It was a glorious morning to be outside. The low winter sun glinted on land decorated with a light dusting of snow. Sheep sheltered against the stone walls, but rabbits abounded. It not only looked cold, it was bitterly cold. All we needed to make the perfect Christmas card was a robin perched on a spade.
Archetypal ferreting weather this may be, but we still had the small yet important job of persuading the local rabbits to swap their warm and cosy warrens for the biting wind and snowcovered land of the north.
I wasn’t alone; joining me were Torchie — knitter of nets, designer of the Clayton net harness — Ashley and Jordan. The latter two are keen sportsmen who like to shoot, but love to go ferreting more. They had just travelled hundreds of miles up country to sample a day out on a completely different landscape — and hopefully harvest a good number of rabbits in the process.
Warrens
I like to put on a good day, so for this reason alone I paid a little more attention to my reconnaissance a couple of days earlier. I had walked miles looking at rabbit warrens. I was checking where they were moving to, which warrens were waterlogged and trying to second guess how the weather forecast could affect us. It is one thing if I go out and struggle, but quite another when someone has traveled hundreds of miles and is relying on me to do my homework.
I saw a good number of scuts disappear along an old disused railway line and I instinctively knew this was the perfect place to start. Once we had arrived, we got the kit out. To my left were three men wearing net harnesses, to the right, a collection of Nelson long-nets. I wanted to make an impression, not only on my guests but also on the local rabbit population, so these long-nets would be essential.
Bu hikaye Shooting Times & Country dergisinin January 08, 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Shooting Times & Country dergisinin January 08, 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
United we stand
Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors
Serious matters
An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning
They're not always as easy as they seem
While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort
Debutant gundogs
There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting
When the going gets rough
Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make
A step too far?
Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work
Two bucks before breakfast
A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem
Stalking Diary
Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill
Gamekeeper
Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside