Hobs a lazy git!!

[j1985 1,984]

My hob is on his 2nd season and to be honest was pretty shit last year, this year he has lost all interest. If I put him down he'll just turn around and come back out, iv made sure he's fed and hydrated before hand but still doesn't want to do a thing. Is there a way of bringing them on or is he a lost cause ?

 

 

[sikastag_1 689]

Have you been taking a dig to mark the holes mate?

[Rake aboot 4,936]

Get him snipped and make him work his debt off with sex!!!

[BenjaminCadd 109]

Useless im affraid some peolpe think all ferrets are the same but they are not some are just lazy and pull your nets about, i tried to improve one by starving him the day before he went to see if it would help and still no improvment! Genraly Gills are far better workers but you cant beat a good old Big hob that drags the rabbit out!

[The one 8,598]

Not all ferrets make the grade mate ,the question is how many chances do you want to give him?.

[Ideation 8,217]

You sure there are rabbits down there. My ferrets all refuse to enter if there is nowt at home.

[watchman 256]

You sure there are rabbits down there. My ferrets all refuse to enter if there is nowt at home.

do ferrets really have the capability of knowing there is nothing at home just from turning round in the hole and coming straight out,not saying your wrong genuine question,i know they got superb senses etc but iv often wondered about this

[Ideation 8,217]

You sure there are rabbits down there. My ferrets all refuse to enter if there is nowt at home.

do ferrets really have the capability of knowing there is nothing at home just from turning round in the hole and coming straight out,not saying your wrong genuine question,i know they got superb senses etc but iv often wondered about this

 

I would say that a decent ferret does. It's a bit hard to test now as with the dog marking, the ferrets very rarely see a warren with nothing in it. But if one of the ferrets bolts a rabbit (or more) and comes out after it, and refuses to re-enter, you can bet that there is nowt more in there. And the dog always confirms that.

 

I have let the jills have a scamper about the woods when i'm netting down and watched them have a sniff at various holes that the dog has ignored, and 100% of the time, they take a lungful stood in the entrance and then move on.

 

I have also seen them travel a fair distance to rabbits hung in a tree. And follow the scent line of a rabbit that has skipped the net and run off across a field. And i also dropped a ferret on the ground accidently a while ago and she shot off across the wood floor before diving into a set and bolting a rabbit before i could catch up with her, she made a straight line as fast as she could for the set.

 

Another funny thing is mine will often come up and travel above ground to get to a hole they think is closer to a bunny and drop in on top of them.

 

Funny things ferrets, but i trust them when it comes to that kind of stuff.

[watchman 256]

interesting stuff,iv often watched them follow a line but presumed they just walking the run usualy used by the rabbit kind of a natural highway so to speak as you say a good dog is the key to prevent time wasting,think we all netted up holes over the years,without a decent marking dog on hand, that look well used only to find nothing at home

[Ideation 8,217]

interesting stuff,iv often watched them follow a line but presumed they just walking the run usualy used by the rabbit kind of a natural highway so to speak as you say a good dog is the key to prevent time wasting,think we all netted up holes over the years,without a decent marking dog on hand, that look well used only to find nothing at home

 

It's funny mate, i've watched one of my jills cross a field like a beagle on the scent of a rabbbit that was missed and ran off, funny little creatures.

 

Also seen one try to climb a tree for the rabbits hung in it.

 

Aye mate, around here you could not ferret without a dog, it would do your head in, plenty of holes, but many of them well used but empty, with the rabbits lying up above ground. You need the dog to push them under and find them to ground. Wouldnt go out without one now to be honest.

 

When i was a kid (and not allowed to borrow the old mans dogs) i used to use a ferret to mark though, hold it in the mouth of the hole and if it was struggling like mad to get down i would net up. Worked fairly well!

[watchman 256]

interesting stuff,iv often watched them follow a line but presumed they just walking the run usualy used by the rabbit kind of a natural highway so to speak as you say a good dog is the key to prevent time wasting,think we all netted up holes over the years,without a decent marking dog on hand, that look well used only to find nothing at home

 

It's funny mate, i've watched one of my jills cross a field like a beagle on the scent of a rabbbit that was missed and ran off, funny little creatures.

 

Also seen one try to climb a tree for the rabbits hung in it.

 

Aye mate, around here you could not ferret without a dog, it would do your head in, plenty of holes, but many of them well used but empty, with the rabbits lying up above ground. You need the dog to push them under and find them to ground. Wouldnt go out without one now to be honest.

 

When i was a kid (and not allowed to borrow the old mans dogs) i used to use a ferret to mark though, hold it in the mouth of the hole and if it was struggling like mad to get down i would net up. Worked fairly well!

clever little sod wasnt you :laugh:

[sikastag_1 689]

Ofcoure ferrets know mate how do you think they find rabbits?iv had ferrets that wouldn't go down a hole if there wasn't anything in, so are you using a dog mate? Could the holes be empty?

[j1985 1,984]

My Jill is a great worker and if there's nothing left down there she'll come out and wander off..sometimes back to her box!! I have a double box and my kits to young to take out so untill she is he will come along and I'll see if he gets any better. But if not his balls are off and he'll be a sex slave lol

 

Cheers for the replies!

[Ideation 8,217]

interesting stuff,iv often watched them follow a line but presumed they just walking the run usualy used by the rabbit kind of a natural highway so to speak as you say a good dog is the key to prevent time wasting,think we all netted up holes over the years,without a decent marking dog on hand, that look well used only to find nothing at home

 

It's funny mate, i've watched one of my jills cross a field like a beagle on the scent of a rabbbit that was missed and ran off, funny little creatures.

 

Also seen one try to climb a tree for the rabbits hung in it.

 

Aye mate, around here you could not ferret without a dog, it would do your head in, plenty of holes, but many of them well used but empty, with the rabbits lying up above ground. You need the dog to push them under and find them to ground. Wouldnt go out without one now to be honest.

 

When i was a kid (and not allowed to borrow the old mans dogs) i used to use a ferret to mark though, hold it in the mouth of the hole and if it was struggling like mad to get down i would net up. Worked fairly well!

clever little sod wasnt you :laugh:

 

 

Necessity is the mother of all invention apparently

[j1985 1,984]

Oh and for those that asked if I use a dog to mark, I do use one of my russells but haven't taken her this season so far as Iv been taking my pup out instead. But I may bring her, have to watch her though as if she can go down a hole she will which is a pain.