FOXHUNTER1 Posted September 5, 2012 Report Share Posted September 5, 2012 Never go ferreting without a locator , saves a lot of time and you wont lose your ferret . Also adds a lot more bunnies to your bag I once pulled 7 out of a stop end... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted September 5, 2012 Report Share Posted September 5, 2012 Never go ferreting without a locator , saves a lot of time and you wont lose your ferret . Also adds a lot more bunnies to your bag I once pulled 7 out of a stop end... Like I said;each to their own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FOXHUNTER1 Posted September 5, 2012 Report Share Posted September 5, 2012 Like I said;each to their own. Each to their own but some people strive for optimum performance and results Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted September 5, 2012 Report Share Posted September 5, 2012 (edited) Each to their own but some people strive for optimum performance and results True;and some just get on with it,and get good results regardless.I don't feel my ferrets are under performing;landowners are happy anyhow. Edited September 5, 2012 by Scully Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin lad Posted September 5, 2012 Report Share Posted September 5, 2012 True;and some just get on with it,and get good results regardless.I don't feel my ferrets are under performing;landowners are happy anyhow. if your happy and the farmer is happy thats all that matters :good: colin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FOXHUNTER1 Posted September 6, 2012 Report Share Posted September 6, 2012 True;and some just get on with it,and get good results regardless.I don't feel my ferrets are under performing;landowners are happy anyhow. Depends what you mean by good results. No serious ferreter would go out without a locator though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted September 6, 2012 Report Share Posted September 6, 2012 What happened to 'each to their own'?By good results I mean results the landowners are happy with.People have been ferreting seriously for a lot longer than you and I have been around,with or without locators. How many young lads just starting off with a ferret and a few nets do you reckon can afford the money for a locator,collars etc?After learning the basics I just give them a couple of ferrets,half a dozen nets and tell them to get out there and enjoy themselves. If you enjoy digging,then knock yourself out....each to their own,remember? Maybe you're taking yourself too 'serious'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olly321 Posted September 6, 2012 Report Share Posted September 6, 2012 i went out for the forst time with a lad that is brill at ferreting ,i really enjoyed it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FOXHUNTER1 Posted September 6, 2012 Report Share Posted September 6, 2012 (edited) So what do you do when your ferret gets a kill, just sit around and wait wasting time? If you are one of those people who is ferreting an area with not many rabbits then I suppose catching only a few will keep the landowner happy. We ferreted heavily infested areas, and Im talking thousands of rabbits. The landowners required a big bag of rabbits to be caught therefore time was of the essence . Locators are a must , pure common sense in fact . No risk of losing your valued workers and a lot more rabbits in the bag at the end of the day. Edited September 6, 2012 by FOXHUNTER1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted September 6, 2012 Report Share Posted September 6, 2012 Like I said;we get good results;you can sit around and waste time if you want,but I don't consider ferreting a waste of time. Mate uses a locator,and spends a lot of time digging;I don't use a locator,and don't do any digging .Rabbits also inhabit ground where digging isn't an option,but you being a serious ferreter will know this of course. If you want to use a locator then use one,but they certainly are NOT a must,and to deride others for not conforming to your ideal of a 'serious ferreter' is a bit arrogant. Don't take yourself so serious.Each to their own! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FOXHUNTER1 Posted September 6, 2012 Report Share Posted September 6, 2012 Define good results ? A locator is a MUST in my book , its a responsible attitude to take. If it makes life easier why not use it ? I am not being so serious but if a job is worth doing its worth doing well !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRAD1927 Posted September 6, 2012 Report Share Posted September 6, 2012 I agree with using a locator, from experience it doesn't make a lot of difference to the catch but after loosing 3 ferrets in the space of 4 months and finding them dead from starvation I think welfare of your worker is more important!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FOXHUNTER1 Posted September 6, 2012 Report Share Posted September 6, 2012 I agree with using a locator, from experience it doesn't make a lot of difference to the catch but after loosing 3 ferrets in the space of 4 months and finding them dead from starvation I think welfare of your worker is more important!!! In my experience it significantly increases the bag . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckyshot Posted September 6, 2012 Report Share Posted September 6, 2012 Like I said;we get good results;you can sit around and waste time if you want,but I don't consider ferreting a waste of time. Mate uses a locator,and spends a lot of time digging;I don't use a locator,and don't do any digging .Rabbits also inhabit ground where digging isn't an option,but you being a serious ferreter will know this of course. If you want to use a locator then use one,but they certainly are NOT a must,and to deride others for not conforming to your ideal of a 'serious ferreter' is a bit arrogant. Don't take yourself so serious.Each to their own! Not 1 to join in an argument but if you dont do any digging either your ferrets are either **** or you do very little ferreting. Saying you do no digging is like a shotter that says he never misses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted September 7, 2012 Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 Not 1 to join in an argument but if you dont do any digging either your ferrets are either **** or you do very little ferreting. Saying you do no digging is like a shotter that says he never misses. As I've said,I don't use a locator, so how would I know where to dig?I'm also a 'shotter' but I've never said I never miss!What a strange train of thought! Rabbits also inhabit ground where it is impossible to dig,whether you've got a locator or not;what are you 'serious ferreters' going to do then?Or do you simply shy away from situations which threaten the welfare of your ferrets,and are beyond the capabilities of your spade?Regarding the welfare of ferrets,mine are fine;and the only one I've ever lost I got back the following morning,curled up fast asleep in his box. If you choose to use a locator,then use one,that's fine.I chose to give up using one years ago,and that's fine also,regardless of what you 'serious' types may think. Landowners are happy,and would soon let us know if they weren't,believe me.If you're ferreting a new location which is infested,then you could use a locator to get on top of the situation if time is a factor,if you want to;but visit your ground on a regualr basis to keep on top of the situation and there shouldn't be a problem.If you've got that much land you can't get round it on a regular basis,then you're simply being greedy,and not doing your job, and should maybe consider letting someone else have a go.This thread could go on forever,as nothing you can say will persuade me to return to using one,but whether you use one or not,happy ferreting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FOXHUNTER1 Posted September 7, 2012 Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 Not 1 to join in an argument but if you dont do any digging either your ferrets are either **** or you do very little ferreting. Saying you do no digging is like a shotter that says he never misses. He still hasn't defined good results Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Master Posted September 7, 2012 Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 With regards to feeding, do not give them bread and milk! My ferrets always have dried biscuit food in the cage and I generally chuck a handful in the box when out ferreting along with providing a drink. A ferret that isn't half starved and weak is likely to sustain the kicks of a rabbit more readily. Also, a hungry ferret is more likely to eat their kill so you will be waiting around for longer or doing more digging. The digestive tract of a ferret is very short and I wouldn't dream of withholding food all day if they are doing more than a mornings work. I always work with locators. It puts more rabbits in the bag, you know where your ferrets are and I often find myself working a long way from home when I certainly do not have the time to sit around and wait for a ferret or engage in the pure folly of coming back every 2 hours at night to see if your ferret has returned to the surface... FM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted September 8, 2012 Report Share Posted September 8, 2012 He still hasn't defined good results You can look up the definition of 'good results' in the dictionary,but unless you know exactly how many rabbits are located on a particular piece of ground,at any given time of day or year,how does anyone know if they've achieved good results without the say so of the landowner?You can trap 50 rabbits for example on a piece of ground,but if there's 300 present then is that a good result?You define good results by revisiting the said ground periodically over time,and if the landowner tells you he hasn't seen half as many rabbits since you last visited,then isn't that a good result?The landowner is in the best place to know if you've had good results,so if he's happy why shouldn't we be?If you're getting huge numbers of rabbits each time you visit the same place,then you''re not getting round often enough or not doing a thorough job. For all you newbies(which the OP was all about)don't get hung up about thinking you're not doing the job properly if you can't afford all the gear or neglecting the welfare of your ferrets.Ferrets have 1000's of years of inbred evolution on their side,and people have been ferreting for maybe just as long,without locators,so don't let some pompous tool put you off by telling you you're not a serious ferreter unless you use a locator.There will be many instances where your locator does you no good as rabbits don't just inhabit land suitable for digging,but if you can afford it,and you want one,by all means get one,but they're certainly not a MUST.Mate has the original Mk1,a bit scarce nowadays,but worth having if you can find one. Remember,if you want to keep your land,the only person you need to impress is the landowner;no-one else matters. That's all I've got to say on this particular subject.Have fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Master Posted September 8, 2012 Report Share Posted September 8, 2012 It's not a case of being pompous. Nobody is denying that there are instances where you cannot dig, but even if you can't dig certain ground then locating where your ferret is in what could potentially be a vast underground warren will help matters. Locators also give you a fantastic insight into how deep certain burrows are and where some tunnels lead. No method is 100% and there is an argument for not using locators if the terrain has a particularly high risk of snagging up the ferret (something that can be combatted to an extent by putting the collar on loose enough to pull off if properly snagged). I personally wouldn't ferret without one and before I started ferreting at a young age I saved up to buy one and it has paid for itself many times over in extra rabbits, peace of mind and time saved when working the ferrets. Currently using 2 MK3's with 5 collars. MK1's do the job but are getting on a bit now and people pay over the odds for them. A secondhand MK3 is perfect but steer away from MK2's as they were discontinued for a reason! Another easily forgotten fact about locators among those of us who know a thing or two about ferreting is how useful they are to a beginner in terms of understanding the changing depths of burys and where to expect a bolt if the ferret hasn't been seen for some time. A naturally inquisitive rookie will have much more success/peace of mind tracking the location of their ferret rather than walking all over the burrow listening for rumbling and putting off rabbits bolting! FM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Actionpigeons Posted September 24, 2012 Report Share Posted September 24, 2012 Dont feed them , we always worked ferrets hungry as they hunt much better ! I have worked ferrets for a long, long time. I use mine about three times a week threw the season I never work them hungry and are always feed flesh (Pigeons) I find that as they are not hungry for flesh they never lay up if they kill below ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigger Posted October 11, 2012 Report Share Posted October 11, 2012 I agree with using a locator, from experience it doesn't make a lot of difference to the catch but after loosing 3 ferrets in the space of 4 months and finding them dead from starvation I think welfare of your worker is more important!!! In my experience it significantly increases the bag . Not 1 to join in an argument but if you dont do any digging either your ferrets are either **** or you do very little ferreting. Saying you do no digging is like a shotter that says he never misses. I agree I believe the welfare of the ferret is of the utmost importance I would never go without locators and believe its irresponsible to do so but some of us care about or ferrets welfare others don't.... Also ferrets are lactose intolerant so milk is out of the question not good for them at all, again people are told this is good for ferrets by people who have no idea about the welfare of ferrets and so it continues, I wish people would just spend a few hours research on the animals they want to keep before getting them Christ people spend months researching about guns but animals don't get a look in makes my blood boil....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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