A bit new

[luke524896 0]

Hi im trying to learn to hunt rabbits with my lurcher, i got him at the age of 5 but he was used for hare coursing before. Most of the time there is plenty of rabbits but he dosnt see them and when he does they are to far away from him and they dive in a hedge. Anyone know what i can do?

[Ruger8 0]

Hi im trying to learn to hunt rabbits with my lurcher, i got him at the age of 5 but he was used for hare coursing before. Most of the time there is plenty of rabbits but he dosnt see them and when he does they are to far away from him and they dive in a hedge. Anyone know what i can do?

 

I'd suggest getting a good dog to push rabbits out of that cover their in mate, a good bushing dog a terrier or spanial.Also a ferret if there are plenty of burries in the land your hunting on. The dog is essentially a sight hound, and you will not find loads of rabbits sitting out just waiting to be chased in daylight. Need to push them out for the dog. Unless you hunt him on the lamp at night, then they will be out in areas that the dog has ample chance to run them.

[luke524896 0]

Hi im trying to learn to hunt rabbits with my lurcher, i got him at the age of 5 but he was used for hare coursing before. Most of the time there is plenty of rabbits but he dosnt see them and when he does they are to far away from him and they dive in a hedge. Anyone know what i can do?

 

I'd suggest getting a good dog to push rabbits out of that cover their in mate, a good bushing dog a terrier or spanial.Also a ferret if there are plenty of burries in the land your hunting on. The dog is essentially a sight hound, and you will not find loads of rabbits sitting out just waiting to be chased in daylight. Need to push them out for the dog. Unless you hunt him on the lamp at night, then they will be out in areas that the dog has ample chance to run them.

 

Thanks for the help, how would i lamp with the lurcher?

[luke524896 0]

Hi im trying to learn to hunt rabbits with my lurcher, i got him at the age of 5 but he was used for hare coursing before. Most of the time there is plenty of rabbits but he dosnt see them and when he does they are to far away from him and they dive in a hedge. Anyone know what i can do?

 

I'd suggest getting a good dog to push rabbits out of that cover their in mate, a good bushing dog a terrier or spanial.Also a ferret if there are plenty of burries in the land your hunting on. The dog is essentially a sight hound, and you will not find loads of rabbits sitting out just waiting to be chased in daylight. Need to push them out for the dog. Unless you hunt him on the lamp at night, then they will be out in areas that the dog has ample chance to run them.

Thanks for the help, how would i lamp with the lurcher?

[suluki 2]

where are you from mate?

[luke524896 0]

where are you from mate?

Essex, UK

[suluki 2]

because what you need my friend is some one to show you how to go about lamping and rabbiting. its good that you have stumbled over the sport of running dogs your self. most other people where introduced by some one that has done it for years and they show you the tricks of the trade. you never now there might be someone in your area willing to take you out! good luck mate! oh and be worned you'l get edicted and it becomes a way of life!!!!

[luke524896 0]

because what you need my friend is some one to show you how to go about lamping and rabbiting. its good that you have stumbled over the sport of running dogs your self. most other people where introduced by some one that has done it for years and they show you the tricks of the trade. you never now there might be someone in your area willing to take you out! good luck mate! oh and be worned you'l get edicted and it becomes a way of life!!!!

Lol ok and anouther thing he has caught 2 rabbits with my mum and 1 with my nan and they hate it i think my dog just dont like me.

[BULL 99]

na just seems that way make sure he hasnt bein broken tho you might think he cant see rabbits but some cases lik i had they can well see em but cant be f**ked chasing em and if they do they usual bark there b***x off with frustration trying to catch em!

ive got a hare dog/fox hell go miles after that quarry but not intrested in rabbit at all if there is 1 mid field and sqatting he will pick them up then.but anyones near a hedge he wont bother.try get up close to 1 in middle of the field

[Guest dotty]

same. it f-ing annoying

[ad22 1]

Go out lamping at night, trying to find rabbits that you can send your dog that are far away from safety.

 

During the day it is very hard, espescially this time of year, i started off just like you and i didn't know anybody. I went out in the late summer 1st thing in the morning and at dusk, at that time of year there are plenty of unwary rabbits around but even then you dont catch them far out in the fields for your dog to have a proper run on them.

 

You need to go out in the dark.

 

What i did was, i bought a 1 million candle power lamp from homebase for £10, it does the job for starting out until you get the hang of it and then get a proper lamping kit. I bought some strapping from homebase, (3m in length), which is like nylon cord and you thread it under the dogs collar so you can pick which rabbits the dog runs at.

 

Now you have your basic kit, pick a night with a good bit of wind, as if you go out on a still night you probbaly wont find the rabbits close enough to you out in the fields. During your daytime walks find where the rabbit warrens are and where the runs are, so you can enter the field preferably close to them, and in theory catch the rabbits out, whilst they are out feeding in the fields so they then have to run back towards you.

 

So when you know your land and which way the rabbits will run, enter the field with your dog (at night) have him attached to the slip lead (the strapping) through his collar, switch your cheap but powerful lamp on with one hand whilst holding the dogs lead in the other hand, you should see some rabbits now, some may be on the move back towards safety already, ignore those for now and dont let the dog run them, instead look for a rabbit that is still sitting out in the field, or squatting (you will see the eyes shining in the lamp)

 

Now walk towards the rabbit that you have chosen keeping the beam of light on him all the time, as you get closer the rabbit will start to twitch, the dog will see the rabbit then when it moves, now let go of one end of your slip lead, the lead will slip through the dogs collar so that he can now chase the rabbit.

 

Do this at first, go out on windy nights, get to know your land, and the more you go, the more your dog will start to understand lamping, and will eventually learn to trust that there is a rabbit where the beam of light stops, but it takes a while to learn so be patient as they cant see the squatting rabbits like we can.

 

Only switch your lamp on in areas where you think there will be rabbits, if there are non or your dog does not catch the rabbit switch the lamp off immeditadely, if you keep the beam on you will scare the rabbits off. So only have it on when the dog is running at the rabbit.

 

Go out as much as possible and you will learn more about the rabbit, the way it moves, what a good night to go out is etc.

That is what i did eventually over time it has started to come together.

Your dog will have to learn that it doesn't have the same amount of time to catch its quarry as it did with hare coursing so dont be suprised if you dont catch any rabbits for a while, it will eventually all come together the more you go out.

 

Hope that helps.

Edited November 30, 2007 by ad22

[luke524896 0]

Go out lamping at night, trying to find rabbits that you can send your dog that are far away from safety.

 

During the day it is very hard, espescially this time of year, i started off just like you and i didn't know anybody. I went out in the late summer 1st thing in the morning and at dusk, at that time of year there are plenty of unwary rabbits around but even then you dont catch them far out in the fields for your dog to have a proper run on them.

 

You need to go out in the dark.

 

What i did was, i bought a 1 million candle power lamp from homebase for £10, it does the job for starting out until you get the hang of it and then get a proper lamping kit. I bought some strapping from homebase, (3m in length), which is like nylon cord and you thread it under the dogs collar so you can pick which rabbits the dog runs at.

 

Now you have your basic kit, pick a night with a good bit of wind, as if you go out on a still night you probbaly wont find the rabbits close enough to you out in the fields. During your daytime walks find where the rabbit warrens are and where the runs are, so you can enter the field preferably close to them, and in theory catch the rabbits out, whilst they are out feeding in the fields so they then have to run back towards you.

 

So when you know your land and which way the rabbits will run, enter the field with your dog (at night) have him attached to the slip lead (the strapping) through his collar, switch your cheap but powerful lamp on with one hand whilst holding the dogs lead in the other hand, you should see some rabbits now, some may be on the move back towards safety already, ignore those for now and dont let the dog run them, instead look for a rabbit that is still sitting out in the field, or squatting (you will see the eyes shining in the lamp)

 

Now walk towards the rabbit that you have chosen keeping the beam of light on him all the time, as you get closer the rabbit will start to twitch, the dog will see the rabbit then when it moves, now let go of one end of your slip lead, the lead will slip through the dogs collar so that he can now chase the rabbit.

 

Do this at first, go out on windy nights, get to know your land, and the more you go, the more your dog will start to understand lamping, and will eventually learn to trust that there is a rabbit where the beam of light stops, but it takes a while to learn so be patient as they cant see the squatting rabbits like we can.

 

Only switch your lamp on in areas where you think there will be rabbits, if there are non or your dog does not catch the rabbit switch the lamp off immeditadely, if you keep the beam on you will scare the rabbits off. So only have it on when the dog is running at the rabbit.

 

Go out as much as possible and you will learn more about the rabbit, the way it moves, what a good night to go out is etc.

That is what i did eventually over time it has started to come together.

Your dog will have to learn that it doesn't have the same amount of time to catch its quarry as it did with hare coursing so dont be suprised if you dont catch any rabbits for a while, it will eventually all come together the more you go out.

 

Hope that helps.

Thank you so much that was loads of help

[ad22 1]

Excellent, here in the midlands the wind is really starting to get up and its raining just a little, an ideal night almost, if it is like that where you are tonight would be a good night to start!