Reluctant rabbits

[max abell 196]

We went out wednesday and although not a bad bag we ended up with 11 rabbits we always try and be as quite as poss when netting up i personaly think that talking and crashing about contributes to a lot of hang ups

The wind was very very strong and the rabbits seemed very reluctant to bolt have noticed this before in strong wind does anyone else notice this maybe human scent blows down the holes ? anyone got any ideas on this ?

[longnetter 32]

Yep, had exactly the same. Could be the scent thing if the wind was blowing into the bury or it could be the wind blowing across the holes upsetting the rabbits..a bit like blowing across the top of a bottle?? either way I think scent conditions has got a lot to do with it

[The one 8,512]

We where out on wednesday shooting them and i thought we would be in trouble young ferrets and bolting rabbits to the gun but it went like a dream till the last burrow i had one four foot dig

[KittleRox 2,147]

had this problem as well on windy days,probably noise echoing and smell wafting doon the holes,

[Moe 108]

nearly always have this problem when windy,put it down to rabbits not bieng able to hear whats going on outside,IMO.

[The one 8,512]

These days you cant wait for whats classed as the proper ferreting conditions a nice frosty morning , so you just have to make the best of the weather when your out

 

If there slow to bolt all i do is pop more ferrets down and if that means the spades got to come out later so be it

[Ideation 8,216]

Yer noticed the same in high winds, personally don't thin this is about the scent blowing down. Imagine on a still day how good a rabbits smell should be, if the dog can easily smell them down there, they can probably smell something of us up above (humans stink). But in a gale the amount of air whipping about, theres more chance of the smell being carried away them funneled straight down the hole, wind rarely blows toward the ground. It's probably the noise or as someone said the lack of scenting ability.

 

Also re. the noise thing. Like The One says, i've always thought it funny a bit of rustling can make them really hard to bolt, but cracking shotguns off above the set doesnt seem to make a difference.

[KittleRox 2,147]

maybe they just don,t want to go oot in the pissing rain and wind,

[ferretinglife 0]

rabbits hate bolting in wind, think they would rather stop in burrows lol

[Guest crobinc840]

I went out yesterday with a good deal of wind. They would bolt out and turn to come right back in even with a few people around the holes.

[caterpiller 10]

Was out with the Stinkers myself yesterday..... started off a glorious morning then the wind got up..... sometimes they Bolt like Rockets and other times..... they decide to slug it out with the Ferret :vava:

 

The wind picked up but the Rabbits kept Bolting all day .......

Alot of the time with reluctant Bolters is THERE IS NOT ENOUGH Ferrets in.... what might look like a small place to us???? could be like a labyrinth under the turf....get the Stinkers in and get them on the move....

 

We done a little clump of Blackthorn..... 50yard Longnet each side and luckily.... there was a small break in the middle of the Blackthorn so i put a 5yard Stop Net there.

Put 4 Ferrets in each side and the Rabbits were sharp on the move... yes, the odd one hole hopped but it soon decided it was getting to hot to handle under the turf and made its bid for freedom.

We took 18 from this little clump and not one dig... Yes, a couple of Ferrets could of bottled up the same Rabbit but.... if you have to dig to 1 Ferret, you may as well dig to 2 or 3.

[max abell 196]

Yer noticed the same in high winds, personally don't thin this is about the scent blowing down. Imagine on a still day how good a rabbits smell should be, if the dog can easily smell them down there, they can probably smell something of us up above (humans stink). But in a gale the amount of air whipping about, theres more chance of the smell being carried away them funneled straight down the hole, wind rarely blows toward the ground. It's probably the noise or as someone said the lack of scenting ability.

 

Also re. the noise thing. Like The One says, i've always thought it funny a bit of rustling can make them really hard to bolt, but cracking shotguns off above the set doesnt seem to make a difference.

So true about the shooting when we ferret and shoot the guns dont seem to make a great deal of difference and as caterpiller said if your gonna have to dig it might just as well to 3 rabbits than 1 thanks for the replies happy hunting for the rest of the season to all