An enjoyable mooch with Johnnyboy68 and young Tom

[Ideation 8,216]

Sunday today, so i headed off early, with two jills, the old silver girl and the young polecat (bred by johnnyboy) with me. Finn was staying at home (stitches out tomorrow) and sat on the stairs watching me head off, through the window, howling like a banshee.

 

Picked up johnnyboy with Gem and Luna in tow, and headed off. Our first port of call, was a farm i have permission on, where i have recently noticed a few bunnys knocking about a long the edge of one field. The plan was to have a quick mooch and see if it was worth a proper trip. Walking to our intended hedge, the dogs put up a rabbit and ran it to ground in a thick holly hedge, just as young Tom appeared. We decided to try to bolt it out to the dogs, with Luna one side and Gem the other. In went the young poley jill and she soon had the rabbit moving, straight down the hedge. Gem dived in and it dropped to ground further a long, followed by the ferret. Again she bolted it, it took one look at Gem wedged in the thick hedge, and fecked off back down another hole. It was bolted again, tried Lunas side, and again, decided not to leave the hedge and just drop back to ground. At the point the ferret decided she had enough of the fecking about and bolted the rabbit, pinning it in the hedge.

 

Anyway, we got to the field we planned to check out, and the dogs immediatly put a couple of pheasants out of the ditch, followed by a couple of rabbits that they missed, running them to ground in the thick cover. We carried on mooching a long the ditches and field, spotting plenty of rabbit sign and other wildlife. We saw about twenty swans wandering about a couple of fields over. On the way out of the field, we got a mark on a fairly open set, a long a fence and gully. Nets on and ferret in and the first bolt came inside the hedge by me, then another Toms side, which he dealt with well, and then a third by me in the hedge. With the ferret up, we de-netted and agreed to revist these fields with lamp and dogs

 

At this point we decided to head to our intended destination. A gully a long the edge of a maize field on another local farm. Normally at this time of year, we have been there a couple of times, but with the cover this year, and the heat, we have had to hold off. Anyway, we braved it today, and as we started a long the dogs put up a few pheasants and a couple of rabbits that all went into the bemuda triangle (the only bit we cant hunt in the area).

 

Soon after that we got a mark off the dogs, and netted up. Tom entered his young Sandy jill that i bred, and she flew down into the darkness, she is only about 7 months but has bolted a few already. There was a bit of bumping and then silence, and the finally a last bump and the rabbit tried to break out Toms side of the fence, he was on it quick, and despite haveing a wee nip off the over excited ferret, he was proud as punch, his ferret, his net and he even killed it, gutted it and legged it himself.

 

Nets up and onwards, we quickly got another mark further a long the ditch. nets on and ferret in, and soon she had the bunnys moving. The first bolted well, but the second was stopped in the hole by the jill. Johnny half disappeared down the hole himself, and came out grasping bunny with the ferret attached.

 

After a bit more of a mooch a long the edge, we got another mark and soon the nets were down, and the ferret was on her way into the gloom. THere was a good bit of banging and the silence. . . . and nothing. After a good while, we started scanning with the disco carrot and just as we were trying to decide where to dig, two rabbits bolted pretty much at once by me, one now half eyeless. I must say i impressed my self quicker than the dogs, i had one netted rabbit in each hand in rapid time

 

At this point we were on nine and the day was drawing to a close. . . . but you can't stop at nine can you? On the way back to the car we dropped into our favourite gully, which has been good to us over the last couple of seasons, and can usually be relied upon to cough a couple of bunnies. We climbed down the sides and the dogs were working away well, scenting through the cover. As the gully narrowed, and started becoming a stream, we got our final mark of the day on a set strung around a holly tree and an old stump. In went ferret and after a short time number ten hit the net and was snapped up by Gem. The ferret was nowhere to be seen though, so out came the beeper and after a bit of movement and messing about, almost being able to reach down the holes, we finally got a mark and started digging, soon enough out came bunny from a stop end, with a bit of a ferret make over.

 

Back home for a cuppa and a roast dinner. Can't beat it.

 

So another good day with cracking company, you just can't beat it. I found myself kneeling in a cold stream, beneath a tangle of brambles, thinking, i really couldn't be happier. Young Tom did us really proud today, getting really stuck in. I;m looking forward to Finn being back in action this week.

 

yis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 4, 2011 by Ideation

[ferret110 27]

Sounds like a good day and a good bag of Rabbits well done mate

[simonrocco 175]

well done pal another good write up and pics 11s a desent bag of rabbits all the dogs are looking in good shape in the pics hope your dogs back in action soon atb

[johnny boy68 11,726]

Great write up as usual mate and a good day in good company as always.Young Tom really stepped up today and really got involved,he's even getting involved in all the banter.

 

Though I still think he's got a little too much time on his hands. :laugh:

[darbo 4,776]

give that kid a couple more seasons. he could be the main man in the team

[Ideation 8,216]

Haha, maybe mate, but like you said, he was a good lad today. For the first time, we probably did the job quicker, and it went smoother, because we had a third man, rather than a boy tagging a long who is just about the place eating sandwiches.

 

The look on that bunnys face, i can imagine him saying 'so, do ya think your lucky punk'

[Ideation 8,216]

Reverse mullet

[Rake aboot 4,936]

Nice one Jai. Sounds like yer havin a good season so far,, better than bloody mine anyway,, cannae seem to get the time oot mooching that ah want.

 

Hopefully next time hame will be nowt but huntin

 

ATB

[johnny boy68 11,726]

Haha, maybe mate, but like you said, he was a good lad today. For the first time, we probably did the job quicker, and it went smoother, because we had a third man, rather than a boy tagging a long who is just about the place eating sandwiches.

 

The look on that bunnys face, i can imagine him saying 'so, do ya think your lucky punk'

 

Made me feckin laugh when I seen that pic.........now he's not worried about making mistakes he'll be like a seasoned ferreter soon.

 

Bless him and his "reverse mullet!"

 

Edited.....you beat me to it you fecker

[tote 856]

Good write up and pics there mate, thanks for sharing.

[johnny boy68 11,726]

[rossi_j 99]

Nice write up cracking pics

 

Nice land too, i like the black dog, racey but solid.

[johnny boy68 11,726]

Nice write up cracking pics

 

Nice land too, i like the black dog, racey but solid.

She was just a youngish puppy when you came to mine wasn't she???

[Ideation 8,216]

Nice one Jai. Sounds like yer havin a good season so far,, better than bloody mine anyway,, cannae seem to get the time oot mooching that ah want.

 

Hopefully next time hame will be nowt but huntin

 

ATB

 

Cheers buddy. Our season is going ok, but to be honest with doing extra work (getting made redundant in spring) i have been out half as much as usual if that, and with finn being injured twice this season so far, that's eaten up a few days as well. But we have had some good sport and some good banter

 

And to be fair our bolt to kill ratio is well up this year, counting just the days where its been just me or me, johnny and tom, i think we have only missed about four rabbits out of the hundreds we have bolted, so i'm pretty chuffed with that

 

Fingers crossed you get some goos sport when you are next home mate

[Ideation 8,216]

Nice write up cracking pics

 

Nice land too, i like the black dog, racey but solid.

She was just a youngish puppy when you came to mine wasn't she???

 

She's looking fit as feck in that one photo on her own mate. Looks like she's been on the roids