Not as Expected, a pre-ban tale

[Guest dances]

Nia

 

Now people that have been out with me or know the land I run will know that daytime is not an option; the fields are small, the hedges are thick, the cover plentiful and plenty of gates in between. The only way to get a decent run is on the lamp and with a dog that's up and at them. Not only do you need the right type of dog but you need the weather or you just don't get the runs. When we go out we also put the odds slightly more in our favour because we use a 4x4 to drive the fields, the truck is probably louder then foot but for some reason the game doesn't seem to be as bothered as they do when they hear the thuds of walking.

The night I'm writing about was a fair time ago and the weather was far from text book for hares,deer or rabbits. It was very still and dry but We didn't go out with the intention of running anything other then a fox just because we hadn't had very many so far during the season and if my memory serves me correctly it was already late november, maybe even early december.

 

Half ten was the normal time to go out for our team but we weren't going any where near as far as we normally do so we decided to go a little bit later. We made all the pre lamping checks and loaded up the battered but faithful old truck. With the kit on board we made our way into the dark abyss, we had tom and nia with us tonight; tom's a stocky built bullx that has more whippet than greyhound in him, plenty of speed and heart but poor agility and turning and nia's a small well proportion bitch with good turning ability but lacking the heart of a bullx but a very handy bitch when covered.

 

After only a twenty minute drive we had made our way to the ground we where planning on calling, for reasons unknown to us this particular area has fairly low hedges in comparison to the rest of devon so my dad is able to lamp as we are driving along for a fair few miles.

 

Only a few fields of the main road and we saw a fox, mid field but running. Without hesitation the dogs were out the box and on there way up the lamp; As I said before we haven't got the luxury of large fields so unfortunately mid field means he only has a hundred yards or so to the hedge. Even though the dogs where gaining quick old charlie was reducing the gap that separated him from the freedom that came with the hedge. Both gaps where decreasing as the dogs got more into there stride which I always find to be a frustrating situation; not knowing if the dogs are going to get a turn whilst it will make a difference. They did manage to get a turn but it was very much a case of down rather then away from the hedge which meant only a few seconds before it was through the hedge. The dogs followed through the hedge but didn't manage to make contact with the elusive vulpine. They returned unmarked and empty mouthed but did get a small warm up and empty themselves so it wasn't a useless task.

 

We continued our search until we found a suitable field to call; in the field and lights off before quietly removing the dogs from there boxes. The field narrower than it was long, a very standard thing down here; started calling away, a high pitched squeal echoed distress throughout the valley whilst the dogs tremble with anticipation for there quarry. Several minutes passed by before those sparkling rubys appeared at the far hedge, they gradually swept along the hedge before reaching the corner of the field and started heading towards us, close to the hedge in a zigzag pattern, stopping every few yards to try the wind. As it came closer it gradually became more confident and started to cut the corner slightly until something happened. I don't know what caused it but before we even realised the fox had turnt and sprinted full pace into the hedge before we had even managed to slipped the dogs.

 

That night seemed to be full of lottery winning foxes, one after another they came in but not in a way that was any use to a lurcher. We decided to try it another way, instead of blind calling we were going to do it by having me and bonks on the back of the pick up truck, lamping over the hedges to spot the gear that way. We searched every inch of every field, ignoring all game we seen which we didn't normally do but We were determined to get a fox.

 

The search continued for hours, it got to around three o'clock before we decided that any game was now runnable. For people that may have read my previous article 'perfect storm', there was a field that we caught two hares on. The area we were in was the same area that we caught the hares on in the other story. Now as I said earlier the weather was poor for grazers but we continued to search on.

 

We came around to the corner field that over the past few years seems to be a holding field for hares. As we drove along the hedge we could see there was two hares sat in the bowl of the field. We cracked the gate ( a term we use due to the awkwardness of some of the gates) and drove towards the nearest hare, directing the driver with the light. The wind was even less then before so the first hare just got up and ran, as the hare past the truck towards the gate I opened the box and let the dogs out. Tom was surprisingly upto the hare first and managed to get a turn in before nia undercut him and made old puss turn again. This sort of thing occurred for about a minute or so before the hare managed to get out the gate. We knew the other hare was still sat in the field so getting the dogs in the box wasn't required, I spotted the hare squat in the centre of the bowl and newts started heading towards them, the dogs realised we were on and passed the truck. Yards before the dogs were there the hare was up, unusual for this field the hare didn't head for the gate but the top corner. The hare wasn't the largest of hares but one of those trim little jacks that had an extra turn of pace and remarkable turning abilities. The dogs where directly behind the hare, pressuring turns and wrenches one after another; the dogs just kept the hare in this tiny little imaginary box with the occasional outburst for a hundred yards or so until tom and nia managed to box the hare again. This continued all over the field but luckily enough they didn't go anywhere near the gate. The course continued to go on, they where getting closer and closer but wearing the whole time, I haven't said so but the dogs were obviously striking because I don't keep plodders they just didn't seem to be able to get a purchase on him. The course lasted about three to four minutes before tom finally took the plunge and fully commited the strike, rolling over as he grasped the hare between his teeth. The screams of a hare seem so much worse on night like these, no wind to stop it echoing throughout the valley.

 

Once the dogs were away and the hare was paunched we closed the gate and got back to searching. It was only a few fields down the road when we spotted a fox just inside a gate, this fox was almost grey in colour. We didn't have chance to get the dogs out before charlie had jumped in the hedge out of sight which wasn't an issue as we where in such awe that I don't think we would have been able to run it. Our journey was heading in a general direction but we weren't looking on anything particular, as far as we were concerned all fields were runnable providing there wasn't anything to long.

The great thing about taking random turnings is that you can find new ground easily but getting back to it can be an issue. Anyway so we had taken a few turns and other than the fact we knew roughly where we were geologically where had no clue but the fields were of a decent side and short so it made no difference. We swept the fields both sides looking for game until we came across a large field that had an umbra ( area of shadow), at the top of the umbra a hare disappeared out of site into the abyss.

 

The gate was cracked and in we went, as we headed towards the umbra I constantly searched for any signs of quarry and actually spotted a different hare that I must have missed as we drove past. I gave a flash and redirected him to the new target, once he could see exactly what he was heading for he accelerated as the hare was now running. Once close enough we dumped the dogs, dumping dogs on already running quarry is a tricky business as the dogs have to get to full stride even though the quarry is already at full speed. Either way the dogs where right upto the hare but only just before the gate, now this is where the fun began. Tom and nia had an epic struggle on there hands, it was almost like a game as one had to basically block the gate and one get the turn in. The hare was very tightly boxed but also only yards from the gate. Then the hare made a break onto the road but for one reason known only to the hare he tried to break the hedge directly opposite the gate; unfortunately for him this hedge was solid and he simply bounced back into nias mouth.

 

Once the hare was taken from the dogs I spoke to my dad , a decision was made very quickly to run nia on the other hare. We put tom away and stood nia on the tail, bonks had her collar hold ready to let her go. As we drove over the umbra I spotted the hare squat, the truck came to an abrupt halt and nia was released. Like a heat seeking missile she ran down the beam, we could hear her feet so there wasn't a chance old puss couldn't. The hare was squatting tighter until he realised that he was the target. Instantly it started and straight lined along the bottom hedge, nia was gradually closing the gap. The hare turnt up the umbra which enabled nia to cut the corner and reduce the gap even more, up the field and towards the gate but the bitch was getting tighter and tighter. Old puss wasn't turning but weaving as it headed for its destination, nia had to step up or miss. Luckily she put enough pressure to get a proper turn and the course was back on track so to speak. This was an unusual course for this type of ground as the hare just didn't seem boxable, one maybe two turns and it would line out again but nia wasn't letting it close enough to the gate. After a few minutes the course was still going on but it didn't seem to be getting anywhere but it was impressive. Then the hare made a vital mistake, it tried to clap ( squat in cover). This may not sound such a stupid mistake for a normal course but nia has a knack of using her nose, even on the lamp. As the hare jumped in the small bit of nettles not far from the gate nia crashed in behind and grasped. As she retrieved the hare you could see nettles hanging out her mouth which made for an interesting scenario when we took it off her.

 

After we packed it away the search continued but we where happy with the nights result and just casually checked the fields as we drove home. We didn't see, run or catch anything more but we really weren't bothered.

 

[tb25 4,627]

good read that mate

[Guest dances]

cheers mate

[KittleRox 2,147]

Get a Job

[alan626 305]

good read mate

[davehunter1 14]

brill read

[willow 53]

wish i could read like the pics thou

[Guest dances]

I know you can read willow lol

 

And thanks lads I enjoyed writing it

[huntingryan 33]

enjoyed the read mate

[Simoman 110]

Well done dances, good write up.............but were the dogs the catch dog, kill dog etc :11:

[Guest dances]

you do realise that was a piss take dont you simoman when i did that topic?

[Simoman 110]

you do realise that was a piss take dont you simoman when i did that topic?

 

 

Well serious or piss take it made me chuckle :11:

[Guest dances]

ideal mate, i do run double up but the dogs are all capable.

[WILF 46,987]

Yep, good little read that.........sounds like you enjoyed yourself which is the main job

[Guest dances]

i do every time go out wilf, im quite happy to go out with just a lamp and look at the wildlife tbh