Looking for Bunnys

[Dave C 63]

Was up the Dale on Tuesday with my mate looking for a few Bunnys, but the Mixi that hit late last year and the hard winter has taken its tole on them, and they are getting thin on the ground, which is good for the Keeper but not for my sport.

 

Here are a few pics

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fudge retrieveing a rabbit out of the stream, it took some finding in the water

 

A long retrieve nicely to hand, after she had pinched the rabbit from Fern

 

 

Ended up quite a hot day, so the bunnys will be breeding pretty quickly, the dogs picked up 2 young uns which we let go (but dont tell the Keeper)

How is everyone else finding the Rabbit numbers on your land.

 

ATB

Dave.

Edited April 29, 2010 by Dave C

[Born Hunter 17,813]

Is the tan and choc dog the cockerxterrier? Looks a belter and a cross i really like the sound of. How does it work compared to a spaniel (did you train it to the same standard as a spaniel or more of a free rangeing hound?) and also how difficult was it to train?

 

Good sport daytime rabbiting, the ground looks nice too.

Edited April 29, 2010 by Born Hunter

[hily 380]

SCOTTISH borders have been hit hard by the weather and just as some youngins apeared we had more snow at easter the hares have been realy knocked back we have come accross dozens of bodys just tucked in the grasses.We did'nt have much work for the ferrets and as finding flushes for the young dogs we would normaly be out 40 mins and get plenty of finds last week it took twice as long for half as many finds. The farmer is a happy sole as he is sowing his barley crop now and he aint worried about the fact he is'nt seeing many bunnys about but on the bright side we have had more time to deal with the crows (branching this weekend i think.)and the pigeons plus we don't have any herrons about the place to kill our wild ducklings.Mind you bunnys do breed like rabbits so we will have plenty to go after in a month or so's time.atb dave.

[Dave C 63]

Fudge is a Cocker X Beagle/Terrier, but very much hunts like a Cocker, she was a year when i got her and she had run with Terriers, Hounds and Lurchers, so i had my work cut out, she was never going to be the standard i wanted but responded very well to training and surprised me and the lads i shoot with.

So much one of the bought her from me, now she wasnt the finished article by any means but coming along nicely and all the basic work was done well away from any prey, but when my mate got her he stopped all training, threw away the whistle and just let her hunt the way she wanted so she now runs in and chases all quarry flushes out of range and will take all other dogs retrieves but besides her new wildness she is still the best little dog i have seen hunting rabbits in reed beds (if only he could control her).

Other peoples dogs hey

 

Dave.

[Born Hunter 17,813]

Nice to hear all the same, i quite like the sound of springer x patterdale to be trained up for the beating line but be handy for flushing fox etc without easily going to ground.

[Dave C 63]

my keeper mate has one, its the same colour as fudge, but as she had thrown more to the spaniel, it has thrown more to the terrier, he tried using it for bushing and beating but it started going to ground, so he uses it like a terrier now, guess its just the luck of the draw mate.

 

Dave.