Foxglove

This bury is almost impossible to purse-net, given that it is blocked with fallen branches, dead elder and a half-buried wire fence, along with some enthusiastic young nettles with plenty of stinging power.

What about the stop-nets? It would be a struggle to get these across such a place, but we will see how the rabbits run, if indeed they run at all.

For rabbits to bolt cleanly, they must have a destination, and the woods are three hundred yards away, as is the next bury. I wager that these rabbits will hop from one hole to another, sneaking under the deadwood and between the nettles.

Once this was a hedge and fence, but now it is a long length of rough ground, pocked with rabbit workings along its entire length, which is the best part of three hundred yards. Yes, shooting is the best way to work this bury.

We start at one end, intending the ferrets to work steadily towards the other, pushing the rabbits before them. My place is on the high side, so that I can see any ferrets that come out, and my colleague with the gun stands on the lower side.

I have brought all the white ferrets because they are the easiest to see in this covering of brash and nettle growth. It is cold, and rather windy, which is another reason I have left the nets at home.

The rabbits do exactly as expected, sliding out of holes, looking around them, not liking what they see, and oozing forwards in semi-concealment. It is important that a rabbit is clear of the bury before shooting, in case a ferret is close behind it.

One coney makes a run for the woods and is rolled over in textbook style: as it falls, another breaks back to the near end of the warren. A puff of dead leaves erupts as a rabbit bursts vertically out of a pop-hole, sees me and goes straight back down again, rigid as a skittle.

It takes the underground across to the far side and bursts out of cover again, this time to be shot. Between us we see rabbits sneaking out and going back down again. We knew when we arranged this trip that it was not going to be easy work.

Behind the rabbits, the ferrets slide out of holes, following scent. They are pleased not to have to negotiate nets, but the nettles sting them. Strange that the soft, slippery coats of the rabbits protect them from nettles but the soft slippery coats of ferrets do not.

Yet another of Nature's marvels, protecting the prey and not the predator. Most rabbits run forwards, but we are counting those that have gone back to the first part of the bury, for it will be worth working the ferrets back that way when we have covered the full length.

Two rabbits reach the woods unscathed, and one is shot right beside a rabbit hole and falls down it, lost to us.

I gather the ferrets, check that their transmitter collars are still working, and start them back towards the cluster of rabbits that have run back to safety at the place where we started.

These rabbits might be working their way along underground, and indeed that is exactly the case, for they start to leave some fifty yards further on.

Two ferrets converge on a rabbit and hold it down the bury, necessitating a short dig. They swarm around my hands as I lift the rabbit out, but I am in no danger of being bitten, for I keep my ferrets very tame and friendly.

A rag at the carcase, and then they are happy to continue their search for stray rabbits. Ferrets really are the most obliging creatures, quite happy to come away from a dead rabbit and go in pursuit of more live ones.

Having worked the bury all the way back to the start, we pick up the ferrets and check them over. We had intended to tackle another similar place, but the ferrets are tired from their hard work underground, and I think they have had enough of nettles too.

So we pack up, stopping to check some more buries on the way back. These have no nettles and only a few fallen trees, and will be ideal for a combination of dog and nets in a few days' time. We have a pile of rabbits to skin, and the happy anticipation.

What about the stop-nets? It would be a struggle to get these across such a place, but we will see how the rabbits run, if indeed they run at all.

For rabbits to bolt cleanly, they must have a destination, and the woods are three hundred yards away, as is the next bury. I wager that these rabbits will hop from one hole to another, sneaking under the deadwood and between the nettles.

Once this was a hedge and fence, but now it is a long length of rough ground, pocked with rabbit workings along its entire length, which is the best part of three hundred yards. Yes, shooting is the best way to work this bury.

We start at one end, intending the ferrets to work steadily towards the other, pushing the rabbits before them. My place is on the high side, so that I can see any ferrets that come out, and my colleague with the gun stands on the lower side.

I have brought all the white ferrets because they are the easiest to see in this covering of brash and nettle growth. It is cold, and rather windy, which is another reason I have left the nets at home.

The rabbits do exactly as expected, sliding out of holes, looking around them, not liking what they see, and oozing forwards in semi-concealment. It is important that a rabbit is clear of the bury before shooting, in case a ferret is close behind it.

One coney makes a run for the woods and is rolled over in textbook style: as it falls, another breaks back to the near end of the warren. A puff of dead leaves erupts as a rabbit bursts vertically out of a pop-hole, sees me and goes straight back down again, rigid as a skittle. It takes the underground across to the far side and bursts out of cover again, this time to be shot. Between us we see rabbits sneaking out and going back down again. We knew when we arranged this trip that it was not going to be easy work

Behind the rabbits, the ferrets slide out of holes, following scent. They are pleased not to have to negotiate nets, but the nettles sting them. Strange that the soft, slippery coats of the rabbits protect them from nettles but the soft slippery coats of ferrets do not.

Yet another of Nature's marvels, protecting the prey and not the predator. Most rabbits run forwards, but we are counting those that have gone back to the first part of the bury, for it will be worth working the ferrets back that way when we have covered the full length. Two rabbits reach the woods unscathed, and one is shot right beside a rabbit hole and falls down it, lost to us.

I gather the ferrets, check that their transmitter collars are still working, and start them back towards the cluster of rabbits that have run back to safety at the place where we started. These rabbits might be working their way along underground, and indeed that is exactly the case, for they start to leave some fifty yards further on.

Two ferrets converge on a rabbit and hold it down the bury, necessitating a short dig. They swarm around my hands as I lift the rabbit out, but I am in no danger of being bitten, for I keep my ferrets very tame and friendly.

A rag at the carcase, and then they are happy to continue their search for stray rabbits. Ferrets really are the most obliging creatures, quite happy to come away from a dead rabbit and go in pursuit of more live ones.

Having worked the bury all the way back to the start, we pick up the ferrets and check them over. We had intended to tackle another similar place, but the ferrets are tired from their hard work underground, and I think they have had enough of nettles too.

So we pack up, stopping to check some more buries on the way back. These have no nettles and only a few fallen trees, and will be ideal for a combination of dog and nets in a few days' time. We have a pile of rabbits to skin, and the happy anticipation of another trip out very soon.

This was first published in the West Sussex Gazette March 19. To read it first buy the West Sussex Gazette every Wednesday.