A days ferreting.
Fred, is a friend who has been working ferrets long before I was born. This day we took 3 of his Jill ferrets.
Ferreting can be a muddy and painful job, especially about hedge rows.
Using stealth, the extent of the warren needs to be assessed, the burrows and bolt holes located, the nets laid, having previously carefully removed litter and snags; preparation and attention to detail is essential.
When all is prepared, the ferret is placed at a netted hole, and it will enter if it wants to, ferrets will not be forced .
Stand clear of the burrows, so as not to be seen by an escaping rabbit, and wait, maintaining silence.
Often noise can be heard as the rabbit is pursued below ground and with luck it will emerge and be caught in a net. A spare net is laid to replace the net with the captured rabbit. Next the rabbit killed by firmly pushing its head back with one hand, holding the rabbits neck with the other. The rabbit is then “paunched” which is to squeeze the urine from its bladder and next“legged”, by tucking a rear leg through a slit cut in the other. Hang the rabbit from a suitable object and allowed to cool, to make its gutting clean and simple.
Occasionally a ferret will stay down a burrow and digging will be needed to extract it Another ferret with a radio collar is inserted and it will either drive out the other; or stay with it, enabling radio location to find its position so a hole can be carefully dug allowing the ferret and rabbit’s can be extraction. Often the disturbance of digging will drive out the ferret.
Ferreting can be a muddy and painful job, especially about hedge rows.
Using stealth, the extent of the warren needs to be assessed, the burrows and bolt holes located, the nets laid, having previously carefully removed litter and snags; preparation and attention to detail is essential.
When all is prepared, the ferret is placed at a netted hole, and it will enter if it wants to, ferrets will not be forced .
Stand clear of the burrows, so as not to be seen by an escaping rabbit, and wait, maintaining silence.
Often noise can be heard as the rabbit is pursued below ground and with luck it will emerge and be caught in a net. A spare net is laid to replace the net with the captured rabbit. Next the rabbit killed by firmly pushing its head back with one hand, holding the rabbits neck with the other. The rabbit is then “paunched” which is to squeeze the urine from its bladder and next“legged”, by tucking a rear leg through a slit cut in the other. Hang the rabbit from a suitable object and allowed to cool, to make its gutting clean and simple.
Occasionally a ferret will stay down a burrow and digging will be needed to extract it Another ferret with a radio collar is inserted and it will either drive out the other; or stay with it, enabling radio location to find its position so a hole can be carefully dug allowing the ferret and rabbit’s can be extraction. Often the disturbance of digging will drive out the ferret.