What happened to the collie crosses?

[poachers apprentice 134]

Where have all the collie crosses gone? Used to see them regularly but seems like wheaton and bull crosses are now the norm. Nothing against those crosses but there a bit overkill when all you want is to catch a rabbit and be a net guarder

[shaaark 10,780]

28 minutes ago, poachers apprentice said:

Where have all the collie crosses gone? Used to see them regularly but seems like wheaton and bull crosses are now the norm. Nothing against those crosses but there a bit overkill when all you want is to catch a rabbit and be a net guarder

It would seem that collie crosses have indeed dwindled, almost to the point of rarity. But there are still plenty of em about. It's just that the majority of people that own them, don't frequent sites such as this, as often as before. And the fact that lurcherwork, and lurchers, have changed a fair bit, from the old rabbiting, mooching types, to dogs capable of being ran at 'teeth' three or four nights a week on the lamp. And if your dog aint catching 20/30 rabbits per lamping session, it's crap.

Strange times mate.

[Gypsydog94 4,590]

The fact rabbits are dwindling around the country apart from strong pockets. People are going for dogs that will turn its hand at anything for there sport 

[shaaark 10,780]

1 minute ago, Gypsydog94 said:

The fact rabbits are dwindling around the country apart from strong pockets. People are going for dogs that will turn its hand at anything for there sport 

Yep, and partly that. But for about the last 15ish years, I see more people getting into lurchers to specifically lamp foxes. At least, around my area. Never hear someone that's recently got into lurchers even mentioning rabbits.

Fox, fox, fox, that's it.

[JAE B 549]

There’s collie crosses getting pushed out for stud at the moment and all they have done is chase a squirrel ? up a tree once a season yours in sport Jae b .

[Gypsydog94 4,590]

18 minutes ago, shaaark said:

Yep, and partly that. But for about the last 15ish years, I see more people getting into lurchers to specifically lamp foxes. At least, around my area. Never hear someone that's recently got into lurchers even mentioning rabbits.

Fox, fox, fox, that's it.

Just stroking the ego. I know round my area if you was just foxing you wouldn’t have much of a season. The rifles make sure of that 

[shaaark 10,780]

2 minutes ago, Gypsydog94 said:

Just stroking the ego. I know round my area if you was just foxing you wouldn’t have much of a season. The rifles make sure of that 

To be honest though mate, I live in an area where there are thousands of sheep. Every farmer within about a 15 mile radius of my home, farm maybe 90% sheep, and 10% cattle. And they suffer a lot with fox trouble. And the rifle lads really do a far better job of controlling the foxes than the lurcher guys. 

And I have to say, a lot of the rifle fellas attitude towards hunting fox, or just hunting in general, is, as far as I've seen/heard, far better than a lot of the lurcher lads.

 

[poachers apprentice 134]

42 minutes ago, shaaark said:

It would seem that collie crosses have indeed dwindled, almost to the point of rarity. But there are still plenty of em about. It's just that the majority of people that own them, don't frequent sites such as this, as often as before. And the fact that lurcherwork, and lurchers, have changed a fair bit, from the old rabbiting, mooching types, to dogs capable of being ran at 'teeth' three or four nights a week on the lamp. And if your dog aint catching 20/30 rabbits per lamping session, it's crap.

Strange times mate.

I'm not into numbers can't say I ever have been, just you used to be able to pick up a little  rabbiting cur pretty easy and they were perfect for a brace of rabbits mooching bushing etc few on the lamp and a days ferreting. Can't find anything now without bull in it. 

[shaaark 10,780]

1 minute ago, poachers apprentice said:

I'm not into numbers can't say I ever have been, just you used to be able to pick up a little  rabbiting cur pretty easy and they were perfect for a brace of rabbits mooching bushing etc few on the lamp and a days ferreting. Can't find anything now without bull in it. 

I totally get you mate.  But those older rabbiting/mooching types are out there. They're just harder to find.

[fred90 3,231]

8 minutes ago, poachers apprentice said:

I'm not into numbers can't say I ever have been, just you used to be able to pick up a little  rabbiting cur pretty easy and they were perfect for a brace of rabbits mooching bushing etc few on the lamp and a days ferreting. Can't find anything now without bull in it. 

a good Whippet x or straight whippet should do the job for you. 

[nothernlite 18,086]

Plenty about sick of seeing the ankle biting  feckers lol

[Black neck 15,966]

24 minutes ago, shaaark said:

To be honest though mate, I live in an area where there are thousands of sheep. Every farmer within about a 15 mile radius of my home, farm maybe 90% sheep, and 10% cattle. And they suffer a lot with fox trouble. And the rifle lads really do a far better job of controlling the foxes than the lurcher guys. 

And I have to say, a lot of the rifle fellas attitude towards hunting fox, or just hunting in general, is, as far as I've seen/heard, far better than a lot of the lurcher lads.

 

Don't be niave furg the riflers are up 2 no good at all times and blaming the dog guys

[Gypsydog94 4,590]

34 minutes ago, shaaark said:

To be honest though mate, I live in an area where there are thousands of sheep. Every farmer within about a 15 mile radius of my home, farm maybe 90% sheep, and 10% cattle. And they suffer a lot with fox trouble. And the rifle lads really do a far better job of controlling the foxes than the lurcher guys. 

And I have to say, a lot of the rifle fellas attitude towards hunting fox, or just hunting in general, is, as far as I've seen/heard, far better than a lot of the lurcher lads.

 

Same as anything in life you get wronguns. Some round me will just kill any fox insight even if there not being a problem. Shooting milky vixens not worried about the Cubs. Same when there shooting rabbits got shooting 50 plus a night for a few nights then moan when they don’t see any for rest of season. Chucking all there dead’s just to attract foxes so they can slaughter them to. Lazy b*****ds some with very few brain cells

[poachers apprentice 134]

32 minutes ago, fred90 said:

a good Whippet x or straight whippet should do the job for you. 

Was thinking the same, I miss my collie grey x whippet was ideal. Don't get me wrong I have lamped and worked foxes with lurcher but to me a lurcher was a ferreting companion and pot filler mainly, the odd course when it was legal but that was best left to the salukis xs. And let's not mention the price of lurcher pups now. 

[poxon 5,734]

2 hours ago, poachers apprentice said:

Where have all the collie crosses gone? Used to see them regularly but seems like wheaton and bull crosses are now the norm. Nothing against those crosses but there a bit overkill when all you want is to catch a rabbit and be a net guarder

People have found them in modern times incapable so have moved on to breed collie xs from the capable in to other xs  more suited to be ready for anything types that can ferret/lamp mooch an be used for many types of hunting just because they may have a bit of bull or Wheaton in them don’t mean they not capable I know a lad with a 28-29tts Sal/bull/greyhound x catch rabbits as good as any