Rabbit numbers

[grompz 705]

16 minutes ago, Dinosaurs said:

Cheers Grompz I’ve not been in great health last few years & lost a lot of weight/strength etc & after having dogs for last 40 years The spark has fizzled for me. Lots of reasons ie bad health, loss of permission due to development, severe decline in rabbits etc. I’ll be late 60’s by time my lot pass. But who knows I may as you say take on a smaller house dog when that time comes like as you say a whippet or something. Cheers. Atb

i khow exactly where your coming from dinosaurs, and i wish you all the luck in the world for your future yrs on earth,i had a touch of cancer a few yrs ago, and if it wouldnt have been for the dogs,great family and mates, iwould have sat in a chair and give up, gradually im getting back to a fair level of fitness,luckily there are a few rabbits starting to show themselves again,so hopefully there will be something to get pup started on when its ready,might even consider getting another ferret, keep going is my motto, use it or lose it,take care mate, genuine dog men are a dying breed,best days of hunting are gone, but live on in our memorys.

[Dinosaurs 2,112]

1 hour ago, grompz said:

i khow exactly where your coming from dinosaurs, and i wish you all the luck in the world for your future yrs on earth,i had a touch of cancer a few yrs ago, and if it wouldnt have been for the dogs,great family and mates, iwould have sat in a chair and give up, gradually im getting back to a fair level of fitness,luckily there are a few rabbits starting to show themselves again,so hopefully there will be something to get pup started on when its ready,might even consider getting another ferret, keep going is my motto, use it or lose it,take care mate, genuine dog men are a dying breed,best days of hunting are gone, but live on in our memorys.

Cheers bud hope your pup revitalises your interest in lamping & does well for you. I wish you both the best of luck. Atb

[micky 3,325]

On 11/06/2022 at 20:37, TOMO said:

droped half a dozen off local to me this week...to see if a could boost the local numbers...

Which Field ?

 

[Black neck 16,257]

8 hours ago, fred90 said:

numbers have been poor for years here. I mainly mooch, foraging I call it. always have a catty in my pocket, sometimes take a ferret and half a dozen nets. sometimes gat a rabbit and a pheasant, other times a squirrel and a pigeon, lot of times fxxck all. I am going to have a shine this autumn, first time I will have lamped in nearly 30 years. this whippet pup has given me the enthusiasm to have a run. but the biggest factor in it all is.        I am enjoying it

Good on ya mate

[Moocher71 4,050]

I was seeing good numbers around my way until last few weeks , today I walking along a hedge row and see young coney sitting out and as I got closer I thought it leg it soon but I walked straight up to it and picked it up and it looked fine and no signs of mixy so must be the vh disease that's hit them ,

[D Lloyd 2,790]

On 13/06/2022 at 22:52, Moocher71 said:

I was seeing good numbers around my way until last few weeks , today I walking along a hedge row and see young coney sitting out and as I got closer I thought it leg it soon but I walked straight up to it and picked it up and it looked fine and no signs of mixy so must be the vh disease that's hit them ,

Hope it's not for your sake and they'res it's savage seen it wipe out 100s if not 1000s with in a few short weeks

[Bangersanmash 3,595]

On 09/06/2022 at 08:53, Samrog said:

Looks to me like rabbits are doing well this year. In the van and down the lane 05:15 this morning counted 30 odd in quarter of a mile on the road and verge’s. I’m on the way to Scotland. Pulled off the motorway in Lancashire down a few lanes to let the dogs out for a piss. Every field was full of them. Nice to see. I’m East Cheshire, Havnt seen that many together round me for years  Anyone seeing similar??

Used to be like that round near me till this fool went round shot every rabbit. His first season with permission was shooting In season an out of season nothing got time to breed round him. Now he moans saying there's f**k all about simple c**t. Before he shot all the population I had a scout on some land that we went on for many years before he got the permission. Cut the story short ended up knocking a few over with catty one evening. For a laugh my pal said sit them up in middle of field. So we pegged them up on the land knowing he'd be down. He's come down us sat on one of the ash banks above in cover. Hes there gun out on five bar gate taking his shots at them. When he's gone upto them his face was a picture he knew he'd been done.  The chap will defo be on here am hoping he reads this over 20 years ago an feels like it was yesterday , you know who you are knick name ( parana ) under shot to f**k lol. 

[poxon 5,774]

Rabbit numbers are low by me they’ve been in decline for the last 10yrs getting lower an lower In numbers season by season the ferrets have now been gone for 5yrs now because there is no point in them no more there not worth the effort I used to borrow a hob just for a little ferreting now an then but he’s no longer with us he was the last of the strain I kept an bred since I was a kid my dog numbers have declined as there’s no point in having many dogs or set rabbit dogs no more I’ve got one retired bitch and a bitch that’s 3 that I can use for a bit of everything but got to the middle of last season an thought what am I playing at all this time an effort walking fields at night an in the day just for a couple of rabbits or nock the odd muntjac, roe or fox over all this conditioning of dogs an effort is it really worth my time that i could be investing in my kids an family is the time I put in with hunting really worth the time missed with family an kids that can’t ever be recovered….no! There only young once an we’re all a short time living. I’ve come to the conclusion that my younger bitch is my last serious running dog I’ll keep her going I have no plans to breed on or continue the type I’ll give her work we’re i can but can’t see me getting another I feel the spark of running dogs has left me 

[Daniel cain 46,422]

2 hours ago, poxon said:

Rabbit numbers are low by me they’ve been in decline for the last 10yrs getting lower an lower In numbers season by season the ferrets have now been gone for 5yrs now because there is no point in them no more there not worth the effort I used to borrow a hob just for a little ferreting now an then but he’s no longer with us he was the last of the strain I kept an bred since I was a kid my dog numbers have declined as there’s no point in having many dogs or set rabbit dogs no more I’ve got one retired bitch and a bitch that’s 3 that I can use for a bit of everything but got to the middle of last season an thought what am I playing at all this time an effort walking fields at night an in the day just for a couple of rabbits or nock the odd muntjac, roe or fox over all this conditioning of dogs an effort is it really worth my time that i could be investing in my kids an family is the time I put in with hunting really worth the time missed with family an kids that can’t ever be recovered….no! There only young once an we’re all a short time living. I’ve come to the conclusion that my younger bitch is my last serious running dog I’ll keep her going I have no plans to breed on or continue the type I’ll give her work we’re i can but can’t see me getting another I feel the spark of running dogs has left me 

We all slow down abit for family life mate,don't loss heart,as they grow,things get easier if I didn't have a dog or 2...I'd be locked up doing life...feeding,housing,working the dogs is what's kept me sane all these yrs...you can always find, away around stuff...I knocked the digging dogs on the head because of the bitchiness and plain jealousy that comes if your out doing abit more than someone else...does me now bashing cover ,first time I've ever used terriers for bushing and I love it,walked 2 mile local yesterday evening and all the dogs was blowing out there arses ...rabbits everywhere for the first time I can remember...never seen those numbers here, certain countys in England and Scotland then yes...fingers crossed there's still a few come the season,try out my new longnets then...even thinking about learning to drop net at night,another string to the bow and use for a dog

[Moocher71 4,050]

7 hours ago, D Lloyd said:

Hope it's not for your sake and they'res it's savage seen it wipe out 100s if not 1000s with in a few short weeks

Don't see any other reason to be finding  healthy looking rabbits that just looked to have fell down dead for no reason and rabbit in pic looked fine apart from lifeless. 

[micky 3,325]

33 minutes ago, Moocher71 said:

Don't see any other reason to be finding  healthy looking rabbits that just looked to have fell down dead for no reason and rabbit in pic looked fine apart from lifeless. 

Rabbits can go into shock when they have just  had a belt of off a Stoat or a Weasel .

[Neal 1,874]

On 15/06/2022 at 08:41, poxon said:

Rabbit numbers are low by me they’ve been in decline for the last 10yrs getting lower an lower In numbers season by season the ferrets have now been gone for 5yrs now because there is no point in them no more there not worth the effort I used to borrow a hob just for a little ferreting now an then but he’s no longer with us he was the last of the strain I kept an bred since I was a kid my dog numbers have declined as there’s no point in having many dogs or set rabbit dogs no more I’ve got one retired bitch and a bitch that’s 3 that I can use for a bit of everything but got to the middle of last season an thought what am I playing at all this time an effort walking fields at night an in the day just for a couple of rabbits or nock the odd muntjac, roe or fox over all this conditioning of dogs an effort is it really worth my time that i could be investing in my kids an family is the time I put in with hunting really worth the time missed with family an kids that can’t ever be recovered….no! There only young once an we’re all a short time living. I’ve come to the conclusion that my younger bitch is my last serious running dog I’ll keep her going I have no plans to breed on or continue the type I’ll give her work we’re i can but can’t see me getting another I feel the spark of running dogs has left me 

I know pretty much how you feel. I've not had ferrets now for about nine or ten years and it's been seventeen years since I had a lurcher...but life without a dog...that would be sad. Hopefully you'll find the right type in the future.

[The one 8,513]

I was talking to a guy a couple of farmers over from my permission and he reckons theres 1000's the rifle guys in the syndicate are struggling to control them 

[fred90 3,291]

On 15/06/2022 at 08:41, poxon said:

Rabbit numbers are low by me they’ve been in decline for the last 10yrs getting lower an lower In numbers season by season the ferrets have now been gone for 5yrs now because there is no point in them no more there not worth the effort I used to borrow a hob just for a little ferreting now an then but he’s no longer with us he was the last of the strain I kept an bred since I was a kid my dog numbers have declined as there’s no point in having many dogs or set rabbit dogs no more I’ve got one retired bitch and a bitch that’s 3 that I can use for a bit of everything but got to the middle of last season an thought what am I playing at all this time an effort walking fields at night an in the day just for a couple of rabbits or nock the odd muntjac, roe or fox over all this conditioning of dogs an effort is it really worth my time that i could be investing in my kids an family is the time I put in with hunting really worth the time missed with family an kids that can’t ever be recovered….no! There only young once an we’re all a short time living. I’ve come to the conclusion that my younger bitch is my last serious running dog I’ll keep her going I have no plans to breed on or continue the type I’ll give her work we’re i can but can’t see me getting another I feel the spark of running dogs has left me 

I know you feel like that now, and it's good to concentrate on other things. but you always come back to it in some shape or form. true dog men country pursuit men (which I believe you are). it never leaves you. when you are out and about and see a lurcher, terrier etc, you think to yourself, that looks a little cracker I wonder if it works. same when you are traveling somewhere, you look at fields and think I wonder if there's anything on. I think we are all the same

[OldPhil 5,812]

On 16/06/2022 at 11:16, The one said:

I was talking to a guy a couple of farmers over from my permission and he reckons theres 1000's the rifle guys in the syndicate are struggling to control them 

I've worked with hundreds of Farmers and Landowners,.. very few have any real concept of rabbits or rabbit control , other than a bit of ferreting as nippers, and driving around at night, bunny bashing...

As you can imagine,.. for anyone offering paid rabbit management, this sometimes causes a few problems...

Farmers that are cruising around the place seeing conies scuttling back and forth, in and out of the hedgerows, frequently over estimate the population on their land,.. and to be perfectly honest,...they often exaggerate.

As an aside,. if the Rifles aren't doing the job, then you can step in and offer a temporary respite, by dint of snares, and obviously agree to hit the place hard with the ferrets and nets, at the end of the Summer...

 Best go and check out the land yourself,...you will soon see what the score is..

 

Edited June 17, 2022 by OldPhil