Another day on the hedges.

[Ideation 8,216]

Got up early doors and did the birds by light of the quad head lights, and then headed off to pick up Johnnyboy, and his two mutts Gem and Luna, today we were off to have a look at a field on a new piece of land that the farmer had noticed was getting some attention from rabbits, that he wanted cleared.

 

Got there around nine, and met our friend, who took us to the land and showed us the field in question, a smallish field of what was rape, but was due to be re planted. There was obvious signs of rabbit activity and as we had a mooch around, we could see there were a few about. As we were walking onto the land a range rover pulled up and a fairly posh looking bloke jumped out, Johnnyboy and i immediatly assumed we were to get the usual hostility that you get with lurchers, but instead he just asked us to have a look at the paddock behind his house at some point. Score!

 

We had a walk about, saw some interesting wildlife and made a bit of a plan. Not complicated really, we were going to ferret a tump we had spotted, and then proceed to do three of the four hedges that surrounded the field we had been asked to do in turn (the fourth was too thick even for us!).

 

We collected our gear and headed for the tump, layed our nets, and dropped two jills in. Soon enough the first rabbit balled itself up, followed by a second which managed to make off a long an overgrown gully after the net caught on a bramble, lucky rabbit, it was to be the days first and only escapee. The warrens third occupant, was eventually evicted. One thing of note about this warren was that it was 'off the box', so thank feck we didnt have a dig!

 

We were surprised that there were only two at home, and headed to our first hedge. We picked the thickest first, and it was a real b*****d, with an overgrown flooded gully one side and a wall of bramble and shit the other, we eventually netted everything up a long its length and ran the ferrets through, fairly quickly we heard some squeeling and i managed to find its source, a now dead mini bunny, floating in a flooded hole, the ferret having done its deed and moved on. Soon after i heard another squeeling below ground and marked it. After a bit of a wait, the ferrets found the adults and two large rabbits were duly evicted into the nets. I dug into the mark and pulled a second bite sized bunny out. Bit of a b*****d that there were only 4, in this sized hedge, but i think the flooding had some thing to do with that.

 

We moved on to the next hedge, which was a long a fence, and again, very overgrown, with holes extending into the long grass field behind. We netted up what we could find, and sent in the stinkers. John had a rabbit try to bolt at his end and turn back, which the ferret nailed below ground, and while he was whipping that out, i had one hit a net, and then two appeared from hidden bolt holes and sneaked out the side, eventually spotted by the dogs, they only just made it to the next hedge, which unfortunatly for them was our next target!

 

On we went, and were joined by our friend, who had finished work, and brought his 5 month cocker to watch proceedings for a bit. I must say, he was an absolute cracker and one of the best cockes i have seen, for his age. Between us we netted up the holes hedge, and then starting at one end, tipped the jills in. We worked our way a long methodically, getting a few steady bolts, four of which were into nets, one of which finn ran down the hedge and it back netted itself, and one that was caught above ground by my little polecat jill, who chased it out of a hole and then latched on and stopped it in the hedge bottom. The final rabbit just didnt want to leave home, well, that was, untill we had dug a few feet for it, it then decided to poke it head out of a near by hole . . . . it never got to bolt as the other jills latched onto its arse.

 

A pretty tough day cover wise (up until the last hedge) and not quite the numbers we had expected, but a good days sport and a good laugh none the less, and it was good to catch up with our friend. I think we will be visiting again very soon!

 

I didn't take many pictures because i think you can only take so many photos of the same dogs staring at hedges

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gem being a Diva -

 

 

[staffyspen 43]

Cracking write up and pics again mate, good day had!!!!

[The one 8,503]

Nice going mate

[thehoff 3]

Cracking pics mate, love the lurchers!

[jimster68 123]

well done lads ,great write up and pictures .thanks for sharing your day .....atb ....jim

[Guest vin]

always a good read at the end of my weekend...cheeers lads.

 

I like the look of that black Bitch..Not noticed that one before..slightly bigger and stronger than your dog Jai ?

[Ideation 8,216]

always a good read at the end of my weekend...cheeers lads.

 

I like the look of that black Bitch..Not noticed that one before..slightly bigger and stronger than your dog Jai ?

 

That's luna mate, she has been on every trip this season, that's just a good photo of her! She should look bigger and stronger - she is Bull/whip/grey x beddy/grey

[Ryan_b_09 18]

Very nice mate atb

[theferreter 311]

great write up and pics good job lads

[vermin catcher 219]

Good honest interesting write up mate,enjoyed it, and the photo's.

[olivhar01 0]

Nice photos jai, thanks to you and johnny for coming down, good to see you both and nice to see a couple of guys so keen and doing the job properly. I have got you some more bits to do once the cover dies back a bit and you are both more than welcome anytime. Keep in touch mate, speak soon

 

Here's a vid of Wilson retrieving one of your rabbits

 

http://i736.photobucket.com/albums/xx9/olivhar01/5B9F1F4F-0AA1-4492-A962-C0B1486DA35F-4635-0000080F014CCF63.mp4

 

Atb

Cal

[mhopton 807]

Well done lads I must take my camera next time to show you all

[johnny boy68 11,726]

Nice photos jai, thanks to you and johnny for coming down, good to see you both and nice to see a couple of guys so keen and doing the job properly. I have got you some more bits to do once the cover dies back a bit and you are both more than welcome anytime. Keep in touch mate, speak soon

 

Here's a vid of Wilson retrieving one of your rabbits

 

http://i736.photobuc...80F014CCF63.mp4

 

Atb

Cal

Cheers mate, thanks for the invite and we'll come finish the job when that amozonian cover dies back a little, you and Bri are blessed with some great land. My missus said if you don't want Wilson she'll have him.

 

Jai a great write up as usual butt, them bunnies were hard earned and that ground will give us a good day in the near future.