what the first time or best memory you have of when you first started out as a kid??

[skycat 6,173]

artic: that was brilliant! Aren't you going to tell us just what was in those damn bags????

 

My dad used to go lamping with the neighbouring farmer: we're talking mid 1950s here. The farmer had a blue greyhound called Bingo. I was barely knee high and the dog seemed huge to me. The farmer whose name was Bill Cornish, had a car battery strapped to his back! Must have weighed a ton, and he used a car head light. One night the battery leaked acid down his back and it burned right through his clothes and skin so you could see his back bone: he never went to hospital, just poured a few buckets of water over his head. For weeks afterwards every time we saw him he was complaining about the itching, and rubbing his back against a stone gatepost or whatever was handy at the time.

 

The farmer's Collie once had a fight with the Greyhound and tore a piece of flesh right out of its stomach. The farmer just tied a dirty bit of rag round the dog's middle and left it to heal. I didn't see the fight but for weeks afterwards the greyhound trotted about with this dirty bit of rag tied round it: didn't seem to bother it at all! They lived in the dark ages, even by normal standards for those days: their whole farm yard right up to the front door of their house was one liquid pool of cow shit, and the kids were covered in it most of the time. They all looked remarkably healthy though

[STUNTMAN 552]

Besides that priest showning me I had lead in my pencil My first dog was a golden retriever and I would climb rail way tressels and catch pigeons to train her, I didnt know what I was doing but I has fun!

[bendrover 556]

Watching my dad trying to brake a gooses neck in the kitchen for the Xmas dinner.Think the goose beat him.

nice one catch.at about 10 i asked my auld man if i could take the ferrets out on my own,walked about a 1000 yards along our road.4 or 5 holer netted up and bang 2 in the one net.the look on the auld mans face when i returned after only 10 minutes ,and 2 big rabbits priceless

[Ideation 8,216]

Not really my first 'hunting experiance', but a little bit about the beginning . . .

 

Years ago a couple, a man in his late twenties and his young wife left a growing town in the welsh valleys, for the empty welsh nowhereness. With them they brought the mans recently widowed father, a pile of dogs and ferrets and some funny ideas about a better life. They pooled together savings and bought a place that needed alot of work, with just enough wild untamed jungle around it to have something there. . .and lots and lots of nowehere all around. A couple of years went by, the jungle had been tamed, the kennels were up, the ferret court in place and the surrounding countryside thorughly explored. A small herd of sheep had joined the gang. So what next? So then there was me.

 

I first turned up sometime in June (my parents never gave any specifics ), so i suppose i was first out as a three month embryo as the seasons turned and the season started, inside my slightly wild mother, as she joined the beating line, helped train dogs, and walked the hills and woods with my father, shooting, ferreting, exploring and mooching about the land.

 

There are some great photos of my mother 8 months pregnant, in febuary, climbing fences, dead game in hand, and standing beside my father surrounded by a mess of dogs on some frosty field at first light.

 

I was born in late march, and spent my first few months in summer, sitting beside rivers with my mum as dad fished and laying on blankets in bluebell woods as they picniced and come september time i was out once again, slung and wrapped to my mothers chest or back (and even my fathers sometimes. . . now thats a funny photo )as she marched around the land, going where my father went and doing as he did.

 

As i came to walk and explore i entered a fascinating world, and i have a lot of great snap shots and half memories of that time. Of being penned out on the lawn/field with sheep hurdles, a dog or two, maybe with some puppies for company, play mates and gaurdians as my mother pegged out washing or did dishes, of playing with ferrets, and watching as my dad did what he did. I never once thought it was anything but normal that food came from the ground, or had fur or feathers or scales on it, and that food was fresh at certain times of year and frozen at others.

 

I remember my first dog, i was young enough to need a booster seat in the car, and i was sitting on said seat on the floor of my parents kitchen, when my dad opened the door, like a small furry typhoon, a small pup flew in and sat on my feet. Whats his name asked dad? Charlie says i immediatly! And still to this day no one knows why, including me. That dog followed me EVERYWHERE through no particular choice of mine, and until a ripe old age was a great companion and character, going from a playmate and exploring buddy, to a companion on long days ferreting.

 

The first time i ever shot anything also sticks in my mind, too small to hold the shotgun, my father knewlt down and balanced it on his shoulder, talking me through it all as i took aim, fired and killed my first rabbit. He then sent me off to collect it, made me carry it home and help clean it and then showed me some cooking.

 

I grew up a wild only child, running about the countryside accompanied often by three or more dogs, ferrets and few mates. I lived in a house visited by few who would be considered normal, but who were all characters and came accompanied by all manner of hounds, terriers, running dogs, hawks and many other wonderful things. I spent my childhood in a world of adults and old men, in warm barns, on cold fields, climbing under hedges and carrying all manner of dead animals, whilst holding on to or watching various live ones run, fly and hunt in various ways. It was f*****g great.

 

Looking back i was a lucky kid, its a shame we have to grow up sometimes and take on resposibilities, but with it comes the chance to write new chapters, and maybe one day to give what you got to the next in your line

[darbo 4,774]

many years ago coming back from fishing a pond cut through local farmland to get home. noticed a man walking across a field with what i thought was a greyhound on a slip. the dog was slipped on a hare cant say how long the course was but i cant describe the feeling i experienced the hairs stood up on the back of my neck. the dog caught the hare and retreived it back. i was only a kid then but knew from that day on thats what i wanted to do. years later it became a reality.

[Hollie 21]

Some excellent stories, keep them coming

[morton 5,368]

Getting my first ferret,30 bob,it was a fortune then.Trial and error learning how to hunt with it,making nets from onion bags and finally catching a rabbit,then running home with rabbit scratching and kicking under my jumper,so my dad could kill it.Then having to run back for my ferret.I was about 7 years old but i can remember it so clearly,my first rabbit.

[undisputed 1,664]

Being asked by the auld fella across the road if I wanted to see his puppys....but thats a story for another day

[FightTheBan 1,147]

My first memory of working dogs is a sad one, but one that will stay with me forever...you never forget your first dog.

 

 

 

My parents were never into fieldsports in any way shape or form although they had me out in the countryside from a very young age.

At 12 I got my first job at a clay pigeon shoot and from there on in I was hooked with anything shooting or dog related. Between going out beating, shooting, ferreting etc it was only natural a dog was the next step.

 

At 13 I pestered the life out of my mum(relentlessly) to let me have a spaniel pup from a lassie I had got friendly with through the shooting. Eventually, fern came along. A tiny wee white Springer with a brown head and a coat as smooth as silk.

From that moment on she went with me everywhere I went. At 16 (believe it or not) I even had a dog box on the back of my scooter that I would take her to work on .

She was a joy to own and work and she soon became well known for her working ability. It seemed there was nothing she was incapable of. The bond we had was incredible and we worked as a team almost as if through telecommunication.

I remember everything from her first retrieve down to the rabbiting days we spent together and the days spent on the moor at the grouse. However, later in life she went downhill rapidly.

 

After spending £2000 at the age of 17 at the vet school she was diagnosed with limes disease and I was told she is fine for the now, but at some stage it will come back and it will not disappear. So I made the most of the time we had left. The days we spent together on shoots and out rough shooting were countless. She even came to Uni with me in the van and we spent every break and lunch doing retrieves down by the river on campus.

She lasted another good season after that before she started to go downhill. I rushed her into the vet who had dealt with her since day one (who was almost like a friend at this stage due to the many visits), but I knew before he told me what needed to be done.

 

With a temperature in the high 40’s and barely able to walk I took her to her favourite spot where she retrieved her first rabbit at the age of 9 months. I gave her one last retrieve with her dummy then gave her a bowl of her favourite food and done the deed there and then. I buried her on that very spot all the while crying like a wean, which I am in no way ashamed to admit.

That was a very sad day to me, my family and anyone who knew my dog as she had become a very well known character. That day I lost my best and most loyal friend and to this day I still miss her (as I write this I am welling up inside). But what happened that day made me a stronger person and I have had many dogs come and go since then.

 

It is true what they say, every dog has his day and my wee fern had countless...what a dog

 

I will always advise any youngsters coming into the sport to start with a pup. The bond you will have with your first dog will stay with you forever and good or bad nothing will ever come close.

 

All the best.

 

FTB

[vld 62]

Me with Jack russel Jess when I was 9 years old (1988) out with my Uncle Russ. I'd been fishing and stuff like that from an earlier age but this picture brings back memories of going out with the dogs.

The shell suit and flat cap were all the rage! and I did grow into my ears and teeth so I don't look so much like a hobbit now!

 

My sons birth is surrounded in lurcher tales too - I was 100 odd miles from home with a couple of mates lamping. My missus had two weeks to go on our first child and told me to go off - she'd be ok. Well f.... me - she decides to have him that night and was texting and phoning to say she was in labour - I didn't get the messages for a couple of hours until we'd gone back to the van to drop the bag of rabbits off. At this time its all action stations and she's at the hospital - well I'm bloody demented = didn'tknow what to do.

Get to the hospital and my mate Rich comes in with me (as I can't hardly talk) while Gavs in the van with the dogs. Me and Rich are running through the entrance of the hospital in our combo stuff (covered in mud etc) when two of the dogs get out of the van window and are in the hospital behind us!

You can imagine the commotion! Some rather buxom old matron told us to "stop right there" - what were we doing in a maternity corridor in that state - finally explained and got in to the room just in time to see my son being born - very emotional but very funny too - me and the lads look back on that night with fond memories!

 

Me and the lad and the dogs in the second photo.

[longarm 2]

my first recolections of hunting with lurchers was when i was about 5 years old, down the local fields at night with my uncle gaz and is scruffy looking lurcher peggy, the only thing that really sticks in my head from that night was a fox following us back up the field, to witch are gaz made me stand at the side of the old rugby club and told me to stay there and dont make a sound , the next thing i knew this masive fox was tareing past me with peggy on its tail ive never moved so fast i thought it was coming for me, really shit me up lol the fox slinked through the hedge and made its escape, but i remember buzzing from the exictment, i was hooked every time i saw are gaz i miverd im to take me out again, not having a dad are gaz became my hero and my mentor, teaching me every thing he knew about hunting with dogs and ferrets, at about 8 i was in to building traps me and my best mate used to get theold NAM magazines in side was step by step trap building pictures , whats ironic is that the traps were the 1ns used by the japs in the vietnam war but we used them to try and catch animals and birds lol, the only thing we ever caught was a stoat in a fall trap, and my nabour whitch she ended up with a 6" nail stuck in her leg whoops but it was quite funny thinking back lol, my mates dad was probably the biggest poacher in west yorkshire and he would take us out with im from time to time poaching it was great sneaking about ferreting missnetting and the odd bit of rooster shooting, we got chased a few time by the land owners but it just made it more exciting, that was the biggest buzz doing something a bit naughty lol but afterwards he would always make us a meal with the quarry we had caught cant beat rabbit stew on a cold winters afternoon,over the years ive always been in to hunting iver with lurchers guns ferrets and my hawks, some times i think all this hunting is taking up far to much of my time but then i rember all the highs and good times ive had over the years and the people who have influenced me i realise this is who i am this is what i do and god willing will carry on to do for many more years to come, i cant wait to take my kids out on there first hunting trip and pass on the knowledge that was given me

[scothunter 12,609]

My first memory of working dogs is a sad one, but one that will stay with me forever...you never forget your first dog.

 

 

 

My parents were never into fieldsports in any way shape or form although they had me out in the countryside from a very young age.

At 12 I got my first job at a clay pigeon shoot and from there on in I was hooked with anything shooting or dog related. Between going out beating, shooting, ferreting etc it was only natural a dog was the next step.

 

At 13 I pestered the life out of my mum(relentlessly) to let me have a spaniel pup from a lassie I had got friendly with through the shooting. Eventually, fern came along. A tiny wee white Springer with a brown head and a coat as smooth as silk.

From that moment on she went with me everywhere I went. At 16 (believe it or not) I even had a dog box on the back of my scooter that I would take her to work on .

She was a joy to own and work and she soon became well known for her working ability. It seemed there was nothing she was incapable of. The bond we had was incredible and we worked as a team almost as if through telecommunication.

I remember everything from her first retrieve down to the rabbiting days we spent together and the days spent on the moor at the grouse. However, later in life she went downhill rapidly.

 

After spending £2000 at the age of 17 at the vet school she was diagnosed with limes disease and I was told she is fine for the now, but at some stage it will come back and it will not disappear. So I made the most of the time we had left. The days we spent together on shoots and out rough shooting were countless. She even came to Uni with me in the van and we spent every break and lunch doing retrieves down by the river on campus.

She lasted another good season after that before she started to go downhill. I rushed her into the vet who had dealt with her since day one (who was almost like a friend at this stage due to the many visits), but I knew before he told me what needed to be done.

 

With a temperature in the high 40’s and barely able to walk I took her to her favourite spot where she retrieved her first rabbit at the age of 9 months. I gave her one last retrieve with her dummy then gave her a bowl of her favourite food and done the deed there and then. I buried her on that very spot all the while crying like a wean, which I am in no way ashamed to admit.

That was a very sad day to me, my family and anyone who knew my dog as she had become a very well known character. That day I lost my best and most loyal friend and to this day I still miss her (as I write this I am welling up inside). But what happened that day made me a stronger person and I have had many dogs come and go since then.

 

It is true what they say, every dog has his day and my wee fern had countless...what a dog

 

I will always advise any youngsters coming into the sport to start with a pup. The bond you will have with your first dog will stay with you forever and good or bad nothing will ever come close.

 

All the best.

 

FTB

 

very moving.

yup its the hardest thing i had to do last year,getting my old lurcher bitch of 16yrs PTS couldnt have done it myself though.

[FightTheBan 1,147]

very moving.

yup its the hardest thing i had to do last year,getting my old lurcher bitch of 16yrs PTS couldnt have done it myself though.

 

 

 

 

 

Aye. None of my family could understand why I done it myself, I see it as the final respect you can show your companion. It's not for the faint hearted though

 

FTB

[MOUSE TRAP 19]

My first memory of working dogs is a sad one, but one that will stay with me forever...you never forget your first dog.

 

 

 

My parents were never into fieldsports in any way shape or form although they had me out in the countryside from a very young age.

At 12 I got my first job at a clay pigeon shoot and from there on in I was hooked with anything shooting or dog related. Between going out beating, shooting, ferreting etc it was only natural a dog was the next step.

 

At 13 I pestered the life out of my mum(relentlessly) to let me have a spaniel pup from a lassie I had got friendly with through the shooting. Eventually, fern came along. A tiny wee white Springer with a brown head and a coat as smooth as silk.

From that moment on she went with me everywhere I went. At 16 (believe it or not) I even had a dog box on the back of my scooter that I would take her to work on .

She was a joy to own and work and she soon became well known for her working ability. It seemed there was nothing she was incapable of. The bond we had was incredible and we worked as a team almost as if through telecommunication.

I remember everything from her first retrieve down to the rabbiting days we spent together and the days spent on the moor at the grouse. However, later in life she went downhill rapidly.

 

After spending £2000 at the age of 17 at the vet school she was diagnosed with limes disease and I was told she is fine for the now, but at some stage it will come back and it will not disappear. So I made the most of the time we had left. The days we spent together on shoots and out rough shooting were countless. She even came to Uni with me in the van and we spent every break and lunch doing retrieves down by the river on campus.

She lasted another good season after that before she started to go downhill. I rushed her into the vet who had dealt with her since day one (who was almost like a friend at this stage due to the many visits), but I knew before he told me what needed to be done.

 

With a temperature in the high 40’s and barely able to walk I took her to her favourite spot where she retrieved her first rabbit at the age of 9 months. I gave her one last retrieve with her dummy then gave her a bowl of her favourite food and done the deed there and then. I buried her on that very spot all the while crying like a wean, which I am in no way ashamed to admit.

That was a very sad day to me, my family and anyone who knew my dog as she had become a very well known character. That day I lost my best and most loyal friend and to this day I still miss her (as I write this I am welling up inside). But what happened that day made me a stronger person and I have had many dogs come and go since then.

 

It is true what they say, every dog has his day and my wee fern had countless...what a dog

 

I will always advise any youngsters coming into the sport to start with a pup. The bond you will have with your first dog will stay with you forever and good or bad nothing will ever come close.

 

All the best.

 

FTB

my eyes are fillin up just reading this mate as i had a dog just like yours went everywhere way me at 17 she still came for short walks and still stayed at a rabbit hole to let me no there were something in it rip the old dogs.

[patterdale pup 0]

must have been late sixties my old man used to hunt regular with the blencathra pack and took me along one saterday with my first terrier rusty a little lakeland off john cowan. the fox holed up on a bank beside bass lake an a terrier was entered to bolt it.only about six at the time my dad tells me to hold the dog and keep them hounds back so there i am proud as can be terrier in one hand stick in the other johny ritch egging me on to keep them hounds back when out pops old raynard .twelve couple of hounds shot over me i let go of the terrier johny starts shouting my old man starts shouting and all i was bothered about was i had broke my stick