Can I manage without a locator?

[Edgar 1]

Hi all,

I have bought 5 ferrets. 4 jills and a hob, built them a good big run, had the hob vasectomised, bought some nets and made a load more. The bottom line being I cannot afford a locator. I do not want to catch hundreds of rabbits when I go ferreting just have a good days sport. I don't mind waiting an hour or 2 for a ferret to surface. I also have a live catch rat trap, (the one with the door activated by a treadle not the multi catch one) and thought I could set this to catch a ferret if I absolutely had to go home without one of my ferrets. Can I manage with out a locator? Do you? What can I do to minimise the risk of a ferret lying up or retrieve one that has without a locator? Any help much appreciated.

[scothunter 12,609]

simple answer is yes.I do it,in fact i bought a locator last year but got rid as it was doing ma nut in lol

all the advice i can give you is give your ferts a small feed just to take the hunger of them.Be very quiet near the burrows avoid thumping around.And dont do a warren that is heavy in gorse or overgrown as one of your critters might make his escape.just be alert more than usual.good luck happy hunting

 

 

oh if you get a lie up and you not sure about the dig.just block off all the holes and sure as christ when you go back and open it up you will be greasted by a familar wee face.only use the latter as a last resort

Edited October 13, 2009 by scothunter

[Quixote 9]

You'll manage fine without one mate! After all, ferts have been used for a long time before they were invented

 

Just make sure they're not hungry before a trip & you'll be fine................I've got two Mk1's, & the number I've times I've felt I really need to use them I can count on one hand.

 

If you do get a lay-up, an old-fashioned, but effective, trick is to open the paunch of a rabbit, but leave the gut in place, & shove it down a hole as far as your arm will reach.........the fresher scent will more often than not lure the fert away from its kill & you'll be able to feel the tugs.

 

Like I said though, a locator really isn't essential, despite the flaming I'll no doubt receive in a minute

[Malt 379]

You'll manage fine without one mate! After all, ferts have been used for a long time before they were invented

 

Just make sure they're not hungry before a trip & you'll be fine................I've got two Mk1's, & the number I've times I've felt I really need to use them I can count on one hand.

 

If you do get a lay-up, an old-fashioned, but effective, trick is to open the paunch of a rabbit, but leave the gut in place, & shove it down a hole as far as your arm will reach.........the fresher scent will more often than not lure the fert away from its kill & you'll be able to feel the tugs.

 

Like I said though, a locator really isn't essential, despite the flaming I'll no doubt receive in a minute

You won't get a flaming from me mate, I don't use one very often either.

[shotgunandy 2]

they can be a useful bit of kit mate but not essential.

if your ferret does lay up and none of the above suggestions work, put another ferret in and they will knock the first one off the rabbit. the second ferret should not lay up

[scothunter 12,609]

they can be a useful bit of kit mate but not essential.

if your ferret does lay up and none of the above suggestions work, put another ferret in and they will knock the first one off the rabbit. the second ferret should not lay up

 

used to have an old hob that would that move my jills on.sadly he died at start of summer.

[solostoke 1]

i think locator is best for findin when a ferret has bottled a few up in a stop. mine always come out after a while or "fish" them out as mentioned above lol

[theferreter 311]

you will manage ok with out a locator youll just have 2 wait abit longer on your ferret surfacing or as the scothunter says use a big hob as a shifter 2 push the smaller jills of the kill you could always check ebay and u might get a cheap locator

[comanche 2,942]

It helps to know your individual ferrets temperaments . Some are quick ,will kill and lie-up on a regular basis . With the use of locators this is'nt such a big deal especially where the digging is easy . Others tend to be a bit less predatory and even if they get a rabbit in a stop-end will often lose interest .These are often the ones that are slow to start but they become gold-dust after a couple of years and are the ones that can be put into the more difficult burrows with a degree of confidence .

 

An old fashioned collar and line can be a cheap and simple addition and is especialy usefull if you know a rabbit is lying only a short dig away but yo can't quite pinpoint it .

Edited October 14, 2009 by comanche

[niall_b73 41]

hi there,

i use three hobs for my ferreting. i have a mk3 locator but the land i ferret is sandy dunes on the coast so the burrows do run very deep and the dig would be a bit much.

i have had 2 occasions so far when 1 of my ferrets has not appeared and after a while i just put another ferret in and it seem to move him on.

the longest i have had to wait was just over an hour n a half

but the have always came back thankfully

 

niall_b73

[The one 8,467]

Of course you can ferret with out a locator i think there bring about the death of the old skills as folk don't see the ferret for five minutes out with the box then spade in hand . Just pick a nice frost morning try not to make to much noise or walk on the burrow keep down wind and finish before it gets dark there's no guarantees in this game but these bits of advice might help

[rigboot 0]

What about using a probe to help listen to what's going on underneath?

 

When I first started I was like you, couldn't afford a locator and found the probe (basic stainless bar with T-Handle)2 feet long or there abouts, was pretty accurate in following the fert or coney's progress and not pin point but helped with starting a dig

 

Sometime a good dog will also be able to tip a wink aswell, intuition, just like women sometimes! My old mentors dog would know where the action was all the time and usually, not always mind, but usually predict the area where the next bolt would be from too.

 

rb

[elmurfudd 0]

i have never used a locater dont belive in them i like to do it old school style. as someone earlier says giv your ferrets a good feed before u go out and 90% of the time mines usually come out by themselves. but if u do hv to go on ome, fill the holes in and by sure [bANNED TEXT] u go bk nxt mornin the wee bugger should be waitin on u. hail to the hunters.lol

[lilpip1234 62]

yea you can mate i have a locator and very rarely do i use it only if im on massive burys otherwise i just use my little bell collar lets me know if they've surfaced, i also give them a little feed before i go i find it stops them killing down

[para1 11]

As above mate you don't need a locater,I have found that older jills have a tendency to kill and stay more than young jills.Yes feed before you take them out.

Good hunting mate. P1