Most rabbits killed with one lurcher on nights lamping now let's be truthful lads about this one

[mackem 26,209]

17 minutes ago, levigsp said:

I once took a lad from Doncaster out to show him what was possible in Caithness.

September 87 a Monday spent ferreting resulted in 87 rabbit netted 15 caught with dog.

Tuesday left house at 8-30pm and drove 60miles, lamped in 20-30mph wind and heavy rain with two dogs, got home at 4.40am and counted rabbits as we unloaded them 208.

Wednesday went coursing Blue hairs 30miles from home, Took 3 dogs in afternoon and took 9 hares. 

Thursday spent 4 hours shooting rabbits with 22 from car as needed a rest, took 132,

Friday went lamping at 9-30pm with same two dogs used earlier in week. we got home wind swept at 2.30am with 2 foxes, a three legged hare, and 241 rabbits.

These are extracts from mt diary. and this was not a one off as i took lads from Cumbria out who took van full of rabbits home every other week, working four dogs a night between us we would take over 400. And not just in Caithness, did a 100 at Reeth and over the 100 on numerous occasions at Cerne in Dorset.

The dogs I used were  mostly Collie Greyhound 1st and 2nd crosses, and yes a Certain author used my tales as his own!  Far too old to run dogs now even if I wanted.

 

I put a pic up on here once from when I was 17 or 18,a week in Caithness, truthfully can't remember the exact number of rabbits, somewhere between 1-1200 rabbits, my cousin still lives up there and the numbers have plummeted, but back then when Tommy McPhee was bagging the numbers it was nirvana. 

[jukel123 7,957]

I can just remember rabbit numbers before mixi first struck. My old man was a top snarer and would return every morning with a minimum 50 rabbits.  That was right throughout the season.  Fields were bare and brown with rabbit infestation. You could smell them in the air. We were all sick of the taste, even the dogs turned their noses up at yet more rabbit for dinner.The old fella ended up gifting rabbits to anybody who asked. Eventually he had to give up snaring big numbers because they were just going to waste. Game dealers and butchers had too many suppliers.

  I reckon if lamping had  been around in the early fifties, providing you had a fit, keen dog, with good stamina and resonable conditions, bags of over 100 would have been normal. But then how could you transport or store them? There were no cars or freezers for ordinary families back then. Be nice to go back to those days though. It would be interesting to see what bags could be achieved if the numbers were there.

 

Edited March 16, 2022 by jukel123

[Moocher71 4,049]

8 minutes ago, jukel123 said:

I can just remember rabbit numbers before mixi first struck. My old man was a top snarer and would return every morning with a minimum 50 rabbits.  That was right throughout the season.  Fields were bare and brown with rabbit infestation. You could smell them in the air. We were all sick of the taste, even the dogs turned their noses up at yet more rabbit for dinner.The old fella ended up gifting rabbits to anybody who asked. Eventually he had to give up snaring big numbers because they were just going to waste. Game dealers and butchers had too many suppliers.

  I reckon if lamping had  been around in the early fifties, providing you had a fit, keen dog, with good stamina and resonable conditions, bags of over 100 would have been normal. But then how could you transport or store them? There were no cars or freezers for ordinary families back then. Be nice to go back to those days though. It would be interesting to see what bags could be achieved if the numbers were there.

 

My mum told me when me grandad was in the army it was left to me uncul to poach and he mostly used long nets and drag line for rabbits and he'd take 40 /50 a time and took big bags with snares as well ,he'd keep what was needed to feed family rest was sold to butchers ,I spoke with me uncul few times about poaching while war was on and he said he took that many rabbits it made him sick and once his father me grandad came back home he never took another rabbit , 

[Ferretman65 2,177]

Not trying to be funny here Lads what do use Boys call speed Lamping don't Do much Lamping now do abit But  when I was fit it was fast and furious all the way never heard off speed Lamping before 

[Leo Sayer 2,323]

6 hours ago, mackem said:

I put a pic up on here once from when I was 17 or 18,a week in Caithness, truthfully can't remember the exact number of rabbits, somewhere between 1-1200 rabbits, my cousin still lives up there and the numbers have plummeted, but back then when Tommy McPhee was bagging the numbers it was nirvana. 

Many years later we stayed up there and my mate new Tommy so we called for a brew for a chat. He long since give up with the lurches and then kept collies sheep dogs. I found time a nice quiet spoken fella very hospitable and he kindly pointed us in the direction of a few spots to hit. 

[DIDO.1 22,605]

We once caught 4 rabbits and a hare . My biggest night time bag

[C.green 3,229]

I think that gaffer dog from derby had 112 or sommat like that number and was only dog out on the night. 

[Ferretman65 2,177]

9 hours ago, Ferretman65 said:

Not trying to be funny here Lads what do use Boys call speed Lamping don't Do much Lamping now do abit But  when I was fit it was fast and furious all the way never heard off speed Lamping before 

Alot of Boys talk about speed Lamping please someone explain tome speed Lamping 

[chartpolski 23,133]

7 minutes ago, Ferretman65 said:

Alot of Boys talk about speed Lamping please someone explain tome speed Lamping 

I think the term was coined as a bit of a piss take when someone on here claimed to have take around 60 rabbits in half an hour, or something like that .

Cheers.

[jukel123 7,957]

Didn't  Minshaw's 'Blue' take over a 100 single handed? Could be beer tent bullshit, but I think there was a photo perhaps in The Shooting News as 'evidence'?

[Ferretman65 2,177]

40 minutes ago, chartpolski said:

I think the term was coined as a bit of a piss take when someone on here claimed to have take around 60 rabbits in half an hour, or something like that .

Cheers.

Thank you mate I knew something was wrong I never heard of it and I was a big Lamping man in my Day cheers mate

[TOMO 26,034]

2 hours ago, C.green said:

I think that gaffer dog from derby had 112 or sommat like that number and was only dog out on the night. 

thats right mate...was on a Scottish island.....jim did a ton there ...as did d lloyd ..... 

[Ferretman65 2,177]

1 minute ago, Ferretman65 said:

Thank you mate I knew something was wrong I never heard of it and I was a big Lamping man in my Day cheers mate

I was going to make a statement saying I was out speed ferreting lol

[jukel123 7,957]

Had a little whippet 17 inches at the shoulder which killed 13 adult rabbits daytime in about an hour. Does that count?  She killed a few young uns too but I'm  not counting those. To be fair it was on heather which  favoured the dog, but it was a great hours sport.

[TOMO 26,034]

Just now, jukel123 said:

Had a little whippet 17 inches at the shoulder which killed 13 adult rabbits daytime in about an hour. Does that count?  She killed a few young uns too but I'm  not counting those. To be fair it was on heather which  favoured the dog, but it was a great hours sport.

there the sort of days that stick out mate