Sand ,dos and donts

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

Following on from another thread and regardless of how the dog met it's end (rip poppy) i just thought id put down a few things ive noticed over the years in the sand we have here, bright yellow to orange through to dark brown.

The first and most important rule of all is to dig the hole as wide if not wider as it's  deep ,forget straight sides in sand and keep the top back from where your working .I'd rather a come shape in sand any day as long is the bottom is wide enough to work in .

We never stand over the dog to dig when nearing the mark ,dig from either side where possible .

Never jump into a dig from the side when it's your turn no matter the depth your at .

Always go in behind the dog ,fill the tube then clear over the dog .

Keep spoil as far back as possible 

Never chop at deep tree roots ,always cut with a saw or wire .

Please add as it may save a dogs life one day .

 

[howdeeposxxt 1,448]

I do use a t bar but not in sandy stuff. Not a good idea in sand prodding can weeken the walls of the earth. 

[neil cooney 10,416]

Good advice. If there's any doubt of the area having sandy earths then try and seek advice off of those who've been there before.

If there's a chance of running sand IMO leave alone and sadly the way you often find out about running sand is when you find it for yourself. My only bad encounter with running sand was on a ten foot deep dig that collapsed causing me to end up in the tube with the terrier but thankfully the terriers head was still in the tube and all ended well.

IMO hard terriers do not suit anywhere were sand might be encountered.

[neil cooney 10,416]

Just after remembering another sandy encounter myself and Fatman had several years ago.

We watched a brace and half of foxes leave a covert and go to ground. The dig was 6 or 7 foot deep, if I remember right, and we crowned through and had the terrier out and could see the foxes in front. We were about to start removing them when a lot of sand collapsed (about the size of a small car) and it wasn't safe for anyone to be near the hole and that was an unpleasant end.

I think Fatman has dug it since.

[dublin dezzy 1,023]

When terrier is out of the sand clean the eyes out soon as possible and clean thoroughly making sure all sand is gone,can destroy a dogs eyes

[Phil Lloyd 10,738]

Superb advice from 'men who knows',..many thanks...

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

Most of the sandy places here are under a metre deep but some are massive going to 6m deep through sand ,brash and eventually bed rock and you bet your life foxy is under the rock in a fissure  but these days id rather walk by and find a place more fitting for my age lol.Deep digs are the playground for the young .

Iv'e had sand fall on me as documented many times and it scared the hell out of me .I'e also had a torch go out on me when upside down in a place .Lad dropped in another torch which I missed but i could see the eyes of the quarry from its glow not a foot from my face .Got dragged out before it latched on .Have to agree that sand is a good starting place for all reasons listed .

Quarry digging on can be frustrating though which is where the more dedicated terrier comes into it's own .

 

[king 11,972]

Have many of you come across conglomerate Mainly sand based.i came across a seem once that was way stronger than high strength concrete.it makes granite look like chalk.i think it would be almost impossible to dig through.

I've had a big dozer with a ripper tooth on the rear dropped on top of it the while back of the machine was off the floor jacked up on the ram that was 40ton on the ripper tooth on a large size chisel ie the ripper tooth.Drive forward and it wouldn't even scratch 5mm into the surface.i repeated the rip numerous times and couldn't get into the ground had to leave it in the end.it was like scratching your finger nail on concrete.absoulutely pointless.forget a sharptooth fork in that stuff.

That's got to be the hardest material to be found in the ground in the UK at least.

And I've dug rock 200ft deep in opencast and that was nothing compared to conglomerate.

 

[Dig-deep-draw-charlie 2,713]

There’s a place near me that must be near 6/7 m of sand, just a massive mound of it,  cracking but of cover to run hounds through, evertytine I walk past them the terriers is doing back flips, I just keep walking, known boys that have dug it, don’t think anybody has dug it in a good few years 

[Rat face 1,655]

Cracking thread this for a change just what this section needed.  a bit of info to help lads out by people who have worn the t-shirt 

[smasher 1,055]

In sand we will where possible,come down Past the tube,and break through from the side either that or behind the dog from above,when not crowning I’m on top of the dog care must be taken not to open up on top of your quarry or you could force it to move before you have the chance to get things under control,although this usually is only a problem with a sounder or smaller dog,

[smasher 1,055]

dig in sand,where we came in from the side

[Northern Rock 512]

What an excellent thread .

[Rabbit Hunter 6,613]

Fair play Foxdropper, as an afterthought,  I always think the books nowadays offer very little on such advice for newbies whereas the older books were a minefield of info on such advice and tips.

[dytkos 17,800]

Also always make sure theres someone to hold your legs if your going down head first. Fella I knew suffocated on a sand dig in Cheshire about 35 years back. R.I.P. Jimmy Richmond.

 

D.