HARES!!!!

[Guest SJM]

Wullie wasnt on that bit Merle, he was at a different bit which if its the bit I am thinking its quite flat out on top where the shooting butts are, there is mossy grass in amongst the heather and when the hares do rise they get running a bit better than the ones on the thick stuff I have ran that bit in the pic in the past with adult dogs (back when it was legal) and seen some of the hares make an arse of them, once they go into those hags and zig zag up and down, the dogs can lose sight of them easily, they also go to ground in the numerous holes and ditches. They are a fairly easy quarry in general no one is disputing that, but in bits like that, theyre not always the sitting ducks you would think, like Wullie says the best way is to run some and find out for yourself. Put it this way, I wouldnt want to run my pups on that, surefire way to wreck their confidence when they cant get on terms with the hare for the up n down terrain. Its better suited to an experiened dog that knows to run along the tops of the hags and catch the hares as they come out the edges rather than follow them in. If asked to sum up white hares as a quarry I would say that 90% are easy but you always get that odd one that makes a mockery out of the dog and you stand there saying to yourself how the hell did they miss that?

[merle24 61]

Yeh i see what your saying the dogs have to be clued up to keep with the hare amongst the cover, without losing it.

[Guest SJM]

Yep spot on merle Thats why when we used to educate pups in the past when it was still legal, we tried to run them on the flat bits with shorter heather, both so the pup could see the hare and keep it in sight during the chase and also so they run a wee bit better without diving straight to ground. Trouble is, the hares dont always lie out in the bits that are the best running, they prefer the thick bits, scree infested slopes and peaty hags, but once a dog is adult and can cope with the terrain and read the hares movements, it does put things back in the dogs favour

[wullielennox 158]

Wullie wasnt on that bit Merle, he was at a different bit which if its the bit I am thinking its quite flat out on top where the shooting butts are, there is mossy grass in amongst the heather and when the hares do rise they get running a bit better than the ones on the thick stuff I have ran that bit in the pic in the past with adult dogs (back when it was legal) and seen some of the hares make an arse of them, once they go into those hags and zig zag up and down, the dogs can lose sight of them easily, they also go to ground in the numerous holes and ditches. They are a fairly easy quarry in general no one is disputing that, but in bits like that, theyre not always the sitting ducks you would think, like Wullie says the best way is to run some and find out for yourself. Put it this way, I wouldnt want to run my pups on that, surefire way to wreck their confidence when they cant get on terms with the hare for the up n down terrain. Its better suited to an experiened dog that knows to run along the tops of the hags and catch the hares as they come out the edges rather than follow them in. If asked to sum up white hares as a quarry I would say that 90% are easy but you always get that odd one that makes a mockery out of the dog and you stand there saying to yourself how the hell did they miss that?

correct,,,better fun with the adult dogs.

[wullielennox 158]

Wullie wasnt on that bit Merle, he was at a different bit which if its the bit I am thinking its quite flat out on top where the shooting butts are, there is mossy grass in amongst the heather and when the hares do rise they get running a bit better than the ones on the thick stuff I have ran that bit in the pic in the past with adult dogs (back when it was legal) and seen some of the hares make an arse of them, once they go into those hags and zig zag up and down, the dogs can lose sight of them easily, they also go to ground in the numerous holes and ditches. They are a fairly easy quarry in general no one is disputing that, but in bits like that, theyre not always the sitting ducks you would think, like Wullie says the best way is to run some and find out for yourself. Put it this way, I wouldnt want to run my pups on that, surefire way to wreck their confidence when they cant get on terms with the hare for the up n down terrain. Its better suited to an experiened dog that knows to run along the tops of the hags and catch the hares as they come out the edges rather than follow them in. If asked to sum up white hares as a quarry I would say that 90% are easy but you always get that odd one that makes a mockery out of the dog and you stand there saying to yourself how the hell did they miss that? :cla

Edited October 13, 2008 by wullielennox