass, i couldnt even see any holes from walking the perimeter. I then started walking along the far side, to an area which had a fair few prints in the snow yesterday. It was a good sized oval lump, with a dip in the middle on the side of a hill. I had 100 yards of longnet, and thought it would be tight, so after a little trimming, the nets were ran round with 4 inches to spare! I put a jill in each end, the mother on the west end, and the daughter to the east. In a couple of minutes, a rabbit bolted and hit the net in the middle on the north edge, a quick run down and it was soon dispatched. A quick flick of the longnet so the slack evened out and back waiting. The daughter threw up another rabbit that soon laid next to the first, shortly after she threw up another. I thought this was a good start considering they had only been down a few minutes. I walked to the other end and had a quick wave of the mk3 just to check what the mother was up to, as I couldnt keep my eyes on the whole area at once, I just stood in an area I could see the net topline in several places, so if anything hits the net, I could see the topline twinging. The mother seemed to be working the holes, she popped her head up and turned straight back down again. Quick walk back towards the other end, wave of the mk3, and the daughter was working her way across to the west end. I thought the mother must be getting the run around, but the daughter working this way would put a stop to that. Didnt see any rabbits or ferrets for 15 mins, so a quick wave over, I believe the daughter was at the base of the west end, and the mother was 5 yards into the golf course, 7 feet down. Gave it another 10 mins and they were both in this same spot. Good ol double blips. It was now about 2ish, and I wanted to be away sooner rather than later, as the forecast predicted it was going to lash it down. As the ground here is pure sand, and I was on my own, I didnt really want to dig that depth. These two jills are generally pretty good, they will stay for half an hour, then usually leave the rabbit and come back out, but after waiting an hour and the heavens opened, I though I need a new plan of action. Out come the gutting knife, I opened up one of the rabbits and held it outside the nearest hole under the gorse, while doing my calling whistle. Half hour passed and they hadnt moved. Bugger. Out came the spade, a big area of grass was sectioned up and lifted. Digging in pure sand as we know isnt great. I knew the mk3 said 7 ft, but more than often, its over generous. I estimated they would be 5ft hopefully, so I cut steps out and worked down. I got to the 3 ft mark and waved the mk3,  and it reads 4ft! I dug down to 4.5ft on the last step, checked again and they had moved 2ft to the west, they were now 4ft away  roughly. Now it had gone 4pm, it was lashing down, I wasnt really much closer to getting them and at 4.5ft deep in pure sand,I had a quick fag and a little think. I wasnt willing to dig down any further on my todd, to go that deep I would have to open the hole up so much to make it safe, that it wasnt realistic. Balls. I couldnt leave the hole open all night, as there are dog walkers, and if someone fell down it would be a negligence claim. So I filled the hole back in, trying to keep it as neat as possible, as it was on the fairway. I couldnt quite get all the sand back in, but managed to get most of the sections of grass pretty level, and filled any gaps with sand. It would soon recover. I then sat of the ferret box, well deserved coffee in hand and waited. I was covered to the hilt in sand and with it pouring down with rain, I felt, and probably looked like a swamp monster. It was now starting to get dark, and thought Im going to have leave the ferret box here over night near the holes and hopefully I would find them curled up in the shredded paper in the morning. If they go for a wander in all this gorse Im stuffed. If a dog or fox gets hold of them Im also stuffed. So my head is going abit in overdrive with what ifs. Another coffee  and a quick fag in hand, its getting rather dark, so I then get the 100 yards of long net back in the basket. Next minute, something catches my eye, 5 ft from the box, a ferret pokes her head out, I notice the bald spot from the jab, so at least the daughter is boxed up. Check over the dig site, and the mother is still there. I thought what do I do now? It would be a struggle to leave the box there, cart everything back a mile to the motor with a squirming ferret in my pocket! Another coffee, a good dose of rain and in the semi darkness I see the mother pink nose sniffing the air. I could have kissed the little bugger! Straight in the box. The walk back to the car was no fun, my left foot started playing up, so it was a painful limp in the rain. I was just chuffed that I had the little buggers boxed up and safe.

Once home, I gutted the rabbits and one had well formed young inside. It was probably a nest they found, and thats why they didnt  do their usual half hour and up.  Look like the end for me at this permission, but Im glad I spent the last 6 weeks here. Its a hell of a difference from paddocks and the agricultural land I have been doing, makes you question yourself, and add a few more strings to the bow, but thank god I can now get cleaned up and a bit of tea in my belly.

PS I still hate pure sand.

 

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Sounds like my  ferreting, most weeks something such as this happens,you swear you will choke the ferret when you get your hands on it again,but once you see the wee nose and pair of eyes appearing at the hole  mouth a flood of relief washes over you & a smile springs  to ones face .Then we go and do it all again  the next day .

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Exactly. You have hit the nail on the heat, you could throttle them! Usually these two jills are good as gold. Half hour lay up then out. Not what everybody wants, but when you are working deep warrens its a bonus. Some of the warrens are 16ft + in the sandy soils around here. 

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Bloody good write up there Beany01. When you get one of them days when you are by yourself its always hard with only one pair of eyes and ears, and when your digging you can't keep your eyes out else where. You hung in there, there are blokes i've known in the past that would have just fxcked of and left them. I find i get really attached to ferrets and I would be more that gutted to lose one. So well done and thanks for sharing.

Cheers Arry

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3 hours ago, samuria said:

nice write up mate, you done the right thing by your ferrets.

that's good on you. hope all is well ? :victory:

Yes Im all good thanks Samuria. How are you keeping? This season has flown so quickly, and with the snow on the ground you soon forget its nearing the end. Im going to collar the kits up in the next few days and give them a run before its too late. They are mad as a box of frogs! Three different ferrets. One is really boisterous and will attempt anything, the other isnt far behind, but seems to think about things before rushing in, and the one that had the issues when it was small isnt quite so big built, or so sure of herself, but shes a lovely thing and as soon as i put my hand near her, she wants her belly tickled. Until I try them, you just dont know how they will be in the field. Im sure they will each have their pluses and minus's, which isnt a bad thing, as I have such varied permissions, im sure there will be something to suit all.

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Great read! I do a lot on my own, and we don't dig much here, so waiting is part and parcel of ferreting hard ground, thankfully it's not all that often, and we dont lose many strangely enough. here is a clip I took from today never had to wait, was a good day out, a bit windy and the rabbits weren't bolting too easy, will post a video later. A.T.B - Doug

 

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Cheers for sharing ?dug a first season hob at 10 ft in sand few seasons ago in the Highlands.... Mates said f**k it, we buy you a new collar lol, got the rabbit and the hob was playing in and outie with me?‍♂️little prick. I always carry a few mesh tube traps with me, handy as I fill in the holes and leave one entrance open, Rabbit in the tube and throw old coat over it, come back in the morning ? had a 4 m dig in sand to a terrier yesterday, got 0.9 off it only for it to bolt...... Silver lining and that..... :whistling:

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