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Rats and Rabbits


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The Gamekeeper happened to mention he'd seen a few rats round his hens a couple of weeks back when we called in to see him, and said he was thinking of poisoning them :icon_eek: dont do that :no: said I, we'll bring the smoker along next time we come ferreting :boogie: Floyd and his son joined us this morning for what we thought would be ratting for half a dozen rats and moving on to do some ferreting. Looking around the place it seemed promising, plenty of fresh well used holes about the place, the dogs marking straigtht away. One of the young gamekeepers came along too, bringing his two terriers, and the keeper, his wife and the bairns, thought they might spectatate too "eeeeh its been years since I did any ratting" he said with a great big grin on his face, and the kids thoroughly enjoyed it and never shut up the whole time we were out :D We got quite a few rats around the hens and he seemed really pleased, so suggested we have a look on the tops next to the game crops, there were rats there but the only problem was getting them out. We had already put smoke down so couldnt use the ferrets, maybe another time. Then he suggested we look in the rearing sheds - well we were like the cat that got the cream :toast: so off we went, nothing in the first two and then the fun began. As Floyd, the keeper and Mr Keeps got stuck in pulling off the polythene flooring and digging back all the muck that has yet to be cleared out. The dust was awful, but soon the rats were flying out, which in a confined space was a bit hair-raising at times :icon_eek::feck: The dogs were catching dropping and moving straight onto the next.

 

By lunchtime we had finished, and after a quick cuppa at the keepers, we went off to do a couple of hours rabbiting. Again we had plenty of bolts and a few digs. Floyds young ferret worked well alongside ours. Before we knew it it was time to go home, with a dozen rabbits to carry back - including a black one. Young Floyd was very taken with the black rabbit, and took it home as a keepsake - how long before you chuck it out Floyd? :laugh:

 

Enough of the rambling, I'll let the pics tell the story (Im afraid theres quite a few :icon_redface: )....

 

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These were from just one of the sheds

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Oops where did that come from :doh:

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and on to do a bit of ferreting - we didnt get pics of the final tally of rats as they were scattered all over, and the keeper might have thought me a bit mad if we collected them up for a photo :icon_redface: we kept a running tally though which ran up to 70+ rats

 

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Floyds young jill

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one of ours

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the black rabbit

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not a lot of ferreting action today, which is probably just as well, judging by the amount of pics on already :laugh:

 

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A fantastic day was had, in great company, plenty of laughs and plenty of action :D Hope you enjoyed it Floyd - we'll be seeing you again shortly I think :victory:

 

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Great day,don't you just love ratting! What camera do you use? By the way that rough lurcher of mine you asked about in my ratting post is beddy/greyxbeddy/whippet. Oh and you want to get yourself a decent roundmouth spade for what you do. :thumbs:

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Great day,don't you just love ratting! What camera do you use? By the way that rough lurcher of mine you asked about in my ratting post is beddy/greyxbeddy/whippet. Oh and you want to get yourself a decent roundmouth spade for what you do. :thumbs:

 

Its a Nikon D50 Bobo but ive just got a new lens, the old one wasnt working, must have had that much muck in the workings it creaked and groaned a fair bit :doh: New one is better though, or it will be when I get used to it :D Its a lovely little dog youve got there :thumbs:

 

The spade is Floyds, but it does whats needed of it.

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Keeps are any of your dogs ever 'funny' with the young/baby rats. My Moll always used to spit them straight back out as if they were poisoned :icon_eek:

 

Looks like a brill day, bet you'll all sleep like babies tonight :D

Moll.

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Keeps are any of your dogs ever 'funny' with the young/baby rats. My Moll always used to spit them straight back out as if they were poisoned :icon_eek:

 

Looks like a brill day, bet you'll all sleep like babies tonight :D

Moll.

 

They just nibble them and drop them Moll. I have seen dogs eat them before, but mine usually dont :sick: Little Lily was interested in them but thats pups for you, she took a lot more interest in todays ratting which I was pleased with - at 10 days old she was dying, I never thought I'd see the day when she was stood with a rat in her mouth :D

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