Confusing one....

[rob190364 2,594]

OK, this is probably going to be quite a long thread so bare with me....

 

Both of my ferrets are rescue ferrets so I'm not sure of their backgrounds. Both were found in woodland so presumabley lost at work (but not necessarily).

 

My jill is fine, she works fine....her only flaw is she's a bit overly aggressive in some ways but it's something I can easily live with because she doesn't bite me.....whether she would be classed as a brilliant worker or not I don't know, but she's the best one I've ever had and she'll work hard for long sessions and bolts rabbits so she's fine by me.

 

Now we come to my hob. When I first started him ferreting a couple of years ago I'd already had him for a year so the first few trips with him were testing the water. At the time I was using 4oz purse nets and didn't have a dog to mark so spent a hell of a lot of time netting up borrows and trying not to tangle nets, only to put the ferret in and find him popping out at the next hole along and not going back in, or getting tangled in the nets (god 4oz nets are shit!). If I took him ferreting after having a few weeks away he would sometimes start dicking about in the hole entrances, playing around and generally getting on my wick. Now, I know the place we were going that year has a lot of empty warrens, so our not so successful sessions were just put down to one of the disadvantages of not having a dog to mark.

 

On to last season. Last season I didn't get that much ferreting done. I just got my pup at the end of August so spent most of my spare time training her, socialising her, stockbreaking her, introducing her to as much stuff as possible. On top of that my mastiff had kidney failure in November and eventually died so I spent 24 hours of the day nursing him til he died and then wasn't in the mood for very much for a few weeks after that, and then we had a baby at the end of December so spare time didn't exist after that.....so ferreting sessions were few and far between. On the occassions when I did go my jill was as good as usual, and my hob was a bit hit and miss, wasn't particularly bad but certainly not anything better than average most of the time......apart from the once, this one session a rabbit was giving my jill the run around in a warren on an embankment, so I stuck my hob in aswell and he was like a rocket, he caught and killed the rabbit and had to be dug out, on that day we did a few warrens and he was the star, he bolted loads and never stopped!

 

This season I've been doing a fair bit of wandering with my jill in rucksack but today I decided to take my hob onto my new permission to give him a run out and to get his fitness up before we get going properly.

 

First warren, dog indicates that there's definitely something in the area. Half of the entrances are on the outside of a large bush and the other half are actually inside the bush. I cut back a bit of the bush and net all the entrances I can and leave a couple of entrances that are inside the bush open due to the fact they're virtually inaccessible. I go to enter the hob and the fecker won't even go down the hole, just has a look in and then comes back out....there's fresh droppings around the hole and the dog's definitely showing an interest, so I try him on an entrance on the opposite side of the warren, reluctant to go in and then goes in and straight out of the hole next to it. One more try and he still won't go in......wierd one, I think maybe the dog has picked up the scent of one that's in the bush rather than the warren.....so we move on.

 

Second warren, in the middle of a hedge row right in the centre of the field. Already been cleared some time previously and with it being in the middle of the field I didn't bother with the nets thinking it's an ideal opportunity for the dog to get some running in. Down goes the hob, but he won't go in yet again, just ran through the bushes along the hedge itself, ignoring two entrances. I went to get him and he did it again. So I'm now thinking that maybe there was nothing in this warren either and the rabbits were in the hedge rather than the warren.....so we move on again.

 

Perfect chance, a small patch of brambles against a wall in the middle of a field. Dog showing a lot of interest in the brambles, there's definitely something in there and there's a couple of runs on either side of the patch. Out with the hob, I put him at the entrance to the brambles and he is not even remotely interested, quite the opposite, I put him down and he's straight back directly to me....................at this point I honestly felt like drop kicking him out of the field, I was feckin fuming (mainly at myself for leaving the jill at home!). I decided to call it a day before I really lost my rag.

 

Now for my questions, if I give the ferts a rabbit carcass he literally rips it out of my hand and is launching it all over the hutch before eating it, so if he's like that why would he not be interested in rabbit scent? Or could the rabbits have been in the adjacent bushes and he was going for the freshest scent rather than a burrow that didn't have a rabbit in?.........and maybe in the brambles there was a fox rather than a rabbit and that's why he wouldn't go in? (there were four young foxes near that area when I was lamping last night), or maybe my hob is just a useless waste of space when it comes to working? What do your ferrets do if you put them at the entrance to an empty warren? do they go in anyway or just come straight back out again?

 

Next time I go out I'm going to take both of them, I'm going to enter the hob first and if he fecks about or won't go in, I'll enter the jill and if she bolts something then at least I know he's useless so I won't waste my time any more. If there are rabbits down there, and he's not going in, I can honestly say it's the first time in my life I've seen a ferret not want to go down a burrow that has rabbits in it. I must admit, it's got me stumped. In my experience, even ferrets that aren't particularly good workers still go into warrens just because of their curious nature more than anything, and even if they're not actively chasing rabbits their presence alone gets a few bolting, this episode today was spectacularly, embarrassingly bad! If he's average I'll just work him daily until he gets into the swing of things and starts doing the business, but today he gave me nothing to work on at all.

 

NOT A GOOD DAY! experienced ferreters.....your thoughts would be appreciated!

[Ideation 8,217]

Only thing you can do is when you get a mark with the dog, try the hob and if he don't go in try the jill, as you said, that way you will know.

 

But if there is nowt in, my ferrets will go down a tiny way, turn and come out, you can't make them go down for love nor money.

 

At best, if it's fresh scent they might run through and straight out, but that's not that likely.

 

Out of interest how was the dog marking, just at the hole / set in general or head down a hole, pulling lungs of air in?

 

Sometimes ferrets do take a little bit to get back into it, but usually don't take long, especially if rabbit fed.

[rob190364 2,594]

Only thing you can do is when you get a mark with the dog, try the hob and if he don't go in try the jill, as you said, that way you will know.

 

But if there is nowt in, my ferrets will go down a tiny way, turn and come out, you can't make them go down for love nor money.

 

At best, if it's fresh scent they might run through and straight out, but that's not that likely.

 

Out of interest how was the dog marking, just at the hole / set in general or head down a hole, pulling lungs of air in?

 

Sometimes ferrets do take a little bit to get back into it, but usually don't take long, especially if rabbit fed.

Ah, a glimmer of hope then....because I did only try two sets there's a good chance they could have been empty. The dog was marking the area rather than head down hole etc. The thing about the second set that makes me reluctant to write him off altogether, was the fact that when I put him down he ran through the hedge all the way along. He ain't an energetic ferret, and is clingy, so to run off like that was a bit wierd. I'm hoping he was following a scent through the hedge.

 

What I'm tempted to do is to get up early, let the dog chase the rabbits so I can see which warrens they go in, and then enter him. That way it'll be fresh scent and there definitely will be something down there. He's not been rabbit fed all summer, this last week is the first time he's been eating rabbits since early in the year. So I guess he could take some time to start off properly then.

 

Cheers Jai, you've given me something to think about and something to work on. Honestly, today I was so pissed off I felt like leaving him out there and that's not like me at all.

[darbo 4,779]

if the dog marks put in the jill and put the hob in behind her see if he follows her on. not all ferrets work .i have owned one i couldnt get it to work for love nor money. give it time and keep trying. good luck. i dont mean this to sound rude but are you confident with the dogs marking

[tubba 38]

Thats the best thing to do Rob,find out where they are running back to then net up you will no urself if there is any home. After reading that huge post it sounds to me like he was working if he is a clingy ferret and he was running through the hedge its obviosly out of character for hm.i've got a hob that won't even enter if there is nothing home don't ask me how he knows but he doe's. Iv'e learnt to trust in the dogs and the ferrets if they don't show an interest i don't even bother netting up. It took me some time to realise it but iv'e had better results since learning to do so. Atb mate Dan

[Ideation 8,217]

At this time of year the rabbits seem reluctant to go to ground and often we start thinking there is something in a set where the dogs start showing interest in a hedge or cover patch with a set in it, but then the dogs will not mark any actual hole, and it can only be assumed that the bunny has either recently left, run over the top of the set or been holding in the cover recently. That's why we always look for the head down the hole, big sniff, kind of mark. It's easy at this time of year to wish a rabbit down there, and interpret a vague interest as a mark. haha.

 

Having said that sometimes my ferrets won't go down a hole, get up and run across the set and dive down a hole which they think is a better route to the bunny below.

 

The sense of smell they have is amazing, mine can find a recently gutted rabbit a good few yards away. Quite feasible he was working the line up the hedge.

[rob190364 2,594]

if the dog marks put in the jill and put the hob in behind her see if he follows her on. not all ferrets work .i have owned one i couldnt get it to work for love nor money. give it time and keep trying. good luck. i dont mean this to sound rude but are you confident with the dogs marking

well it's the dogs first season, so it'd be hard for me to say I could put every ounce of confidence in her marking. And with these sets today there was so much undergrowth around them it wasn't a clear mark on the sets, not by any stretch. I'm beginning to think I might have been a bit too hasty with giving up on him today!

[simonrocco 175]

thats what i would do to pal chase a few rabbits in to some holes then enter the hob and you'll find out if he's any good or not good luck with him hope he comes right for you atb

[rob190364 2,594]

Thats the best thing to do Rob,find out where they are running back to then net up you will no urself if there is any home. After reading that huge post it sounds to me like he was working if he is a clingy ferret and he was running through the hedge its obviosly out of character for hm.i've got a hob that won't even enter if there is nothing home don't ask me how he knows but he doe's. Iv'e learnt to trust in the dogs and the ferrets if they don't show an interest i don't even bother netting up. It took me some time to realise it but iv'e had better results since learning to do so. Atb mate Dan

Cheers bud, I'll give him a go to see what happens...........starting to feel a bit stupid now!

[rob190364 2,594]

At this time of year the rabbits seem reluctant to go to ground and often we start thinking there is something in a set where the dogs start showing interest in a hedge or cover patch with a set in it, but then the dogs will not mark any actual hole, and it can only be assumed that the bunny has either recently left, run over the top of the set or been holding in the cover recently. That's why we always look for the head down the hole, big sniff, kind of mark. It's easy at this time of year to wish a rabbit down there, and interpret a vague interest as a mark. haha.

 

Having said that sometimes my ferrets won't go down a hole, get up and run across the set and dive down a hole which they think is a better route to the bunny below.

 

The sense of smell they have is amazing, mine can find a recently gutted rabbit a good few yards away. Quite feasible he was working the line up the hedge.

In hindsight, I honestly think that's what I've done! what a friggin numpty, might go and give my hob an egg!

[rob190364 2,594]

thats what i would do to pal chase a few rabbits in to some holes then enter the hob and you'll find out if he's any good or not good luck with him hope he comes right for you atb

Cheers pal, you should have seen me trudging back to the car. Last think I wanted was failing ferrets on my dogs first season!

[tubba 38]

Don't mate weve all been there at some point. Hope Tillys doin ok keep at it mate.

[simonrocco 175]

thats what i would do to pal chase a few rabbits in to some holes then enter the hob and you'll find out if he's any good or not good luck with him hope he comes right for you atb

Cheers pal, you should have seen me trudging back to the car. Last think I wanted was failing ferrets on my dogs first season!

it happens to us all sometimes pal just remember to take the jill next time just in case atb

[Ideation 8,217]

At this time of year the rabbits seem reluctant to go to ground and often we start thinking there is something in a set where the dogs start showing interest in a hedge or cover patch with a set in it, but then the dogs will not mark any actual hole, and it can only be assumed that the bunny has either recently left, run over the top of the set or been holding in the cover recently. That's why we always look for the head down the hole, big sniff, kind of mark. It's easy at this time of year to wish a rabbit down there, and interpret a vague interest as a mark. haha.

 

Having said that sometimes my ferrets won't go down a hole, get up and run across the set and dive down a hole which they think is a better route to the bunny below.

 

The sense of smell they have is amazing, mine can find a recently gutted rabbit a good few yards away. Quite feasible he was working the line up the hedge.

In hindsight, I honestly think that's what I've done! what a friggin numpty, might go and give my hob an egg!

 

Don't be too harsh on yourself matey, this time of year it happens a lot, and also happens for the first half an hour of any day with us, willing a rabbit down there, and if the dogs give a bit of interest, dragging them back and trying to get a mark, while they look at you as if to say 'fucks sake mate, you know what a mark looks like, give it a rest you desperate b*****d'.

 

My old man always says, trust your animals, they know better than you.

[rob190364 2,594]

Don't mate weve all been there at some point. Hope Tillys doin ok keep at it mate.

Yeah she's exceeding expectations at the moment pal, high prey drive, good brain and very obedient....she seems to know what I want her to do, follows hand signals, walks to heel if I tell her to, and I only have to whisper go and she's off like a train. And if she's walking to heel and we see a rabbit running near a hedge and I tell her to wait, she does. But if I don't tell her to walk to heel she'll hunt up well. Perfect with cows and sheep, even cycling through a field of sheep that are running she'll stick by my side. Honestly, if you saw it you'd think I was a brilliant trainer of working dogs, but hand on heart it has been a piece of piss, most of what she does she picked up straight away with not much effort from me at all....she just seems to have it in her. Very early in the season but I'm buzzin already, well happy with her! If my ferret problem really isn't a problem, and I get myself a keen little bushing terrier, I'll have the perfect little team for what I want.