Another look out with malc1 and co.

[Ideation 8,216]

After yesterdays pup mission (8 hour round trip), i was feeling pretty knackered, but still didnt get to bed until pretty late. The alarm was set for 6am, with intention of heading back over the border and linking up with Malc1, his other half and the team. You can imagine my surprise when i woke up at 8am, cuddled up to the dog and clutching the phone, which i had turned off Half an hour later, i was on the road complete with a couple of Jills and Finn.

 

Luckily Malc and Lee had also over slept, and after linking up with staffyspen (another member who had never been ferreting!) had made their way to the intended permission for the day.

 

I arrived to be greeted by them finishing netting up the second set of the day, having had one out of the first and missed one that had bolted into the now netted set. Once netted, we entered a couple of jills and stood back. The ferrets went down and it all went quiet. Eventually we got out the bunny, but after a few attempts to bolt were scuppered by over keen dogs. Finn was being a total f**k wit most of the day to be honest, he'd spent two days in the house on the sofa, and needed a good few miles hunting up and free running to blow off the steam, not a days static ferreting in horse paddocks. Oh well.

 

Nets up and we mooched on, the dogs pushing through a hedge and into some rough ground. At this point i almost knelt on a bunny who got up and sauntered across the field, with not a dog in fecking sight

 

So far . . . . not top of our game!

 

I left malc and co dealing with a set that they had a half mark on and went to find my whippet, who had worked a rabbit out of the cover and down to ground in a wee set a little 'off piste'. A but of netting etc later and out thumped bunny, got half tangled in the net and was then pinned by Finn.

 

I went back to the team, who had no joy while i was away.

 

Onwards we mooched, the dogs hunting up the hedge until we got another mark. We netted up, during which Finn fecked off again, this time putting a rabbit out from under a horse jump, and almost taking it as he turned it, only to lose it into the mound. He came back, and off trundled Rupert the hob. Bish bash bosh and rabbit number four was in the bag.

 

At this point we decided to tackle the mound as we had a couple of marks on it and we knew Finn had run one in. We managed to get it all netted up fairly quickly and divided ourselves a long the top. When we first did the mound, i think seven bolted in the first few mins and a few more after, now however we knew we were on 'clean up' duty.

 

The first rabbit to bolt came out into the ditch my malc and lee and was neatly snatched up by the dogs. The second came out near me, out of an unetted hole and across the edge of the mound with finn in pursuit, he ran it over the top, turned it into the gully and across into the next field, now joined by murph. Just as they disappeared out of sight and i was cursing the useless pair of pot lickers, we heard the beautiful squeel that indicated another bunny ha met its match. Moments later Murph appeared with the rabbit in his jaws (although i still maintain that the big gay lump stole it off the super whippet ).

 

Nets off and at six rabbits we knew we had to soldier on We pushed the dogs a long the hedges once more, eventually getting a mark on a nice small set. We tried staffyspens wee jill at first, and although she didnt find and bolt the rabbit (first time out), she really impressed me with her speed and boldness. I think it was a case of being slightly more interested in the dogs and people above ground than what lurked beneath, but i have no doubt she will end up a good un. Down went an older jill, and rabbit number eight joined the others on the carrier.

 

At this point we decided to try a new piece of hedge that we had not looked at before, as it is a long a road and a bit of a hassle with the dogs. On route however, we passed the 'b*****d hedge' a tangled nightmare of black thorn that is a pain in the arse to deal with. After explaining how I refused to deal with it again, and then getting a mark, we found ourselves once more netting the b*****d up. We entered the jills and after a while the first rabbit hit a net by me and was held by Finn. The ferrets continued working to no avail. Lala legend however seemed sure there was still one more rabbit down there. What we discovered at this point was that a couple of the holes in the middle of the hedge are not actually part of the set, and are just single holers. Sticking the ferret into one of these produced the rabbit with the ferret following it out Always pays to trust the mutts.

 

We denetted the b*****d and trundled off to our new road hedge, the dogs running a pair in as we walked up on it. Nets on and just as we were about to enter the ferrets, out comes the propertys owner to watch, so the pressure was on! Luckily everything clicked into place, and the first rabbit bolted my side, skipped the net and was picked up half a foot from the hole by the whippet, and the second rabbit bolted out staffyspen and malcs side, to be grabbed by lala legend So one impressed landowner who was happy to half eleven more rabbits off his property.

 

We were having a natter on the drive, and i was feeling a bit funny about ending at eleven, so went for a wee mooch with Finn, straight away, in the cornor of the yard, he put a rabbit out of some old bales and run it into a wee two holer behind some fencing and beneath a fallen tree (a b*****d to get at). With a bit of gymnastics the dog managed to get in and was giving a strong mark, so a followed him in, head first and managed to get two nets in place. At this point i was joined by the rest of the team and the land owner who were trying to figure out what the mad welsh jesus was up to. Down went the ferret, and a bit of rumbling later and the first rabbit was in the net and passed over the fence. It went quiet for a bit and then Sven (staffyspen) piped up - i think thats the ferret, oh no rabbit, and its staring at me One look at staffyspen and he knew he's had it, so gave up and jumped into the net

 

So thirteen all told, and unlucky number for some, but i'm not complaining

 

Another chilled social ferreting day in good company. Malc, Lee and co were ace as usual and staffyspen is a sound lad, who you would never believe had not been out before. He was laying nets, entering ferrets and grabbing rabbits like a pro. He's always welcome out I just need to apologise to him for having to bear my c**t of a dog all day

 

Also credit where credit is due, malcs other half lee was on form today, sticking nets down, really well laid, and getting stuck in. And by god does she take my shit well, and dish out just as much in return. The woman is a total Star. And reese is a great lad, always keen to help and learn, and at the end he was the first to come over and pitch in when i was upside down in a tight hedge

 

Sorry, f**k all photos as my camera died. Hopefully Lee will bang some up!

 

I'm fecking knackered, i've done pretty much 600 hunting miles in the motor in less than 48 hours.

 

Edited January 29, 2012 by Ideation

[johnny boy68 11,726]

Well done to you all, sorry I wasn't there but it looked like you never missed me.

[Ideation 8,216]

I missed you big guy

 

Edited to add - Lee has a cracking photo of me mate, doing some extreme ferreting. In the end i needed to get them to pull me out by the legs as i was stuck

Edited January 29, 2012 by Ideation

[johnny boy68 11,726]

I missed you big guy

Cheers short-stop !!

 

[Guest vin]

what a great day lads... good read.

[malc1 544]

i like the the poodel rabbit

[malc1 544]

Well done to you all, sorry I wasn't there but it looked like you never missed me.

i missed you

[Ideation 8,216]

Your missus took some good photos matey I like the one of you with the fag in your mouth and the one of my legs protruding from the fence / hedge.

 

Any chance you guys can send me them sometime (no rush).

[The one 8,511]

Nice numbers there

[Ideation 8,216]

Nice numbers there

 

Cheers mate It's not the easiest or quickest ferreting, and the numbers we are getting have halved, which is a sign that we are doing the job well. The landowner said that they have noticed a significant drop in rabbit numbers, as we have taken about 75- in quick succession

[Ideation 8,216]

Nice numbers there

 

Cheers mate It's not the easiest or quickest ferreting, and the numbers we are getting have halved, which is a sign that we are doing the job well. The landowner said that they have noticed a significant drop in rabbit numbers, as we have taken about 75- in quick succession, off only a couple of acres

[rob190364 2,594]

Your missus took some good photos matey I like the one of you with the fag in your mouth and the one of my legs protruding from the fence / hedge.

 

Any chance you guys can send me them sometime (no rush).

I've said this before but you are huntings equivalent of Chris Yates!!!!

[Ideation 8,216]

Guilty as charged!

[rob190364 2,594]

Guilty as charged!

bit disappointed that you use a mk3, was hoping to see the a relic of a finder from 1928!

[poacher3161 1,766]

Great pics and thick hedgerow ferreting sorts the men from the boys lol.