One of those nights...

[Moll. 1,770]

when nothing goes right, not just for me it seems, for most by other posts on here.

 

We arrived at pastures new, somewhere i have never been before with Woodga and the lads, this place is virtually untouched and is 'lifting' with rabbits.

First problem, i had forgotten my hair scrunchie, not a big deal to most of the blokes on here but when this heap of straw blows over my face it is like someone dropping a white bag over my head and i cannot see a thing, i did the rediculous and asked a load of shaven headed blokes if they may have one, and was presented with the elastic from a car airfreshner.....and it worked

 

It was Rudies first proper night of the season. (Boo was on loan to Millet &

IanB further south, crap night for him also by all accounts) Rudies start had also been delayed due to injury/recouperation. Now Rude has been my perfect boy, his training was easy and he has always been an absolute pleasure to work, he just wants to please He has never hunted up, alway retrieved, and when on my own will work him off the slip for most of the time.

Yep you guessed it, not tonight. He whinged, whined and panted all the way there in the car, the noise fries your brain on long journeys His first slip, from the road side over the gate, he caught quickly, crunched and left it where he stood to come back After that the night went from bad to worse. Hardly any rabbits about, fields which held 30-40 rabbits at the start of the season we saw 2 if we were lucky

In Rudies defence, things were not ideal for him being a young driven dog starved of work. It was so light he could see without a lamp, having 4 dogs, 3 lamps in the same or adjoining fields did not help. He caught 12 out of about 18 runs, quite a few he did retrive back to me if we were out of the way of the others, so all is not lost. Some of the ones he missed he went on to hunt up, something he has never done and my biggest hate. Sometimes because he was looking for more, sometimes because he could see other lamps on and ran towards them. Plus he pulled on the slip like a steam train, something i made sure from the start he was trained not to do.

 

I decided to call it a night, i do not want him to learn this unwanted behaviour, and i could not really train/correct him properly with others there, and so as not to spoil everyone elses night. It really is gutting though to see everything to worked hard at suddenly go out of the window in one night

 

I tried to cheer myself up with the fact it would mean an earlier night, I'd be able to get to bed before the usual 5-6am, and it was enough for his first night out, plus he did run well.

 

So back to the cars, to gut, and for the eon photo. Rabbits all layed out nicely when a car appeared and could not get past one of the cars on the narrow lane, so car and rabbits had to be moved, by this time we were all so pee'd off the photo was taken as the rabbits layed

 

Then, just to top the night off the other car had a flat tyre, and the lad did not have a locking thingy to get the bolts off the spare tyre Over an hour we were stuck, the bolt finally removed with a massive rock

 

All is not lost though....Rudie is still fit today, no signs of injury, stiffness, not even tired, he has bounced around the farm this morning like he had never been out. And Woodga is going to let me have a night with Rudie on his own to sort his 'problems' out when condition are better.

 

Making sure the camera was ok, prior to the car needing to get past..

 

 

And after

 

 

36 rabbits caught in total, still a good haul considering the conditions

[lost scouse 46]

a honest post as usual well done Degsy

[bryson 562]

another good post moll its shit when the dog takes the piss even though you no hes good am sure its just a gitch

[Guest joball]

well done to you and mob, still a descent night buy the looks of them pics

[Bosun11 537]

Another good, honest write up Moll.

 

I'm sure all those teething problems with Rudie will iron out, especially with more graft, he'll make you proud.

[rapidjenky 97]

nice one moll, wasent the best of nights for it lastnight. i stayed home lol dident even bother to do my local spot.

 

im sure its just the lack of work with rudie.

[dymented 2,220]

well done moll

[nasher1 258]

I wish I could have a night as bad as that, a few inconveniences, dogs uninjured and 36 rabbits poor you i'm sure you will recover, and before anyone jumps down my throat i'm only joking and a bit green eyed glad you had a good night atb nasher

[skycat 6,174]

Fair play to Woodga for inviting so many people out, but not something I'd want to do with a young dog. One dog, one lamp, one person: that's the way I like to do it. Like you said, you can't iron out problems if you go out mob handed. And its just too frustrating for dogs seeing other dogs running the beam: makes them over hyped up and lose the plot when they do get to run.

[torchey 1,328]

When the moons up like that i think a lot of young dogs will be tempted to hunt up especially with other dogs there aswell,not a bad catch of rabbits though considering the conditions i had a proper shit night

[bird 9,986]

well done Moll + co , nice bag .Just keep taking him Moll, he will get better . Just got back from my dog walk, and feckin Tod ran into steel post . I think he hit the concrete bass, he is lame i think its his shoulder, iam going to the vet tue anyway let him look then. He was doing Great in the lamp as well,, these feckin bullxs to bloody reckless hope he is ok . His your lad reckless as well moll .!!

[toby1066 413]

i would have a night out with the dog just you and him and iron out the problems before they become bad habits

[rocky1 942]

welldone moll and woodga and lads

[KittleRox 2,147]

aye good honest post, atb

[whin 463]

gang handed is no good one dog one lamp each get a shot worse when there a moon as dogs eyes soon adjust had dogs on qaurry in moon taking them a feild away and nailed it .but not the best back to drwing board one dog one feild a few runs ,i dont run land nowadays with lots of rabbs more open land with woods but very testing .pups only get run here and there so not much chance of hunting up plus after a few big runs they soon quiten down ,had pups you can run any were with any dog others need to be schooled on there own till they calm down all dogs are diff ,