Rabbiting on new land.

[pointer 543]

This morning i was invited out onto new land to do a spot of rabbiting with Tess alongside Minnie and a young saluki cross.Its been cold this week so i wrapped up warm but it wasnt too cold at the venue although there was a hard frost covering much of the land.We got to see some good hunting and coursing from the dogs which had to search hard to find rabbits.Some of the rabbits were sat very tight in the reeds and on several occasions i saw the dog go in to pick up the rabbit only to come out the other side empty mouthed,as we all know they can be well hidden from view and can take some finding.Luckily for us our dogs are experienced at this game and will eventually pinpoint the rabbit and grab the rabbit if possible often with a mouthfull of reed at the same time.

Whilst i regularly work my lurcher in the reedbeds of the northern dales there are alot of occasions when you only get to see part of the course or even miss the whole thing and only hear a rabbit give out a squeak or find your dog coming out of the cover with its prize.Due to the landscape today we were able to stand at the top of the banks watching the dogs beneath hunting through the reeds.I still find it a great sight to see a lurcher scent a rabbit and start to slowly work its way in with the rabbit in view sneaking away ahead.Sometimes they get to ground and your left watching your dog find then mark the warren but when it comes together right and the dog gets up close enough either to take it out of the reeds or to course its an absolute pleasure to witness.............

The ground was slippy underfoot and it was boggy in places aswell so the dogs went well running rabbits up and down those banksides through reeds at a fair pace.They need to be pretty determined and Tess was left with a fairly nasty gash on her wrist and the young dog came back at one point with an inch long gash under its eye.I also saw Tess go to strike a rabbit on rocky uneven ground and she missed then smacked her head off the ground before somersaulting over.My heart misses a beat when this happens because i cant help but think back to when she hurt her neck as a youngster.Part of the session was spent alongside a river,i dont know why but i like hunting near waterways weather its ratting,bushing or rabbiting.On the way back to the car the lurchers worked through patches of dying nettles and tall grasses putting up a few rabbits and again due to the ideal viewing point above we saw some cracking hunting.Minnie just seems to be getting better everytime i see her and the young lurcher was hunting up and caught some good rabbits.No mixyied ones were caught today which is obviously a good thing.

I run my lurcher on similar land everyweek and partake in several other hunting sports when i can but i think today was my most enjoyable outing to date,as ive said i think this was down to how clearly we were able to watch the dogs working below.A brilliant couple of hours sport.

[iamduvern 62]

Great way to spend a Sunday beats my day stuck at work!!

 

 

Welldone

[pointer 543]

sorry this in the wrong place,we didnt use ferrets.

[richie 1]

well done, great bag...

[Guest jordy p]

nice one fella

 

jp

[The one 8,487]

Cracking picture mate they look like really big rabbits

[Guest mickyrich]

Well done mate im gonna have to get up them dales before you take all them rabbits ha ha i'm up dales in morning new permission first time on went for a walk round with farmer last week and you would think he had been breeding rabbits ha

[cumbrianrabbiter 0]

cracking report well done

[csme55ex 2]

well done mate .. thats one of the best looking dogs iv ever seen that one in the middle

[cometa300s 20]

well done mate that is excelent for a new permission

 

all the best liam