Need advice on using dogs to 'mark' holes for ferreting

[dave4178 5]

I use a Staffordshire bull he has never let me down always rabbits at home plus he will also Mark foxs

Edited too say will try too get a pic up

 

nice to see a stafford being used for something constructive today

this loving breed needs a new purpose in life.

after read this i may try 1 of mine instead of looking at getting 1 of the usual breeds.

 

thanks

 

 

You just have to watch him he can get a bit nippy with the ferrets but will warn you pal they get like bombs onces there on something there on it till the end make good bulldoozers too never mind go round it go though it

I take my 2 staffs with me when I go ferreting, they both mark well. They will chase any bolters, and 75% of the time they will catch them. They love it.

[whippet08 8]

Yea my dogs both mark, my bedlington x whippet marks head down burrow with a little scratch at the hole,but my collie grey whip is harder to read after sniffing the holes quietly shel stand above warren and just set her ears back slightly thats it,as said before you have to learn your dogs signs,i diddnt quite clock her marks untill a few trips out, they can be very subtle

But there both always been right

 

[whin 463]

never heard so much cods wolop marking holes etc ,never showed a dog a fresh hiole by the time they are 12 months they no what game is as they have been ferreting with older dogs and no what scent is they see dead rabbits etc eat a few , cooked etc minced , retreive dead rabbit skin dummies , so what do they hunt rabbits , if you by of peroper working lurcher to lurcher its in them , had asix month iold pup out nevr seen game in her life but by the end of the day she knew therer wa something on that was intrestin , end of ,another way to do it is put rabbit skin dumies in pipe holes let them smell it they soon learn what to do , and try to get at hole ,and dummy ,

[Ideation 8,216]

Can't think of a book that gives more info. I could write a lot more maybe, but i think it would bore people! It's a must here, you couldnt ferret without a dog.

 

I rarely do it but i'm going to have to disagree with KR - i would never give a dog too much or any encouragement for marking holes, as this really can lead to false marks. Also i like having a tyke (usually russel bred) in the team, it makes marking in tight / thick hedges easier, and covering holes in the same kind of hedges, much less of a headache. Also last time ferreting the russel caught a bolter inside the hedge, that came out of an unetted hole.

how dare you lol I did make the point I would only give praise if I had actualy seen a bunny enter the warren/hole, also I agree a wee terrier type would be handy as part of a team but Trev was talking about twisting the wifes arm to get what would be his first dog for ferreting hence i recommended a beddy type which would be more suitable than a russel, I,m no arguing with you anyway, I noticed in you,re other thread you,re much bigger than me

 

[Ideation 8,216]

never heard so much cods wolop marking holes etc ,never showed a dog a fresh hiole by the time they are 12 months they no what game is as they have been ferreting with older dogs and no what scent is they see dead rabbits etc eat a few , cooked etc minced , retreive dead rabbit skin dummies , so what do they hunt rabbits , if you by of peroper working lurcher to lurcher its in them , had asix month iold pup out nevr seen game in her life but by the end of the day she knew therer wa something on that was intrestin , end of ,another way to do it is put rabbit skin dumies in pipe holes let them smell it they soon learn what to do , and try to get at hole ,and dummy ,

 

Done the same with a dead rabbiot just out of reach down a hole.

[Country Joe 1,411]

Everyone to their own methods, ive had some good marking dogs over the years, never needed to stick dead rabbits or skins down holes, the only thing i put down a hole is a Fert.

i take my pups out at six months, they watch the Ferrets going down they hear the rumble, and see them hitting the net.

They also chase them to the bury and see them going to ground, at some point the penny will drop, and they will start to mark.

[darbo 4,774]

just plenty of exposure is needed some pups pick it up quicker than others.this terrier i have was marking within weeks of having its final jabs.just put the time and effort in and you will be rewarded. best of luck to everyone with there ferreting/marking dogs regardless of breed or type.

[The one 8,398]

Never stuck a rabbit or a skin anywhere get them out as soon as your happy there old enough and keep taking them out .If there bright at all they will soon pick it up

[Ideation 8,216]

Everyone to their own methods, ive had some good marking dogs over the years, never needed to stick dead rabbits or skins down holes, the only thing i put down a hole is a Fert.

i take my pups out at six months, they watch the Ferrets going down they hear the rumble, and see them hitting the net.

They also chase them to the bury and see them going to ground, at some point the penny will drop, and they will start to mark.

 

Aye, but i quite like the penny to drop as soon as possible, and there's nowt wrong with giving nature a helping hand.

[NEWKID 26,235]

Some good posts on here lads,

A couple of things I've noticed in marking, is dogs mark in different ways, I've seen terriers mark very obviously ( my jack russel is very obvious when she marks) and others can be subtle ( a friends terrier will stop at a hole and stand, he will not always stay there for a long time as he moves on) you need to know your dog and the way they mark.

 

I agree with Kittlerox in that I've got a Beddy whip and a Jrt, also ferret with others with different lurchers and terriers, if I was only going to have 1 of my 2 for ferreting ( it seems like this lad may have to choose 1) I would choose the beddy whip ( just). Much steadier, not so headstrong, and obviously a lot quicker for the bolters. But the Jack russel, is a god send in heavy cover ( like the bloody brambles we've done twice last week), she catches rabbits that bolt under the real heavy cover where you miss or cant get to, she's steady around the ferrets ( which in my opinion is a must) and works hard all day non stop.

Like ideaition said there a good addition to the team.

 

I personally wouldn't enjoy ferreting half as much without the dogs, from the initial mark to the quivering 1 foot raised exitement before a bolt, they let you know what's happening below ground.

 

Never "taught" a dog to mark, put skins or dead rabbits in holes personally, nor have the people I ferret with, start them fairly young around the ferrets, they'll see bolters they'll sniff the rabbits, hold them in nets etc they know the scent and will mark with enough exposure to ferreting, you just need to know how to read the mark

[Ideation 8,216]

R.e - the dead rabbits down holes. Just like to point out it is only something i have used with other peoples dogs who were older and didnt mark, to get them up to speed pronto!

[NEWKID 26,235]

R.e - the dead rabbits down holes. Just like to point out it is only something i have used with other peoples dogs who were older and didnt mark, to get them up to speed pronto!

 

I'm sure it would work mate, just never done it personally

[dpb82uk 138]

lots of ferreting and the dog will soon pick it up mi bitch was never wrong she wood go past lots of sets that looked like sumthing was home id still ferret sum of them and get nout she saved me lots of time second best ferreting tool is a good dog

[whin 463]

if your oput regulary 3 4 times aweek a pup learns very quickly of a trained dog if there no trained dog lots of dead rabbs etc seing the game she is going hunt , but if you maybe only go once in a while you maybe have to do diffrent tricks , , any way rabbiting is only alitle part of lurcher work so i wouldnt get to wound up on it

[terryd 8,099]

R.e - the dead rabbits down holes. Just like to point out it is only something i have used with other peoples dogs who were older and didnt mark, to get them up to speed pronto!

 

I'm sure it would work mate, just never done it personally

 

I might give that a try my self. Just trying too get my 5 year old cocker interested he seems too know instinctively he should show an interest in rabbits. If I hide a dead one in the house he soon locates it. I could try stuff a dead one down a hole. I have taken him ferreting about 3 times so far but we have yet to get a rabbit. When he ignores nice looking holes I give them a spin any way and so far he has been right about nothing being at home. Saying that I am using an inexperienced ferret and after about 5 blank trips I am starting too get doubtful

Would feel much happier if the ferret had some experience