Gonna Shoot a Wabbit Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Hi all. Don, YTS and i were out again with the ferrets again today. We left home at 0700hrs ready for a dawn assault on the bunny population. Whilst in the car we decided on the sets we would be working today, ready for a flying start. We decided upon a 150yd stretch of hedgerow and stream bank to start with. Don netted the stream bank whilst YTS and i netted the hedgerow. We spent a good 30minutes netting up and ran out of nets (YTS left a bag of nets in the car ), thankfully don arrived armed with his 28 bore and off we went. I started at one end of the hedge and YTS the other. I got about half way down the hedge when i heard the 28 bore bark twice, and one of the bunnies don MISSED bobbed down a hole in a set my ferret was working down a hole i couldn't net 'cos someone left a bag of their nets behind. If ever a man suffered!! i bet you can guess what happened next??? yep said bunny obviously decided to take its chances below ground and the ferret nailed it at a grand depth of 4 chuffing feet down, in clay soil and shale BOO HOO!!! YTS was insufferable and was in a constant state of mirth at my impending excavations cue that sinking feeling. Oh well out with the spade and excavate 3 1/2 feet to it and the bloody ferret moved off. We found her again some 12 feet away and 3 feet down and not moving so commenced excavations only for her to move off again when we broke through to the other tunnel 12 feet away. She went back and too another two times before we broke through at the 4 ft down rabbit and out popped an albino head which i promptly and unceromoniously grabbed and at least we have the ferret back (god bless ferret locators) i then do my best mole impression and with head and shoulders in the sub terranian world winkle the rabbit from its stop and duly despatch it with appropriate level of vehemance after much expended effort. We sat back and reviewed the 2 hrs work just completed after filling the holes in and we had a grand total of 2 rabbits. Hope the stream bank is less problematic. Don and YTS went to work on one side whilst i worked a 20ish hole set on the other. After 5 mins a single bunny bolted which was soon added the bag, whilst on the other side my companions winkled out another two bunnies to give us 5 in the bag with lunchtime fast approaching. Whilst don cooked a meagre offering of cheapo bacon and 10% meat sausages we couldnt help admiring the scenery in the spot we had stopped at for lunch. so took a snap to share with you. well with lunch over and suitably refreshed we moved off to a quarry face and woodland area. We have previously been for a look round and know there are lots of small sets between 6 - 12 holes. So off we went. We are getting quite good at playing ferrety leapfrog with don ranging off in front and netting up sets ready to work whilst yts and i net up and work sets in the immediate area, once worked pull up the nets and move on to the sets ready to be worked. With the three of us netting up we soon began adding to the bag with rabbits here and there and then move on. i worked a set don had netted for me that must have only been 8 holes that yielded 4 bunnies including a right and left (2 bunnies bolted into one net) HA HA YTS trainees young jill worked like a trojan today and is fast becoming trustworthy in that if there is no rabbits at home up to the surface she comes, however by 'eck if they are at home they get shifted and quick too one of the bunnies she bolted exited the set like a polaris missle taking the net some 3 feet into the air. YTS also managed to catch a rabbit without his ferret, he netted up a two holer and as he applied the second net WWHHHHOOOOSSSSHHH!!! a rabbit hit it. He had obviously looked into the hole and the bunny saw his malcontent chops peering in and reacted appropriately, we are thinking of attaching little passport photos of him to the ferrets in future to try to improve the catch rate HA HA. We completed the wooded area and gathered the slain and realised we had done rather well, taking 18 from the woodland area to give us a total of 23 for the day. We decided to call it a day the time was 1530hrs we had all the ferrets back and had enjoyed a brilliant day, again slow to start and came good in the afternoon. Indeed YTS is now insisting that in future when we decide where we are going to work first after deciding on the order for the day instanly reversing it to try to cut out the initial lull we tend to have HA HA. Thanks for reading hope you enjoy the pics. GSAW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurcherboy Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Good bag, good write up, excellent scenery LB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stokeshooter Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Good work lads nice read too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stealth Stalker Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Great write up & good work fellas SS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creakindoor Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Good pics. I always thought Cheshire was flat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Master Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Fantastic write up. It has inspired me to write a couple as I haven't done any for ages! FM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurcherboy Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 Fantastic write up. It has inspired me to write a couple as I haven't done any for ages! FM Typical lazy school kid I will be talking to your suicidal father soon LB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magman Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 Well done lads any sign of young yet ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazza Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dead-Eyed Duck Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 Cheshire can be flat - but this was in lovely North Wales. We were ferreting in Cheshire a couple of weeks ago and what bliss - digging a 4 foot hole in nice sandy soil! Most of the does had young, and one young rabbit about a fortnight old was caught and killed by one of the albino ferrets. The first stretch of hedgerow that we ferreted had hundreds of holes, and it was not possible to net them all - next time we do this we will simply net the easy holes, enter the ferrets, and stand back with shotties. Most of the holes ran very deep (nothing more depressing to constantly read 4-5 foot deep on the finder in thick clay, shingly, very stony soil!). It was also severely patience-limiting to dig a hole 4' deep and then get the rabbit and ferret to move just as you are digging down very carefully the last bit to avoid chopping the ferret in half with the spade! Plus, when this has happened to get YTS leaning on his spade spade (as it was not his ferret, and hence not one for him to dig out) offer the advice of "Bit of a ****** that lads - you'll have to dig another hole now!". At this I was expecting Gonna to chase the smug *** round the field wielding his spade with murder in his eyes...... As an old *** with occasionally a good memory I do remember Gonna saying that he had a severe mistrust of anything technical, and ferret finders were the work of the devil and useless (at work he operates a chemical plant, and has the nickname of Captain Chaos as anything he touches tends to go wrong). He very proudly declared that his ferrets were superbly trained, and going to return to hand from the hole when he whistled or squeaked them out! Laugh, I nearly cried when his ferret got stuck for the first time and he whistled until his lips were blistered and ferret refused to budge! Now for me to read in his post God bless ferret finders makes my little heart swell with pride that he did (eventually) accept my advice. Bit like the time that I told him not to shoot at a pigeon on a telephone wire as these wires attracted pellets like magnets. He looked at me with that pitying look that all teenagers have, took careful aim and 'Ping', said wire vibrated like with the hit, and the walter flew off, offering a 'V' sign as it went. But that's another story...... Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 Excellent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gonna Shoot a Wabbit Posted February 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 Thanks for the kind words everyone. It does pain me to admit but the old **** is right that locators are a must have ferreting tool. Though i must take don to task on my ferret whistling escapades, they did return after a few minutes as dons brother will attest, don wouldn't know what was happening that day 'cos he was hiding in the car to get out of the rain. Honestly he is like the wicked witch of the west when rain starts to fall and does nothing but whine and complain uttering his immortal phrase I HATE THE CHUFFIN' RAIN which after you have heard it 100times begins to grate a little HA HA. Lets not start on other stories pal, we will be here all night Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larson Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 nice write up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teal Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 Really enjoyed reading that- thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missed again Posted February 11, 2008 Report Share Posted February 11, 2008 nice write up! well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamie g Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 Good bag, good write up, excellent scenery LB as above what a day that must have been. most ive had is 16 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purdey03 Posted February 15, 2008 Report Share Posted February 15, 2008 really good well done m8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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