Ferreting This Morning

[ferretingnewbie 66]

Went out today, first day in a while. Took my hob and jill. It was the jills first time so went for some small Warren's to let her get used to it and let her follow the hob about.

Nothing about for the first few but she was getting used to going in and coming back. After about 30 mins had a big buck rabbit out into the nets and nothing else left in there. Jill wasn't really that interested. The last one I went to was under a tree stump close to a ditch. Netted up and put her in. After about 20 mins nothing bolting and no sign of her or anything so I collared up the hob and put him in. Nothing again for about another 20 mins.

The rabbit they had earlier I gutted that and put it by the hole to see if either would come back. Nothing still for another half hour but could hear squeeking.

I looked with the finder to see where they were but as I did the hob come flying out with a rat pair of them scrapping in the net. I managed to get him back a bit bruised but ok stamped on the rat. Dug to the jill but she was already dead. Gutted!

[terryd 8,107]

Thats unusually never known it too happen. I used to ferret rats with the little jills and apart from the odd knick the ferrets were ok. They do pack a punch though and gave the old terriers hooter a good slash or two.

Great shame

Edited January 27, 2017 by terryd

[taz2010 1,297]

never known a rat to kill a ferret

[ferretingnewbie 66]

never known a rat to kill a ferret

The hob came out with 1 but when I dug to the jill it was a nest they shot out everywhere

[jok 3,043]

Very unusual. In fact as a rule the rats will bolt like billyo. Vixen with young will defo kill. Been there. Jok.

[fat man 4,740]

Once many years ago had a jill ferret take a bad doing fron a nest of stoats,she was in a warren in a stone wall and had pushed them up into a stop.I cant remember correctly but i think there were 3 in it if memory serves me right,i located her with the box and after removing some stones and clay from the old wall i eventually broke into her and she was sparring with them but was covered in blood.I lifted her out and they were out as quick but in minutes her head was well swollen and she seemed to go into shock.I repped her up in my coat and put her under the blower from the heater in the car while traveling home.When i got home i gave her a jab of penicillian and next morning she seemed to be a lot better and next day was back to herself.I have bolted several rats without injury to the ferretts also bolted foxs and on 1 occasion a mink which scared the f**k out of me as i dived across the bank on the net thinking it was a rabbit only to find the mink tangled up in the purse net,lol,have not kept ferrets in a good many years now but enjoyed working them when i did.

[The one 8,399]

Rats are usualy a problem no bolting when they got newborn young its a bit early but maybe that was the cause ?.

[Arry 18,748]

Thats really unlucky for that to happen mate I've never heard of that, feel for you no matter what you do you always get attached to your own ferrets. As kids we used to block all the hole we could and drop the ferrets in the last layer of bails in a barn or a hay stack and stand back with terriers, they used to fly out.

 

Cheers Arry

[The one 8,399]

Its a hard one when you only have two ferrets as well im always tempted to get a extra one incase something like this happens