ferreting with bells

[JAMESFOX 0]

How many of you use bells when ferreting?

 

What are the advantages and dis advantages?

[will.f11 24]

I have only used bells whilst working cover, useful as you can always tell where the ferret is. The advantage is its easier to find a ferret, this disadvantage is it could get caught on something. I know of people using them whilst working to ground, apparently its useless as it gets clogged up really really easy.

[toshaugh 2]

I found it hard to hear them when windy or using them near traffic, got locater now, no looking back

[csme55ex 2]

i used them once when i was on my own but it was well to hard to hear it because it was windy and by the end of the day the bell had all mud in it ...... now im waiting to get a locator in the next week or so .. to get back out there on my own

[JordKil 0]

I use bells (as i find locators over priced) iv never had them blocked up but it does depend on which style of bell. As an advantage they're cheap as a disadvantage not as good as effective as a locator and can get caught on something thus hurting your ferret

 

 

Jordan

[JAMESFOX 0]

what type of bells do you use?

do the bells reduce the amount of under ground kills you have?

[The one 8,579]

Never used bells if im working cover ect i take a extra mk1 box and switch it on place it on the ferret box where think the ferret might go and you hear it if the ferret goes near it ,i reckon bells would clogg up with mud and be no good when you need them

[Neal 1,929]

Most of the replies so far seem to be on the subject of whether to go for one or the other but what about using both. By this I mean as a back-up ie in case the battery goes dead or if they sneak out on the other side of a hedge or bank, unnoticed, and give themselves a quick shake? Do people use ordinary cat bells or falconry bells?

[csme55ex 2]

Most of the replies so far seem to be on the subject of whether to go for one or the other but what about using both. By this I mean as a back-up ie in case the battery goes dead or if they sneak out on the other side of a hedge or bank, unnoticed, and give themselves a quick shake? Do people use ordinary cat bells or falconry bells?

i got told to use falconry bells because there ment to be much better then cat bells

[Neal 1,929]

Thanks!

[stealthy1 3,964]

Bells are for morris dancers, better with a locator.

[JordKil 0]

Ah falconry ones are better but im still using cat ones (2 for a pound in poundland )

 

Jordan

[Guest ferret feller]

i use them attcahed to the locator collor

[Guest Rod&dog]

So what happens when your ferret is stuck underground,,Somewhere it can not get out? Locators are out there for this reason.

[neil cooney 10,416]

I used to use bells on an elastic collar that I made myself. Being elastic they used to slip over the ferrets head when snagged. I found the bell helped bolt the rabbit too as the rabbit would be on the move well in front of the ferret. Another advantage of the elastic was the speed you could change collars on your own. Although I did have to have different collar sizes for Hobs and Jills.

The only time I seen them clog was when the rabbit blocked and the bell clogged with hair. Another downside was that ferret couldn't slip through the net with out pulling the net down. As you bent down to pick up the ferret the bell would be left in the net.

All my ferreting was done on heavy ditches and in ten years of using bells I never lost a ferret. But then the locator came along.