airgunner106 0 Posted March 2, 2010 Report Share Posted March 2, 2010 Hi everyone. Ive been wanting to go ferreting for a long time now and really want to get all my equipment ready and go. I have started to feed my ferrets rabbit and they eat it great.I was ment to do a clay shooting lesson with my birthday money but all my shoots have been cancled so i was thinking instead use the money to buy the MK3 tracker and collars. But my only concern is that i will put my jill ferret down and she will just start jumping around like she always does and then run off. Everytime i go to pick here up she starts jumping and play biting. Do you guys think she would do this or just be to occupied on going down the warren. Thanks all. Airgunner106 Quote Link to post
Jamie m 668 Posted March 2, 2010 Report Share Posted March 2, 2010 once she gets the sent she wil be sraight down there hopefuly, sounds like you are a worrier , but seasons over for me and no doubt for you the young bunnys have popped out my way in surrey hampshire thats it till mid to end of september , Quote Link to post
Ideation 8,216 Posted March 2, 2010 Report Share Posted March 2, 2010 I know your concerns matey. I have a young Jill that just did her first season and shes a real player, when shes out in my cabin she runs about, jumps at my leg, chatters, gnashes her jaws, bites anything she can (playfully) and generally acts the fool, she does it a lot more than my other ferrets and for a while i thought maybe she had a screw loose. However to date she has NEVER done anything like this when out working, she goes straight down, clears the set and then pops back up and comes to find me. Most ferrets will play like fools when its play time but their natural curiosity will lead them down the hole to explore when they are first introduced to a set. They wander about, having a look see and following the sent, not necessarily hunting but curious. Then they come across their first rabbit which runs full tilt away from them and naturally they chase it and when they get to the mouth of the hole . . . . . strangely enough there is a freshly dead rabbit lying there (netted, dispatched and dropped by the hole by you), give it a shake and a pull and the ferret will usually launch straight at it and have a good bite, claw etc. This is lesson one. Rabbits are good to eat and fun to chase. If you repeat this the ferret will usually get the idea and will go from bolting the rabbit and then coming up to see where it went, whats going on etc to following the bolting rabbit up and then immediately heading back down if they scent another rabbit still at home. Most ferrets in their first season will bolt rabbits that are willing to move and hunt rabbits that are moving about, but are often unwilling or unable to bully out those that dont want to go, such as those stuck in a stop end or tunnel. As they gain experience they learn how to turn rabbits and drive them out . . . . they are now really 'working' the sets. However this also means that they have usually learned to kill a rabbit if they can trap it, so more digs (not always). The best way to enter a young ferret (if you dont have another experienced jill to go down with her) is to find a nice small set in the open (not too much cover so you dont worry about loosing the ferret if she comes up and wanders) where you are pretty sure there are one or two home, either because your terrier has marked, because you have seen them drop in from feeding or just because it looks active as hell (doesnt always mean they are home). This way hopefully she will connect with a rabbit fairly quickly and be able to drive it out without getting the run around, if she does decide to scamper off she cant get lost and if she does stay down you wont have too far to dig. One final thing - as Jamie said above, for most of us the season is ending or has already ended due to the increased rate of breeding brought on by the weather. This is not just because we want more rabbits for next year and have morals but also because it means you are very likely to spend a lot of your time digging holes as your ferret will find nests of kits and kill them, will find young rabbits and kill them or will be unable to shift does who when pregnant can really be unwilling to bolt. Some of us (myself included) have some land where we MUST ferret all year round due to pest control commitments. For example i need to do a lot of ferreting on certain parts of an estate out of shooting season - i.e the summer, and also have a large burial ground which needs constant visits. But entering an untried jill this time of year could be a bit tough, but if you get a locator it shouldnt be that much of a problem (as long as you dont mind digging holes sometimes) and i would be with you wanting to bolt at least a couple before next season. Hope that helps, Jai. Quote Link to post
stubby 175 Posted March 2, 2010 Report Share Posted March 2, 2010 do you have transport?, can you easily get over to essex? we still ferret throughout summer, if you want Ill give you a shout Quote Link to post
airgunner106 0 Posted March 2, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2010 Hi everyone thanks for your replys. JAI thats really helped and i now have no further questions in ferreting. Its just the case of getting out and doing it. And stubby thanks for the offer mate. I would but the only thing is is that im 14 and not sayin your dodgy just gotta be carful now and i would come but have to bring somone with me. Also where aboutsi n essex are you? Airgunner106. Quote Link to post
sh 08 17 Posted March 2, 2010 Report Share Posted March 2, 2010 (edited) This is another reason ive started these courses/ weekends for people like yourself to come and learn how to ferret. good luck in what you decide to do Edited March 2, 2010 by sh 08 Quote Link to post
Ideation 8,216 Posted March 2, 2010 Report Share Posted March 2, 2010 No worries matey - glad to help! I have never met Stubby but from what i hear hes a true legend and a very nice man! atb Jai. Quote Link to post
lurcherlamper 0 Posted March 3, 2010 Report Share Posted March 3, 2010 my jill did exactly this when i entered her, but i just kept at it and had a mk3 excelent piece of kit. just keep taking her out even if blank buries get her used to it and handle her loads its the best way Quote Link to post
The one 8,399 Posted March 3, 2010 Report Share Posted March 3, 2010 The more you get out and work your Jill the more she will settle down it comes with experience Quote Link to post
Richie10 345 Posted March 3, 2010 Report Share Posted March 3, 2010 Hi everyone thanks for your replys. JAI thats really helped and i now have no further questions in ferreting. Its just the case of getting out and doing it. And stubby thanks for the offer mate. I would but the only thing is is that im 14 and not sayin your dodgy just gotta be carful now and i would come but have to bring somone with me. Also where aboutsi n essex are you? Airgunner106. Stubby is only slightly dodgy. I can can vouch for him, he does pest control for a living. You could have come with me at the weekend, will be the last weekend for me. Quote Link to post
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