How did it all start ?

[howdeeposxxt 1,448]

How did your passion for terrierwork start? 

Mine started from seen our family pet / pest killer, terrier work a fox after stealing our hens and I was hooked. I was baffled yet amazed at this terrier and taking in by his real purpose in life that he wanted too work. So I took it upon myself to give him  just that. Althogh in very unexperienced hands we accounted for some game after we susd eachother out. I learned from him more than he from me and I owe him alot and am forever grateful that fox took those hens ?

Edited January 20, 2018 by howdeeposxxt

[neil cooney 10,416]

I've been listening to stories from my father since I could walk about him digging badgers and foxes with their Jack Russells when he was young.

I got ferrets when I was around 13 and a local greyhound man asked me for a rabbit. When I went to his yard he had his own line of Jack Russells, 3 or 4 fell terriers, 8 or 9 lurchers, all Deerhound hybrids, 5 or 6 pit bulls and around 70 greyhounds. That yard became my school after that, LOL.

Had my first worker at 15 and thats nearly 32 years ago now. Never been out of them for a single day since.

Edited January 20, 2018 by neil cooney

[howdeeposxxt 1,448]

Something similar too myself I learned most my trade from a man who worked glen crosses but had all sorts he has passed now and I would give my right arm for one more day with him. I' still digging  holes he showed me I do get teary eyed in a silent way when diggin em. He always said never consider yourself a digging man 100% because you will learn something new everyday in the field I still believe it too be true. The old learn from the new and the new from the young.

[liamdelaney 2,587]

Was at a badger dig when I was eight years old with big hairy arse country men,relations of my own and I was hooked straight away.Started doing handy digs by myself when I was fourteen with white dogs.To the present day I find great peace when on a dig by myself I just love the silence around a hole.Im back to picking handy ones when on my own as I have just lately copped on Im not twenty anymore.!!

[howdeeposxxt 1,448]

Nothing like been on your own. Many a time I had fat Tom looking down on me telling me my dog ain' doing it [BANNED TEXT] yet when the result was upon him he still had something too say. Where was fat Tom dogs ?

[Pirate 9000 676]

It's one of the hardest fact we all have to face when we realise we are not 20 anymore, got great lad I dig with last couple of season's and between us we can tackle most earths.

[Robbusher 1,563]

I got brought up seeing all types of game small and large by my father and his deerhound cross first thing I seen caught when I was about seven or eight was a fox that tried to straight line my dads and my uncles two lurchers across a big field that our jack Russell put out of cover didn’t get very far????

[Rebel 833]

I started off with my cousin, who is a few year older than me. My first memory of him is coming up the road with 3 or 4 terriers after a mornings hunting.  He arrived into his house, opened a tin of ambrosia rice with a knife and eat it out of the tin, and headed back off hunting.

He still keeps beagles and terriers 40 years later and most young lads in our estate have hunted with him at some stage. I got my first terrier of him when I was about 8.

I was also lucky enough to meet a few good lads along the way that helped me out with terriers and digging

[peterhunter86 8,627]

I'd say for a lot of people it was the love of the pound sign.

[neil cooney 10,416]

8 hours ago, liamdelaney said:

Was at a badger dig when I was eight years old with big hairy arse country men,relations of my own and I was hooked straight away.Started doing handy digs by myself when I was fourteen with white dogs.To the present day I find great peace when on a dig by myself I just love the silence around a hole.Im back to picking handy ones when on my own as I have just lately copped on Im not twenty anymore.!!

Have done a lot of digging on my own over the years Liam and with the odd exception most of it went smoothly. Also had a few experiences on my own that I regretted not have a witness because of unusual experiences, ie. digging a pure white specimen that I released confident I'd meet it again, but never did.

But a solo dig a couple of weeks ago made me realize I'm not up to it like I used to be. It caused me to miss two days hunting and has pissed me off realizing I've to be careful from now on.

[liamdelaney 2,587]

2 minutes ago, neil cooney said:

Have done a lot of digging on my own over the years Liam and with the odd exception most of it went smoothly. Also had a few experiences on my own that I regretted not have a witness because of unusual experiences, ie. digging a pure white specimen that I released confident I'd meet it again, but never did.

But a solo dig a couple of weeks ago made me realize I'm not up to it like I used to be. It caused me to miss two days hunting and has pissed me off realizing I've to be careful from now on.

Same as that,when I was younger the deeper the better,or fairy forts that some people were afraid of.We dog white ones down around Roscrea we were striped like Zebras,it was the only place I ever seen them.

[Yankeeterrier 95]

I’ve been into hunting with dogs since I can remember. My dad had springer spaniels and I would gonphradant and grouse hunting with him, I became interested in beagles when I was 8 and convinced my parents to let me get one. We trained her and in two years we had three of them, best three we’ve ever had and it was all dumb luck. I’d heard about terriers here and there but just recently have been able to find guys with dogs, had a chance to hunt, and found a older guy who has agreed to help me out with learning the ropes. Hopefully in about a month I’ll be getting my first pat. 

 

Need to move to the country as soon as possible!

[Rabbit Hunter 6,613]

I'm not too sure exactly how terriers became such a big part of my life, but I do know they have took over it. I eat, sleep and breathe the bloody things!