Bad start but good finish

[comanche 2,799]

Back in October I promised a customer I would ferret her garden,when I had the time. Well I finally had the time today but thinking I would be dealing with half a dozen holes in her compost heap that she had shown me  I didn't turn-up until midday. Luckily rather than the pocketful of nets and single ferret I had planned on taking a little voice in my head urged me to go overgunned so I took along a pair of ferrets ,two of short long-nets and a couple of dozen purse nets.

 

A bit more exploration of her rather immaculate and spacious garden revealed a hedge backing onto a pony paddock. I reckoned the voice in my head had been a sign from the rabbiting Gods as it was obviously the epicentre of bunny evil rather than the compost heap she'd made all the fuss about. I risked waving to a couple of stable girls who not only waved back but gave me permission not only net to their side of the hedge but to come back another day and go round some of their other fields.

I started with the compost heap though. I was glad I was ferreting single-handed and there was nobody around to observe two rabbits sneaking away unscathed. The only concellation was that they made their way with the dog in futile pursuit towards the field hedge  and ducked into holes I had earmarked for later attention. Dogs are brilliant ferreting companions they never make snide comments about bad netting and missed holes,though mine does give me disgusted looks sometimes.

I didn't quite have enough purse nets to cover all the holes in the hedge bottom but gambled that between the long nets and dog and with the back-netting Joker on my side I might not lose too many rabbits. The main problem was that while the garden side of the hedge was tailored like a National Garden display,the field side was abit of a tangle. And to reach it meant avoiding not only brambles but a two strand mains-powered electric fence.

 

With nets in place I took to the rough side to guard one of the long nets leaving the dog in the garden to cover the purse nets and hopefully have half a chance to intercept anything that found a clear pop-hole.

Amazingly this mixed-method ferreting payed-off better than I had hoped.I don't think anything escaped:the long nets caught, the purse nets caught and the dog  caught a few runners and pinned netters. This was lucky because with rabbits popping out on both sides of the fence I spent quite a lot of time flailing ineffectually about in the hedge itself and doing ungaily rolls under the electric fence rather than pouncing on netted bunnies myself. By the time the burrows were clear there was snow in the air and ice forming on the nets  so what had started as amateur showtime with the compost heap debacle had finished with perfect timing and ten bunnies in the bag.

 

 

       

Edited January 31, 2019 by comanche

[dytkos 17,534]

Great write up mate.

Cheers, D.

[Chaff 3,414]

Thanks for that mate good little read I have done a few gardens this season all big with tennis courts and paddocks got a few rabbits from them but always seems to be the main warren is in another garden and they bunny huggers. On the plus side with a bit of luck the warrens where we have permission will repopulate.

Nice dog how's he bred

 

 

 

[comanche 2,799]

1 hour ago, Chaff said:

Thanks for that mate good little read I have done a few gardens this season all big with tennis courts and paddocks got a few rabbits from them but always seems to be the main warren is in another garden and they bunny huggers. On the plus side with a bit of luck the warrens where we have permission will repopulate.

"Nice dog how's he bred">

                                              He's no Spring chicken these days. Mum was a pure  collie and His Dad a stray lurcher.

 

 

 

 

[Chaff 3,414]

Looks like a handy dog to have ferreting dog

 

[TOMO 24,843]

nice write up mate...been a few seasons since ive done a garden job...always intresting places to ferret