Warreners of old.

[Brimmer 220]

Not posted any thread for a while, but as the season draws closer, my mind is starting to get switched on to the fact that within 5-6 weeks the season will be in full swing.

This makes me think of the land I work, the animals I use, and in general rabbiting.

More to the point, what life could have been like in the old days, life before mixi, vehicles, and coping with more rabbits than you could possibly deal with.

Todays scene is probably far removed from what the old boys encountered.

My old man tells me the stories of the old warreners, (In the dales), pre war years, with there huts on the hills, hundreds of snares hanging from the outsides, and there own patch, with as many rabbits as they could catch, and this was there job, not a pastime.

 

Now we see competition for rabbits on land as sport from lads poaching and trying to get on. (in the old days with no transport, you had the hills to yourself!)

Mixi and the rest of the diseases knocking a huge lump of the population out before we even start the season. (pre mixi must have been like heaven to some of us lads now!)

Also farmers seeing rabbiters as a threat, due to a few bad elements in the sport. (Back then, farmers would be crying out for you!)

 

Take me back is all I can say!

 

Brings me to a point, has anybody got any photo's, stories of the 'Warreners of Old' ?

I searched on this forum and got links to Crow's threads, and the 100 yrs ago books, which i am looking up as i type. Nice starting point, History lesson a few might say, but i'm going to be looking up information, anything of interest from you guys.

 

Anybody want to help?

[coursing mad 5]

sorry i cannot help but if only we could of had them days back now.

 

even the football is getting aload of sh*t now purely because of these new laws.

 

and yes mate that was a good history lesson thanks.

 

tom!!

[andy s410c 61]

Getting itchy feet meself B probalies be late September for me before the myxi hits the bottom quarry .Can't help with any tales of the good old days tho...much like the sea fishing it was" all better back in the day lad, i can tell thee"

[Brimmer 220]

Getting itchy feet meself B probalies be late September for me before the myxi hits the bottom quarry .Can't help with any tales of the good old days tho...much like the sea fishing it was" all better back in the day lad, i can tell thee"

Keep your lugs open mate, not long for it now!

[the_hunter1983 2]

great post i must say...i remember my granda (who is now passed away) used to tell me stories of "back in the day" and great they where he used to walk for miles over the cave hill and black mountain in belfast rabbiting and he used to tell me about the old methods he used and things,he used to ba a cabnit maker and made crooks/staffs also infact i have his very crook he used in the field its sort of bow shaped so he cud cut away headges and also hang rabbits on it out on the field its a great bit of kit il tell ya...he also used to make nets out of fishing nest from belfast docks that the trallers and old boats had left.he used to strip the old boat ropes into thinner peices of rope and make nest and things also snares i have a few old books that where his i will have to find out the names and things and post them,also i have a load of pics of him out on the field i will have to hook out (i dont have them at hand they are stored away) but from what i hear about the "old days" i wish i was around in them lol...also my dad was a hunter he used to get paid to kill rabbits with maxi on farms (like brimmer said back then farmers cried out for ya) he used an 8 shot pump action shot gun which i still have (i think 8 shots arnt allowed now?) im not a shot gunner im a rifel ma but im sure someone could say if thats wrong or not?,my dad often sat me down and told me many stories of the days where rabbits where that bad he was able to walk over and pick them up the maxi was that bad in most places....well must say great post started brmmer and i look forward to hearing the stories and pics i will def be hoaking mu pics out and post them asap! all the best

Edited August 7, 2009 by the_hunter1983

[awen 29]

ive often thought i was born in the wrong century, your just confirmed it mate, life may have been harder back then but certainly more fulfilling,over population of people now,mixi for humans is what we need

[the_hunter1983 2]

yup mate i was der born say 26 years to bloddy late...back then ppl had not got the worries on now days...money was more value..things where cheaper...life was simple not the hassel of now...debts...mortages....lack of jobs or shud i say people from packistan taken them lol no offence ment but its true...could i go to packistan get a job and passport a job and become better of?? dont think so...yea life back them was far better than now i think we all should stop breading like bloddy rabbits to many people in this coutry thats the problem equils so much poverty...when do people ever tell of poverty from 50 years ago? NEVER that i no of can anyone correct me? plz do so if possable...i no belfast might of been bad say 50 years ago but life was far easier from the stories i no of apart from the troubles what worries did people have? not much if only it was so simple now...like my granda used to make a living of rabbiting and selling them to the guys on the market stalls in belfast and to the butchers also where could ya do that now? i cant get rid of the rabbits i get lol apart from for dog food and for the ferts...but yea most def it was more simple and easier back then like to many houses being built on land and things even national trust land ya cant bloddy hunt on where i am without poaching and ya get a bad name if ya start that around here like,but yea i hope ppl start to tell some stories def it would be good readin

[Malt 379]

Must have been crazy numbers pre mixy. They reckon that today's population is something like 92% down on pre mixy numbers!

 

Couple that with the fact that in them days the farms they infested produced all the food in Britain, they must have been seen as very serious pests, even more so than today.

[the_hunter1983 2]

id agree with ya der about ppl eating it but what illnesses did ya ever hear of that people had? look at today its riddled with bad health,people seemed to be much healthier back then i think...question is why?

Edited August 7, 2009 by the_hunter1983

[awen 29]

ther wernt all the cleaning products that there are now. trouble is people try and keep there kids so clean that they dont build up a natural immunity to common ailments, theres some old sayin about eatin a pound of dirt befor ya die to keep you healthy. back then the veg had a bit of dirt on it a few grubs etc etc it kept you well. all i seem to see is pale faced fat kids eatin crisps and drinking coke. on the plus side all these idiotc families living in the spotless show home will a few generations down the line will be disease ridden white faced oxygen masked pathetic excuses of humans[darwins theory of evolution] the strong survive the weak die. let em eat there crisps and coke, theyll be doin us all a favour in the long run

[the_hunter1983 2]

ther wernt all the cleaning products that there are now. trouble is people try and keep there kids so clean that they dont build up a natural immunity to common ailments, theres some old sayin about eatin a pound of dirt befor ya die to keep you healthy. back then the veg had a bit of dirt on it a few grubs etc etc it kept you well. all i seem to see is pale faced fat kids eatin crisps and drinking coke. on the plus side all these idiotc families living in the spotless show home will a few generations down the line will be disease ridden white faced oxygen masked pathetic excuses of humans[darwins theory of evolution] the strong survive the weak die. let em eat there crisps and coke, theyll be doin us all a favour in the long run

 

 

 

lmao "white faced oxygen masked pathetic excuses of humans" micheal jackonson springs to mind wonder why??? llf well said pal

[jazz_11 5]

nice write up there mate...

it does make me think especially as down my way if we get any rabbits in a days fereting, then its a good day even if its one or 2... but the further up england you go, we hear of huge amounts of rabbits being caught, that us down in wales could only dream of...

i have often wonderd what the rabbit numbers would of been like if mixi was not layed down by farmers to control numbers, and even now 50 years on mixi is still taking rabbits and thinning numbers out.

you can only IMAGINE the fun we would be having...

Edited August 8, 2009 by jazz_11

[rosspti 2]

My best mate's farm is quite big at about 400 acres. His great grand father was a rabbit trapper and he made enough money to buy the farm and first 50 acres.

 

There used to be a local rabbit society before mixy. The government provided the cartridges too! The local train used to be sent to London laden with salted Herrings and fresh rabbits in their skins.

 

Like Father says, "they days is gone boy."

[stubby 175]

there you go, the good old days

 

[TOMO 26,503]

CLASSIC STUBBY, SOME PEOPLE LOCAL TO ME STILL YOUSE THE EXPRESION "CHIP OIL"

 

and some of you lot wanting to be born a hundred years ago must be mad, your looking at it through rose coloured specs

 

most folk only got 1 day a YEAR holiday, and did any of you see a program last week about operations in victorian times :sick: basicly if you had an op , you died, only a few survived.

 

any way back on track, like you brimmer i love the old storys and pics of the warreners. there was a display about them in thetford(norfolk) museum , dont know if its still there. i think that famouse pic of warrener Reaves, where hes sat down , with a white smock on, and a big grey rough lurcher is stood beside him is there.