THE LEARNING CURVE

[Guest LEARNER]

WELL MY PARTNER AND I NEVER MADE THE WEEKEND WITH ALL THE SNOW AND THAT, INFACT THE FARMER HAD TOLD MY MATE ,THAT THE MILK LORRY HAD GOT SNAGGED ,FOR SOME TIME, THEN HE PHONES ME OUT THE BLUE, ARE YOU FIT HE,S SAYS ,YES I SAYS , SO GOES TO PICK HIM UP ,AND OFF WE GOES, WE TOOK 3 LONGNETS WITH US , WE DID NOT KNOW IF THEY WOULD BE USED , BUT LIKE I SAID TO MY MATE , ITS NICE TO HAVE THEM , BUT ONLY USE THEM ,IF IT WARRENTS IT, HE SAID TO ME, WELL LEARNER YOU ARE THE FASTEST LEARNER I,VE EVER MET , WHY I,VE SEEN LADS WHO HAVE USED THE LONGNET IN SITUATIONS , THAT HALF A DOZEN PURSE NETS WOULD HAVE DONE THE JOB FASTER, AND THE READY SETS MAKE ALL OFF US THE EXPERTS NOW. I SMILED, YES I WAS LUCKY , GOOD PEGGING LADS , HAD GAVE UP SOME OFF THIER PRECIOUS TIME ,TO SHOW ME, AND NOW I COULD SET TRADITINAL NET IN THE DARK ,WITH GREAT CONFIDENCE ,AND WILL ALWAYS HAVE RESPECT FOR THEM, THAT SHOWED ME RESPECT, WE REACHED THE FARM, DOGS AND EQUIEPMENT UNLOADED, A CUP OFF TEA, THIS WILL BE THE LAST TILL THE DAY IS FINISHED, ITS FUNNY BUT LIKE ME HE WANTS TO GET AS MUCH DONE AS POSSIBLE, NOW WE ALWAYS HAVE ABOUT 120 NETS BETWEEN US, SO WE LEFT THE LONGNETS IN THE MOTOR, AND OFF WE SETS, LIKE MY MATE SAYS NEVER CARRY ANYMORE , THAN WHATS NEEDED , WE STOP AT THE FIRST FIELD ,AND MY MATE SAYS ,WELL LEARNER ,WHAT DO YOU THINK ,SO I,S PONDERED A MINUTE ,AND SAID WITH A LOT OFF RABBITS IN YOUNG , AND ALLSO YOUNG UNS RUNNING ABOUT ,THIS WILL MOSTLY BE THE LAST VISIT OFF THE SEASON, SO LETS DO THE EASY WARRENS, SO WE CAN TAKE AS MUCH RABBITS, OFF THE LAND WE CAN MANAGE ,AND ANYWAY THATS WHAT THE FARMER WANTS IS,NT IT, MY MATE SAID AGAIN TO ME ,YOUR SOME FAST LEARNER , LEARNER. I REPLYS , YES BUT WITHOUT YOU I WOULD BE IN NO MANS LAND, SO OFF WE SET ,THE PLAN WAS TO DO THE SMALL WARRENS ON OUR OWN , WE BOTH HAD 2 WELL SEASONED FERRETS APIECE ,AND IF ONE OFF US ,ENCOUNTERED SOME DIFFICULTY, AT A BURY ,THE OTHER WOULD BE CLOSE AT HAND TO HELP, I WALKED , WATCHING MY YOUNG LURCHER , JUST IN FRONT OFF ME KNOSE TO THE GROUND ZIGZAGING THIS WAY AND THAT , THEN ALL OFF A SUDDEN , HE STOPPED , WHAT A PERFECT MARK HE GAVE , THIS PUP WAS ONLY 9 AND A HALF MONTHS , BUT ALREADY SHOWING WISDOM FAR IN ADVANCE OFF HIS AGE, BUT WITH ALL THE ADVICE OFF MY MATE, I HAD TOOK HIM ON AT A STEADY PACE , WATCHING AND LEARNING OFF THE PUP ,AS I HOPED HE WOULD LEARN OFF ME, I SOON HAD THE NETS DOWN , AND IN NO TIME AT ALL I HAD 6 RABBITS IN THE BAG ,BUT THE MOST INPORTANT AND ENJOYABLE PART OFF IT ALL WAS WATCHING THE PUP, THROUGH MY PARTNERS ADVISE , WE HAD BECOME A GREAT PARTNERSHIP, THE PUP EVEN AT THIS STAGE ,WOULD NOT TOUCH A BOLTER IN THE NET, BUT HIS KNOSE WAS ALWAYS ONLY A FRACTION OF A INCH , NOWAY WOULD THE RABBIT ESCAPE ,FROM THIS DOG, AND SO THE STAGE WAS SET , I WATCHED MY MATE PICKING RABBITS AT A STEADY PACE, AND I WAS FEELING GOOD ,KNOWING I WAS DOING THE SAME, THEN ALL OFF A SUDDEN WE HAD 2 BOLTERS , ONE FROM THE WARREN ,WERE I HAD MISSED A SMALLEST OFF BOLT HOLES , AND MY MATES, WERE A BUNNY HAD MANAGED TO KICK ITS WAY OUT OFF A NET, NOW HIS BITCH IS GETTING A BIT LONG IN THE TOOTH NOW, 12 YEARS TO BE EXACT ,BUT WHAT A CANNY BITCH SHE IS, MY MATE SAID AS LURCHERS GET OLDER ,THEY WILL USE THIER EXSPERIANCE IN THE FIELD, AND THIS WILL MAKE UP FOR THE LOSS ,OF SPEED THAT FINALY CATCHES UP WITH MOST OFF US, SO THE STAGE WAS SET MY PUP RUNNING ,A BUNNIE WITHIN ABOUT 50 YDS OF HIS BITCH RUNNING HERS, NOW THESE FIELDS THO SMALL ARE MAINLY MADE UP OF SMALL HILLOCKS, ABOUT THE HIEGHT OF A HOUSE, SO YOU NEVER GET THE SPACE OR TIME , FOR A DOG TO TAKE MANY CATCHES BEFORE MISTER RABBIT HAD MADE SAFETY IN A OTHER WARREN , THEN I SAW MY MATES BITCH STRIKE AND LIFT HER RABBIT, SHE,S SMART, AS THE PUP RAN OUT OFF MY SIGHT, I WATCHED HIS BITCH RETRIEVING THE RABBIT , I GET AS MUCH ENJOYMENT WATCHING ANY GOOD DOG WORK, THEN MY MATES HAND WENT UP, MY PUP HAD CAUGHT , NOW TENSION STARTED TO SET IN , WHAT, IFS ,WHYS, AND WHENS THEN MY LURCHER CAME RUNNING INTO SIGHT, STRAIGHT TO HAND , NO NONSENCE JUST PLACED IT THERE, MY MATE HAD BEEN A GOOD TUTOR, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO THINK I HAD BEEN A GOOD LISTENER, THATS RESPECT , AND SO THE MORNING WENT ON , FROM FIELD TO FIELD PICKING THE DOLLYPEGS, THEN BY DINNER I WAS DOING A WARREN OF ABOUT 30 HOLES AND NOW I WISHED I HAD THE LONGNET, BUT ONCE A PLAN OFF ACTION HAD BEEN SET, ITS NO GOOD TRYING OR WISHING ,FOR A ALTERNERTIVE, ANYWAY WE WAS KILLING WELL , SO LEAVE WELL THAT ENDS WELL, THEN 3 RABBITS BOLTED AT ONCE , THE PUP MARKED ONE ,SO I DISPATCHED THE 3 AS FAST HAS I COULD, I ALWAYS KILL THE BUNNIE IN THE NET, AND IF THE PACE IS GOING FAST AND FURIOUS, LIKE AT THIS MOMENT , WILL LEAVE IT ENCASED WHY I KILL THE OTHERS, MY MATE SAID YOU CAN ALWAYS PICK THEM UP AND THE NETS AFTER, DON,T MESS ABOUT HIS IS MOTTO ,AND I HOPE TO FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE, WELL HE SAYS I,M A FAST LEARNER, I REACHED THE PUP , KILLED THE RABBIT ,THEN AS FAST AS I COULD STARTED PUTTING OTHER NETS ON, I WAS JUST REACHING THE LAST HOLE WHEN THE YOUNG LURCHER GLIDED PASS ME, I HEARD THE RUMBLE AS THE RABBIT BOLTED FROM THE LAST HOLE I WAS GOING TO NET, IT CAME OUT FAST ALL IN A SPLIT SECOND AND RISING,BUT IN THAT TIME I SAW THE PUP TAKE IT AT HEAD HEIGHT, HOW DID HE KNOW ,AND WHAT A TAKE ,NOW WHAT ,NOW MY MATES ALWAYS SAID TO ME , ONE OFF THE MOST AWKWARD EXAMPLES OFF A RESULTING RETRIEVE IS A CATCH TAKEN CLOSE TO YOU, AT A LONG DISTANCE ALL CAN GO WELL AS THE YOUNG LURCHER ,ON MOST ACCASIONS IF TRAINED RIGHT WILL 9 OUT OFF 10, WANT TO COME BACK TO YOU, BUT CLOSE IN ,SOME TIMES IT CAN GET MESSY, I KNEELED THERE ,NOT A MOVEMENT, THE PUP JUST STOOD THER FEET AWAY, NOWAY WAS I GOING TO MOVE TOWARDS HIM ,BUT WHAT WAS HIS MOTIVE ,I SOON FOUND OUT, HE TURNED AND HEADED AWAY FROM ME, HE WAS NOT BEING DISOBEADIANT, I THINK THE PUP ,WAS AT THAT MOMEMENT CONFUSED, I LET HIM GO A FEW YARDS ,THEN I GAVE THE RECALL ,HE SPUN AROUND AND CAME TO HAND, I KNOW WITH FOLLOWING MY MATES ADVICE ,THAT THIS WAS GOING TO END LIKE THIS, BUT IT STILL MADE MY HEART TICK LIKE THUNDER, WE WERE NOW CATCHING WELL , AND AT DINNER ,MY MATE AND I HAD DECIDED TO DO A OLD DISUSED RAILWAY EMBANKMENT, THIS TRACK HAD VERY DEEP BANKS RUNNING AWAY FROM IT, ALSO IT HAD BEEN PLANTED WITH FIRS BOTH SIDES ,THE WARRENS WERE BIG HERE, SO WE WORKED IN PARTNERSHIP, A LOT OFF NETS WAS USED ON THES SETS , AND BEING THE END OFF THE SEASON ,A LOT OFF RABBITS HAD BEEN SHOT BY THE FARMER AND HIS MATES , WHAT WE DID NOT LIKE WAS THE AMOUNT OFF YOUNG RABBITS RUNNING ABOUT, BUT WE HAD A JOB TO DO ,AND THATS WHAT WE DID, MY YOUNG LURCHER, WAS WORKING LIKE A GOOD UN ,AND I COULD SEE MY MATE WAS REALLY INPRESSED, IN FACT HE SAID HE WOULD LOVE TO TAKE HIM HOME, BUT THEN A LOT OFF THIS TRUE WORKING WAS DOWN TO HIM ,I WAS JUST THE LISTENER ,BUT THEN AGAIN LIKE HE SAID ,I LEARNED FAST, WELL THE RABBITS KEPT BOLTING AND WE KEPT CATCHING, , I HAD TIME TO TAKLE A FEW PHOTO,S AS WE WERE DOING WELL ,BUT MY MIND WAS ALWAYS ON THE JOB ,ITS IN MY MAKE UP , THAT ONCE I START FERRETING ,I DO NOT LIKE TO STOP, WELL AT THE END OFF THE DAY WE HAD DONE ALRIGHT, AND AFTER DRESSING THE RABBITS , CARRIED THEM BACK TO THE VAN, NOW I,M GLAD THAT AT MIDDAY WE HAD ALREADY TAKEN RABBITS UP TO THE VAN ,BECAUSE ,I WAS FEELING IT A BIT ,AND SO WAS MY MATE ,ON THE WAY BACK ,MY LURCHER ,CHASED 2 RABBITS, WHICH HE SPIED AHEAD ,I LET HIM GET FULL SPEED , THEN GAVE THE RECALL ,MY PUP TURNED AND CAME BACK BOTH TIMES, THIS WOULD NOT BE DONE OFTEN BY ME , JUST PERHAPS AT DANGEROUS SITU,S, AS THIS EXERCISE COULD SAVE MY LURCHER, FROM A SERIOUS INJURY BUT WORSE STILL DEATH, WE GOT BACK TO THE VAN, RABBITS LAID SIDE BY SIDE AND COUNTED 73 IN ALL , I TOOK A COUPLE OFF PHOTO,S , AND THEN WE HAD A CHAT, AFTER A BIT ,I MENTIONED A WAY ,WE COULD USE LONGNETS ON THEM STEEP BANKS, THE GROUND ON THERE WAS COVERED IN RUTS AND RUNS,AND WAS MADE UP OFF THE ASHYOU USALLY FIND IN RAILWAY STRUCTURE, HE SAID TO ME , YOU SURE ARE A FAST LEARNER ,AND NOW PUTTING IT IN TO USE LIKE A EXPERT, I SAID THERE,S NO EXPERTS IN THIS GAME ,JUST GOOD KNOWLEDGE OFF FIELD CRAFT AND THE WAY OFF THE WILD FOLK WILL BE ENOUGH, HE SAID THATS WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR FROM YOU, I SAID I WILL ALWAYS RESPECT WHAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR ME, HE THEN GAVE A STRANGE REPLY, WILL YOU ,I SAID YES, HE THEN SAID YOU WILL BE THE FIRST ONE, WHAT A STRANGE REPLY I THOUGHT AGAIN, I MEAN WHEN I THINK I AM GOOD ENOUGH TO TO GIVE ADVICE TO SOME ONE , THEY WILL SURLY BE LIKE ME, WON,T THEY. P.S I AM NOW LOOKING FOR SOME ONE TO PUT MY PHOTO,S ON THIS WEB FOR ME, THERE,S JUST SOME THING I CAN NEVER MASTER ,AND TIME AND ITS ADVANCES, THAT REPLYS STILL ON MY MIND.

[Flynn 314]

Excellent Post Learner and how proud you must now feel with the pup coming on so well

[smallmouth 0]

Superb read. I'll put your pics up anytime if you need me to, I'd love to see a photo of the pup.

[buckshot 53]

exellent post mate

[Guest LEARNER]

THANKS, AND SMALLMOUTH I WOULD BE PLEASED IF YOU WOULD, I WILL TAKE THEM IN TOMORROW, AND IF ALL GO,S WELL WILL GET IN TOUCH ,THANKS AGAIN.

[J Darcy 5,871]

learner, i will take some pics when im down...sorry i wasnt in the other night....

[MikeTheDog 153]

Nice little earner down the local butchers

[LAMPER 0]

Excellent post Learner....great to have you on board .

To be honest i always look forward to reading your posts,and its almost as if im there with ya half the time

Im pleased the pups coming on well for ya and starting to work well. I wish you many good seasons with the fella.

 

All the best.....Lamps

[breeze 1,219]

great post Learner...and the way the story read's you sure are learning this ferreting game quickly....

 

All the best to you and your pup in the future.

[Guest LEARNER]

THANKS, BUT ITS ALL DOWN TO THE TUTOR, I FEEL SORRY SOME TIMES FOR THE GUYS , THAT HAD TO LEARN THE HARD WAY, YOU NO BEFORE BLEEPERS AND LAMPS , AND IN THE TIME WHEN RABBITS WERE AT THIER LOWEST EBB , DUE TO MYXY, CHRIST THEY MUST HAVE HAD TO WORK HARD TO GAIN ANY GLIMMER OFF KNOWLEDGE, THAT TODAY IS PASSED ON , VIDIO,S BOOKS ,AND COMPUTERS, SO REMEMBER IF AT SOME TIME YOU SEE SOME OLD FELLOW, STANDING ON HIS OWN , LIVING HIS WORLD OVER AGAIN ,DON,T STAND THERE PERHAPS TAKING THE PISS, GO OVER AND HAVE A WORD ,YOU NEVER KNOW ,WHAT YOU MIGHT GAIN, IT MAY NOT BE A LOT ,BUT IT COULD SURE MAKE HIM HAPPY.

[Guest Pat]

great post learner really enjoy the read and you done really well with that pup mate I sure know that I couldnt recall my dog when it was full tilt after a rabbit

[tiny tim 22]

excellent post.what a read could almost feel i was there myself...well done the pup

[Guest reload]

Great read LEARNER

[Guest simonw]

nice one, refreshing to see sence being talked

[maty j 6]

as has been said before great post. it aint half hard reading everything in capitals though.