Sean
26-02-2006, 01:22 PM
Got a call from a friend on friday night asking if i wanted a hunt the next morning, so offcourse i said yes lol. got up and it was windy as hell! weighed rolf and he was 1lb 5.8 oz boxed him up and off we went in the car. we decided to go to a farm that he knew had a bit of good woodland. arrived around 11 am and headed out. furst set was in the open.first rabbit bolted both birds went after it but they just couldnt get to terms with it in the wind. second rabbit bolted straight into the ferret box lol, but then headed back down a hole. third bolted cleanly upwind with my mates bird up its arse the whole flight, but didnt catch it, was some flight though. ended up having to dig that rabbit out that hit the box. so it started at hawks 0 ferrets 1 lol.next set we done we were only abotu 100 yards from a wood so there was only a little wind, mate stood on a wall and i put rolf in a pine tree. rabbit bolted almost under my mate and his bird hit it but didnt hold, then i started to run thinking rolf may get it, when i got there both birds where on it, rolf had it by the head and my mates bird had it in the back. we dunnno whos rabbit it was, but i think it was rolfs lol. also no noise out of the rabbit, so thats another reason i think he got it first, as it was a headshot. mate missed teh end of the flight as he stepped of the wall forgetting about the drop lol. next set was a steep bank 100 yards away from the last set, rabbit bolts left and rolf is after it, then it turns to try and go up the bank, rolf goes down teh bank after it and i run to see, last thing i seen was rolf almost lifting it by its back legs lol. rabbit got off but surprisly rolf managed to get back on terms with it and had it by the arse, a second or two of arsing about and it got off again, made its way up the hill and rolf landed in a tree above the set it went in. while i was walking up I heard my mates birds bells, and she caught a rabbit that bolted from the set and had it right at the corver of a gate, good anchor too lol. got rolf back and we hid the 3 rabbits on the lane. made our way to a hedgrow where it wasnt to windy but all the sets were empty, then tried a forest that had never been done before, btu no flemming sets in it. so wasted about an hour at this and then headed back to the first forest. there was a wee mound with a nice set in it, so we put the ferret in and i hid well into a tree, rabbit bolted behind the flemming tree right behind us in the open, and i missed it, mates bird seen it and gave chase, while rolf way behind lol. first biord crashed hard into cover but no rabbit. we then went into the woods and tried a nice ground set. rabbit came out of the hole and walked about 3 miles an hour! both birds waited a second before giving chase(think we were all confused lol), then the rabbit sureley sped up and made a lucky escape. then we had to dig a rabbit and ferret out and moved on. let rolf do a bit of following on in the wood, as he doesnt really get to hunt any forests, he loved it though lol. then we put the ferret box down and got the ferret out, rolf positioned himself perfectly. after a few minutes a rabbit bolted and both birds after it, i was well hidden and missed the end of the flight, but i heard 'quick rolfs got it' when i got there my mates bird was on it and rolf was a foot of it, then he quicly pounced on it. dunno if he was bullied of it or not? but between this rbqabit and the one earlier, ill count that as rabbit number 19 :lol: the way the birds had the rabbit, it wasnt a very good pick up and i walked about a hundred yards and then fed rolf the rabbit, which he must have thought i just gave him it nothing? but i spose i had to get out of sight from my mates bird. while i was feeding rolf up a heard a rabbit squel and 10 minutes later my mate came round , he had another. so both birds got fed up and due to the forecast where fed up completly, which i pleased now, cos its a shity day lol. so all in all it was a very good days hunting, especially with the weather against us. and both birds are really working together now, no fighting whatsoever today, both on good form. and to make the day even better, we finnished at about half 3 so driving home we went rabbit spotting. and seen a cat stalking about half a dozen young rabbits, we pulled into the next house, showed teh guy the birds and he says we are more than welcome to hunt there next season :D
below is a few pics of the catch, blanked out my mates face as i dunno if he wants to show it lol. i should really try get some pics of the birds flying and things, but im to busy hunting lol
below is a few pics of the catch, blanked out my mates face as i dunno if he wants to show it lol. i should really try get some pics of the birds flying and things, but im to busy hunting lol