Hedges

[Tug 168]

Lol that pik made me chuckle tug! You can't even do that in some of the hedges around here haha

 

We made that hole to get in to the hedge and work from the inside. The one we did the week before was holly and hawthorn, 60 yards long and with only 8" clearance between the top of the bank and the base of the hedge.

[Guest cookiemonsterandmerlin]

I normally get the farmer permission and go round my perms in october and brushcut holes for tghe longnets though the hedges prior to the real start of the season.

Never know why folk are so keen to get into the hedges so early yet pack up in march as soon as the young start showing in the does .

PS 99% of my land is hedgerow work

 

ATB Cookie

[Ideation 8,216]

We would do it like this.

 

One man either side and one in/on hedge or if stupidly thick, a terrier in there. Dogs either side for the bolters that turn across the field. Net the whole hedge with purse nets, every hole you can, cut the cover back if you have to. Stop nets either end, and at intervals in the middle if its a long hedge, but making sure that one end was stop netted and purse netted like the hindenburg line.

 

Then start at the opposite end of the hedge to your mesh hadrians wall, with plenty of ferrets for the task.

 

Anything that crosses the field should be dead (dogs) or turned back in, anything that runs a long should be back netted, and anything that gets back to ground will be bolted as you move a long. You march down the hedge like the seventh army, and nowt escapes. . . . . at least thats the plan.

 

No cover is really too thick, it just looks that way to start!

 

P.s i'm not really a fan of long nets so thats just me.

[fitchet 788]

A good tip when your ferreting hedges is to tape a spare locater to your spade or pole and place them up the hedge as when youve got a few down youll get ferrets following a rabbits scent up the hedge when your using longnets. Good luck

[BS40liam 203]

Lol that pik made me chuckle tug! You can't even do that in some of the hedges around here haha

 

We made that hole to get in to the hedge and work from the inside. The one we did the week before was holly and hawthorn, 60 yards long and with only 8" clearance between the top of the bank and the base of the hedge.

that's simailar to the new bit of permision I whent on the other day, only difference being on mine they have sheep fencing around the hedge so cant get get in there!! Any sugestions? The only other thing I can think of is using snares but I've never used them, and I really want this permison for ferreting but just can't get into the hedge!

[NEWKID 27,278]

Lol that pik made me chuckle tug! You can't even do that in some of the hedges around here haha

 

We made that hole to get in to the hedge and work from the inside. The one we did the week before was holly and hawthorn, 60 yards long and with only 8" clearance between the top of the bank and the base of the hedge.

that's simailar to the new bit of permision I whent on the other day, only difference being on mine they have sheep fencing around the hedge so cant get get in there!! Any sugestions? The only other thing I can think of is using snares but I've never used them, and I really want this permison for ferreting but just can't get into the hedge!

 

A lot of ours has sheep fencing, put purse nets on the run between the hedge and fencing and as most have said get what you can in the hedge, runs and holes. A couple of stop nets along the outside as most rabbits that come out of the hedge turn and run along it ( into you stop net). We have a dog each side for any that try to run the field. Not many try to run the open field most run inside the hedge line or along the base of the hedge so I would say quick set long nets are an expense you don't need yet, just my opinion.

We get our stop nets from bridport nets get them 6 yrds long with a pole at either end. Get 8 and a quick set basket for longer hedges 4 a side should be ok to start with.

Good luck

 

Cookie:

 

The hedges are hard work now, but you'll find young in does around Christmas time now, by march your bolting fur balls and rightly or wrongly I don't enjoy that. I'd rather struggle a bit at the start of the season than carry on till April and kill young. Only my own opinion on it mate, plus this is my hobby not my job

Cheers

Kev

Edited October 5, 2012 by NEWKID

[BS40liam 203]

Cheers newkid ill give the purse nets on the run a try 2 morrow, if this rain holds up! Its absolutly pi*sing down atm! Will order some small stop nets after I've purchased my loacator and collar atb

[weasle 1,119]

Cookie its called pest control the farmers let you on to get rid of rabbits,Most have been on all summer and Ive been fobbing them of if i start telling them now that i cannot do the hedges because there still green they'd be getting some one Else.And i often find litters by new year that would mean starting in November and finishing by February.

Ideation Ive always found the less noise the better while you have 3 or 4 lads stamping and crawling and terriers running around id have the long net out and rabbits bolting freely because they dont even know your there.I did that bury today on my own in a little over a hour,no digging no waiting.Did miss one though when having taken it out of the long net and picking up a ferret i looked up to see a fox coming down the hedge and in my excitement forgot i hadn't necked the rabbit and threw him in the pile.Its very rare i have to dig.On days when you can tell they ant bolting i just pack in.

I like purse nets when you can get them down quickly and quietly.

And with the dog im faced with working for the season a bolting rabbit sure ain't guaranteed a catch.

Thats what makes rabbiting fun though there are a million ways of going about it.Rules dont mean s**t

[Ideation 8,216]

Albert64 makes some very good stop nets!

[Ideation 8,216]

Cookie its called pest control the farmers let you on to get rid of rabbits,Most have been on all summer and Ive been fobbing them of if i start telling them now that i cannot do the hedges because there still green they'd be getting some one Else.And i often find litters by new year that would mean starting in November and finishing by February.

Ideation Ive always found the less noise the better while you have 3 or 4 lads stamping and crawling and terriers running around id have the long net out and rabbits bolting freely because they dont even know your there.I did that bury today on my own in a little over a hour,no digging no waiting.Did miss one though when having taken it out of the long net and picking up a ferret i looked up to see a fox coming down the hedge and in my excitement forgot i hadn't necked the rabbit and threw him in the pile.Its very rare i have to dig.On days when you can tell they ant bolting i just pack in.

I like purse nets when you can get them down quickly and quietly.

And with the dog im faced with working for the season a bolting rabbit sure ain't guaranteed a catch.

Thats what makes rabbiting fun though there are a million ways of going about it.Rules dont mean s**t

 

I understand what you are saying mate, but i find that two teams of folk can do the same thing with different levels of fuss, depending on their experiance and how well they work as a team. We really try not to 'stamp about'

 

When i say a terrier - we rarely use one, but it can be handy in very tight hedges, when you cant get to the purse netted rabbits quickly in the middle. Most of the time i have finn for that job and he ony runs about when one has bolted.

 

Johnnyboy and i are pretty efficient (at least i think so), and we dont get too many digs, just the odd one or two each session, and tend to catch most of what bolts, i would be unhappy if we missed 1 in 10 rabbits that were in the set, out of 20-40 rabbits to ground, i would expect to catch all but maybe 2 lucky bunnys, and only get a couple of digs.

 

The main reason against the long nets for me is that the dogs spend so much time grafting on the day and dont get much chance of a good run, as most fall to the purse nets, so if one goes to cross the field, i think they deserve the catch.

 

I also think that the time difference between setting purse nets and a long net, is eliminated (often) by the hole hopping you get with a long net.

 

Like you said, its different strokes for different folks

[weasle 1,119]

.Like you said, its different strokes for different folks

Its nice to chat about peoples methods with out any one throwing the toys out...Yet.

Any way i like hunting alone ,but ferreting on your own can be hard work at some stage i will have to let some one with me but not yet...

[Ideation 8,216]

.Like you said, its different strokes for different folks

Its nice to chat about peoples methods with out any one throwing the toys out...Yet.

Any way i like hunting alone ,but ferreting on your own can be hard work at some stage i will have to let some one with me but not yet...

 

Aye, as long as you are catching rabbits and not making too much fuss, its obviously working, there is no ' one right way'.

 

I hunted a lone for years, or with my old man, but simple fact these days, its nice to have company of someone you really click with. Knowing that they know what you are thinking and doing, and never having to check or question what they are doing.

 

I still really enjoy hunting a lone, but i really would miss my ferreting partner!

 

Especially when doing big places, long hedges etc.

 

Sometimes we even go together to somewhere and split up. Just whatever works.

[NEWKID 27,278]

Ideation:

 

I agree with you on the hole hopping, I don't think we cover as many holes as you in the hedge ( judging from your earlier posts) but try to cover as many of the runs as possible. I've tried in the past to work the terrier on top, she will catch bolters in the top of the hedge but I've found the ones that are missed are reluctant to bolt further along the hedge.

I also prefer the odd rabbit that tries to make the long escape across the field to be ran by the lurcher.

 

Weasel

I can see the benefit of using long nets when on your own ferreting, I tend to avoid hedges on my own I just couldn't work both sides effectively, some of the hedges we ferret are 7-8 ft high and the same across I haven't a clue what's happening on the other side all the time.

What type of hedge rows do you ferret on your own, ?

[Tug 168]

We did a hedged bank once, the bank had been created artificially by dumping a ton of spoil and clay on top of an existing sheep fence. There was then another fence on top as well as a couple of felled trees on top.

If you can get behind the fence and squeeze along then it's hard work but worth it, you can lean through the fencing to set the ones within reach but the hard part is making sure the nets can still purse with a rabbit in. One thing I was always taught is that you should always set nets where you can get to them, there's no point in having to crawl on your belly to get to a rabbit. You can guarantee that the hardest to reach one is also the one that a ferret will get their collar caught on and drag back down the hole.

 

Purse net the ones that can be reached, aim for 50% coverage as a minimum and let the long nets do the rest of the work.

[weasle 1,119]

Ideation:

 

I agree with you on the hole hopping, I don't think we cover as many holes as you in the hedge ( judging from your earlier posts) but try to cover as many of the runs as possible. I've tried in the past to work the terrier on top, she will catch bolters in the top of the hedge but I've found the ones that are missed are reluctant to bolt further along the hedge.

I also prefer the odd rabbit that tries to make the long escape across the field to be ran by the lurcher.

 

Weasel

I can see the benefit of using long nets when on your own ferreting, I tend to avoid hedges on my own I just couldn't work both sides effectively, some of the hedges we ferret are 7-8 ft high and the same across I haven't a clue what's happening on the other side all the time.

What type of hedge rows do you ferret on your own, ?

I ferret any were there are rabbits on my own,Rely on the dog and my hearing to know whats going on or try and get myself were i can at least see a bit of long net you can see it twitching.If theres only a couple of bolt holes the far side i double net them they never slip that.Have one farm with sheep netting and high tensile both sides and old fencing in the middle they keep you fit.Hardest is if you have other burys close by to keep the ferrets from straying again rely on the dog.As for hole hopping ,as tomo said if the long nets close to the hedge and a few purse nets on the easy holes you dont get much hole hoping.As i say can be hard work can be stressful ish at times but i enjoy it.