Second night nerves

[Attaboy 159]

After getting a few good runs on his first trip out, I've been waiting for another chance to get out lamping with my 18 month old dog, Atta. In my previous entry under new members introduction, entitled, First Night Nerves, I described my first ever lamping trip with a very experienced bloke I know. Although he did well on the first trip, he didn't connect with a rabbit so I was still not sure how he was going to perform.

Last night we had perfect conditions, good wind, no moon, bit of rain. My stomach was turning somersaults... I already knew he had plenty of drive and the ability to catch, having caught a bunny in daylight, but would he retrieve to hand or just charge off into the night, scaring every bunny in the field? Well, the first field wasn't holding many rabbits but the dog started pulling at the slip on entering the second field, and sure enough, when we turned on the lamp it was heaving! My mate did the first slip and Atta went hurtling down the field... but in the wrong direction! He then continued running a circuit of the field, scaring every single rabbit while I whistled hopelessly! Feeling like a right idiot we tried the next field. This time we had more luck and he had a good run down the beam but didn't connect. We walked through a small gate into the next field and I had a go with the lamp and spotted a squatter. We walked up closer, put the lamp back on it and away he went. After a fantastic chase, the rabbit went into the hedge, followed by the dog. Nothing... Then, calling him in, he appears through the gate with a bunny in his mouth, running straight back to me, where I took a still live bunny from him... textbook retrieve, RESULT! 

To be continued...

[Sirblessed 2,511]

Last time I went out with the light, my brown bitch took a rabbit off Zip after being caught, was on her way back and flushed another sitter out of the grass, she took off after it with the other rabbit still in her mouth, didn’t catch the rabbit and dropped the one she had, so we lost them both. Bloody dogs! It was amusing to watch. Good news was we did manage to bag a few.

[green lurchers 17,099]

16 hours ago, Attaboy said:

After getting a few good runs on his first trip out, I've been waiting for another chance to get out lamping with my 18 month old dog, Atta. In my previous entry under new members introduction, entitled, First Night Nerves, I described my first ever lamping trip with a very experienced bloke I know. Although he did well on the first trip, he didn't connect with a rabbit so I was still not sure how he was going to perform.

Last night we had perfect conditions, good wind, no moon, bit of rain. My stomach was turning somersaults... I already knew he had plenty of drive and the ability to catch, having caught a bunny in daylight, but would he retrieve to hand or just charge off into the night, scaring every bunny in the field? Well, the first field wasn't holding many rabbits but the dog started pulling at the slip on entering the second field, and sure enough, when we turned on the lamp it was heaving! My mate did the first slip and Atta went hurtling down the field... but in the wrong direction! He then continued running a circuit of the field, scaring every single rabbit while I whistled hopelessly! Feeling like a right idiot we tried the next field. This time we had more luck and he had a good run down the beam but didn't connect. We walked through a small gate into the next field and I had a go with the lamp and spotted a squatter. We walked up closer, put the lamp back on it and away he went. After a fantastic chase, the rabbit went into the hedge, followed by the dog. Nothing... Then, calling him in, he appears through the gate with a bunny in his mouth, running straight back to me, where I took a still live bunny from him... textbook retrieve, RESULT! 

To be continued...

Well done pleased for you n your young dog 

[Steveswans1987 80]

Hello mate did you do much retrieving exercises when he was a pup or did he just naturaly retrieve that rabbit, I've got a 6 month old collie cross and seems to get bored with the ball. What do you think? Cheers ?

[Attaboy 159]

2 hours ago, Steveswans1987 said:

Hello mate did you do much retrieving exercises when he was a pup or did he just naturaly retrieve that rabbit, I've got a 6 month old collie cross and seems to get bored with the ball. What do you think? Cheers ?

I did a bit with the ball and just a couple of sessions with a training dummy covered in a rabbit skin until the skin fell to bits. My dog got bored with the ball after just a few minutes so I was always worried about the retrieve. It's such a relief to have that worry behind me! He did take a bit more persuading to retrieve the rabbit skin but just those couple of sessions seem to have made all the difference, or, as you say, maybe it just came naturally.

[Gilbey 1,500]

id say you letting him mature helped

[Steveswans1987 80]

11 hours ago, Attaboy said:

I did a bit with the ball and just a couple of sessions with a training dummy covered in a rabbit skin until the skin fell to bits. My dog got bored with the ball after just a few minutes so I was always worried about the retrieve. It's such a relief to have that worry behind me! He did take a bit more persuading to retrieve the rabbit skin but just those couple of sessions seem to have made all the difference, or, as you say, maybe it just came naturally.

Aye a think al get a rabbit skin dummies and try him with it, nice 1 mate ?

[morton 5,369]

On 23/03/2018 at 23:20, Attaboy said:

After getting a few good runs on his first trip out, I've been waiting for another chance to get out lamping with my 18 month old dog, Atta. In my previous entry under new members introduction, entitled, First Night Nerves, I described my first ever lamping trip with a very experienced bloke I know. Although he did well on the first trip, he didn't connect with a rabbit so I was still not sure how he was going to perform.

Last night we had perfect conditions, good wind, no moon, bit of rain. My stomach was turning somersaults... I already knew he had plenty of drive and the ability to catch, having caught a bunny in daylight, but would he retrieve to hand or just charge off into the night, scaring every bunny in the field? Well, the first field wasn't holding many rabbits but the dog started pulling at the slip on entering the second field, and sure enough, when we turned on the lamp it was heaving! My mate did the first slip and Atta went hurtling down the field... but in the wrong direction! He then continued running a circuit of the field, scaring every single rabbit while I whistled hopelessly! Feeling like a right idiot we tried the next field. This time we had more luck and he had a good run down the beam but didn't connect. We walked through a small gate into the next field and I had a go with the lamp and spotted a squatter. We walked up closer, put the lamp back on it and away he went. After a fantastic chase, the rabbit went into the hedge, followed by the dog. Nothing... Then, calling him in, he appears through the gate with a bunny in his mouth, running straight back to me, where I took a still live bunny from him... textbook retrieve, RESULT! 

To be continued...

18 months of age and getting its first catch in the beam at the wrong end of March,id have been really pleased for you if you had posted this about 6 months ago.

[morton 5,369]

1 minute ago, Wideboy said:

This is why people don't do write ups anymore, as you will always of done the wrong thing according to somebody! Why can't people be happy instead of trying to be macho.

Well done with the dog!

Or because to many on here find it acceptable that an adult jukel is now doing what a pup should be capable of.Really an 18 month old mutt catching a fecking lamped bunny in March and we are all supposed to jump on the Hunting Life Happy wagon.Macho?,what a crock of shite/

[delswal 3,819]

8 hours ago, morton said:

Or because to many on here find it acceptable that an adult jukel is now doing what a pup should be capable of.Really an 18 month old mutt catching a fecking lamped bunny in March and we are all supposed to jump on the Hunting Life Happy wagon.Macho?,what a crock of shite/

Everybody has to start somewhere, what does it matter when the lads dog took a rabbit? it took it retrieved live to hand does it mater what time of the fecking year it done it? Maybe a more experienced man such as yourself might of offered advice instead of being a totally negative, or is it the wrong time of year for advice and easier just to be negative?

[morton 5,369]

8 minutes ago, delswal said:

Everybody has to start somewhere, what does it matter when the lads dog took a rabbit? it took it retrieved live to hand does it mater what time of the fecking year it done it? Maybe a more experienced man such as yourself might of offered advice instead of being a totally negative, or is it the wrong time of year for advice and easier just to be negative?

So the dog and owner have managed to bypass all of the fecking season,when the mutt could have managed a lamped fecking rodent in october and im now fecking negative.Id have started it in September,caught a bunny on its first night,made it a decent lamping jukel by october and a fecking good-un  by the time it was 18 months old.By all means lets be positive about this?.

Edited March 25, 2018 by morton

[delswal 3,819]

8 hours ago, morton said:

So the dog and owner have managed to bypass all of the fecking season,when the mutt could have managed a lamped fecking rodent in october and im now fecking negative.Id have started it in September,caught a bunny on its first night,made it a decent lamping jukel by october and a fecking good-un  by the time it was 18 months old.By all meand lets be positive about this?.

Who are you to say when he should run his dog? His dog his choice? His mistakes to make, his dog to make, no doubt when you were new to the game you done everything correct and by the book eh! like feck ya did. 

[morton 5,369]

8 minutes ago, delswal said:

Who are you to say when he should run his dog? His dog his choice? His mistakes to make, his dog to make, no doubt when you were new to the game you done everything correct and by the book eh! like feck ya did. 

I maybe did

[delswal 3,819]

Like feck ya did, you get a pup coming up at the so called wrong time of year and you get the chance of a run................it runs and you know it 

[morton 5,369]

1 minute ago, delswal said:

Like feck ya did, you get a pup coming up at the so called wrong time of year and you get the chance of a run................it runs and you know it 

Ill run a pup all summer to get it up to spec and not bat an eyelid at folk that do the same,ill turn every dirty and sneaky trick in the book,and scripture not fit for print,to get a young jukel ahead of its ambition.What i draw a line at is folk that accept an adult mutts purpose in the same sentence as a pups.Anybody,in my mind,that seeks solace for an 18 month old mutt in late March and folk that sit comfortable with that i find a tad uncomfortable with.The lads been a lazy twat for over 6 months.