An unplanned outing

[artic 595]

Last night I was sitting on the sofa watching the usual rubbish and repeats that sky put on the box. It was late, infact it was 3am and my eyes were like saucers. Four feet away from me was small brown parcel, stamped 1st class. This parcel arived at 11am. My plan was to open it and take out its contents and enjoy a good read before bed, which when I'm not working is around 11pm. All day I've been walking passed this parcel, should I open it, no wait till later. I must of picked this parcel up 20/30 times....

 

The fire now was slowly near to its end with its final log crackling away. RIGHT THATS IT, I walked over to the table, picked the parcel up and began to open it. Hidden in this well packaged parcel was a book of delights. Yes you've obvioulsy guessed by now "The hare and the hound" Like a child I had a huge grin on my face. Flicking through the pages I was getting more and more excited, and memorys came flooding back to me. I flicked through several more pages and that was enough! I closed the book, and saving the page using the lovely book mark that comes with the book and placed it into its new home in the book shelf. To be returned to later today.

 

Right, dogs up you get, grabbed the lamp from the kitchen, first aid bag, and me toilet paper.....

That book has cast a spell on me! I was planning to go to a large airfield that has a major rabbit problem, small outbuildings have subsided due to that many rabbits burrowing underneath, but this visit was going to be later on in the week with ferrets. Lamping with dogs here is very testing, and a little dangerous due to the amount of MOD buildings plotted about, pot holes, tunnels, run ways and people working through the night.

 

In the jeep and off I go. Along the way I see a few deer in various locations eating by the side of the road, and 2 large badgers running from verge to verge. The leaves are starting to cover theese snake roads making it rather slipery to drive on. In the distance I see the flood lights to the airfield. I arrive and park up by the security gates. I sign in and being polite I stay and have a cuppa and with the guards. They tell me that there are a fair few out, I may be in luck, however each time I made a false stretch together with a yawn, and a "Well I best be off" one of the guards would bring in another tea with biscuits. Two hours I've been in the hut, dogs are whining... I NEED TO GET OUT!!! Lads I love you and leave you, its getting late and it will soon be daylight.

 

Off I set, the first field produces 5/6 rabbits, in the middle of this grassed area is a 12ft mound were they burrow.In between the rabbits and the mound is a concrete ditch, 6ft wide that runs off for miles. I pick one of the rabbits and set the deerhound cross off, tuffs of grass flick up from his powerfull rear legs, he sweeps to the right of the beam and cuts in like a stud missile, the rabbit lifts and sprints towards the mound, a few yards before the ditch he is lifted from the ground.

A another flick of the lamp and there sits another by a chain linked fence a good 60yrds away. I know that there are no holes in the fence or any runs through to the other side. I walk up to this rabbit at 30yrds the rabbit starts to hop attracting the dogs attention. I slip the saluki cross, up he runs towards the rabbit. The rabbit now stands on his hind legs, the dog is going to straight line it, and at the last minute and infact whilst the dog is striking the rabbit jinks and heads towards the mound causing the dog to crash into the chain link. My deerhound cross is pulling me arm off, the saluki bounces off and changes gear, left, right, back to fence, a right turn from the rabbit and straight into his jaws. I check the dog for any injuries at the fence, he was fine, and we move on. As I cross one of the many run ways I see 3 hares skipping along the tarmac, There are a fair few here, I've always know hares amd foxes to be on airfields.

 

The next strip of ground has a selection of trees spaced out beside a lovely huge warren that I always ferret later in the winter. I also had to check that the Zip Wire is at a decent height, if not then I would have to leave it. I've been here before where the wire was low enough to take your dogs head clean off. It was at a good height so I flick the lamp on. There were a fair few out, some made for cover instantly. I picked one that was sitting near the runway. I slipped the deerhound cross and off he goes, the rabbit runs for home towards the tress, the dog is making ground,and makes his first strike before the trees, miss, second strike miss, the rabbit is inbetween the trees, zig zagging around several of them, just as well they are really spaced out otherwise I wouldn't be able to give the dog the right amount of steady light, causing serious injury or death. This rabbit made it home, but a good little run for him. The dogs picked up one more each here, one where the saluki cross smashed through a small thorn bush and flushed the rabbit out into his jaws.

 

There was alot of other wildlife here this morning, just by the biggest runway were two muntjac's eating, one having a lovely pair of horns. I've seen a fair few deer here throughout the years and seen some really big dog foxes too. They are undisturbed here, thats why there are so many, but It's now becoming a problem and I will need to sort a few out.

 

Time was ticking, and I was now feeling tired. It's really hard going here for the dogs, and you have to really pick and choose your runs. For ferreting it's superb, and the dogs love it here when we do ferret. I'm actually closing my eyes writting this. The last field is where the dogs did well. The deerhound cross has a style that I've only seen in some collie cross dogs, by running out of that beam, and then you hear his feet thumping along the ground, getting closer, the excitment is out of this world, then in he comes into the light and is onto his prey.

 

It's starting to get light, rain started to get heavy, I need my bed and the dogs need their's too. A thorough check over showing a few minor cuts to my saluki cross where he hedge dived, and a good rub down, and their coats on, a quick wave to the guards and no stopping.... They did really well, the deerhound cross's retrieving is coming on, but there is still some fine tuning to do. As for his lamping, I think he is doing well.

 

The season remains promising.

 

 

[stiggy 6]

nice one!!

[johnny boy68 11,725]

Nevermind "the hare and the swift hound" I can see a book coming out soon by a certain Mr artic

Great write up again fella......loving the look of the young dog Looking forward to the next installment of "Mods and Running Dogs!"

[The Happy Ferret 6]

A joy to read thank you, I once had permission at an airfield, and for dogs it was tough going, the rabbits burrowed in the most stupid of places!! Is the airfield STILL in use by the MOD?

 

Mods and Running Dogs....

 

Thanks again.

 

[hughesrobert13 0]

hi mate that was an excellent read really enjoyed it keep them comeing.

[Guest vin]

great reading Artic.. you and one or 2 others on this site should be getting together and writing a few books.

[danny dolman 4]

great read up pal , like the look of that deerhound cross

 

ATB

[Teddd 84]

:thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs:

[Clipper 207]

nice 1 dogs are looking good

[pongo1976 0]

Fantastic Read...

[FoxyWarrior 17]

A great read again Artic.

 

Nice to read honest posts. I felt like I was there reading this. "A false stretch together with a yawn

 

Your dogs are a credit to you, well done.

 

[artic 595]

Nevermind "the hare and the swift hound" I can see a book coming out soon by a certain Mr artic

Great write up again fella......loving the look of the young dog Looking forward to the next installment of "Mods and Running Dogs!"

 

Johnny, I like the sound of that book title. Maybe I'll give you a small cut out of the proceeds.

 

But for now, you just get a big Thank you.

 

[artic 595]

A joy to read thank you, I once had permission at an airfield, and for dogs it was tough going, the rabbits burrowed in the most stupid of places!! Is the airfield STILL in use by the MOD?

 

Mods and Running Dogs....

 

Thanks again.

 

 

HF, not really, however they could have it back at any time if it was needed. I have seen planes come and go at times. It's a large airfield.

 

Thanks for your all your comments.

 

[J Darcy 5,871]

Great read....

[The Happy Ferret 6]

A joy to read thank you, I once had permission at an airfield, and for dogs it was tough going, the rabbits burrowed in the most stupid of places!! Is the airfield STILL in use by the MOD?

 

Mods and Running Dogs....

 

Thanks again.

 

 

HF, not really, however they could have it back at any time if it was needed. I have seen planes come and go at times. It's a large airfield.

 

Thanks for your all your comments.

 

 

Thats great, I miss hunting on the airfield near me, but as soon as the MOD came I lost the permission.

 

All the best for your on coming season.