Rabbits farming/ hunting on Country Tracks

[aman]

Watching Country Tracks (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00m3z94/Country_Tracks_Thetford_Forest/) on the BBC this morning and there was an interesting article about rabbit farming in Britain in the past.

The article starts just after the 11 minute mark.

From about the 15 minute mark it shows how rabbit numbers are controlled today and one of the hunters was wearing a fantastic tartan hunting shirt in forest colour that I thought would be less in your face than camo

Any idea where I can get one of these shirts?

[JonnyP]

Thanks for the heads up.. I will watch that on i player.

[JonnyP]

From about the 15 minute mark it shows how rabbit numbers are controlled today and one of the hunters was wearing a fantastic tartan hunting shirt in forest colour that I thought would be less in your face than camo

Any idea where I can get one of these shirts?

Not a Bison shirt is it..? http://www.bisonbushcraft.co.uk/page27/page27.html

[welshdragon]

I control rabbits with ferrets and hawks i am a falconer dont believe in using guns:) this is thunder ferengrious hawk 49134914 These are the hoods i make

[AL...]

What a beautiful looking bird and the hoods are real cool too.
Welcome along to the fourms and hope to see more posts from you and a couple pf pics of yer ferrets .

Cheers
AL

[paulthefish2009]

Welcome welshdragon,what a lovely bird and that leather works not bad either !! Paul

[welshdragon]

491549164917

these are my other birds

[AL...]

Stunning raptors Dragon

Cheers
AL

[welshdragon]

4918

and here's the ferrets my little babies

[AL...]

They crossed Polecats?
Beautiful beasties . Wish my wife would let me have another couple of new ones !!

Cheers
AL

[Kernowek Scouser]

I wonder if ferrets and hawks could be used to control the aled up, east european our souls, staying in the B&B down the way?

Lovely looking beasties you have there.

I am always surprised that rabbit meat isn't more widely available for none farming/hunting folks to buy easily, as it is ruddy lovely.

Can't get the link to play, but I think it is more to do with the gale force winds battering my little wifi bubble today, than the link being a dud.

[Ben Casey]

Ive just been given a rabbit this morning so just been skinning it it had been shot I didnt have a choice as it was a gift :) But I would love to see some guys using the birds and ferrets it must be cool to see.

[Basha72]

When I was a young un we used to go rabbiting with our whippits loads, they would grab them when caught give it a quick shake then drop it for us to pick up, my old dear used to do all the cleaning of them, we used to got domestic rabbits as well that had got out in the wild, ate that much as a kid am not fussed to rush out and get me one, plus the wife won't eat soft cuddly rabbits lol.

We also had about 10 large hutches with rabbits in so I guess we were kind of farming them, think most of those went to butcher !

We used to have all sorts hanging on the kitchen door, deer, geese, ducks, pheasants not a bad childhood I guess seeing and knowing where the meat came from rather than plastic wrapped meat with no connection to what it is/was. I always tell the kids what the meat they are eating is, the lad is ok with it but the daughter always pulls a face lol


Dave

[jus_young]

Ive just been given a rabbit this morning so just been skinning it it had been shot I didnt have a choice as it was a gift :) But I would love to see some guys using the birds and ferrets it must be cool to see.

It is a truly awesome experience Ben. Nothing quite like seeing a bird of prey in its element. If you ever get the chance to go out with a hawk take the offer, you won't forget the feeling of having that natural power sitting on your hand.

Memories... Do miss my Harris. He was a fantastic looking hawk and I still look up the garden at his old mews. Oh the good old days...

[paulthefish2009]

Bit of rabbit is lovely,quite healthy too,low fat etc. my local butcher does them for about 6 pound each.... Bit checky but welshdragon any chance of comeing up and seeing your birds work? :p

[Ben Casey]

It is a truly awesome experience Ben. Nothing quite like seeing a bird of prey in its element. If you ever get the chance to go out with a hawk take the offer, you won't forget the feeling of having that natural power sitting on your hand.

Memories... Do miss my Harris. He was a fantastic looking hawk and I still look up the garden at his old mews. Oh the good old days...

Im sure I will one day :)

[welshdragon]

Do others think that there should be a season for rabbiting as they do for most game sports i stop ferreting when i run into the first young rabbits ,i do this to stop ferrets killing down as they will find nest no problem eat the young and then go to sleep and not only that wont have any rabbits for next year and it depends on the what the farmers want if they want them all gone then we tend to ferret till the young ones show but the sadly we land up gassing which i dont like

[Martin]

Do others think that there should be a season for rabbiting as they do for most game sports i stop ferreting when i run into the first young rabbits ,i do this to stop ferrets killing down as they will find nest no problem eat the young and then go to sleep and not only that wont have any rabbits for next year and it depends on the what the farmers want if they want them all gone then we tend to ferret till the young ones show but the sadly we land up gassing which i dont like

Rabbits, to the best of my knowledge, breed all year round which is why they are so prolific. You've heard the phrase, 'breeding like rabbits'? Therefore, it is pointless having an off season for rabbits.

Martin

[welshdragon]

contary to rumor rabbits dont in fact breed all year round when it gets cold they stop breeding

[Martin]

So, are you proposing that you only hunt rabbits when it's cold?

Martin

[welshdragon]

i do yes as i said i only hunt them proberbly from end of october to begining march just my prefrence

[Peaks]

Don't think Welshdragon is alone is hunting from autumn to spring for rabbits. Pest control is another matter........

[Bushwhacker]

I agree with Welsdragon on not ferreting in the summer, not for preservation purposes but because it's a pain in the arse. Rabbits will breed all year round, though, if the winter is sufficiently mild.

[AL...]

Aye and there is no worse job than diggin out the ferret because its found young killed them and decided to lay up down there and eat

Cheers
AL

[Bushdoctor]

Hi Guys.
I used to shoot rabbits with a shotgun but it was noisy and damaged the meat to much, now I only use a rifle (air rifle or rimmy) much better for the pot.
If your permision is alive with rabbits you need to shoot them all year round to keep the farmers happy, but if there are not that many like this year then
you need to give them a rest during spring and summer (but dont let on to the farmer). It is important to have respect for your quarry.

Cheers.
Doc.