Well clearly you can keep the dogs away from coursing but you can't keep coursing away from the dogs..
We went to a local nature reserve yesterday evening. There are uaually rabbits about but the dogs make half hearted chases and then lose interest. Til yesterday...
They were running around like loons as usual, then suddenly shot off faster than I've ever seen them go. They ran towards where the rabbits usually are - rabbits scattered -but then carried on around a corner of fenced woodland. I knew they'd got something. I ran towards them and sure enough by the time I got there they were standing proud as punch over their first bunny. I wanted to chuck it behind the wire fence but my husband said to leave it. I should have trusted my instincts..
As soon as we let them off lead again 100 yards away, Roscoe shot back and came trotting around the corner carrying his 'prize'. Luckily there were no kids around to give nightmares to.
I must have come a long way since my vegetarian /animal rights student days because although I was a little bit sorry for the bunny I knew they'd done it quickly and some fox would have a nice supper. My worry now is that alongside one edge of this nature reserve is a boundary of barbed wire edging a local farmer's field - I normally keep the dogs well away but seeing them off on the chase I know they now run further and faster and would go straight through it after the rabbits. Looks like that was their last trip off lead to this place
Plenty of other places to catch bunnies though
We went to a local nature reserve yesterday evening. There are uaually rabbits about but the dogs make half hearted chases and then lose interest. Til yesterday...
They were running around like loons as usual, then suddenly shot off faster than I've ever seen them go. They ran towards where the rabbits usually are - rabbits scattered -but then carried on around a corner of fenced woodland. I knew they'd got something. I ran towards them and sure enough by the time I got there they were standing proud as punch over their first bunny. I wanted to chuck it behind the wire fence but my husband said to leave it. I should have trusted my instincts..
As soon as we let them off lead again 100 yards away, Roscoe shot back and came trotting around the corner carrying his 'prize'. Luckily there were no kids around to give nightmares to.
I must have come a long way since my vegetarian /animal rights student days because although I was a little bit sorry for the bunny I knew they'd done it quickly and some fox would have a nice supper. My worry now is that alongside one edge of this nature reserve is a boundary of barbed wire edging a local farmer's field - I normally keep the dogs well away but seeing them off on the chase I know they now run further and faster and would go straight through it after the rabbits. Looks like that was their last trip off lead to this place
Plenty of other places to catch bunnies though
