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Ferreting


columbus
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Many years ago, I had a financial interest in a riding stables.

The rats use to get under the feed sheds.

A visit with the full ferret brigade, twice a year, was all that was needed to get rid of them.

 

I netted up all the holes or exit points and a few of us stood around with stout sticks.

We couldn,t use guns because of the horses.

A typical "bag" would be about 25, but I don,t know how many they killed underground.

 

The ferrets needed a "calming down" period after hunting rats, something they never needed with rabbits.

I think that the rats fighting back, got their adrenaline flowing.

I always use to check them for bites or other injuries.

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A mate of mine had a couple of ferrets from my jils litter.  He used them solely on rats because his farm was riddled with them.

The ferrets turned out to be the nastiest beasts I've ever seen.  They were fired up permanently.

 

He used them like gaurd dogs and just let them roam the farm unattended and they would return to the hutch to kip.  

Both those ferrets had a superb temperament until I gave them to him and then they went phyco and were unapproachable by anyone but my mate.  

One things certain though they could hammer rats for fun.

 

I tried my ferrets on rats but wasn't keen on them getting nipped so i stopped after a couple of trips, with my mates ferrets in mind I thought it was for the best.

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They most certainly get "hot" hunting rats.

 

I often looked at that amount of agression and fearlessness, in such a small animal and wondered how dangerous they would be, if they were the size of a horse. :sick:

 

I have chased foxes out of large land drains, with two polecats.

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If you want to learn more about rats and rat hunting with ferrets read D. Brian Plummer's book TALES OF A RAT HUNTING MAN. A brilliant and amusing book on ferreting rats for terriers or net. He even tells you how to hand catch rats which is'nt for the faint hearted.

Remember be careful of WEILS DISEASE (leptospirosis)

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I have a large collection of DB plummer books here are some which are a good read.

Off the beaten track

North and north again

The fell terrier

Adventures of an artisan hunter

The jack russel terrier its training and entering

Omega

Rouges and running dogs

Merle

In pursuit of coney

The sporting terrier.

These are just some of the plummer books i have but these are good reading.

                        Sean. :sick:

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Guest flightline
Anyone here use thier ferrets for rats. I used to when i was a kid,but know i cant look at them without felling revultion, rats that is.I cant even skin tame ones to give to the hawk, i think its the thought of wails.

Columbus,

I have to say (well I don`t, but I will anyway) that I do detect a slight element of anthropomorphism in your post. But beautifully cooked! Have a nice day you`all!!!! :love:

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  • 2 weeks later...

Everyone that ferrets' rats knows that the ferret can sustain injuries. However, how many of us have had injuries inflicted on ferrets by rabbits.

 

I've had ferrets for the best part of twenty years and in that time I've only known it happen twice. The latest being Sunday.

 

We were shooting rabbits as they bolted. Two ferrets were entered into the burrows and were working well. When I noticed that one ferret had not shown for sometime. With the aid of the locater, I dug 3ft to retrieve her. My first thought when I saw her was ''Will she survive the night''. Her head was almost double the size, blood was bubbling from her mouth and nose, and her right eye had popped out. Basically she was a mess.

 

I retrieved the rabbit which was in a similar way, which was dispatch immediately. As for the ferret, she'll live, but will lose her eye.

She still has a problem breathing as blood clots block her nose.

 

I would be interested to hear if anyone else has had such an event.

;)

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I have had a small jill killed by a rabbit.

We also were shooting over a large warren (too large to net), four ferrets were working and when three appeared and showed no great interest in going back down, we picked them up.

After waiting a while for the fourth one, we put a hob down with a locator.

 

We dug down to where he had stopped and found two large buck rabbits stuck in a dead end.

The small jill was dead and badly trampled.

We can only assume that she got them blocked and they kicked out at her with their back legs, as she came up behind them.

 

On a related point, I have noticed that we had more lay-ups when shooting over warrens , than we ever did when just netting and keeping quiet.

I firmly believe that the sound of gunshots and other noise, prompts rabbits to sit tight and not to bolt.

There had to be no other sensible alternative, before I would shoot over a warren.

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