First Lesson Learnt

[whippeter69 88]

I have been into hunting since i was eight years old and have ever since got more and more interested into different types of hunting/shooting i.e got my first terrier at 10 years old, a whippet, ferrets, got shotguns, a rifle and got into ferreting and lamping. Recently, in the last year or two i have been fascinated by the fox and hunting it from snaring to shooting.

 

This season after being out with the hunt a handful of times i though about trying my little terrier out on "going to ground" as they say. She, having some lakeland, some patt and border in her (god knows what amount of which breed) is a very good little bitch. Obedient and clever, she has been ferrting with me many a time as was a very good marker and was quite a good one for holding rabbits. She also had a hate for rats and anything with four legs that gave a chase of fight. Needless to say, thats terriers.

 

Hunting with the hunt was an eye opener, seeing what happened that i only saw picture of on here was just incredible. My first fox i witnessed bug to was on a saturday, there were only a hand full of us and it was a call out rather than a regular saturday hunt. This farm where i had permission is roughly around 700 acres and has i havent got a clue how many sheep rely's on lambs and its livestock. Me and my mate had been shooting foxes over the last Autum and Winter, we had taken around 13 foxes in all and they were still taking lambs at night, at worst 2 a night for about a week and were losing around 5 a week on average. We started off on the fields where the fox had been killing, the huntsman, his mate, me, my mate, the terrierman, and about 3 guns.

 

We started off on the top of the farm and eventually with the 19 hounds, pushed a dog fox to ground. This is the moment i had been waiting for. I shoved my gun back into the 4x4, took my terrier Amber to the sett and took instructions for the terrierman who had his two black patts with him. We were instructed to block all the holes and sit and wait. He collard up his bitch and sent her to ground.

 

With in seconds, she had her fox and was baying like mad. The banging was incredible and my heart was going just as hard. With the terrier left to settle, the famous grey ferret finder came out and we located the terrier about 4 foot out in the field. This was where we started digging, and my imagination was going like a batt out of hell. What was it going to look like down there, how does the terrier work or am i going to see anything atall ?

 

We started digging and i was more than keen. The rather warm weather got warmer within seconds, most likely due to my excitement and i was down to 1 layer from 3 before i knew it. The other 3 that was with us took it in turns to dig but i was too eager to go at it and wanted to keep going, iv never felt like that before, it was like a race to get to the fox and dog as fast as possible. Eventually we broke through and the black patt had old charlie sound and solid with it backed up good and proper, we wasted no time in taking the dog out and the 410 dispatched the lamb killer that on inspection had wool in his stomach. The terrierman said in welsh of course "that the biggest fox iv had for a while"

 

And that was it, my first attended dig and with in a week, i had my eyes on a mark 2 ferret box on fleabay with a brand new ferret collar and a 15FT terrier collar. I got it in the end, no fukcer was getting in my way, i was as determined as i was digging to the fox. The spade was found should i say in the garage and the old "im just going to borrow it for a while" card was played. The t-bar was recovered from a friend who gave me a solid bit of steel of about 3 1/2 foot that i took home, gave a point with the grinder and found an old piece of metal cylinder that came off a gate to put as the handle. We go this welded up and my t-bar was complete. So now i had the works, the bar,spade and collar, now i had to see if Amber was up for it.

 

The farm mentioned earlier had been losing 1 or 2 lambs and being eager and having permission on it we went up with the farmers son, who i went to primary school with to check a few earths. The first two proved empty, the terrier not having any interest in them, so we moved to a hedge where foxes were known to be around. On jumping the hedge, the terrier was interested in the hedge line. As we walked up, we could see holes, fox holes and this was on top of a bank that was above a small stream and the hedge was rather thin that on the other side had a field flat with one or two holes. The sett was well used and the terrier was keen as mustard.

 

Collar on and she entered, the holes filled the ones we could see and a few "GET ON AMBER" down the hole gave her some confidence in pursing her quarry. It was all coming real and soon the baying started and the rumble of feet moving slowed until they stopped. I rushed to the other side of the hedge where the other holes were located. The box out of my pocket and a reading of about 2 foot down was given, I was standing above the terrier and fox. The rumble, banging and baying was under my feet. The bar was used to confirm the depth and location. In the bar went and gently pushing i broke through, well the bar flew out and my ear to the hole was what i did next, i could hear my amber baying and going at the fox, making sure it wasnt going anywhere.

 

I grabbed the spade and started digging, this is where it I had gone wrong. The digging had produced some loud banging. Rocks were in my way and the continious banging had shifted the fox, the noise stopped, all went quiet, there was nothing. I used the locator to finder her and she was towards the left of me, and the right of the hole she entered. We gave her time to find her quarry, but nothing came of it. Then, she appeared with out us noticing the hole she had come out of. We knew what had happened, charlie had lived up to its name of being a sly old fox, it had bolted and left the terrier for good with out us even notice the hole it bolted out of or the sound of it. We tried her again, but she didnt want to enter, it had gone.

 

Thats my first lesson in the game. I have spoken to a few people who have done lots of digging over the years and one person who has done a hell of a lot once told me "Give the terrier time to settle, just sit down and have a cup of tea if you want to" came to mind and thats where i went wrong on the digging. After reading Jonathan Darcy's article this week in the County Mans Weekly where he writes of the fox and where it can be found a certain few words stuck out, "But thats foxes for you, they can surprise us, entice us and mesmerise us" will remain with me forever and my lesson will not be forgotten.

 

Cheers for reading lads, it may not have been interesting, but im just starting out in this digging part of my love of hunting, just saying what i have learnt so far, even though its been a short time.

Cheers lads !

[neil cooney 10,416]

That's why it's called hunting. If every fox or any quarry for that matter wasn't a challenge they'd all be extinct.

I remember one time asking a lad the other side of a ditch to net up any holes the fox might bolt out of.

Next thing you know I seen the fox bolt and get away.

I asked "why hadn't the hole been netted ?"

He said "it didn't look used."

[rock 64]

great write up , id change the word sett to earth though ,and remove the part about blocking holes ,or change to netted up

Edited May 5, 2012 by rock

[whippeter69 88]

Cheers lads, again, i need as much advise from anyone and if anyone wants to tell me of their mistakes, then please do.

[simonrocco 175]

good write up pal atb

[whippet 99 2,613]

remember mate hard dog for digging ,and a yapper for bolting, good write up but just be carefull what your writeing as said

[brog 670]

remember mate hard dog for digging ,and a yapper for bolting, good write up but just be carefull what your writeing as said

you dont need a hard dog for digging just a dog that will stay till dug

[dee mac 579]

remember mate hard dog for digging ,and a yapper for bolting, good write up but just be carefull what your writeing as said

you dont need a hard dog for digging just a dog that will stay till dug

well said brog too be honest a proper hard dog is limited give me a steady sounder that holds his ground and stays like the mother in law any day of the week this type is the one that is most difficult to breed

[whippet 99 2,613]

remember mate hard dog for digging ,and a yapper for bolting, good write up but just be carefull what your writeing as said

you dont need a hard dog for digging just a dog that will stay till dug

thats what i mean by a hard dog , it doesnt gives its quarry an inch

[brog 670]

remember mate hard dog for digging ,and a yapper for bolting, good write up but just be carefull what your writeing as said

you dont need a hard dog for digging just a dog that will stay till dug

thats what i mean by a hard dog , it doesnt gives its quarry an inch

saying you need a hard dog to someone just getting in to the game just gives the wrong impression a yapper could be the best dog you could ever own

[brog 670]

and whippeter69 that was a good read and if you have the bug goodluck a.t.b b brog

[liamdelaney 2,586]

You are hooked my friend.I remember once putting a dog to ground where the fox usually bolted.My inexperienced buddy stood ready with the gun,the fox eventually bolted but the gun man was having a piss,but unfortunately you can not shoot a fox with your mickey.He still gets slagged about it.

[foxfan 479]

You are hooked my friend.I remember once putting a dog to ground where the fox usually bolted.My inexperienced buddy stood ready with the gun,the fox eventually bolted but the gun man was having a piss,but unfortunately you can not shoot a fox with your mickey.He still gets slagged about it.

 

They always seem to know how to catch you with yer tallywhacker in your hand

[Mrquinn 106]

Top write up mate enjoyed that

[dymented 2,220]

good read bud