questions for the more experianced lurcher folk amoung us,

[cheeseboard 2]

while lamping tonight i was watching my dogs and thinking

 

people go on about dog crashing hedges and in the same breath they go on about how good there dog is and how much its caught,this cant all be true in the same sentance surely?????

a dog that crashes hedges cant of caught serious amounts of game surely and it cant of been out night after night as good experianced dogs dont crash hedges,

 

next thought was about daytime why would any one rave about a 4 plus minute dog on the fens if my dogs took that long i would get rid of them

 

just a couple of thoughts while bunny bashing tonight,

[oldnow 0]

Same thing as a redtail hawk and a harris hawk two different things

 

enjoy as you say bunny bashing what ever that is

Edited May 29, 2011 by oldnow

[riohog 5,701]

while lamping tonight i was watching my dogs and thinking

 

people go on about dog crashing hedges and in the same breath they go on about how good there dog is and how much its caught,this cant all be true in the same sentance surely?????

a dog that crashes hedges cant of caught serious amounts of game surely and it cant of been out night after night as good experianced dogs dont crash hedges,

 

next thought was about daytime why would any one rave about a 4 plus minute dog on the fens if my dogs took that long i would get rid of them

 

just a couple of thoughts while bunny bashing tonight,

try and give you an answer @ crashing hedges my dogs will pull them out from inside the hedges presume thats what you ment think most will.. 4 min runs oviously all game is different depending on the land it is run on , and some game alot stronger than others dosent meen the dog is shite cos it doesent catch it in 30 seconds . it meens the game is very strong and takes more effort and experienced dog to catch it !!

[skycat 6,173]

Regarding 4 minute runs, like Riohog says, some game is stronger than others. I've had dogs capable of picking up a poor hare within seconds, a few turns and a strike. Put the same dog on a top notch, super fit and experienced hare and the gauntlet is down for real. A really good hare, and particularly one which knows about dogs, takes some catching by anyone's standards. People also forget that the type of ground the dog is running on plays a big part as well: very soft ground can hamper a dog, ditto very hard ground where the dog has more difficulty turning tight.

 

A lot of the very fast, up and at 'em merchants would burn out on a good hare: they might look exciting to watch for the first minute, but an experienced purpose bred dog conserves its energy once it knows that its running a good hare.

 

Re the hedge crashing: IMO diving into a hedge and pulling a rabbit out is completely different to just crashing crazily into a hedge on a no-hoper though I must admit some types of game arouse more determination in a dog than others.

[paulus 26]

most experienced lamping dogs will know that when rabbits hit cover ie a hedge some will stop and pause in the belief their safe fore a second or two, a dog that has learnt this through expience will catch more than one that hasnt.

[cheeseboard 2]

ok some goodpoints there,

but

when people describe there dogs on here they describe there lamping dogs as crashing into hedges,

mine slow down at the hedge and i keep the lamp on the hedge where the rabbit gets to if it was lucky to get there and the dog watches until the rabbit moves and bang,my pups are young and they give there prey 100% in the open but dont crash hedges but they do run a few rabbits,

i disagree with this 4 minute thing iam sorry if my dogs where runing long ears for 4 minutes i would have to part with them,what is better for the dog.

a 4 minute run at % or a 1 minute run at 99% with a 20 minute rest inbetween???????????

Edited May 29, 2011 by cheeseboard

[riohog 5,701]

ok some goodpoints there,

but

when people describe there dogs on here they describe there lamping dogs as crashing into hedges,

mine slow down at the dedge and i keep the lamp on the hedge where the rabbit gets to if it was lucky to get there and the dog watches,my pups are young and they give there prey 100% in the open but dont crash hedges but they do run a few rabbits,

i disagree with this 4 minute thing iam sorry if my dogs where runing long ears for 4 minutes i would have to part with them,what is better for the dog.

a 4 minute run at % or a 1 minute run at 99% with a 20 minute rest inbetween???????????

 

 

for example how many good strong winter hares were cought on the eastanglian fens given fair law in 1 minuete.and how many were 2..3 4 minuete runs talking in the past tence as we know its now banned so were all the 2.3.4 minuete dogs uselless at what they do , just becouse they couldnt kill in 1 minuete.......i dont think so!!!!!!!,they were on the back of very strong game that may have seen a dog or two before and wised up to what to do ,,if they dont learn ,,they are dead !!!

[banjo14 49]

ok some goodpoints there,

but

when people describe there dogs on here they describe there lamping dogs as crashing into hedges,

mine slow down at the hedge and i keep the lamp on the hedge where the rabbit gets to if it was lucky to get there and the dog watchesuntil the rabbit moves and bang,my pups are young and they give there prey 100% in the open but dont crash hedges but they do run a few rabbits,

i disagree with this 4 minute thing iam sorry if my dogs where runing long ears for 4 minutes i would have to part with them,what is better for the dog.

a 4 minute run at % or a 1 minute run at 99% with a 20 minute rest inbetween???????????

what type of dog/s do you run?

[cheeseboard 2]

ok some goodpoints there,

but

when people describe there dogs on here they describe there lamping dogs as crashing into hedges,

mine slow down at the hedge and i keep the lamp on the hedge where the rabbit gets to if it was lucky to get there and the dog watchesuntil the rabbit moves and bang,my pups are young and they give there prey 100% in the open but dont crash hedges but they do run a few rabbits,

i disagree with this 4 minute thing iam sorry if my dogs where runing long ears for 4 minutes i would have to part with them,what is better for the dog.

a 4 minute run at % or a 1 minute run at 99% with a 20 minute rest inbetween???????????

what type of dog/s do you run?

saluki greys

[skycat 6,173]

 

i disagree with this 4 minute thing iam sorry if my dogs where runing long ears for 4 minutes i would have to part with them,what is better for the dog.

a 4 minute run at % or a 1 minute run at 99% with a 20 minute rest inbetween???????????

 

Not trying to start an argument or anything, and certainly not disrespecting your opinion, but you'd have had to been running those strong hares on the fens for several seasons to realise that it took good dogs to catch them. I've seen plenty of Whip/Greys take them on, and not one could really make a dent in the population. Like I said before, they look great, exciting, fast and furious for the first minute, maybe two, but to catch an animal which has evolved for years to outwit and outrun the increasingly good Saluki lurchers, it needs more than fast and furious for 2 minutes. Before Christmas, sure, plenty of dogs can look good, but once you got into January, it became a different ball game. Someone once said that a hare ain't a hare until its had a dog up its a*se.

 

I watched these hares improve over the 20 years or so until the ban put a stop to things (!) and the reason they improved and kept on improving was that any stupid, weak or otherwise substandard animals didn't last long.

 

To come back to your original statement: a 1 minute run at full bore which doesn't catch the game still knackers the dog, and full bore dogs only have say, 3 runs like that in them maybe twice a week. Purpose bred dogs which know when to apply the pressure and when to ease off, can run longer, more frequently and are 10 times as likely to actually catch what they are chasing. Though I guess it depends on whether you just want to see the dog run or actually catch something.

[banjo14 49]

i know what your saying about youd rather the dog give its all all of the time but surely it depends on the land there running ie a small field it would be quick turns keeping them away from the hedges ect where as on the big fields like where i live you would be lucky to get within 200 yards of one before its up and off, a lot of the time the dogs will take chase but slowly close the gap betweem them but saving energy.i suppose what im saying is my dogs tend to run according to the land there running on.

[cheeseboard 2]

all the dogs here have stamina and a ot at it but i will elaborate on what iam trying to say,

 

IF ANY TOOK 4 MINUTES TO CATCH HARES BEFORE THE BAN I WOULDNT OF HAD THE STOCK I HAVE NOW WHICH ARE QUIET CAPABLE OF RUNING 4 MINUTES,

[boyo 1,398]

seen and owned both types over the years but like as been said the best can catch them both in the feild and in/on the hedges as for the long runs 4min plus if your running on the fens and giving fair law or head start it takes even the best dogs a while to get their quarry under some sort of control ..after running 200 yds plus to just get to their hare.the said same dogs can and will catch them much quicker in smaller places with not so much start or fair law .unless you have run dogs on the real big land its very difficult to comprehend just how differant and difficult for the dogs it is .and by this i dont mean its easier to catch hares anywhere else its just a totally differant running ground to anywhere else.

[Casso 1,261]

while lamping tonight i was watching my dogs and thinking

 

people go on about dog crashing hedges and in the same breath they go on about how good there dog is and how much its caught,this cant all be true in the same sentance surely?????

a dog that crashes hedges cant of caught serious amounts of game surely and it cant of been out night after night as good experianced dogs dont crash hedges,

 

next thought was about daytime why would any one rave about a 4 plus minute dog on the fens if my dogs took that long i would get rid of them

 

just a couple of thoughts while bunny bashing tonight,

 

on your point about dogs hitting hedges, had a bitch years ago, who couldn't run to warm herself, slow as f**k, first cross beddy who threw to the terrier side,

 

rarely caught bunnies on the lamp in the open, everything she took had either hit the ditch or just inside,

 

she had learned to use the hedge to her advantage, took good numbers with that bitch too,,

[rabbit slayer 22]

all the dogs here have stamina and a ot at it but i will elaborate on what iam trying to say,

 

IF ANY TOOK 4 MINUTES TO CATCH HARES BEFORE THE BAN I WOULDNT OF HAD THE STOCK I HAVE NOW WHICH ARE QUIET CAPABLE OF RUNING 4 MINUTES,

 

 

Dont get what your trying to say mate, how do you know they are capable of running four minutes you just said you'd get rid of them if it took that long. I think the more experienced lurcher boys on here have caught you out a little.