Update on the Ferret we found.

[bullmastiff 615]

Well we found out who owns the Ferret we found, our next door Neighbor!!! (the one with the Falcon) apparently he's got four in total! he used to do a lot of hunting years ago but now spends every night in the pub. When we mentioned we had found a Ferret, he told us he had lost one and then described the Ferret he had lost, even down to the fact shes spayed, (something I hadn't noticed!) told him to come round anytime and pick it up... well that was two weeks ago so thought it was about time the Ferret earned it's keep!

We dug out the Mk1 box and collar from the shed, installed some new batteries but nothing, not a peep! never mind, just have to do it the old fashioned way!

Contacted a friend I used to Ferret with years ago, who was well up for a reunion hunt, plus my wife, my daughter and some random friends that had seen Kill it, Cook it, Eat it and wanted to watch, totaling 6 people! only two of us had Ferreted before!

Got to the fields we were to hunt and found the gate open and a guy cutting logs in the field. nipped over for a chat and found out it was his field (the old lady had given me permission to his fields as well as hers) never mind he says "get on and clear em out" giving us some more land to hunt as well, Result!

Quick talk to explain to everyone what to do/expect and to be as quiet as possible near the burrows then were off.

First Warren looks huge to start with but soon work out it's three burrows in a 25yd stretch but thought it best to net them all just in case, a total of 56 nets down Put the Ferret down gently near the top hole to see what it would do and with a nervous sniffing she entered slowly appearing back at the same hole a few Min's later, tried different holes and same thing every time, still she started to get the idea and putting her next to each hole, she got quicker at entering each time.

Although she seemed inexperienced I knew if she smelt Rabbit she would be off so moved on to the next.

Next Burrow but same thing. Last of the three and popped her next to the first hole and she was off like a Rocket! bingo! someone must be home! it goes quiet for few Min's then Roo slips himself (he's not good with the Ferret so got to keep him on the slip) I turn just in time to see a rabbit has slunk out of a pop hole 10ft from the hedge and is off up the hedge, through the sheep fence and gone. Bugger it! Ferret comes out and is entered at the other end but nothing else is home.

Nets up and move on, next one is 6 easy holes all on the same side, so I give Roo to my wife and send her to the other side of the hedge just in case. I net three and my friend nets the other 3. Ferret in and within a minute a Rabbit hits a net and to my horror runs on??? I check the net and found my mate hadn't set it properly so it had just been pushed out of the way . 20 Min's and no sign of the Ferret, 30 Min's still nothing (has she bottled one or just fallen asleep?) decide to start searching so rip a piece of Bramble from the hedge and poke it down each hole. 3ft plus the length of my arm and they seem to be converging diagonally across the hedge, so lay my arm on the ground and we've got our mark. Digging down we find two holes turn into one, same thing, bramble in, arm in, heading straight down the hedge. another hole and have a poke about with the bramble, still no hair caught on the bramble but luckily the ferret appears at another hole so the missus picks her up before she can disappear again!

With time getting on and the weather closing in, we decide to pick up and head home.

So for three throughly enjoyable hours we managed a total of zero rabbits but plenty of fresh air and a good laugh! also some good experience for a Ferret who I'm now sure has never left her cage before! We'll be going again this weekend on a friends farm that has got lots of small 2-3 holers so we can get her some more experience.

Thanks for reading, and sorry for it's length and lack of photo's, I forgot the camera.

 

Cheers

 

Luke.

[ferret110 27]

At least you tried

[Tyla 3,179]

Well done mate, its not all about the bag. Those buries do sound a tad big for just one ferret, glad you all enjoyed it though

[BEARINATOR 2,921]

At least you gave her a try mate and ended up with a bit more land, good luck for next time

[stubby 175]

a very good outline of your days events, maybe some new ferreters can learn from it, a locator would mean just one hole needing digging, and a second or third warren done,

[The one 8,589]

At least you where out mate and youv'e gained a working spayed jill sound's good to me

[bullmastiff 615]

Precisely Stubby, shows how much time a locator collar can save! but it's how we started before we could afford a Deben, using bramble down the holes looking for Fur on the end thorns, or direction of the hole.

Still I'm fixing the Reciever Box at the mo, put a multimeter across it and looks like it's the terminals connecting to the battery that are broken so I'll solder some new ones on and check it again.

The One, I don't think I've got her permenantly, just until he remembers to pick her up!

 

I'll try and get some photo's next time, the hedge has been stripped out at the bottom by the Rabbits and looks like it gets loads of traffic, but it was really wet so maybe they've moved further up hill?

 

Cheers for the comments

 

Luke.

[Jim Grant 4]

Can you not just pop next door and find another three. Sounds as if he has lost the plot and they need a decent home. I hesitate to say do you want a new bird as well.

[bullmastiff 615]

I don't think the Missus would be impressed if one became four! becides that would mean pinching another Packing crate from work!!! and I wouldn't know where to start with a Falcon!!!

Last time I saw it outside.

I don't know what type it is?

It gets tied to a leash thing in the summer so it can get some sun but apart from that it pretty much stays in his shed.

[Brimmer 220]

Good read Luke, sounds like a fun day out and the mishaps are just part of it! Does sound like your neighbour's not to interested to be honest, are the other ferrets ok?