Good days mooching up north.

[Ideation 8,216]

Well, this weekend, I had a very generous invite from Deep Earth, to come up to Yorkshire and have a mooch about with the dogs, and see if we could catch a few tricky bunnys on one of his farms. He had warned me that the little buggers were elusive to say the least, and he wasn't wrong.

 

I picked up Gem on friday night, to give us a bit more back up, and come saturday morning, FInn, Gem, two jills and myself were on the road early doors, with a bacon sandwich and some tunes helping me a long. It was a b*****d of a drive, with road closures, and general traffic nonsense, so i was a little later than i planned picking Deepearth up from his, but we made it to the land in question by ten, and were soon letting the dogs off and taking in the great scenery.

 

It was immediatly very different from what i and the dogs are used to, the obvious difference being not a fence in sight, but walls, oh what a wonderful (but frustrating) thing a stone wall is. Also the warrens were in the open, with not a tree or hedge in sight, the only real cover being offered by vast tracts of reeds. With the dogs having a scent and search about, we walked over the first couple of warrens, but nothing at home. Soon enough the dogs were working, and putting up a couple of rabbit in the reeds, but they did not want to go to ground, preffering to dah about in the reeds, until they could break for one of those walls, usually running through them and off the other side. Of course, being a wall and not a fence, the dogs couldnt see them legging it across the next open field, and instead, tried to locate them 'to ground' in the walls. I'm also not sure whether it was the noise the wind was making through the reeds, or the temp etc, but the dogs didnt seem to be as on the ball as usual, when it came to tracking the rabbits movements through the cover. Usually they are on it like a tramp on chips, but tday i saw a few coneys sneaking quietly past them and escapping while the dogs fixated themselves with the cover they thought it was still in. Also today, we had a couple of 'false marks' or at least interest i interpreted as a mark, which turned out to be the lingering scent of a recent evacuee. I think the rabbits were popping in and out of the warrens quite regular, rather than holding in them. Well there are the excuses out of the way

 

Anyway, soon enough finn started his dissapearing act, and upon locating him, he was marking a rabbit in some cover which, as we got to him, he put out, ran, and turned back into a set by a wall. We went to him, netted up and entered DE's two jills. It went quiet and soon enough we had the disco carrot out, locating the jill under the base of the wall. A bit of stone moving later, and a couple of inch dig and the days first rabbit was coming out and into the bag

 

Whilst we were doing this, Gem dissapeared, and moments later, re-appeared over the rise, flying behind a rabbit, she came past of at speed, and struck at the bunny, commiting everything. She hit the rabbit and cartwheeled end over end down the slope, coming up with bunny in her mouth and all limbs still in working order. Number to in the bag

 

We mooched on ward, the dogs dissapearing and reappearing, finn being the ghost that he is, vanishing and then just as you are about to scream for him, appearing behind you, the frustrating little shit. Soon enough he had found another bunny hidden deep within a wall, and when we got there, both dogs were staring very intently at one spot. A few stones pulled here and there, like a rabbiting jenga, and i could see a little white flash deep within the wall. A bit of wiggling at the rabbit emerged And i had ticked off another life aim, to geta mark in a dry stone wall from the dog and pull a rabbit out. Sad i know!

 

The dogs found another bunny deep in the wall a bit further up, and after a bit of attempted grabbing, where i could touch the rabbit but not close my hand on it, we decided to ferret it out. Unfortunatly both of the dogs came my side as the rabbit bolted DE's side. Lucky bunny

 

SHortly after the dogs put another from cover and it took them on a stupidly long run, in and out of cover, through sheep holes in the walls, back through gate ways, always just managing to avoid being snapped up, finally they pushed it out into an open field, and it looked like one dead bunny, that was, if the ground hadnt been wet, feck me, it turned about 3/4 times and the dogs must have over shot half a mile each time, just as finn was about to put in what might have been successful strike, it found sanctury beneath a small barn. Upon closer inspection there was only one hole, so i thought we would net it, leave it and come back to it, as there was no way you were going to be able to dig this one out. SO i stuck my one net down and we headed back up the hill. Half way back up, finn disappearted again, and then reappeared behind a rabbit, that he coursed through a sheep hole, down the wall, back through the gate, and straight into my single net Couldnt have written it

 

By this time, it was about half two, and despite seeing numerous rabbits and running a good few here and there, we had only managed to take four, none of them ferreted. At this point we decided to try some adjoining land that looked very different, bracken bankings, and steep rocky escarpments. On jumping the gate and pausing for a moment, we could immediatly see numerous rabbits dotted amongst the rocks, all of which vanished as we approached, scuttling between the rocks and up over the hill.

 

We walked on, letting the dogs work away, and soon enough Gem had raised a rabbit from under some boulders and herded it down the hill int a warren, i say herded it because luckily she has the brains in this kind of terrain, t not go at full speed, just preassuring the rabbit to ground or the open, rather than going flat out and killing herself. It went through / over a low wall, followed by the dog and dropped to ground. We headed down and netted up the dozen holes, dropping in my two jills. Quite quickly the rabbits started to hit the nets, with four bolting cleanly and one being held in the tube by the ferret, to be drawn out. It was here that DE began to understand why we call Gem the crocodile, on the up side, a half pursed rabbit wasnt going anywhere, on the downside, the bunnys ribs probably looked like someone had hit it with a hammer

 

With the warren empty and the ferrets showing, we headed back up through the rocks, rabbits jumping up and disapearing periodicly. I realised on closer inspection that they were dropping down into cracks in the lime stone, where the dogs couldnt get to them, and you would be mental to drop a ferret. Clever little shits!

 

Soon enough finn was on the arse of another bunny, driving it to ground. We netted up and entered the ferrets, and stood back. Nadda! Out came the disco carrot and spade and soon enough DE had dug out our bunny. At this point i lost dickhead (finn), and went t spot him, from the highest point. I could see him working down the rocky slopes, first running one rabbit into the cracks, them scenting another and repeating, untl he got right down to the valley floor, where he put one into a dry stone wall. I watched him standing in top of the wall, scrabbling at it and trying to lift the rocks with his mouth, biting at them. I called him back and got the 'you must be mental son, there is a fecking bunny in here!' look. So i went down, via another place i had seem him push a rabbit ( i failed to get to it, despite moving a good number of rocks), when i got to finn the fecking bunny was holed up tight, where it could be seen, but not reached, at least, not without collapsing the wall. Thought it was best not to

 

On the way back up the hill, finn pushed a rabbit out of some cover, ran it down the hill, over a low wall, and to ground. I stuck one net down to show which warren it was and then carried on back up.

 

Upon returning to DE, i was up one whippet, but down one mobile phone, having dropped it a long the way Ah well.

 

We had a look about and Gem showed some interest in a nearby set, so we netted up and entered the ferrets, getting a quick bolt, and another dig (which DE very kindly did while i went phone searching).

 

At this point the day was drawing in, so we thought it best to head back down, and check out the set finn had run one into. We got down there, and netted up, standing back. Quite quickly we had our first bolt and moments later had a squeealer a foot down the hole, which could be pulled out, complete with ferret attached.

 

With 14 in the bag, ten of them taken in the last hour and a bit, we felt happy enough, and decided as it was getting dark, to call it a day and head back to the car. Anyone who has been out with me however, knows how much difficulty i have ignoring a mark from the dogs, and on the way back they dropped off the path into a gully and started strongly marking a set of a half dozen or so holes, so nets on and ferret in. Bump bump bump, and the first one hits the nets, followed shortly by the second.

 

As we lift the net of the days 'final' set, the old bitch had found another, so just one more says i. As we start to net this, she finds yet another, so i leave DE and go net that one, while he takes care of the first. We both get done at about the same time, and enter a jill in each. Soon enough my rabbit is in the net, and ferret is showing, so back over to DE i go, and we get the disco carrot out once again, digging out our 18th rabbit with my wee poley jill clamped to it. As i lift the rabbit she drops back down the tube, and the days final rabbit is evicted into a net and neatly dived on by DE.

 

So a final tally of 19 rabbits, the first four being very hard earned, and the final fifteen, kind of falling into the game bag so to speak. A cracking mooch about on some interesting and challenging land, and despite the dogs being a bit funny, and finn being a knob head at points (he's had a week layed up in the house, so was always going to be mental), they worked well, and accounted for most of the bag in various ways. The ferrets were flawless as always.

 

And finally, a massive thankyou to DeepEarth, who is a really sound lad, and great company. He even good naturdly put up with my little black retard No doubt we will be linking up again soon, for some more stomping around the yorkshire hills Unfortunatly losing my phone meant i had to head home that night, rather than stying for a nights lamping and another day mooching, which was very very tempting haha. Next time

 

There are a couple of photos but unfortunatly my camera died (again), so Deepearth has the EOD shot etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[delboy p 183]

looks a good spot and a good day

[DeepEarth 104]

What a great day it was! Fantastic company and some cracking sport, lovely seeing the dogs work.

 

 

 

 

 

Jai going to fetch the bunny off Gem

 

 

The rabbit that he pulled out of the wall...

 

 

The rabbits sit tight in these walls

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joe

Edited February 26, 2012 by DeepEarth

[Ideation 8,216]

Just for the record, Gem does retrieve, just not to me haha.

Edited February 26, 2012 by Ideation

[MR TEA POT 1,287]

Nice write up and pics mate as always,looks nice ground as well.

[The one 8,504]

Nice read and picts mate

[johnny boy68 11,726]

Great write up and pics lads.........that broken coated dog looks a nice type how's it bred.

 

Looks like some nice mooching ground up there, glad you both enjoyed it.

[TOMO 26,663]

nice one fellas,, fecking dales im sick of hearing about them ,,, them limstone cracks are called grykes,, you can youse a length of fencing wire to fish them out,,,, never tried it myself,, just what ive hurd,,,

 

also the ones in a wall can be speared through the head first with a legth of sharpened steel bar to stop them mooving then use a crow bar to pry the rocks, to get a hand in..

 

all a bit unsporting to a purist,, but a clever way to add to the game bag.. nowt wrong with wanting to do a bit of walling jia, its great fun and when dogs lern to mark them,, good to have a dog on the wall so they can jump either side for a bolt

[weasle 1,119]

Nice looking spot for day work.Where i am no chance of good runs day time.

The rabbits up there must be under pressure every one seems to be at them.

[jayjay 264]

another good write up jai,

lovelly area up there, a bit different to the ground you are used to working down here i should imagine, fair play you been doing a fair bit of travelling, cant fault it..........

 

 

all the best,

 

jay.

[Stevo ferretboy 20]

Good read that mate good pics to what a vew up in them hills wish I was back in Harrogate when I see them pics them stone Walls look a task I've heard about the barb wire with a hook at one end put it the crack where u see the bunnys an twist the old boy that told me said it's like hook a duck when u get use to it keep up the good work lads

[Ideation 8,216]

Cheers lads

 

Tomo - that's exactly what i was wishing i had (wire) on saturday, but there was none to be found. Next time i will be prepared though The dogs LOVED them walls, something different for them

[simonrocco 175]

good write up pal and good pics to sounds like a good day out atb

[Guest vin]

no barbed wire of brambles...lol.. luxury for us lads.

 

one of them long handled litter pickers or a noose on a long stick...LOL.

 

good going mate..really enjoy reading your posts everytime.

 

they get better

[Ideation 8,216]

Cheers lads, and aye, vinny boy, i must admit, it was nice not getting scratched to shit

 

I was looking at the crab stick i had as a kid and thought that might just do the trick

 

Cheers for the comment on the write ups as well, it's been an enjoyable season, as this year i have gone out to meet new folk, explore new land and have fun, rather than focusing on catching a lot of game. Just did a count up though, and realised that the current tally is actually very respectable And quite varied