Cutting Tool

[Ideation 8,217]

Billhook or slasher works for me keeps the brambles and nettles away from your hands.

Dillan

 

Ah bill hook they look just the job

30 miniutes here

 

 

Me too, I clear holes, partner follows laying purse nets down full hedge. Go for a drink a fag and a chat back at vehicle. Go back to first warren done with ferrets quietly. This way this gives chance for bunnies to calm down. Beauty about this is if any slip the nets then theres a good chance of backnetting. I have seen us take a full morning to prepare setting 100+ nets before getting out the ferrets. Cant chance putting in all the effort a week before for poachers to do it after all the hard work done clearing out.

Dillan

The chap who comes with me always says why put the work in for someone else to come along.

 

Only an issue if you share permission. I hate sharing. Funny how rabbits seem or are said to be unhappy to bolt if you cut some nettles above ground, but if you unleash ww3 with the splatter guns above ground they keep bolting like gooduns I know sound does effect, but i think there are more important factors, like if the rabbits have seen a ferret before.

 

 

I'm the only one on my permission , so i am probably a bit spoiled in that the only human the rabbits see are me .

 

I hate having to dig so that's probably why i rest the warrens after the cutting and clearing plus its just habit and the way i was always taught .

Could it be that clearing the area around a warren which is disturbing the ground in its self makes them more wary and less likely to bolt as they maybe have a natural fear of digging mammals i.e foxes badgers

Maybe shooting doesn't cause the same fear

I dont use a shotgun when ferreting , in fact can't remember the last time the .410 came out the cabinet , might have to give it some use this season and see if it makes a difference

 

Same i very rarely share land. . . . it does my head in, other people annoy me and tend to manage to f**k something up at some point.

 

The only person they see? What kind of land is it?

 

I think you are right, its the sneaking and scurrying that alerts them rather than just noise . . . I've driven a truck over a warren then bolted rabbits from it. . . . . However following on that logic, the ferret going in following that dodgy scurrying, at the hole mouths which may sound like a predator, should make them more likely to bolt. They hear a predator above ground . . . . then it comes down into the warren . . . . would make sense to vacate would it not? I have a feeling that rabbits get to know ferreting. They know whats lurking above.

 

I love ferreting to shotgun. . . .. . i havnt in AGES, but took the .410 out today and bowled over a half dozen, its great fast sport and when your a good enough shot can be very productive, when i was younger me and my dad used to take 2 shotguns and 2 albino jills, drop the jills one end of the hedge and they would work along it, clearing warrens as they went and then coming up and working along the hedge to the next warren . . .. .entering, clearing it and then along the hedge to the next. Wouldnt touch the ferrets till you ran out of hedge. . . . . they would just keep working on and on and we would follow them either side of the hedge, shooting what came out across the fields. You can cover ground very well and we used to have some really big bags. One of my best memories is shooting over 3 or 4 ferrets working a bit spoil/rubbish pit, huge old thing full of all kinds of junk and shit, rabbits were flying up the sides and over the top in all directions, christ knows how many we shot. One thing tho . . . you have to trust yourself and your partner . . . . . no shooting livestock, ferrets, dogs or each other.

 

atb

 

Jai.

[catchwrestler 31]

A lot of the land of which im talking is open pastures , which occasionally house the odd sheep so they have little human awerness .

 

Some interesting points you've raised in regard to how they interpret a threat

 

Also now they seem to be breeding later and later is this causing a reluctance to bolt ?

 

.410 is definatly coming out the cabinet though this thread has got me thinking

 

A.T.B

 

Catch

[Leeview 792]

. . . . I have a feeling that rabbits get to know ferreting.....

How many ferrets do you reckon a rabbit gets to see in its life time? IMO a lucky rabbit might encounter a ferret twice and if it meets any more than that someone above grounds not doing something right

Y.I.S Leeview

[Ideation 8,217]

. . . . I have a feeling that rabbits get to know ferreting.....

How many ferrets do you reckon a rabbit gets to see in its life time? IMO a lucky rabbit might encounter a ferret twice and if it meets any more than that someone above grounds not doing something right

Y.I.S Leeview

 

Yes your right, i was tired last night. . . . . . . it doesnt make sense for a rabbit to have seen a ferret more than once or twice. The mystery continues . . . . . .

[seany 54]

Seany used his power of persuasion and "aquired" a mechete.

thanks for the input guys!

ATB Seany

[para1 11]

30 miniutes here

 

 

Me too, I clear holes, partner follows laying purse nets down full hedge. Go for a drink a fag and a chat back at vehicle. Go back to first warren done with ferrets quietly. This way this gives chance for bunnies to calm down. Beauty about this is if any slip the nets then theres a good chance of backnetting. I have seen us take a full morning to prepare setting 100+ nets before getting out the ferrets. Cant chance putting in all the effort a week before for poachers to do it after all the hard work done clearing out.

Dillan

Thats what I do mate.Some say you shouldn't put a ferret in after a rabbit that has bolted to another burry,I do it all the time,if it has bolted once it will bolt again even if the dog has been close on his tail.I use a slasher and bill hook.If you clear the area properly you can ferret it 2or3 times that season

[The one 8,577]

Same here if we loose one i will go back after it even to a burrow we have just done and relay the nets and go for it ,even if it means digging it out .I wont leave rabbits behind us

[Leeview 792]

Ever thought of throwing a spade full of earth down the holes before you leave? Lets the landowner see where you been prevents rabbits getting straight back in, handy if the dogs behind it and you can see when the rabbits are back in reusing the warren for later in the season and finally not all the holes will be reopened making it easier to net up next time(fewer holes)

Y.I.S Leeview

[The one 8,577]

I get enough digging for the ferrets mate if i was to fill in the holes as i went i'd need a mini digger .One farmer told me he was going to spray some fields then plough them but changed his mind because of the amount of rabbit burrows

[Leeview 792]

do it as you go along picking the nets up saves time re netting 30-40 holer a rabbits just gone back in

Y.I.S Leeview

[para1 11]

do it as you go along picking the nets up saves time re netting 30-40 holer a rabbits just gone back in

Y.I.S Leeview

 

Most of the places I do mate there are 100/200 holes.A very good idea for up to 10 if you want to play with a spade.P1

[Leeview 792]

only talking about turning a spade full over in each hole not a 3ft dig in each

Y.I.S Leeview

[seany 54]

Ever thought of throwing a spade full of earth down the holes before you leave? Lets the landowner see where you been prevents rabbits getting straight back in, handy if the dogs behind it and you can see when the rabbits are back in reusing the warren for later in the season and finally not all the holes will be reopened making it easier to net up next time(fewer holes)

Y.I.S Leeview

That soounds like a good idea LeeVeiw!You can see if there going back in then

[seany 54]

Also is a bill hook what the hedge layers use?

[The one 8,577]

This place im at the now is all sand big deep burrows and bolt holes in sand mate im using six ferrets to shift them .If you put a spadefull of sand in the burrow it just trickles in you would be ten minutes filling every burrow . Once the cover dies down im going to run long nets round as well as purse nets to pick up any i miss

 

But just like i was saying to the farmer i aint going to cut round the burrow or strim it or fill them in as i only want the rabbits