Starting A Young Hob...

[Gaz_1989 9,539]

I've recently been starting a young hob working, it's a shame because he's starting to do ok and that's going to be his lot for this season now.

 

His first time out he was reluctant to go deep, only went in for a few seconds and then came back out. He bolted 2 but he wasn't down long and I think it was just his smell that bolted them, he didn't work the set.

 

Last week was his second time out and he was again reluctant to go down. Finally we got him to go down and he was gone about 2 minutes and we got a bolter followed closely behind by him. The next set he was gone for about 10 minutes. We were just about to start trying to locate him and 2 bolted, he came straight out.

 

This morning we have been out and he failed to go deep in a few sets. 30 seconds maybe and back out. We did put another inexperienced ferret down after and that failed to bolt aswell.

 

Is it common for a ferret to not spend long in an empty set? Just have a quick look and come out? It's funny because on some sets he flies in and goes 8-10 feet and bolts but then on other sets he just nips in and comes back out and refuses to go back in.

 

I think it would be good to enter a known worker after he has come out empty handed and see if the set is empty or if its just him not working it properly.

 

A bit later on when he did go deep he made a kill 6 foot down (we had him on the locator in the same spot for about 5 mins) and just as we started digging he came out covered in blood and fur. I've never known a ferret kill and exit, they've always stayed down there. Is this likely to be his style? Kill and exit or might he start laying up?

 

Cheers

 

Gaz

[The one 8,627]

Unless you enter a working ferret in the burrow after him you will never know if he missed any or didn't go deep enough etc , but with a young ferret if it has killed im sure the sound of you digging above him would unsettle him enough to make him come out to see what was going on

[Gaz_1989 9,539]

Ok thanks. Next time I am going to try and take a known good worker and put it in after he comes out to see if he's genuinely walking away from an empty set or just failing to find the rabbits.

 

I take your point about the sound of digging disturbing him

[darbo 4,779]

is the dog marking the set or did you not have 1 with you? if he is only young and inexperienced have patience. some take to it like a duck to water some take more time. best of luck with him.

[Guest norseman]

any time i ferret an empty set, my ferrets dont seem interested (coming out early and not going deep), i think they know more than us but when theres rabbits home they work the full burrow. digging moved my hob from a kill a few times aswell. dont think you have anything to worry about, as long as the ferret gives you a mark your grand.

[pie-eater 377]

My hob sometimes moves while Im digging but if he does I carry on digging and usualy find a dead rabbit. There was one occasion at the start of the season I couldnt get to him through thick tree roots he stayed on that rabbit for well over an hour.