Break In The Weather

[chrismdd 787]

Wasn't too sure if we would get out today due to the overnight rain and gales and early morning gloominess. But thankfully the weather turned out great just after nine so pleased we persevered. In fact it was still so mild that butterflies were still about! so no chance of the vegetation having died back yet.

 

Myself and my young son were joined today by Luke and his dog Tess, and we headed up to the stubble fields. Had planned on doing a hedge that held a lot of rabbits but the cover was so thick that we knew we would spend too much time netting up and probably still lose some in the brambles so decided on a more sparse hedgeline where it would be easier to net although the numbers might not be there. Worked a total of four small buries to get ourselves five rabbits. Did have two escapees, the first was when two rabbits came out the same hole together and obviously only one was netted with the other making its lucky escape quickly pursued by Tess who had to come from the other side of the hedge which meant this one got away. The other escapee was a very lucky rabbit indeed. It first got pursed in the net but with a high leap it managed to struggle free and ran right pass us with Tess right on its heels and escaped by the skin of its teeth (Luke caught this on video so hopefully will be uploaded later).

 

Probably due to the overnight rain we did disturb a few rabbits above ground, two of which took sanctuary in a very thick roadside bramble patch. On looking at this it was evident we could no way net this mass of bramble without some serious strimming. But thankfully we could get the two 50yd longnets round the whole patch, this meant that I would be on the roadside aware of the traffic whilst Luke held Tess on the field side only to be slipped if rabbits broke across the field. We left locators switched on at each end so we could tell is a ferret was about to leave the area. First started with the quick young dark polecat jill. After she had been down for a while we soon had rabbits crashing through the brambles, a few times they hit the longnet and managed to free themselves and head back into the bury. Some hole hopping later we finally had rabbits caught in the nets and by putting the second jill down we managed to shift a couple more to finish the day with a total of nine rabbits, one was a bit myxi so destined for ferret food but the others were okay. It was great to see the young jill working the cover, often a rabbit would hole hop a good ten metres down the bury but the ferret was on her scent like a bloodhound chasing them down. At one point several cars were passing just as a rabbit hit the roadside longnet urprooting the poles and bringing the inquisitive drivers to crawl.

 

[Moe 108]

Well done pal, still lots of heavy cover about.

[The one 8,511]

The wee man looks fair chuffed mate and a nice bag of rabbits

[vanman1 411]

cracking

[bullmastiff 615]

 

 

 

The weather closing in again.

 

 

 

Tess catching a 'hole hopper'

 

The one that got away. (Please excuse the language!)

[bullmastiff 615]

Try again...

 

http://s76.photobucket.com/user/Lukebully/media/Mobile%20Uploads/Tess%20catch_zps9muoirwf.mp4.html

 

http://s76.photobucket.com/user/Lukebully/media/Mobile%20Uploads/Close%20run_zpsikpyjdls.mp4.html