Your Chosen Quarry

[gazjon5 984]

I've been lucky enough to hunt plenty of things over here i never dreamed of back when i was in the uk, (moose, bear, elk / wapiti, deer, coyote, wolf, lynx, beaver), but i do miss a mornings ferreting or heading out with the longnets after dark.

[jukel123 10,309]

2 minutes ago, Bendigo said:

My choices if st Peter sends me back for one more day of my choosing...

New forest hounds hunting fox in the big woodlands

Hunting roe deer with a full pack

But if I could have one thing back it would be one more morning with the Pennine hounds on the edge of the local moors on the rocks. Rattle a couple of cubs around early season, a mark, a dig and the mixed smell of crushed bracken, wet hounds and fox and a sip of whiskey from my hip flask.....but most of all the people who were there but are no longer with us. Just one more morning with those once familiar faces. 

" The smell of wet hounds". Never to be forgotten! I followed the Bewcastle hunt  a few of times. I remember one of the huntsmen opened the window of his van. He must have had over a dozen hounds inside. Geez, the stench took my breath away. I had the same experience with the otter hounds. Christ they could reek after a day's hunting. Lovely, goofy, soft buggers, but smelt like rotten tripe 

[jukel123 10,309]

2 minutes ago, gazjon5 said:

I've been lucky enough to hunt plenty of things over here i never dreamed of back when i was in the uk, (moose, bear, elk / wapiti, deer, coyote, wolf, lynx, beaver), but i do miss a mornings ferreting or heading out with the longnets after dark.

Console yourself mate. There's very, very few rabbits left. The new virus RHD2, I think it's called,has wiped them out. A few pockets exist here and there, but the numbers are only a fraction of what they should be.

I liked ferreting and lamping, but long netting was brilliant. Totally silent apart from the cry of the odd  rabbit.  And you could kill big numbers with nobody even knowing you were there.

[gazjon5 984]

1 minute ago, jukel123 said:

Console yourself mate. There's very, very few rabbits left. The new virus RHD2, I think it's called,has wiped them out. A few pockets exist here and there, but the numbers are only a fraction of what they should be.

I liked ferreting and lamping, but long netting was brilliant. Totally silent apart from the cry of the odd  rabbit.  And you could kill big numbers with nobody even knowing you were there.

Yep i know, been back for a few walks over old permissions when i have been over there, didnt see a single rabbit, and warrens that i ferreted for 20 odd years had totally disappeared, pretty sad really 

[Aussie Whip 4,378]

I started off hunting rats with terriers as a kid and always saw pigs as a goal and hunted them and deer for a while when older but working lurchers and ferrets on rabbits was my thing and came back and continued with that for most of my life. I've lost the desire to hunt animals now but still like ratting with the Russells. I've always liked feral, pest animal hunting and never really understood exotic big game hunting. I had a short time with shooting when young but lost interest quickly as it didn't seem as natural as working with dogs alone.

[dai dogs 2,315]

11 hours ago, chartpolski said:

I was on Ozziedogs and Boar Dogs forums, both closed down now.

I got loads of offers for coursing , working lurchers and terriers to fox and going out with the local hound pack. 
My daughter lived in Victoria so I had three months there and took up as many opportunities as I could .

Cheers.

 

Did you take your own dogs out there?

[chartpolski 29,667]

1 hour ago, dai dogs said:

Did you take your own dogs out there?

No, I left them with a pal in Yorkshire

Cheers.

[Halfhound 1,060]

11 hours ago, Bendigo said:

My choices if st Peter sends me back for one more day of my choosing...

New forest hounds hunting fox in the big woodlands

Hunting roe deer with a full pack

But if I could have one thing back it would be one more morning with the Pennine hounds on the edge of the local moors on the rocks. Rattle a couple of cubs around early season, a mark, a dig and the mixed smell of crushed bracken, wet hounds and fox and a sip of whiskey from my hip flask.....but most of all the people who were there but are no longer with us. Just one more morning with those once familiar faces. 

Lovely post made me smile although I’ve never hunted hounds in the UK. The couple of days a year when it all really works out. Weather is spot on, hounds are on form, foxes are found where you want them to be found and the travel where you want them to travel it just cannot be beaten. Picking your spot to view a big draw and hearing the first of them open and being able to pick out which one it is from a pack of 20 and everyone saying to each other ‘she’s a great bitch to find’. Seeing the fox leave a cover at speed after ringing around a few times just knowing he’s going to hit the ground and then standing off a just watching hounds mark for a few minutes knowing which couple will nearly bury themselves in it. A nice dig and let them have their prize. I’ll be honest a lot of people take it for granted here but I don’t know what I’d do if it was all to end. If you could package that feeling in your chest when horses start moving at pace and you see a fox break cover youd be a millionaire. 

[Bendigo 2,184]

24 minutes ago, Halfhound said:

Lovely post made me smile although I’ve never hunted hounds in the UK. The couple of days a year when it all really works out. Weather is spot on, hounds are on form, foxes are found where you want them to be found and the travel where you want them to travel it just cannot be beaten. Picking your spot to view a big draw and hearing the first of them open and being able to pick out which one it is from a pack of 20 and everyone saying to each other ‘she’s a great bitch to find’. Seeing the fox leave a cover at speed after ringing around a few times just knowing he’s going to hit the ground and then standing off a just watching hounds mark for a few minutes knowing which couple will nearly bury themselves in it. A nice dig and let them have their prize. I’ll be honest a lot of people take it for granted here but I don’t know what I’d do if it was all to end. If you could package that feeling in your chest when horses start moving at pace and you see a fox break cover youd be a millionaire. 

Come and have a couple of days over here next season. I'll try and find you two days back to back with the fell hounds. Or September in the west country, you could probably do two meets a day in September, morning and evening. My aim is to do foxhounds morning and evening and a visit to staghounds in between 

[WILF 52,678]

22 minutes ago, Halfhound said:

Lovely post made me smile although I’ve never hunted hounds in the UK. The couple of days a year when it all really works out. Weather is spot on, hounds are on form, foxes are found where you want them to be found and the travel where you want them to travel it just cannot be beaten. Picking your spot to view a big draw and hearing the first of them open and being able to pick out which one it is from a pack of 20 and everyone saying to each other ‘she’s a great bitch to find’. Seeing the fox leave a cover at speed after ringing around a few times just knowing he’s going to hit the ground and then standing off a just watching hounds mark for a few minutes knowing which couple will nearly bury themselves in it. A nice dig and let them have their prize. I’ll be honest a lot of people take it for granted here but I don’t know what I’d do if it was all to end. If you could package that feeling in your chest when horses start moving at pace and you see a fox break cover youd be a millionaire. 

If you ever get the chance go to the Troutbeck Mayors Hunt with the Conniston in the Lake District…..it’s wonderful !

Its everything good about England is the only way I can describe it mate….i can’t do the place and the day justice in words.

 

[Daniel cain 50,869]

I would love to go Badger digging legally ,without the worry of looking over one's shoulders....Always wanted to go to Norway ,fishing for the monster cod etc,I missed out on a trip a few yrs back,when my Dad was still alive.... something I plan to do ,in the next few years

[Blackmag 6,818]

9 minutes ago, Daniel cain said:

I would love to go Badger digging legally ,without the worry of looking over one's shoulders....Always wanted to go to Norway ,fishing for the monster cod etc,I missed out on a trip a few yrs back,when my Dad was still alive.... something I plan to do ,in the next few years

Exactly the same dc me and my dad looked in to it but his health wouldn't allow nearly booked it to using a guide near finnmark wasn't cheap but would of been worthwhile trip to catch over there it was catch and release only huge  cod and halibut 

[Halfhound 1,060]

3 hours ago, Bendigo said:

Come and have a couple of days over here next season. I'll try and find you two days back to back with the fell hounds. Or September in the west country, you could probably do two meets a day in September, morning and evening. My aim is to do foxhounds morning and evening and a visit to staghounds in between 

I might take you up on that. My son has been over with the Ledbury hunt a couple of times and always had a great time. Are Sabs a big issue with any of the packs you follow? I’ve seen some of the footage of them id find it very hard to come home without a custodial sentence. 

[Daniel cain 50,869]

1 hour ago, Blackmag said:

Exactly the same dc me and my dad looked in to it but his health wouldn't allow nearly booked it to using a guide near finnmark wasn't cheap but would of been worthwhile trip to catch over there it was catch and release only huge  cod and halibut 

I had a trip booked to go with my Dad and his mates,but the Mrs had complications giving birth on the youngest,so couldn't go in the end...

[Blackmag 6,818]

1 minute ago, Daniel cain said:

I had a trip booked to go with my Dad and his mates,but the Mrs had complications giving birth on the youngest,so couldn't go in the end...

From what I read up it's a different level to anything here shame I couldn't get him over has he would of loved it just the catch and release he  would of struggled with done a few charters over here whitby manai straights ect he had his own sea hogg for years he had loads of marks for the Irish sea but that trip would of topped anything we had done