ferreting a large set

[jazz_11 5]

Hello everyone, one of my shooting mates has got a large permission (te same guy i put a post up about previously which i got my 2 ferrets off)

there are lovely warrens on there and he said we can take the ferrets out. buit im slighly concerned as i dont have a locator.. i did have a mark 1 with 3 collars which i sold..

when i work my 2 i will be working them with the parents.

should i be working them on such large warrens?

cheers

jazz

[craig lurcher man 2]

not at all pal do not bother.

[Coatesy900 0]

If they lay up your in a bit of bother, but usually not having a locator just means you dont get the rabbits which are killed underground. I have never used a locator, and always end up with a lot of squeeling from underground, but mine have never layed up once. Its just a case of not being able to get the rabbit bac k with me.

[will.f11 24]

on small burries its ok with no locator, but if your doing big burries, your gonna have to be prepared to dig a fair bit. I wouldnt if I was you. just buy an MK1 or MK3

[will.f11 24]

i have found these last few trips, if you starve the ferrets the night before, then put them in a fairly large box on the way with a bit of dry food, they are full enough to not eat what they kill and not so full they wont work, so that may work

[jazz_11 5]

thanks will... and everyone else.

i bought a mark 1 15ft with 2 8ft collars and 1 15ft collar and a ferret box all this for 50 quid and i sold it for 130 lol... i needed money for my motorbike racing so..

[Brimmer 220]

Wouldn't know what to do for the best, it's a risk of being stuck for hours (or ever), or just skimming the top off it.

Put in Jills, then they have a chance of getting away and bolting (But then they stick with the hard nuts that don't want to bolt and don't come out for ages!)

Or stick in the killing squad of hobs ( Quick kills, but absolutely no point to killing for nothing!) and maybee they get blockended like I had last weekend.

Lots of people used to ferret with no locator, and some with a lot of success, but you'll only do half a job, and maybee lose a ferret.

Up to you pal, do the best you can! Sure you will get a few!

[jazz_11 5]

when i say big warrens im not talking loads im looking at 10 holes mayeb 15?

[wabbithunter_15 0]

ive been ferreting for around a year and a half, i have never ever used a locator and have never had a lay up, ever

some people will say thats bull and swear by the locator but its all down to what you feel.....

[csme55ex 2]

yer same iv been ferreting on and off for years and iv never used a locator and iv never had a lay up .. i find it best using one ferret at a time because i allways think the 2 ferrets could block a rabbit in a tunel at each end ...

[Fat-Ferret 857]

I've just got back into ferreting after not have done any or kept ferrets for 15 years, I was 11 then & didnt even know locators existed, And didnt realise how much people used them even now, I still dont have one & probably wont get one either, the only permission I have is permission as long as I dont dig, so getting a locator is pointless because I cant dig anyway...I starved my ferrets last friday night thinking they would work better on saturday, But the young polecat was intent on killing, she killed in the first two warrens we done, but bolted a few as well, so I removed the liver and kidneys & fed them to all the ferrets...she seemed to settle a little then...

 

The two I worked on saturday seemed very different, The polecat would go down and stay down, while the albino would go in and out and in and out again...All the while the polecat wasnt seen, maybe 10 minutes she would appear....Is it normal for them to behave so differently? It seems if theres nobody at home, the albino comes straight back out, while the polecat will stay down a lot longer regardless of anyone being home or not

Edited November 6, 2008 by Fat-Ferret

[victor 10]

ive never had collars, i would if i could but cant so dont..

dont usualy have problams, but there has been heaps of times were ive wanted one soo bad.

[The one 8,396]

Just wondering what you guys would have done if like some of us you had to ferret before the locators where on the scene.

Just approach the burrow from down wind use longnets so you dont have to step on the burrow and pop your ferrets in and dont let them back down after 3.30pm with the darkness approaching .

Ferreting can and was done before locators

[runforyourlife 361]

yer same iv been ferreting on and off for years and iv never used a locator and iv never had a lay up .. i find it best using one ferret at a time because i allways think the 2 ferrets could block a rabbit in a tunel at each end ...

 

Sorry, but i dont understand what you mean" block them in each end"?? The rabbits will be mostly congregated in the "stop end" anyway pal! And theres only one way out. So blocking in them in means nothing. You would realize this if you had used a locator, and followed your ferret underground, and worked out the earth.

 

A "good thin working" ferret will find the stop end, and then flush your rabbits out. If you enter a big dog ferret, you will often find that when he reappears, that he has rabbit fur hanging from his claws, blood around his mouth and so on. This is where he has reached the stop end. A rabbit has sat with its back end pushed against the entrance and refused to move or let him in to bolt them. And many times a big dog ferret is just to big to enter while the rabbits sits there....

Alot of so called working ferrets will bolt rabbits but only ones moving in the tunnels. A proper working ferret will find the stop end, bolt the rabbits, go back there for more, till it has removed them all!

On the same note, some ferrets only work shallow, and even tho the earth goes much deeper, will not proceed.... You will learn all this from a locator, and your missing out on a lot of knowledge and fun....

And yes, 25yrs ago, i didnt use a locator, and lost very few ferrets, but didnt understand the earths nowhere near like i did when i started using a locator......

[runforyourlife 361]

i have found these last few trips, if you starve the ferrets the night before, then put them in a fairly large box on the way with a bit of dry food, they are full enough to not eat what they kill and not so full they wont work, so that may work

 

 

 

 

And never starve your ferret! Agood working ferret needs all the energy it can have. Especially when it working warrens in access of 50 holes!!! A proper working ferret which is full up, will work its tits off. It wont sleep, because as soon as you put it in its box it will know what it is going doing!! And as for dry food, it would be much better with flesh!!! As for a ferret being to full to work, what are feeding them " a cow"!! Aferret what wont work, isnt a working ferret, and is still in the learning curve...