Ferreting today

[stroller 341]

 

 

it was maggies 2nd day out ferreting today, We spent a couple of hours walking around some land closer to home but not easy to ferret. its mainly hedgerow work with water filled ditches running at one side or other, some clean sets in to the fields but its get down and get dirty work. this land has some rushy fields which hold sitting rabbits and hares so its good ground to get the pup to work quartering ground and using hand signals and commands to halt her or change direction.

 

The idea of todays session was to walk the edges of the fields with mags on a lead letting her mark sets as we came up to them i could see rabbits dropping into sets up ahead which she couldnt see so i knew roughly what was used and what wasnt. i didnt encourage her greatly just kept my voice low and watched how she did. she is raising her front foot at well used sets so im taking that and the raising of her massive ears as a mark.

 

i netted up a few holes on the first set we tried and we got a slow bolt and the rabbit threw the net maggie got up to it but it got into a hole a couple of metres further on. last time out she chased a similair bolt but didnt seem to know what to do this time she was a bit more keen and worked the hedge where she lost it. She then went deaf and dissapeared into the next field. so i packed up and waited for her to get it out of her system. this is annoying but its part of the game so a minute or two later she reappeared i called her in and she was rewarded for coming in.

 

i tried next a big open set it usually holds a couple i tried tying mags up at this point while i netted but she yelped this is a sign of low self confidence on her part, i kept her on the lead and netted up which was awkward but she followed quietly. i put two ferrets in and waited nothing at home so this time i got her off the lead to follow me around packing up.

 

we walked on working the rushes and she retrieved a mangled (Fox eaten) rabbit carcass which she gave up reluctantly (she hadnt had breakfast)

 

the third and last set was a corner set and she behaved beautifully keeping close as i netted and listening to the thumping under ground tracking it around using her radar lugs. the bunnies werent keen to bolt and one or two slipped between un netted holes on the ditch side, but the silver bitch ferret is a real grafter and with her litter sister managed to put a beautiful bolt out into a net under a buckthorn hedge. all credit to the pup she covered the net in a blink and by pulling the draw string i asked her to retrieve the caught bunny out of the hedge. she was slow but she brought it out ok i killed the rabbit and she left it the two ferrets came out following the bolt and i lifted them. there were other rabbits in the set but we had made enough noise to keep the rest of the rabbits running around the set all day rather than bolt. as i packed up maggie remained alert and ready not moving from the set until i called her in.

 

walking towards the van we had to cross a field full of a few hundred sheep so mags was on the lead and was a bit shook up by all of these sheep following us bleating their heads off wanting fed. she showed absolutely no sign of wanting to chase which is spot on.

 

So today after a bit of daftness she:

1) used her nose marking and on rough cover

2) became steady when netting and packing up

3) came in on a low whistle and hand signal

4) began quartering cover

5) left a dead rabbit on command

6) did a long retrieve

 

just little acheivements i know but she is only eight months old and still a baby, good progress and like last time she was flat out asleep in the van on the way home concentrating takes it out of her

[Phil Lloyd 10,738]

Sensible post,..and a sensible attitude...

 

"Onwards and upwards",....nice and slow.....

 

All the best,..CHALKWARREN...

[look up 406]

nice looking pup mate whats the breed/sound like shes coming on nice/r u going to lamp her or just use her 4 ferreting atb

[natter79 17]

excellent post.

atb natter

[bredneck 1]

nice dog mate

[sh 08 17]

Good read that mate, CMW here you come lol

Edited February 7, 2010 by sh 08

[birkychrissy 3]

great post

[stroller 341]

thanks for your comments, Mags is a kelpie x whippet/grey. she will be mainly used ferreting but i will use her on the lamp when she gets a bit older and stronger. she will be used with the gun as well and will be beating on the grouse moors come august.i just try to do as much as i can with my dogs its a way of life for me.All of my dogs go to obedience classes its a great way of getting them socialised. im even considering agility work with mags once i get this gammy knee sorted and a bit of this weight off it could be a laugh over the summer and all the time it builds that man and dog bond.

 

I will keep the updates coming we will be out again next weekend, i will even try to get some pictures of her working. i could do with that lad with the whippets on here he is a brilliant photographer

[cúagusgiorraí 57]

It's not often I read a decent story on here, or see a handsome well built bitch.

 

Keep it up

[wild rover 548]

 

 

it was maggies 2nd day out ferreting today, We spent a couple of hours walking around some land closer to home but not easy to ferret. its mainly hedgerow work with water filled ditches running at one side or other, some clean sets in to the fields but its get down and get dirty work. this land has some rushy fields which hold sitting rabbits and hares so its good ground to get the pup to work quartering ground and using hand signals and commands to halt her or change direction.

 

The idea of todays session was to walk the edges of the fields with mags on a lead letting her mark sets as we came up to them i could see rabbits dropping into sets up ahead which she couldnt see so i knew roughly what was used and what wasnt. i didnt encourage her greatly just kept my voice low and watched how she did. she is raising her front foot at well used sets so im taking that and the raising of her massive ears as a mark.

 

i netted up a few holes on the first set we tried and we got a slow bolt and the rabbit threw the net maggie got up to it but it got into a hole a couple of metres further on. last time out she chased a similair bolt but didnt seem to know what to do this time she was a bit more keen and worked the hedge where she lost it. She then went deaf and dissapeared into the next field. so i packed up and waited for her to get it out of her system. this is annoying but its part of the game so a minute or two later she reappeared i called her in and she was rewarded for coming in.

 

i tried next a big open set it usually holds a couple i tried tying mags up at this point while i netted but she yelped this is a sign of low self confidence on her part, i kept her on the lead and netted up which was awkward but she followed quietly. i put two ferrets in and waited nothing at home so this time i got her off the lead to follow me around packing up.

 

we walked on working the rushes and she retrieved a mangled (Fox eaten) rabbit carcass which she gave up reluctantly (she hadnt had breakfast)

 

the third and last set was a corner set and she behaved beautifully keeping close as i netted and listening to the thumping under ground tracking it around using her radar lugs. the bunnies werent keen to bolt and one or two slipped between un netted holes on the ditch side, but the silver bitch ferret is a real grafter and with her litter sister managed to put a beautiful bolt out into a net under a buckthorn hedge. all credit to the pup she covered the net in a blink and by pulling the draw string i asked her to retrieve the caught bunny out of the hedge. she was slow but she brought it out ok i killed the rabbit and she left it the two ferrets came out following the bolt and i lifted them. there were other rabbits in the set but we had made enough noise to keep the rest of the rabbits running around the set all day rather than bolt. as i packed up maggie remained alert and ready not moving from the set until i called her in.

 

walking towards the van we had to cross a field full of a few hundred sheep so mags was on the lead and was a bit shook up by all of these sheep following us bleating their heads off wanting fed. she showed absolutely no sign of wanting to chase which is spot on.

 

So today after a bit of daftness she:

1) used her nose marking and on rough cover

2) became steady when netting and packing up

3) came in on a low whistle and hand signal

4) began quartering cover

5) left a dead rabbit on command

6) did a long retrieve

 

just little acheivements i know but she is only eight months old and still a baby, good progress and like last time she was flat out asleep in the van on the way home concentrating takes it out of her

Good post mate, the more i see of the pup, the more i like and good sensible entering, all the best.WR