gfl1991 Posted June 17, 2012 Report Share Posted June 17, 2012 HI I am looking for live wild rabbits If any one can provide me with any can you private message me please, I no its a strange request but I have ESS and need to train them on live game and I haven't got any, I live near Manchester and can supply drop boxs and carrie cages if required if you can help many thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shabz Posted June 17, 2012 Report Share Posted June 17, 2012 That's not a strange request at all! I've often thought about building a rabbit pen! I don't have the space unfortunately. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darren m Posted June 18, 2012 Report Share Posted June 18, 2012 yep good idea , but many of the rabbit pens i,ve seen have pet dutch type rabbits in them. i,m thinking of doing something smaller but with a few hens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixhills 69 Posted June 18, 2012 Report Share Posted June 18, 2012 Wild rabbits burrow so wont stay in a pen for long Dutch rabbits is the way to go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vixen. Posted June 18, 2012 Report Share Posted June 18, 2012 Wild rabbits all the way, get a more natural flush and they sit tight. One or two tame ones isn't a bad idea but they tend to just bob around which isn't really realistic. If you've got enough at your disposal go for bucks, they don't want to burrow as much. Atb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted June 19, 2012 Report Share Posted June 19, 2012 I was lucky my wild rabbits at home came back after mixi autum just gone. I doubt the effectiveness of penned rabbits myself for a "hunting" type dog like a spaniel, although if needs must but it realy is worth the effort to get out into real rabbit country as regular as posible. It needent just be on farmland or shooting estates. Pens unless realy large are a little too contrived, surely an hour in the car will see you on some suitable ground ? otherwise good luck with the search Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PERCE Posted June 19, 2012 Report Share Posted June 19, 2012 I doubt the effectiveness of penned rabbits myself for a "hunting" type dog like a spaniel, So why have all the top spaniel lads got rabbit pens? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strongski Posted June 19, 2012 Report Share Posted June 19, 2012 go and get a rabbit trap from big cheese and use strawberrys as bait iv had 100s of rabbits this way good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bi9johnny Posted June 19, 2012 Report Share Posted June 19, 2012 didnt i read somewhere it is against the law to trap and release wild rabbits although i have mates who have done it :hmm: or am i just senile Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strongski Posted June 19, 2012 Report Share Posted June 19, 2012 i did release them of there guts and fur Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WGD Posted June 19, 2012 Report Share Posted June 19, 2012 I was lucky my wild rabbits at home came back after mixi autum just gone. I doubt the effectiveness of penned rabbits myself for a "hunting" type dog like a spaniel, although if needs must but it realy is worth the effort to get out into real rabbit country as regular as posible. It needent just be on farmland or shooting estates. Pens unless realy large are a little too contrived, surely an hour in the car will see you on some suitable ground ? otherwise good luck with the search A pen is just a training tool with a variety of uses, albeit a very useful tool. Shooting over the dog is a whole different ballgame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GW80 Posted June 19, 2012 Report Share Posted June 19, 2012 A rabbit pen is in my mind the best spaniel training aid you will find, you can train a stop on flush, all sorts of retieves with distraction. Also this is were i train a pup the stop whistle too. Word to the wise don't have too many rabbits in the pen, about 4 or 5 is plenty in 1/2 acre, will also go with using bucks plus make sure the top of the fences goes back as the rabbits will climb!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manojverma25 Posted July 5, 2012 Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 Can we keep them(1-2) in our garden as pet ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted July 6, 2012 Report Share Posted July 6, 2012 A pen is just a training tool with a variety of uses, albeit a very useful tool. Shooting over the dog is a whole different ballgame. I wasn't talking of shooting over them, just i think its easy for the dog to realise the difference while inside a pen or in an open field. Case in point the current pup is steady to rabbits on the lawn etc. steady in the field when out for a retrieve, yet when out having a loose wander can sometimes be tempted into a short chase when they spring under his feet until stopped . I cannot see how you could steady a dog or get it hunting well in a pen unless it was a very large one with various cover and open sections. Ok i am very fortunate to have the ground and game about on an every day basis, but was worried i wouldn't ever see a bunny again after last years mixi. then i should have started on a few pet/trapped retained via a pen but very shortly after getting some compliance it would be out to real country and unexpected encounters (for which there is no effective substitute) i have no practical hands on experiance with Spaniels personally though, but surely you do not get them "pen steady" then stride out with them gun in hand? That sounds too stessfull to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocker boy Posted July 6, 2012 Report Share Posted July 6, 2012 only use wild rabbits in a pen and change them on a regular basis . Steady the dog in the pen and then re train when you start shooting over it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted July 6, 2012 Report Share Posted July 6, 2012 only use wild rabbits in a pen and change them on a regular basis . Steady the dog in the pen and then re train when you start shooting over it Why? because the dog knows when its in a pen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WGD Posted July 6, 2012 Report Share Posted July 6, 2012 kent - have you ever seen a decent rabbit pen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocker boy Posted July 6, 2012 Report Share Posted July 6, 2012 Why? because the dog knows when its in a pen? there as never been a dog that knows what a pen is!. Try and get the dog in a few pens and then take it shooting to train it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 kent - have you ever seen a decent rabbit pen? I think if you look back in the thread i mention size and types of cover. In many ways thats what i have as the Gardens are about an acre fenced. My point realy is that a glorified run is pretty darn useless. have i seen a realy good rabbit pen? No, i have seen some very poor ones though. still i think the dogs see the gardens (which they regard as mine) and the fields (which they see as ours?) differently. I can only confirm my assumption by saying that steady in the grounds dont quite mean steady in the fields. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 (edited) there as never been a dog that knows what a pen is!. Try and get the dog in a few pens and then take it shooting to train it I think they do, convince me otherwise with your reasons. Take it shooting to train it? I have never owned spaniels but that sounds a bad plan to me and i certainly wouldn't want to shoot a gun over an unsteady dog, its nerve racking, flustrating not to mention dangerous IMO. why do you need the gun with you? is it to show the dog its purpose? can this not be done once its reliable to flush? Sorry in my late teens we inherited an ESS for a few years. supposedly a trained dog but it used to pee itself when i came close to it, so i never found out more. I never hit it or was in anyway harsh. My three dogs i had then tollerated it just fine but never regarded it as a fellow crew member Edited July 7, 2012 by kent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 I was lucky my wild rabbits at home came back after mixi autum just gone. I doubt the effectiveness of penned rabbits myself for a "hunting" type dog like a spaniel, although if needs must but it realy is worth the effort to get out into real rabbit country as regular as posible. It needent just be on farmland or shooting estates. Pens unless realy large are a little too contrived, surely an hour in the car will see you on some suitable ground ? otherwise good luck with the search Here it is guys back at post 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocker boy Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 I think they do, convince me otherwise with your reasons. Take it shooting to train it? I have never owned spaniels but that sounds a bad plan to me and i certainly wouldn't want to shoot a gun over an unsteady dog, its nerve racking, flustrating not to mention dangerous IMO. why do you need the gun with you? is it to show the dog its purpose? can this not be done once its reliable to flush? Sorry in my late teens we inherited an ESS for a few years. supposedly a trained dog but it used to pee itself when i came close to it, so i never found out more. I never hit it or was in anyway harsh. My three dogs i had then tollerated it just fine but never regarded it as a fellow crew member Steady in a few pens and then take them shooting to train them to be shooting dogs. Seems to work for openshaw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocker boy Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 Your forgetting that most people on this forum can train dogs to a better standard than openshaw, lisset etc. and can shoot better than digweed but are far too busy writing rubbish on the internet to bother winning all the competitions. Too true Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eccles Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 Never had a rabbit pen to get a spaniel to stop to flush.But i'm lucky to have plenty of rabbits to hunt.All i do is take a older trained dog out first to flush any rabbits.Then take the pup out after a half hour or so, knowing that a rabbit or two would be back out by then. Then just hunt the pup up as usual but watch him like a hawk ready for a flush.If the pup has been taught to stop on whistle and you are on the boil watching he should hit the deck. I only let them have 1 or 2 flushes per training session. I know this is not a reply to first question on rabbits for pen. Old mate of mine Kieth Gwibernant gundogs had a pen,but he only used it to hot them up. Used to chuck them in and go for a cuppa. :lol: and some great dogs he had to. FTCH Cortman Lane imo one of the best ESS ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted July 7, 2012 Report Share Posted July 7, 2012 Your forgetting that most people on this forum can train dogs to a better standard than openshaw, lisset etc. and can shoot better than digweed but are far too busy writing rubbish on the internet to bother winning all the competitions. Train them for what though? Not game shooting as they don't do it. So that leaves wild fowling and rough shooting where it's just not the same. Rabbit pens are simply a controlled environment much the same as using a long lead or all sorts of other training aids that the dog will in theory know its wearing. Pens you can get onto the dog fast it's simply one step not a long term training Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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