Listening Sticks - Have I had a good idea, or has anyone beat me to it????

[rosspti 2]

My work involves some Estate Management and a year or two back I was walking some land with a chap from the Water company as we thought that there was a burst pipe / leak somewhere underground. He had a tool called a Listening Stick, like these..

 

http://www.msfengineering.co.uk/proddetail.asp?prod=MSF05

 

http://www.lowflo.ie/products/leak-detecti...istening-sticks

 

You poke the end spike in the ground, and then put your ear to the wooden knob. You can year the hissing of a tiny water leak to help find the pipe, and you can even hear water just flowing through the pipes from a fair way offf. I was thinking about this the other day and suddenly had a "Eureka" moment, thinking that this tool could be very useful for ferretting...

 

My idea is that as soon as you put in the ferret, you could listen through this and hear as soon as a rabbit started to run or as soon as the ferret made a kill. Once stuck in the ground, you could leave it there and just come back when you want to listen. I often put my ear to the ground over a suspected kill / lie up and hear the crunching of ferrets tucking into bunnies, or scuffles in a stop end, and thought this tool might allow ferreters to hear the action right from the start.

 

What do you think??? Anyone tried it? I was amazed at how far away we could hear the hissing waterpipe, so rampaging bunnies and ferrets should be pretty loud!

 

I am NOT suggesting this would be a replacement for a locator - just an ADDITIONAL tool.

Edited August 3, 2009 by rosspti

[Coatesy900 0]

Looks like something that could be homemade too, which would save £23... Never heard of this before, but sounds like a good idea. I usually end up sticking my head halffway down the nearest hole to try and hear whats happening, and its only a matter of time before I end up with a speeding rabbit ploughing into my ear.

[Coatesy900 0]

After a little extra research, it apppears the metal end of the stick has to be pressed into the ground and actually touching the pipe so that the sound of a high-pressure leak travels along the pipe, up the steel rod and to your ear. With that in mind, im not sure it would work as i cant see the ground carrying sound as well as a metal water pipe...

[stealthy1 3,964]

Only one way to find out, give it a go and see what happens

[rosspti 2]

Hi

 

Just to confirm... the one I used could hear the hissing pipe from about 20 yards away across the fields.

 

I think the knocking and crunching of ferrets and bunnies at play together should be quite easy to hear.

 

Think I will get one just for fun.

[Kay 3,709]

Dont really see the point if you use a locator , cant see it being any use to anyone unless the ferret stays in one place & even if you can hear whats going on how do you know where to dig if you cant pinpoint the ferrets location

[punydan 0]

The guy I got my ferrets off has a steel pole with a ring at one end, supposedly to amplify. He says his dad use to use it to locate and probe. My friend tried and couldn't get the hang of it, besides he's got a locator.

[Young Chud 1]

nice thought but ill stick with my mk3

[droid 11]

Sounds like a version of the old 'screwdriver to crankcase' trick for identifying unhelpful noises from an engine

[Guest Countryboyo]

This method is already practised by some terriermen

[stealthy1 3,964]

Could the stick be used before you enter ferrets, to see if you can hear any thing moving around?

[rosspti 2]

Stealthy - that's a good idea!

 

I would NOT consider that this would in any way replace a locator. I have a MK3 and although expensive, I wouldn't be without it. I know some people have had problems with it, but I much prefer it to the MK1 and find it dead simple to use.

 

The reason for my interest in the Listening Stick is that

 

A) I like the idea of hearing better what's going on down there!! I think it could help build a picture of how many rabbits are down there, or whether the ferrets are chasing any around, etc. We all love to hear the thump of a rabbit about to bolt!!

 

I like digging, but not unnecessarily! If a ferret is still in one place for a long time (as shown on the locator), I often put an ear to the ground to establish whether the ferret is on a kill or brawling with rabbits, or trying to get to a rabbit in a stop end. If a listening stick made it easier to hear then it could help when deciding whether to dig, and whether we need to be ready to grab a couple live ones in a stop end, etc.

 

Just a thought.

Edited July 31, 2009 by rosspti

[The one 8,482]

Think i will stick with my locator but wasn,t this methord used with the long spades they used in days of old

[Guest Countryboyo]

Think i will stick with my locator but wasn,t this methord used with the long spades they used in days of old

 

Ya ear to the handle

[AL BUNDY 45]

if you could attach a camera to it it would allow you to see whats going on as well you could call it television.