My & my ferts first time ever

[Madcowz 0]

Went out today with two of my ferts, Cornelius the Hob and Ophelia the Jill.

 

It was their and my first time ever.

 

Started off by wrestling with them trying to get the collars on and then left them in their outdoor run with some food to get used to the collars. They were so unfazed by them though which was good to see.

 

Next I put in their carry box so they could have a play around with that and then after a cup of tea, we set off with my daughter and our neighbour with his .410

 

I chose a bury that I knew was empty and put them in one at a time after triple checking the collars and batteries etc etc. Quite a scary moment watching your fert disappear underground for the first time, but these guys knew what to do, they both sniffed the hole and went straight in. No mucking about.

 

A couple of seconds later and they were out the other hole. Let them go back in a few times and then moved on.

 

We decided to go to an old warren that has always got rabbits. It is in the middle of a field that has recently been cut for hay so easy to work. Popped them both down and off they went.

 

They spent a lot of time popping out of holes that we didn't even know existed, looking ever so cute and then it all went very quiet for quite a while.

 

Had a quick wave of the finder and they were 10 feet down, so we assume that they had dropped to a lower level. Nothing happened for a bit until we saw them coming out again. Went to the hole we saw them at, which was just near to where we had detected them and there in the hole was a baby rabbit. Reached in and we found two tiny little things that would fit in the palm of your hand.

 

Getting the ferts out was the next job. I didn't want to grab them as they were a bit jittery, not surprised as it was their first proper time out of the court. In the end, we fished for them with one of the paunched rabbits and soon got Ophelia out and back in the box (another tricky job). My neighbour did the same but this time Cornelius grabbed the rabbit out of his hand, to my amusement. Got him in the end though.

 

So there we were, first outing, nothing bolted but two baby rabbits. They were so small that we felt a bit embarrassed carrying them home so gave them to my daughter to carry. Didn't look so out of proportion with her as she is only 7.

 

How amazing is it to work these lovely animals! We spent the entire time with big grins on our faces marveling at how they worked the tunnels and holes and knew exactly what to do. Tomorrow it is the turn of the other two, Chloe and Suzy.

 

All in all, a wonderful time, and with something to show for our efforts. Hopefully next time we might catch something a bit bigger.

 

Question: This bury is at least 20 years old and always has rabbits. Why didn't we hear any thumping of feet or get any bolters? Did they go deeper down leaving the babies in the nest?

 

Question: I have heard people say that they detect when their fert has killed as it is stationary for a while and then moves on allowing them to mark the spot and dig later. Does this mean they spend the entire time with the finder tracking the ferts as they work? Seems a bit strange.

 

/Mad

[Guest bullterrier]

hope next time you get some just take your time it will come good mate ....john

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Question: I have heard people say that they detect when their fert has killed as it is stationary for a while and then moves on allowing them to mark the spot and dig later. Does this mean they spend the entire time with the finder tracking the ferts as they work? Seems a bit strange.

 

Pleased that ye enjoyed yeself mate. And that the ferrets did what ferrets do tend to do. In time ~ and with experiance ~ ye'll realise how that grin transforms to a deady serious look of alert concentration. Only, in your case, probably focused on that f*cking box.

 

In my Very limited experiance of 'Box Watchers'; Yes. Those types do seem to throw all Field Craft, indeed " Hunting " to the wind and learn to depend soley on electronics. The ferrets become quite peripheral and the most important equipment becomes the box and a spade.

 

Two sorts of " Ferreter ", if ye like. 1/ Traditional type. Does it as man has for thousands of years. Nets down. Ferrets in. Stand back. Focus.

 

New breed? Nets down - though clods of earth would serve as well, I'm sure. Ferrets in. Trample all over the bury, back bent and arm swinging like an elephants trunk.

 

The trampling, of course (Not that they'd know or care about this) alerts every rabbit down there that there's an idiot above. Thus the rabbits arse up and the ferrets kill them. That done, the true purpose of the day comes into play with the spade; Rip the bury apart and spend some quality time rearranging the rural landscape.

 

And now the 'Rabbit Detectors' are quite welcome to defame and berate me. I was taking plenty long before boxes were the norm. I've only dug to a rabbit once in my life ~ that with a stick in a hedge bank bury, because I couldn't quite reach it with my arm. But, 'Oh yes!', they'll seethe. 'I've had Twelve rabbits arsed up together! How many have You left down there, 'Shitter?!'. And thus missing my whole point entirely:

 

I quietly Stand Back. Bloody rabbits shouldn't even know I'm in the area. I Don't plod all over their bloody roof waving a box and praying some battery holds out

 

Anyway, alright; I'm a dinosaur who simply never saw the brilliant, shining light of the new order. I'm a sinner and a blind fool for not feeding my ferrets on dry shit and strapping a net snagging, root catching lump to their necks and spending time digging holes which I'd sooner spend necking rabbits. I'll fetch my coat then, shall I?

[stubby 175]

well done hed's

 

certainly worrying the 1st time aint it, well it dont get no easier as time goes by, trouble is, us ferreters that build elaborate courts, give them names, treat them as the family, then get far too attached to them to be able to stick them down a hole with a "well it only cost a tenner" attitude if it dont come out

I myself had full intentions of keeping 2 forms of ferts, pet ones and workers, had it all worked out, that way if there were any losses it would'ent matter so much

I therefore kept back a total of nine, some for their looks(colours) and some for their temprement, I now have,

buster, foxy, vixen adults that work

smudger, brenda, hi-ho, youngsters with colour

minky, manky, little nipper, kept for temprement,

 

now they are all kept the same and treated the same, all roll on their backs (hobs and jills) when I enter to have their bellys rubbed, and yup, I wanna use them all for ferreting, and will therefore constantly worry when doing so, they all have there own individual traits that we love

 

I do have collars but I do tend to leave the buzz box in the bag and let them do their job, keeping quite above, listening to below, and did infact put buster down a small 6 holer without collar, to which he bolted 2, that the jills (foxy and vixen) had failed to push out

 

good luck with your 2nd outing, take a camera so you can post some piccy's

[woodman 131]

Question: I have heard people say that they detect when their fert has killed as it is stationary for a while and then moves on allowing them to mark the spot and dig later. Does this mean they spend the entire time with the finder tracking the ferts as they work? Seems a bit strange.

 

Pleased that ye enjoyed yeself mate. And that the ferrets did what ferrets do tend to do. In time ~ and with experiance ~ ye'll realise how that grin transforms to a deady serious look of alert concentration. Only, in your case, probably focused on that f*cking box.

 

In my Very limited experiance of 'Box Watchers'; Yes. Those types do seem to throw all Field Craft, indeed " Hunting " to the wind and learn to depend soley on electronics. The ferrets become quite peripheral and the most important equipment becomes the box and a spade.

 

Two sorts of " Ferreter ", if ye like. 1/ Traditional type. Does it as man has for thousands of years. Nets down. Ferrets in. Stand back. Focus.

 

New breed? Nets down - though clods of earth would serve as well, I'm sure. Ferrets in. Trample all over the bury, back bent and arm swinging like an elephants trunk.

 

The trampling, of course (Not that they'd know or care about this) alerts every rabbit down there that there's an idiot above. Thus the rabbits arse up and the ferrets kill them. That done, the true purpose of the day comes into play with the spade; Rip the bury apart and spend some quality time rearranging the rural landscape.

 

And now the 'Rabbit Detectors' are quite welcome to defame and berate me. I was taking plenty long before boxes were the norm. I've only dug to a rabbit once in my life ~ that with a stick in a hedge bank bury, because I couldn't quite reach it with my arm. But, 'Oh yes!', they'll seethe. 'I've had Twelve rabbits arsed up together! How many have You left down there, 'Shitter?!'. And thus missing my whole point entirely:

 

I quietly Stand Back. Bloody rabbits shouldn't even know I'm in the area. I Don't plod all over their bloody roof waving a box and praying some battery holds out

 

Anyway, alright; I'm a dinosaur who simply never saw the brilliant, shining light of the new order. I'm a sinner and a blind fool for not feeding my ferrets on dry shit and strapping a net snagging, root catching lump to their necks and spending time digging holes which I'd sooner spend necking rabbits. I'll fetch my coat then, shall I?

got to agree with DS here,never liked sending a ferret in with a collar on. when necessary (and not often) have always used a liner with harness on (you can dig to a line but not a failed peice of equipment or flat battery) all the best

[stubby 175]

no disrespect here, and lets not turn this into a ferret finder or not debate, but as a non experienced newbie looking at the collar or line option

surely digging to a line is gonna destroy more of the warren, than digging to a signal

surely once the line is further down a hole than you can reach, you have no way of knowing weather it goes, left,right,up,down and therefore would need to dig, following the line, thus destroying more of the warren,

I think for me it would need to be either, dig to a signal, or dont dig at all

[Coneytrappr 30]

Well done Madcowz:) They may have been small but they're still rabbits and you got your ferts started.

 

In regards to locators or going au natural, I tend to agree with Ditchy. I've never used a locator- or a liner- and have no probs digging. Unless the ferrets are under a couple of slabs of rock or a blackberry bush, in which case a locator would not help matters. Luckily I rarely have to dig and when I do it's usually because I've either 1] come up on the rabbits quietly whilst they're out in the open whereupon they hightail it underground and are reluctant to come out again or 2] tripped over/stumbled and made enough racket to keep them subdued.

In that unlikely circumstance, I can hear the rumbling, wait until it's coming from a steady mark and then dig down to retrieve bunny.

Thus far it's worked for me. I don't have to trench along a bury and I'm not being distracted by electronics.

But, whatever works best for you and your ferrets.

[Guest Frank]

Good start for the youngens.

Mine strated the same, the thread i put up, was their second outing, it takes time, but once their clicked, their is no stoping them.

 

I have a locator and only use it when nowt comes out for half hour or more, i personally think, its not worth loosing a good ferret or 2 without one.

 

Frank.

[Guest Magwitch]

Sorry to be drawn into the ferret finder debate but i wouldn't put a ferret in burrow without a collar on because any a mount of field craft ain't gonna find your ferret that's laid up or trapped, as i have said before you rarely get a lost ferret in a rescue centre wearing a collar. rant over! Anyway enjoyed reading your post

[gaz 284]

First off,well done madcow for gettin your team started,stick with it and keeping getting them out and it will all come good for you and your stinkers soon

 

As for locators wether it be ferretin or terriers, my opinion is there the best thing to be invented for ferreter or terrier man since the ferret or the terrier,but ditch has a point about them being used seconds after the ferret has been put to ground maybe replacing fieldcraft ect of old, now a days some just plan to dig a large number of their bunnies but used as a last resort when the light is fading or with a ferret which is stuck up behind a dead rabbit they can be a handy tool to have in your armoury,used with old traditions of stealth and fielcraft about the burries should mean they should only be used to a minimium which in turn means less fecking digging as my old back is not what it was back in my prime

Edited September 9, 2007 by gaz

[Kay 3,709]

Sorry to be drawn into the ferret finder debate but i wouldn't put a ferret in burrow without a collar on because any a mount of field craft ain't gonna find your ferret that's laid up or trapped, as i have said before you rarely get a lost ferret in a rescue centre wearing a collar. rant over! Anyway enjoyed reading your post

 

Err wrong i took 4 ferrets with mark 1 collars on in the space of 12 months,

 

I am reading a book dated back to 1945 , the auther sugests all new stock should be taught to come to there masters call, e describes how to do it when there kits , he also believes that using a chatty jill will drive the prey into the nets , couple that with the fact the ferret comes to your call , its common sence to me after reading that

[micky 3,325]

Sorry to be drawn into the ferret finder debate but i wouldn't put a ferret in burrow without a collar on because any a mount of field craft ain't gonna find your ferret that's laid up or trapped, as i have said before you rarely get a lost ferret in a rescue centre wearing a collar. rant over! Anyway enjoyed reading your post

 

Err wrong i took 4 ferrets with mark 1 collars on in the space of 12 months,

over the years ,i have caught a number of ferrets in traps set for rabbits,none was wearing a collar

[R_Oldroyd 17]

Its an age thing. Young ferrets can just potter on the surface of the warren, especially first timers. Regular trips will soom sort this problem. Try starting with smaller sets.

 

And last but not least as Ditch Shitter says, love the name by the way keep noise to a minimum. If you are only using purse nets and the vegitation is still high cut the vegiation back a few days before you go.

 

Have to say if some goes out fereting with me i tell them to not talk until the set is complete or i will tier the a new a**e hole.

 

regard Roger

[Guest Magwitch]

Sorry to be drawn into the ferret finder debate but i wouldn't put a ferret in burrow without a collar on because any a mount of field craft ain't gonna find your ferret that's laid up or trapped, as i have said before you rarely get a lost ferret in a rescue centre wearing a collar. rant over! Anyway enjoyed reading your post

 

Err wrong i took 4 ferrets with mark 1 collars on in the space of 12 months,

 

I am reading a book dated back to 1945 , the auther sugests all new stock should be taught to come to there masters call, e describes how to do it when there kits , he also believes that using a chatty jill will drive the prey into the nets , couple that with the fact the ferret comes to your call , its common sence to me after reading that

How many without collars?

[Kay 3,709]

Sorry to be drawn into the ferret finder debate but i wouldn't put a ferret in burrow without a collar on because any a mount of field craft ain't gonna find your ferret that's laid up or trapped, as i have said before you rarely get a lost ferret in a rescue centre wearing a collar. rant over! Anyway enjoyed reading your post

 

Err wrong i took 4 ferrets with mark 1 collars on in the space of 12 months,

 

I am reading a book dated back to 1945 , the auther sugests all new stock should be taught to come to there masters call, e describes how to do it when there kits , he also believes that using a chatty jill will drive the prey into the nets , couple that with the fact the ferret comes to your call , its common sence to me after reading that

How many without collars?

 

look the point is regardless of weather you use a knocker box or not the basics like bonding with said ferrets/s is a must , using a box shouldt replace that , couple medern technology with a tad of common sence & no one should have to dig or loose a ferret period.

 

i have no idea how many ferrets i took in that were worked or had never been worked , there ferrets simple as that