Technology versus fieldcraft.

[micky 3,325]

a few years back ferreting was not really considered a a very good way of taking rabbits off of the land,its allways been good fun but not that productive ,the locator has now made ferreting better, easier, and more productive.

 

I wouldn't agree with that mate.

you don't have to agree,we are all entitleld to an opinion but my opinion is based on the facts that i was out ferreting in the early 50s [pre mixi] with men who had been ferreting in the 1800s, those men thought locaters were the best invention since the steam engine ,but if those men were alive today the would tell you,,,,,,,, ,with or without a locater ,ferreting is not the best way of catching and controlling rabbits .

[Jamie m 668]

a few years back ferreting was not really considered a a very good way of taking rabbits off of the land,its allways been good fun but not that productive ,the locator has now made ferreting better, easier, and more productive.

 

I wouldn't agree with that mate.

you don't have to agree,we are all entitleld to an opinion but my opinion is based on the facts that i was out ferreting in the early 50s [pre mixi] with men who had been ferreting in the 1800s, those men thought locaters were the best invention since the steam engine ,but if those men were alive today the would tell you,,,,,,,, ,with or without a locater ,ferreting is not the best way of catching and controlling rabbits .

Huh ,

Explain then Micky if you don't mind cheers j

Edited March 4, 2012 by Jamie m

[Guest cookiemonsterandmerlin]

a few years back ferreting was not really considered a a very good way of taking rabbits off of the land,its allways been good fun but not that productive ,the locator has now made ferreting better, easier, and more productive.

 

I wouldn't agree with that mate.

you don't have to agree,we are all entitleld to an opinion but my opinion is based on the facts that i was out ferreting in the early 50s [pre mixi] with men who had been ferreting in the 1800s, those men thought locaters were the best invention since the steam engine ,but if those men were alive today the would tell you,,,,,,,, ,with or without a locater ,ferreting is not the best way of catching and controlling rabbits .

 

Nore is shooting or dogs ferretting is a method that is very effective if used with other methods as I yet to see any group of rifle men who has eradcated coneys off any farm I have worked .Yet last year we cleared a area of 600 to 700 that riflemen had failed to shoot 20 in a night.

 

So each method has its place some more effective in diffrent locations.

 

So what in your eyes is the most effective way to take rabbits and if so how many would you take in a year using that method.

 

ATB Cookie

[Ideation 8,217]

a few years back ferreting was not really considered a a very good way of taking rabbits off of the land,its allways been good fun but not that productive ,the locator has now made ferreting better, easier, and more productive.

 

I wouldn't agree with that mate.

you don't have to agree,we are all entitleld to an opinion but my opinion is based on the facts that i was out ferreting in the early 50s [pre mixi] with men who had been ferreting in the 1800s, those men thought locaters were the best invention since the steam engine ,but if those men were alive today the would tell you,,,,,,,, ,with or without a locater ,ferreting is not the best way of catching and controlling rabbits .

 

I know not everyone has to agree. But can you suggest what, at that time, would have been considered a more efficient means of rabbit control? Certainly not shooting at that time, or lamping, or probably trapping, and posions and gasses were not being used.

 

So whilst the locator made it far more efficient than it was, even pre locator, for many / most it was the efficient way of removing large numbers of coneys.

 

I would say.

[Guest cookiemonsterandmerlin]

They was gin trapping which in my dads school days was the most widley used method there is a section the old roman road just outside of wanborough where he use to walkup the coombes setting gins work his way down and set again.

 

He would pauch and hock and hang on bared wire fence at least a mile long dad said they where so close you could not get your fingers inbteween them .

 

The rabbit catcher was there 2 days a week catching coneys 1000 a day the old chap says .

 

It must of truly been amazing to see that many coneys when the downs were plough up they lost a old grey fergie in a warren due to it collasping.

 

ATB Cookie

[micky 3,325]

a few years back ferreting was not really considered a a very good way of taking rabbits off of the land,its allways been good fun but not that productive ,the locator has now made ferreting better, easier, and more productive.

 

I wouldn't agree with that mate.

you don't have to agree,we are all entitleld to an opinion but my opinion is based on the facts that i was out ferreting in the early 50s [pre mixi] with men who had been ferreting in the 1800s, those men thought locaters were the best invention since the steam engine ,but if those men were alive today the would tell you,,,,,,,, ,with or without a locater ,ferreting is not the best way of catching and controlling rabbits .

 

I know not everyone has to agree. But can you suggest what, at that time, would have been considered a more efficient means of rabbit control? Certainly not shooting at that time, or lamping, or probably trapping, and posions and gasses were not being used.

 

So whilst the locator made it far more efficient than it was, even pre locator, for many / most it was the efficient way of removing large numbers of coneys.

 

I would say.

your right , FOR MANY, not the pros, most people today have no idea just how many rabbits there were and how big the market was ferreting then ,has now, only tickled them ,trapping netting ,and snaring was the prefered method

[micky 3,325]

a few years back ferreting was not really considered a a very good way of taking rabbits off of the land,its allways been good fun but not that productive ,the locator has now made ferreting better, easier, and more productive.

 

I wouldn't agree with that mate.

you don't have to agree,we are all entitleld to an opinion but my opinion is based on the facts that i was out ferreting in the early 50s [pre mixi] with men who had been ferreting in the 1800s, those men thought locaters were the best invention since the steam engine ,but if those men were alive today the would tell you,,,,,,,, ,with or without a locater ,ferreting is not the best way of catching and controlling rabbits .

 

Nore is shooting or dogs ferretting is a method that is very effective if used with other methods as I yet to see any group of rifle men who has eradcated coneys off any farm I have worked .Yet last year we cleared a area of 600 to 700 that riflemen had failed to shoot 20 in a night.

 

So each method has its place some more effective in diffrent locations.

 

So what in your eyes is the most effective way to take rabbits and if so how many would you take in a year using that method.

 

ATB Cookie

box trapping ,netting night shooting, i was told by Snareman , who was once a regular on this site ,that one of his mentors snared nearly three thousand rabbits in a week

[Guest cookiemonsterandmerlin]

But the numbers caught done tell the real story catching 3000 coneys in a week does that not tell you the methods used where not that effective .

 

I can be 100% sure we catch 90% of the coneys on our perms with ferrets and nets and thats aboy 89% more than the lampers do with rifles.

 

ATB Cookie

Edited to ad Micky what is your background in fieldsports have you work as pro rabbit catcher as your talking about others in way that sounds like you have not used ferretting as a method to control rabbits on any level let alone a pro level.

 

Can you backup your claims I know from working in coney control 5/6 days a week oct to march that ferts have caught me more coneys thatn any dog/rifle dropbox .

 

Cookie

Edited March 4, 2012 by cookiemonsterandmerlin

[micky 3,325]

i cannot back anything up ,i was brought up into field sports, i have memories and a few pictures but other than that you will have to take my word ,take a look at the New Zealand hunting sites ,they shoot rabbits nightly by the thousand read Map readers posts on here about long netting and yes i have been ferreting on the odd occassion

[The one 8,594]

For efficient rabbit control my money would be on block trapping the burrow's ,and snaring as they have to come out to feed and shooting at night with a lamp will increase your chances of filling the snares as they run about . Some of the land i block trapped with fen 6s two years ago still hasn't recovered and there's very few rabbits there now but we took loads of stoats and weasels as well. .Snaring can knock a big hole in rabbit numbers but you have to check the snares up to four times a day when your catching good numbers so it time consuming . But ferreting is a useful tool as well but we should be using everything we can

[Jamie m 668]

i cannot back anything up ,i was brought up into field sports, i have memories and a few pictures but other than that you will have to take my word ,take a look at the New Zealand hunting sites ,they shoot rabbits nightly by the thousand read Map readers posts on here about long netting and yes i have been ferreting on the odd occassion

Ah on the odd occasion ,

I've done it for pest controllers they contact me nothing beats the humble ferret when it comes to lowland rabbit control can't comment on hill stuff never ferreted up there , I hope chalkwarren pops along soon to add to this thread ,

Edited March 4, 2012 by Jamie m

[Guest cookiemonsterandmerlin]

Yes when your dealing with such high numbers trapping drop boxs etc but in modern britain where rabbit number are lowish ferretting is I think the most effective method to reduce numbers quickly .

 

If you shine lamp over a field before we ferret a area over a week the before and after is striking now when we go behing the rifle boys I would say we hardly notice they have been ,where as when we clear the area before them they always moan bloody Cookie and crew what the point of us being called in there hardly anything to shoot at.

 

And your tails of new zeland etc I think its best not to inject to much into a thread where you very very little real time knowlegde of.

 

A true internet hunter has been found.

 

ATB Cookie

[micky 3,325]

Yes when your dealing with such high numbers trapping drop boxs etc but in modern britain where rabbit number are lowish ferretting is I think the most effective method to reduce numbers quickly .

 

If you shine lamp over a field before we ferret a area over a week the before and after is striking now when we go behing the rifle boys I would say we hardly notice they have been ,where as when we clear the area before them they always moan bloody Cookie and crew what the point of us being called in there hardly anything to shoot at.

 

And your tails of new zeland etc I think its best not to inject to much into a thread where you very very little real time knowlegde of.

 

A true internet hunter has been found.

 

ATB Cookie

I could'nt agree more

[vduben 55]

i wouldnt put my dog to ground with out a collar on and i wouldnt do the same to my ferret, if dug 4ft quite a few times to my hob, granted he kills and leaves but then again i want numbers as i uses the rabbits to feed my dogs and ferts! a collar is a vital piece of equiptment, i dont want to be messing around waiting for the ferret to come out