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****** Ferret Locators


tiercel
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Had a lovely bit of weather here this morning. So I took the opportunity to take my young Jill out for the first time. There is a small bank at the bottom of a field that I have used for the last 15 years plus to introduce young ferrets.

 

The warren is comparatively small 5 holes, although they do go back into the field about 10 metres. The warren has always produced rabbits and as it goes back into the field it is pretty level. (Young ferrets do not like going down steep inclines) It has always been a good warren for me. BUT not any more because some **** with a locator has dug three holes in the field and not even attempted to fill them in.

I know that it can take some time for rabbits to bolt from this warren. I have in the past waited half an hour plus for them to bolt, but give them time and they will bolt.

 

The trouble with locators is that once someone has a ferret to ground with a collar on, if the rabbit is not out in 5 mins then off they tramp all over the warren looking for the ferret. Thereby making sure that the rabbit will not bolt. Out comes the spade and that has been the ruin of some good small warrens.

It would be better if instead of buying a locator they spent some time learning some field craft. Learn how to approach warrens, how to use the wind to your advantage and most importantly how to keep quiet. Then perhaps the locator would become another toy that people bought and never used.

 

If all the people who use locators used them responsibly then this rant would not be happening. If you want to dig out your rabbits get a JCB and have done with it. If as in times past, before the advent of locators, you had rabbits to ground that would not bolt, then, and only then would you put in a liner. (Usually a surly old hob that would push the free running Jills off the rabbits) then you would dig to him. A locator used in this manner instead of a line is no bad thing. But to stick a collar on a Jill and to dig if a rabbit is not out in 5 mins is criminal. It teaches you absolutely nothing about the art of ferreting. But a lot on how to dig.

 

Rant over!!

 

Tiercel

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I sympathise, as I have come across exactly the same. :)

Indiscriminate digging also creates dead ends and collapsed earths.

 

As I have said before, I do not run ferrets with locators on, mainly because I am concerned that they may get hooked up in a tree root, but also because its not necessary.

 

If I get a "lay up" and they are rare, then the locator goes on the hob and down he goes.

He either pushes the jill off and stays with the rabbit, or they both stay there, then out comes the spade.

Digging out rabbits spoils my day completely.

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Tiercel

 

While i sympathise with your predicament

 

I for one will never go ferreting without a locator again

 

yes i learned my trade the "proper" way with lines and a spike ect

 

but i truely believe that the locator is the biggest innovation in ferreting ever

 

yes it has done away with an awful lot of fieldcraft and i sometimes find it annoying seeing youngsters who know no different indiscriminantly digging away to find their ferret after only a few minutes

 

on small buries i side with you

 

but how many pilot/ sight holes or even mini trenches would be dug without the locator on a railway bank warren of 60+ holes or in my case on the south downs through solid chalk ******* deep too

 

i have had my fill of taking hours sometimes to find a laid up ferret in a large/deep warren

 

As with anything responsible use is the key

 

to me it's a bit like those pigeon shooters who are lost without a magnet

 

and wouldn't know fieldcraft if it bit them in the ***

 

but i have to resign myself sometimes that times have changed and maybe it's just me getting to be an old ****

 

but at least that excuses a good rant now and again

 

cheers Tp

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Up untill this season, i never used a locator and allways waited, sometimes for hours in the frost :) , shivering to death. :(

 

I have found that, if you give the ferret time and dont go stamping all over the place ect, in most cases they will bolt.

 

But their comes a time, when i find, a locator becomes very handy indeed.

 

I give the ferts about 1/2 hour or so before i get the box out. Then still i have to get a fixed signal for another 10 mins or so, before i dig. :lol:

 

Frank.

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Hi,

 

I would never go ferreting without one. Yes I am young but the different bits of land that I ferret a collar is invaluable as it lets you keep track of your slinkies when ferreting in the brambles and hedgerows at the times of year when the undergrowth is too thick to keep track of your ferrets easily. Today I couldn't find one of poley jills for over and hour and a half as she was working a large hedgerow but I always knew roughly where she was in there although she never had a solid mark for more than 30 seconds so I didn't dig. I do like the reassurance of knowing where my ferrets are as we were near a large pipe which is at the base of the ditch which comes out metres away from a bypass so I consider it essential to know where my ferrets are as I would be absolutely devestated if I lost one working. :lol: I do completely agree about filling in holes and the occasional hole that we dig is always filled in properly. :) My jill's although they are by no means small can fit through the mesh on the nets with a mk3 collar on fine. I think these probably snag less than a bulkier mk1 collar. :(

 

FM :lol:

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I had the privilege a while back to join a group of old boys who have been ferreting for many years and will forget more than I will ever know about feretting.

 

They don't use locators although one of them has one but he is the youngest and a bit of a tackle tart.

 

In the few years I have been going out with them they have only lost one ferret and this one was always a bit of a problem.

 

What they do have, and they use it regularl, is a special tool to locate ferrets called time. We have had to wait an hour or so in the past but they do come out in the end where as I am ready to dig after 15 minutes of waiting but always get told to 'settle down son they will out when their ready'

 

If I were going out on my own I would probably use a locator and dig at every opportunity :)

 

 

 

LB

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I had the privilege a while back to join a group of old boys who have been ferreting for many years and will forget more than I will ever know about feretting.

 

They don't use locators although one of them has one but he is the youngest and a bit of a tackle tart.

 

In the few years I have been going out with them they have only lost one ferret and this one was always a bit of a problem.

 

What they do have, and they use it regularl, is a special tool to locate ferrets called time. We have had to wait an hour or so in the past but they do come out in the end where as I am ready to dig after 15 minutes of waiting but always get told to 'settle down son they will out when their ready'

 

If I were going out on my own I would probably use a locator and dig at every opportunity ;)

 

 

 

LB

 

LB

 

When i go ferreting i see it as a job to do

 

usually as part of an agreement that i keep the rabbits down in return for pigeon shooting ect

 

it's not so much a numbers game but i want to catch as much as i can on each trip

 

this means i do not want to sit around for hours on end for no gain

 

i have never lost a ferret ever, although have come close when unable to dig

 

once had my hob 10 foot up the inside a huge oak tree only knew where it was because of the detector

 

also have located them in the next bury when they've slipped out un-noticed due to heavy undergrowth

 

i am impressed with the wise words from FM one so young with a fine ferreting career ahead of him i'm sure

 

an invaluable tool and i'm sorry but those "nostalgic" days are a distant memory indeed

 

cheers Tp

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" i'm sorry but those "nostalgic" days are a distant memory indeed ".

 

Whilst you are entitled to your opinion Tosspot, I can assure you we are not referring to"nostalgic" days.

I do not know any Ferreters (and I know loads), that run their ferrets with collars on permanently.

 

What you choose to do is your business, but don't assume its the right, modern , or only way.

Because its not.

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I,ve done time on the line,many years ago,and can remember watching those knots run through my fingers and praying they would soon stop, ;) THANK GOD THEM DAYS ARE GONE!

 

There are some easy shallow places I'd be happy to work a ferret without a collar but there are some that I would never do,

 

only yesterday I ferreted a large warren that is on a piece of land that a glasshouse used to stand on,this is coverd in all sorts of rubbish,and there are brickwalls sticking out of the ground,from what i assume was the boilerhouse!

now there could have been ,and probably are some chambers that a ferret could fall into and not be able to get out of, now if my ferret had dropped down into one how would I find it ? if no rabbit was with it another ferret would'nt go to it and stay long enough to be located!

 

As it happens all was well and I took five rabbits from it without a dig,although last year when I did this warren,I did have a dig,and the rubbish that i had to go through ;)

 

I have worked some very bad places over the years,but have never lost a ferret,and can think of TWO occasions were if my ferret had not had a collar on ,I would have lost it because it was trapped,

 

Also many times I've located a ferret and not dug while the ferret was to ground,but marked the spot,and dug, once all other rabbits have bolted ,and the ferrets been lifted,and recoverd dead rabbits that were perfectly edible but would have been lost if not for the locator.

 

Well each to his own ,if people want to work ferrets without a locator,good luck to you,

 

But as far as i'm concerned locators save lives,give you piece of mind ,put more rabbits in the bag ,and make for a more enjoyable ,and efficient days Ferreting.

 

All the best to Mick.

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I had the privilege a while back to join a group of old boys who have been ferreting for many years and will forget more than I will ever know about feretting.

 

They don't use locators although one of them has one but he is the youngest and a bit of a tackle tart.

 

In the few years I have been going out with them they have only lost one ferret and this one was always a bit of a problem.

 

What they do have, and they use it regularl, is a special tool to locate ferrets called time. We have had to wait an hour or so in the past but they do come out in the end where as I am ready to dig after 15 minutes of waiting but always get told to 'settle down son they will out when their ready'

 

If I were going out on my own I would probably use a locator and dig at every opportunity ;)

 

 

 

LB

 

LB

 

When i go ferreting i see it as a job to do

 

usually as part of an agreement that i keep the rabbits down in return for pigeon shooting ect

 

it's not so much a numbers game but i want to catch as much as i can on each trip

 

this means i do not want to sit around for hours on end for no gain

 

i have never lost a ferret ever, although have come close when unable to dig

 

once had my hob 10 foot up the inside a huge oak tree only knew where it was because of the detector

 

also have located them in the next bury when they've slipped out un-noticed due to heavy undergrowth

 

i am impressed with the wise words from FM one so young with a fine ferreting career ahead of him i'm sure

 

an invaluable tool and i'm sorry but those "nostalgic" days are a distant memory indeed

 

cheers Tp

 

TP, the lot I am working with can be likened to the cast of The Last Of The Summer Wine ;) But they get there in the end.

 

We have on many occasions spent an hour or so arguing on where to start, long or pursenets, whether its worth getting the ferrets getting out or not, should we just wait until opening time ;)

 

Time is not an issue and a locator would cause us, me in particular, maximum distress.

 

Before markbivvy and co. start I am not Compo that tag lies with the one who carries the locator :xmas:

 

 

 

 

 

LB

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" i'm sorry but those "nostalgic" days are a distant memory indeed ".

 

Whilst you are entitled to your opinion Tosspot, I can assure you we are not referring to"nostalgic" days.

I do not know any Ferreters (and I know loads), that run their ferrets with collars on permanently.

 

What you choose to do is your business, but don't assume its the right, modern , or only way.

Because its not.

 

 

Entitled to my opinon

 

too right

 

i thought that the whole point of a forum such as this was to air your views

 

i take it from your rather patronising reply you do not agree

 

great, i do not agree with some of what is posted here too but i respect that others may have a differing view to mine

 

BTW i have reread my posts and for the life of me i cannot see anywhere that i run my ferrets all collared up

 

do i assume that the modern way is the only way, how pompus, i have utmost repect for anyone who gets out there and does whatever they do however they want to do it

 

i learned from my grandfather who was a warrener and my father who ferreted all his life too so i too can claim to know more than my fair share of ferreting people, my grandfather in his last years discovered the benefits of a locator and would not go out without one

 

i take great exception to your post Cranfield please feel free to delete this post as you feel appropriate as i am sure it probably dosn't conform to your way of thinking

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Ive always used collars, never lost a ferret yet from ferreting!

 

I wonder how many the people who dont use them have lost?

 

Lots me thinks

 

 

I've never used collars, never lost a ferret yet from ferreting!!!

 

I agree they are a good tool, but they are not the B all, & End all of Ferretting...

 

BJ.

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I think most are missing the point of the original rant, and that would be....."If all the people who use locators used them responsibly then this rant would not be happening. ".......no one is saying locators are bad, what is causing the grief is the lack of field craft by stomping around the warren looking to see what the ferret is doing every 5 minutes, and the rushing into digging out the ferrets instead of giving them time. !/2 an hour or an hour is not long to wait....think of all that you can see in that time.

 

If you are comfortable running a locator on your slinky at all times by all means do so, just be sure to use it responibly. If you are happy only entering a ferret with a collar after an hours wait on someone below so be it. We do not all hunt the same , run dogs the same, or enter ferrets the same. However we are all out for the same end result....to have some fun in the outdoors.

 

I do not know alot about ferreting, but in my opinion the most important things to remember are; 1) to approach the bury from the correct direction of the wind, not so that it is blowing your scent directly down the main holes. 2) to keep all noise to a mininum well approaching, netting up, and working the ferrets in the burrow.3) Keep movement to a mininum while the ferrets are working, as I believe walking around too much will keep the rabbits from bolting. And 4) probably the most important remember to pack plenty of patience and to have fun.

 

NTTF

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Within the cambridge ferret welfare and rescue society we have had very few come in with collars on too, and we get 100's in a year! and still have 100's left to rehome!

 

Its children buying them cheap, working them at 11weeks of age and loosing them and giving up on them, and escapees, and workers which have got themselves lost because of no tracking device.

 

 

Would you put a terrier in a stack to flush out a fox with no collar on, i think not!

 

Alex

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Ive always used collars, never lost a ferret yet from ferreting!

 

I wonder how many the people who dont use them have lost?

 

Lots me thinks, or sat a whole day over one warren waiting for their fluffy bundles!

 

Alex

;)

 

Alex,

 

If you bother to read my post properly you will see that I am not against locators used, as they should be. What I am against, is the indiscriminate use of the locators and the lets not wait lets have a quick dig culture that seems to have infiltrated ferreting of late

I have been ferreting for over 45 years and yes I have lost one ferret. That ferret fell down a disused mineshaft and a locator would not have stopped it being lost. I have ferreted successfully in places that people who do not know what they are doing, would not have put a ferret, even with a locator.

 

The trouble with today’s ferreters, (who think that all ferreting entails is to put a collar on a ferret and stick a few nets down,) is they want instant gratification, no learning curve, no making mistakes so that they can learn from them, as the locator covers up those mistakes. What you have to remember is I and people like myself, can ferret with or without a locator. We have the confidence and ability to not need a crutch in the shape of a locator to go ferreting.

 

As you will only go ferreting with the aid of a locator. What happens when that breaks down? Do you pack up and go home or not go out at all? Seems to me that you are very limited to what you can or can’t do. By relying on one piece of electrical equipment you are burdening yourself with constraints that should not be there. Do yourself a favour and learn how to ferret properly. You can still use a locator but as a backup not as the main tool

 

I honestly believe that the ferret locator will lead to the demise of good working ferret bloodlines. Working ferrets in the past were bred specifically for their working ability. Those that did not do the job properly where either not bred from, lost or despatched. That way bloodlines of good working ferrets were perpetuated and it could only get better.

 

With the advent of the locator those traits that were much prized in good working bloodlines are being lost to the gene pool. Now, as long as the ferret will go to ground it seems, that, is all that is necessary to call the ferret working. Bloodlines that have taken years to produce will be lost in a few short years.

 

Tiercel

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Just a quick question about your original post Tiercel !

 

How do you know it was a "**** with a locator" that dug those holes??

 

Could it not have been some **** with a liner Ferret trying to recover one rabbit?

 

as you dig more holes with a liner, than you do with a locator! do you not? ;);)

 

All the best Mick.

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Just a quick question about your original post Tiercel !

 

How do you know it was a "**** with a locator" that dug those holes??

 

Could it not have been some **** with a liner Ferret trying to recover one rabbit?

 

as you dig more holes with a liner, than you do with a locator! do you not? ;);)

 

All the best Mick.

 

You are quite right there fenlander! I just assumed it was with a locator. As no one in this area has ever to my knowledge used a liner for ferreting, since the advent of locators.

However, I know of at least half a dozen people who use locators. So I would say that it is a fair bet that someone with a locator caused the demise of this good warren. Although as you say I cannot be 100% sure.

 

Tiercel.

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Guest Patsmash
It would be better if instead of buying a locator they spent some time learning some field craft.

 

 

Tiercel

 

 

 

Hello Tiercel

how do you find and recover your ferret that has just killed or is latched on the rear end of a rabbit with fieldcraft, Some rabbits bolt some dont no matter how quiet you are. the ferret finder is best weapon in a ferreters arsenal next to the ferret if used correctly. i would recommend anyone taking up ferreting to buy a locator first before putting a ferret to ground. my opinion only each to their own ;)

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I look highly upon my 16 ferrets and wouldnt dream about loosing them, ive learnt how to ferret from good books and the internet, having not had the experience from someone to teach me!

 

All the books say use a collar, inc internet and i myself relie on it and if it doesnt work, i either fix it or abandon ferreting for the day! I mean at the end of the day its just killing rabbits.

 

And your comment on bloodlines is a complete myth! All bar 5 of my ferrets are from SHOW stock from parents who havent seen let alone kill a rabbit, and all work how a ferret should do, ie: work every hole and tunnel untill they find one! Its nothing to do with good bloodlines, any ferret if properly trained and coaxed will kill and bolt rabbits! Some take it up easier than others, but afew ferreters i know who work ferrets for a first time dont give them enough time and call it an end to the ferrets life straight away if they dont work, i blame the owners for not teaching them to work properly, its the same with dogs. My show stock currently are even better than my working stock! i dare say you believe that castrated hobs dont work aswell or spayed jills, but yes they do.

 

Anyway at the end of the day well done for being able to work ferrets without a collar and still get good results, i agree with the whole trampling over the warrens makes the rabbits not bolt, i find if i shoot over ferrets and just drop 1 of my castrated hobs in and let him work it all i get far more bolters than if i would if i had netted it, as one cant be completely silent wilst clearing bits around holes.

 

 

 

Alex

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