Gonna Shoot a Wabbit Posted October 4, 2009 Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 Hi all, Don YTS and i had our first ferreting trip of the season yesterday. I was on night shift on the friday and stayed up to go on the saturday. I got home for 0530 and got busy getting my gear sorted. Well the labradors heard me bustling round in my shooting cupboard and went nuts downstairs thinking they were going shooting D'oh...... some use me trying to quiet and not wake everyone up with 2 labradors running up and down the stairs, of course when they realised i was wearing the shooting gear they moved up a level and started howling too.... whilst running up the stairs. As don arrived and i started loading the gear the dogs are now barking 'cos they realised the whistles were staying on the hook OHHHHHHHH if looks could kill i was getting the old, DAD dont forget us! you know you need us!!!! DAAAAAAAD dont you go cos were gonna howl the house down.... DDDDAAAAAAAAAD if you dont take us i am phoning the RSPCA !!!!!! WWWOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWW..... don is of course in hysterics as i lock the door to a crescendo of labradorian protest. CHUFFIN' GUNDOGS. Anyway on with the ferreting. We are working some horse paddocks today. And set too under a stretch of hedgerow. Around 20 nets down and YTS post his poley who straight away nails a bunny underground. bunnies started bolting but with so much rubbish under this hedge the nets failed to purse properly. we got one but missed 3 so not a good start. The next set held a couple of bunnies that bolted cleanly and were neatly added to the bag by your humble scribe. We left YTS with his ferret stuck again and netted up the next set. Don and winkled out 3 in quick order as YTS is reaching for the spade and discovering the delight of digging in sandstone laden soil HA HA HOO HOO. of course with me being a gentleman i went back to help. Well after taking it in turn for 5 mins each we are a foot down and the ferret has started moving ..... little get!!! it soon becomes apparent though that said mustelid is heading for a nearby hole and in no time i told YTS your fert is in the mouth of the hole quick grab it which he duly does...... to find that ferret is attached to and has dragged a bunny from the depths to the hole. we quickly separate and despatch the bunny for YTS to quip..WELL THE RETRIEVEING TRAINING PAID OFF.... HA HA HOO HOO. We bolted a few more out of the next set and as luchtime approached we had 9 bunnies in the bag. So we headed back to the car for some fine sausage barms supplied by Don who had spared no expense at aldi for the said fare but washed down with plenty of coffee filled the collective stomach. once refreshed we tackled the final part of the days sets. A small embankment with maybe 30 holes in 4 sets. Don and i winkled out another 2 after waiting for 10 minutes while my ferret chased a bunny for what the locator revealed must have been at least 6 laps of the warren before finally bolting. As we look over to YTS he holds 3 bunnies aloft from his set too. The final set gave us 1 more to give us 6 for the afternoon but a final collective total of 15 bunnies. Not too shabby. With the time at 2pm we decided to call it a day rather than risk any more sets and get caught out with a stinking dig on the immortal ONE MORE SET. we have got the ferrets out have 15 in the bag and have had a cracking day in good company. Don has made us all some priests on his woodturner which bored out and weighted with lead proved to be just the job and performed brilliantly. I believe a patent is pending for "Dons wabbit wackers" what do you think of our modelling poses?? HA HA. Thanks for reading and hope you like the pic, rgds GSAW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerseaDavid Posted October 4, 2009 Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 Great work guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badshot Posted October 4, 2009 Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 Sounds like you had fun. my ferrets keep looking at me wanting to know when it is their turn. SOOOOOOOON just got a bit more work to finish for the autumn then we can get busy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegasus bridge Posted October 4, 2009 Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 looks like a cracking day gents ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hezbear Posted October 4, 2009 Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 Well done lads , good write up as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magman Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 Well done boys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trapper trev Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 NICE 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 Looks like there are some nice tasty youngsters there(in a non-Gary Glitter stylee) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Master Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 Nice one chaps. Can't wait til our first day this year! FM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomV Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 What are the 'priests' you are referring to made for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smig4373 Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 Nice work gents....Well done... :hmm: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Master Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 What are the 'priests' you are referring to made for? 'Wabbit whackers' is a clue. FM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robalex Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 Good write up and photo; Good bag, well done Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky-shot Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 well done good work & nice pics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomV Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 'Wabbit whackers' is a clue. FM This is what I thought they might be, however, the most humane way to dispatch a rabbit is to break its neck? not knock it over the head? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myzeneye Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 nice one aid... hee hee...after being up all night you look like your about to whack your ferret over the head pal !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Sweepy Posted October 5, 2009 Report Share Posted October 5, 2009 Well done My lot are hoping to start thier season middle of this month. Little Sweepy got two new ferrets this seasons. And his bought some longnets in the summer. So now his praying for more rain to softing the ground. He also reckons his going to get his old mum out to help. So this could be the year Mrs Sweepy gos ferreting xxxSuzy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gonna Shoot a Wabbit Posted October 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 This is what I thought they might be, however, the most humane way to dispatch a rabbit is to break its neck? not knock it over the head? Dear Tom, whilst i respect your opinion i beg to differ. In order to break a netted rabbits neck (cleanly) first you have to remove it from the net. this takes time which all adds to the stress the bunny is under when i first started out i dispatched rabbits this way and handling a screaming rabbit that is warning its mates below ground all is not well is not my cup of tea, nor in my eyes is it very efficient. The benefit of using a priest is the rabbit can be killed in the net thus minimising stress, a fresh net can be laid instantly whilst the now instantly deceased bunny is untangled from the net. minimal stress and no bunnys escaped from the same hole (or nibbling your welly in the hole) cos you were untangling a rabbit before replacing a net. Well done My lot are hoping to start thier season middle of this month. Little Sweepy got two new ferrets this seasons. And his bought some longnets in the summer. So now his praying for more rain to softing the ground. He also reckons his going to get his old mum out to help. So this could be the year Mrs Sweepy gos ferreting xxxSuzy Best of luck suzy hope all goes to plan, if we can be of help with advice etc, dont hesitate to ask. Thanks for the kind words everyone, rgds Adrian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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