johnnywippet

So guys is it legal to flush a hare into a net using a dog?

yep and I really don't think the plod would have a clue. I mean how many of them have actually read the act in full...how many of them can read for that matter. It's a crap act which allows foxing hunting and beagling to carry on but not sight hounds. In fact running a sight hound at game is far less cruel than chasing a fox or hare over long periods with a pack of hounds. ..but hey guess I'm preaching to the converted here.

Just wanted a few hares for the pot. Putting up some nets would make a change to just lamping rabbits all the time.

hmm tricky one. good point salukiman and what if the dog caught the hare before it hit the net. This may be viewed as coursing by trying on the 'flushing game' loop hole. Simply putting up a net means does not mean in the eyes of the law you are not coursing. I'm not trying to get around the act. I really do want to flush hares into a gate net with my whippet who just does not have the speed to catch a hare anyway. Guess i'll be risking it. I have full permissions from the landowner to hunt rabbit by day and night and they have agreed to me trying gates nets for hares. But I don't

I can't work out a few details of the legalities from hunting from the 2004 act. here are my questions.. 1. Is it legal to net hares using a gate net? 2. Is it legal to flush a hare into a gate net using one dog? Thanks John

Had a collie x whippet as my first dog..so smart and had about 20 odd words she knew. 'Squirrel ' she'd look in trees. 'hunting' she'd jump around wanting to go out. i also managed to get her to range left or right .. "seek it' jumping around in long grass etc etc. A great cross but yes, sometime too clever for her own good. But man what a hound. I now have a pure whippet. But next dog will be collie x again. My perfect size I think would be 23" at the shoulder for a good all round dog. Now sadly I only hunt rabbits so the whippet is perfect. I'd go for a collie rather than bearded cross. Th

excellent loop hole. and use a net with about 8inch mesh

Yes Smithie, but sadly using dogs to hunt hares is now illegal.

Great thanks for that dymented. Buy why on earth do you other guys think it's a sin to net hares? And why is shooting more acceptable? ...because it is easier perhaps? J

Pleased to report after intensive fur dummy raining Lily is back catching and retrieving rabbits.. thanks for all the input john

dummy training is going well again

Hi all Is it still legal to net hares with a longnet?? and is it legal to use a dog to flush hares into the net? thanks john

I know..it's all my fault not the dogs. i did skin and gut the rabbit first!! It was done from lack of experience and not knowing anyone else who hunts with sighthounds to give me advice. Lets hope I can get back to where we were.

Thanks Martin interesting piece. I have read of longwings such a saker and saker/peregrins taking hares in China and the jack rabbits in the USA. Not sure if the hares in China are smaller. I understand this type of hare hawking is rather ancient . any comments? John

great advice guys thanks. Whippets are so much harder to train compared with my first dog a 1/4 collie x whippet. john