Bit of a shock

[JoeD 24]

It was a bit fo a shock last month I dropped some letters around some farms and stables and about 2 minutes ago I got a phonecall from a guy who has given me permission along a hedgerow, he said there burrows are on another field but eat his crops on his land and asked if I longnetted before, I was totally honest with him say I haven't got much experience in just longnetting but I will have a go and so I now have a long hedgerow to longnet on.

I am still quite shocked as it was quite a while ago that I dropped the letters round and I gave up hope of them contacting me. Just goes to show that if you wait and have patience good things happen.

 

JoeD

[Halfinch 51]

Nice one Joe,

 

Gives hope to everyone, that story.

[Tiercel 6,986]

Good result there! what you need to do now is go and have a look at the place and make your plans for winter. Check how you can approach the set without winding the rabbits from a lot of different wind directions. That will help you no end in the winter when you start netting the place.

 

TC

[JoeD 24]

Yep I am hoping to go for a scout on saturday and to meet the land owner and to see if he has any quiestions or any terms etc etc

[frost 4]

Well done mate

[JoeD 24]

Well done mate

Went for a look earlier today and he showed me around the place. It's not a massive bit of permission only about 6 acres but when he was showing me around we looked out over the field and there must of been 20-30 rabbits feeding and loads of runs, I forgot my camera but when I am next up there I will take a few pics.

I said I usually do it in the autumn/winter so I start this bit of permission in September.

 

JoeD

[adam s 32]

20-30 rabbits feeding and its only 6 acres. I have 3000 acres to hunt on and the rabbits are so scarce.

[saluki 1]

nice one mate thats how it starts

[poacher3161 1,766]

[bANNED TEXT] you decide to longnet the permission it can pay you to remove any debri like twigs and thistels before you atempt to set the net in the dark good luck atb

[glass22 0]

I have 3 acers and theres always at least 40 out feeding lol!

[longnetter 32]

Hi Joe D

It's well worth investing in one of those cheap compasses if you're new to the game

With night time longnetting you really are playing to the wind and if you get it wrong you'll end up with a net full of nothing

[JoeD 24]

Hi Joe D

It's well worth investing in one of those cheap compasses if you're new to the game

With night time longnetting you really are playing to the wind and if you get it wrong you'll end up with a net full of nothing

Got one all ready and I have a lot of gear that people have either generously given to me or I have brought of them. I think I am all set and the only way I can see if I do is if I go and try it all out.

And thanks for the advice and good coments guys

 

JoeD

[Linc 0]

Good luck an let us all know how you do

 

atb

[rosspti 2]

Hi Joe

 

Great news! Never mind about the size.

 

My family has a smallholding of about 60 acres, and I have access to around 1000+ acres for shooting, ferretting, etc.

 

However, one particular patch of a friend's farm is 11 acres in size, in 5 fields. We bag about 150 rabbits a year from that area. Last winter we had over fifty from one 3 acre field - ferretting 3 of the hedges over 3 days. We didn't do the fourth hedge. In the summer since then we have probably shot 20 or 30 in there too. And there are still more.

 

Some land is just "rabbity" land, and will always provide. We have a wave of Mixy every year or two, but it doesn't knock the numbers that hard. We regularly catch rabbits in the winter which have scars - and we presume these have recovered from mixy. The best land is horse land, owners keep the grass short and the rabbits thrive.

 

DEFRA say that 40 rabbits could in theory live off 1 acre, if nothing else is eating or harvesting the grass / crop.

 

Be interested to know the most rabbits people have killed on small patches over the years.