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View from the Burrow


Arry

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Today down on the side of the river Dart it was beautiful, ferrets where in so took a couple of shots on my phone. No rabbits something is wrong, after a chat with the farmer RHD. He has seen dead rabbits just laid around. Gutted been doing this permission for over fifty years.

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Cheers Arry

 

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1 hour ago, Arry said:

Today down on the side of the river Dart it was beautiful, ferrets where in so took a couple of shots on my phone. No rabbits something is wrong, after a chat with the farmer RHD. He has seen dead rabbits just laid around. Gutted been doing this permission for over fifty years.

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Cheers Arry

 

nice pics, bit different here pissing down all day. do you not use a dog for ferreting Arry? 

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38 minutes ago, fred90 said:

nice pics, bit different here pissing down all day. do you not use a dog for ferreting Arry? 

No mate could do with one, had JR's for about 40 years and when the last one went it broke the wife heart and she is adamant no more dogs. The last one took home told her somebody dumped it and she fell in love with it, don't think it would work again. Lol. To be honest a good marking dog would be worth it's weight to me. Today was strange ferrets hanging around not acting right and burrows look okay, but think maybe fresh dead rabbits in ground.

Had rain nearly all week last week though I was getting cabin fever, Lol. Was great to get out today but such a shame we have so many years rabbiting on that ground. We don't have many open ground burrows and there is normally a good day ferreting on these steep fields. Back to hedge crawling next week.

Cheers Arry

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12 minutes ago, Arry said:

 

No mate could do with one, had JR's for about 40 years and when the last one went it broke the wife heart and she is adamant no more dogs. The last one took home told her somebody dumped it and she fell in love with it, don't think it would work again. Lol. To be honest a good marking dog would be worth it's weight to me. Today was strange ferrets hanging around not acting right and burrows look okay, but think maybe fresh dead rabbits in ground.

Had rain nearly all week last week though I was getting cabin fever, Lol. Was great to get out today but such a shame we have so many years rabbiting on that ground. We don't have many open ground burrows and there is normally a good day ferreting on these steep fields. Back to hedge crawling next week.

Cheers Arry

it's mainly hedge crawling for me as well. used Russell's in the past make great little markers. rabbit numbers are very low around me. I only ferret where the dog marks nothing above 8 holes, I am very much a smash and grab ferreter being a uninvited guest it keeps me on my toes. 

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smash and grab....lol I like that....do a bit of that me sen from time to time....

some stunning country down there arry....shame about the lack of bunnys.....becoming a bit of a nationwide issue

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5 minutes ago, TOMO said:

smash and grab....lol I like that....do a bit of that me sen from time to time....

some stunning country down there arry....shame about the lack of bunnys.....becoming a bit of a nationwide issue

I have other ground but I'm very fond of these steeps usually do them first in the season and woods while waiting for the hedges to lose their leafs and die back. 

Cheers Arry

 

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Sad times but I fear your situation is becoming the norm and those lucky enough to still be catching large numbers are the exception. Rabbits are tenacious and fecund little survivors and will hopefully be back in good numbers but may take people being a bit sensible (don’t kill every rabbit and wonder why there’s none there next season) and be a patient as it won’t happen overnight. This summer round me i genuinely thought they had turned a corner after some poor seasons last few years but last month or so it feels like RVHD has struck again and knocked them right back....

Edited by Bobtheferret
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4 hours ago, Arry said:

 

No mate could do with one, had JR's for about 40 years and when the last one went it broke the wife heart and she is adamant no more dogs. The last one took home told her somebody dumped it and she fell in love with it, don't think it would work again. Lol. To be honest a good marking dog would be worth it's weight to me. Today was strange ferrets hanging around not acting right and burrows look okay, but think maybe fresh dead rabbits in ground.

Had rain nearly all week last week though I was getting cabin fever, Lol. Was great to get out today but such a shame we have so many years rabbiting on that ground. We don't have many open ground burrows and there is normally a good day ferreting on these steep fields. Back to hedge crawling next week.

Cheers Arry

you and your gear might spread the disease to other areas the virus lingers for months you should disinfect every thing including boots or ware others cheers

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Someone in the pub told me to fill in as many holes as posible if you know rvhd has been there, as the virus can stay dormant on the carcass of a rabbits for 90 days... this apparently stops other rabbits spreading the decease. (Look for flies around the holes he said)

And if rabbits are in the warren they will dig themselves out.

But he also said 'dogs cant look up'

FF

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9 hours ago, ferret110 said:

you and your gear might spread the disease to other areas the virus lingers for months you should disinfect every thing including boots or ware others cheers

I was saying the same thing myself about two years ago when the subject came up. It can live in the ground for 9 months I believe so if a rabbit enters the burrow where an infected one has been it all starts again. Already done the car will do all the net pegs as they have been stuck in the ground around the burrows, but you are right it's very contagious. The farmer has other ground that he will move cattle to from time to time, this sort of thing along with Foxes, Badgers ,bird of prey, dog walkers horses and green lane scramble bikes I believe all help spread this blood disease. 

Cheers Arry

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5 hours ago, Furrosious ferreter said:

Someone in the pub told me to fill in as many holes as posible if you know rvhd has been there, as the virus can stay dormant on the carcass of a rabbits for 90 days... this apparently stops other rabbits spreading the decease. (Look for flies around the holes he said)

And if rabbits are in the warren they will dig themselves out.

But he also said 'dogs cant look up'

FF

I can see the theory but would be imposable, so many holes in the middle of thick hedges as well as open ground burrows etc, thousands of them. With this farm and the one next door ( also one of my perms) which has RHD must be close to 1000 acres.

Cheers Arry

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7 hours ago, Flacko said:

Shame bout rabbits mate but that bit of land looks a real picture, you might need to get on yer bike so to speak atb Flacko 

It's a beautiful area were I live to be honest Flacko, hate to think how many time ether my mate or myself will stop and take in the surroundings and say something like "you can't buy that". At least I do appreciate it so many don't.

As for getting on my bike, I agree. I do have other permissions but they are being knocked off one by one. It's going back to like when I was a youngster, two or three of us would go out all day for a brace. Over the years this got better and better as mixie got weaker and weaker till a peak about 5 years ago.  Numbers have been dropping year on year.

Cheers Arry

 

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Whilst it is commendable to try and stop the spread of the dreaded RVHD if it is as contagious as sounds I would say your fighting a losing battle, from my understanding of the spread it is already countrywide and the rabbits chances of making a comeback are more to do with developing immunity as it is so contagious that you will not be able to stop the spread, with farmers, birds, livestock, walkers, other wildlife it’s just not possible. I know in Australia in took around ten years for this strain to not exactly die out but it’s effectiveness to seriously reduce.  By my estimates we are around 4-6 years since initial outbreak depending on location. The positive is even areas where numbers have been dramatically reduced around me there are still the odd few about and in the summer they did pick up even if they then dropped off again but at least there’s a few there. 

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