Ferreting

[Beastmaster1980 40]

I have 2 jills that i bred myself, sisters both excellent workers but both work in totally different styles. One will nearly always get a rabbit to bolt unless in a stopend, the other will always try & kill as soon as it finds it's rabbit & waits to be dug, they have both accounted for

plenty if rabbits. I was just wondering if anyone else has experienced this with ferrets, suppose it's like terriers some are hard & stay until dug while others will stand off & bay until they move there quarry. It can be a pain digging to a ferret but I an always guaranteed a rabbit, do people value this kind if ferret & would u breed from it?

[Argyll 1]

I have 2 jills that i bred myself

 

Is that not illegal mate :tongue2:

[diggermad 154]

you wont get a decent answer mate better off asking in the day when theres no idiots about ATB DM

[Argyll 1]

Where's your sense of humour

[darbo 4,779]

i ave owned some good little bolters. also a few that i was digging to regular. 1 jill in particular. she could bolt them fine but always had to be dug to also. if i dig to a ferret my own choice is that i like a ferret to stay with its kill so i can locate it and the rabbit. i value both types.you cant guarantee what ferrets are going to turn out like.1 litter i bred some made good bolters some seemed the type to be dug to regular. these were all jills given to a few people i know.in shallow burrows i dont mind. if it is a known deep place for my area. the jill mentioned would not be used. ps then it would be sods lawand the normally decent bolting jill would kill in and i would have a dig on.

[Country Joe 1,411]

I have two of this years ferrets, and both are working really well, Brother and sister, im just needing the hob to kill a non bolter and stay, as at present he shifts about, making it difficult to get a mark on the locator, but no worries, as this will come.

ive had hobs in the past, which would go straight to a non bolter, and not move till the rabbit was dead, making it easy for a dig, although some who dont like digging would prefer the fert to come straight out.

[Beastmaster1980 40]

Thanks for the replies, I don't mind digging at all, I think the deepest I've dug to a ferret is 4 foot so easy work really & this particular Jill always stays put with her rabbit, she seems to lock on & have had rabbits bolt with her still attached & she still doesn't let go! The other Jill is very clever & will work every hole until it's cleared, she is 3 & has never killed yet, if she does get one in a stopend she will just scratch away until she's lifted out. I enjoy both their styles & am always guaranteed good sport when I take them out. Also the one I dig to regular will follow me round the garden where as the bolter will go off on it's own up to mischief, just shows how different their personalities can be even from the same litter & that not all ferrets work the same as some people think, it's not just putting a ferret down a hole there is a lot more to consider when you know how your ferrets behave. Cheers, Rich