Can I manage without a locator?

[Guest lavyheed]

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

 

Feckin hell mate! Are you still thinking your on your mobile textin a mate.

 

 

As for using a locator,i use one when the ferrets in a big burry or she is going to be working a while.But!.Some of the holes on my permissions are 2 holes end to end and are in the middle field and less than a foot deep and as i know these burries i don't tend to bother sticking on the collar. I have had my ferret a few years now and know how she works.

Edited October 25, 2009 by lavyheed

[ratty789 0]

locators are handy for keeping track on your ferret in big sets or anywhere the ferret could slip out unseen. down side are u digging the ferret out or the £50 collar!

[kx100 66]

I have a mk3 locator but it works [bANNED TEXT] it wants and i hav been ferreting for 2 seasons and not lost 1 yet but 1 did lay up dwn a really big bury it was 100 plus holes so we bloched them all in and went back the next mornging and ther she was but out of the bury sitting and ca.me running up to us

[ferret-boy 44]

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.

 

are you f*****g stupid use [bANNED TEXT] common sense if ur ferret backs a rabbit up on a stop end how are you going to find out where it is?!!?! obv u need 1

[heritage 202]

im afraid i seem to be the only one in favour of using a locator, in fact i never put a ferret to ground without one. i am an experienced ferreter and have used all the " old school " methods mentioned above. collar and line ? even before the locator a collar and line was rubbish, very hard work and more digging than required, listening with a probe ? now thats just an old wives tale, trenching.......(whatever next ) if your out for a days ferreting the addition of a collar/ box is , i think an essential piece of kit. if you do get a ferret lie up then locate it,dig it out and move on. now i know that you all think that im the spade at the ready type but i can assure you im not. and as for using a cage trap ???? what next the drop pit,an open carry box ?? when your expecting your ferret to work hard and take a potentiall beating below ground then the purchase of a collar/box is nothing. embrace the technology we have, its there to make life easier for us and the ferrets !!!! looks like im the one whos in for the flaming now atb.

[para1 11]

im afraid i seem to be the only one in favour of using a locator, in fact i never put a ferret to ground without one. i am an experienced ferreter and have used all the " old school " methods mentioned above. collar and line ? even before the locator a collar and line was rubbish, very hard work and more digging than required, listening with a probe ? now thats just an old wives tale, trenching.......(whatever next ) if your out for a days ferreting the addition of a collar/ box is , i think an essential piece of kit. if you do get a ferret lie up then locate it,dig it out and move on. now i know that you all think that im the spade at the ready type but i can assure you im not. and as for using a cage trap ???? what next the drop pit,an open carry box ?? when your expecting your ferret to work hard and take a potentiall beating below ground then the purchase of a collar/box is nothing. embrace the technology we have, its there to make life easier for us and the ferrets !!!! looks like im the one whos in for the flaming now atb.

In my opinion all you have said is correct But the question was do i need a locater and the answer is no you don't.Had the question been will I lose my ferret the answer is quite likely.Will I have to wait for my ferret to reappear the answer yes sometimes for hours.

To some this is the enjoyment of ferreting and I know that in a few hours time I find that my locater isn't working it will not stop me from going ferreting.P1

[Halfinch 51]

You don't NEED to have a locator to go ferreting, but it is a superb piece of kit to have when the situation arises that it is needed, as Para said, you are going to be more likely to lose a ferret if you don't use a collar.

 

I know that people say ferreting has been done long before locators were around, but eating was being done long before ovens were around, just because it can be done doesn't mean it is the best way to go.

 

And another plus is that you will inevitably get more rabbits, as you will be able to dig the ones out that have been killed underground.

 

You'll make your own mind up, but whatever you decide, good luck with your ferreting.

[heritage 202]

what you say in your reply is spot on, you are right, you dont need a locator /collar to go ferreting. i think that its advisable (especially for beginners ) to suggest best working practices. not many newcomers would know what to do to best recover a laid up ferret, and having learned the hard way myself , i feel that the wearing of a collar can only be benificial to both ferrets and there human hunting partners. im glad to see that some of the practices suggested above are falling by the wayside ( the wearing of bells ect) as when compared to the fitting of a collar there a poor and in-affective means of recovering a ferret. happy hunting, HERITAGE

[Edgar 1]

Well I

[Edgar 1]

Well I do seem to have asked a controversial question. The point was I simply can't afford a locator, can't afford to spend a couple of hundred pounds a hobby. I had already made up my mind I was going ferreting without one but wanted to hear what other people did. I can see a locator is definitely a handy piece of kit. But even a locator could break. And the ground can be almost impossible to dig even if you do know where it is. Why is the cage trap not going to work if I have to leave a ferret behind?

I did go ferreting the other day, a small warren with seven holes. Caught 2 rabbits. Very pleased. But I realize this doesn't prove anything.

[para1 11]

Well I do seem to have asked a controversial question. The point was I simply can't afford a locator, can't afford to spend a couple of hundred pounds a hobby. I had already made up my mind I was going ferreting without one but wanted to hear what other people did. I can see a locator is definitely a handy piece of kit. But even a locator could break. And the ground can be almost impossible to dig even if you do know where it is. Why is the cage trap not going to work if I have to leave a ferret behind?

I did go ferreting the other day, a small warren with seven holes. Caught 2 rabbits. Very pleased. But I realize this doesn't prove anything.

 

Go for it mate (2 traps beter than one)with a bit of common sence there is no resaon why they won't work.

Lift your ferrets well before dark happy hunting.P1

[heritage 202]

hi mate,im not saying cage traps wont work, in that situation there fine and do exactly what there designed to do. people generally carry them as a last resort but i think that being designed as they are (mesh)they dont offer much protection for a trapped ferret. there normally covered with a bag,stuffed with straw ect.... but if the weather was to turn once you had left and the ferret was indeed caught then it faces a long night of being exposed to the elements. chances are that if things got real bad,snow/sleet/winds ect than you would return to recover a dead ferret. we opted for a homemade trap that was exactly the same in design, it was constructed from materials commonly used to produce carry boxes and the best thing was the cost......nothing. this isnt gospel, just my opinion. (preparing myself for a blazing) atb HERITAGE

[para1 11]

hi mate,I'm not saying cage traps wont work, in that situation there fine and do exactly what there designed to do. people generally carry them as a last resort but i think that being designed as they are (mesh)they dint offer much protection for a trapped ferret. there normally covered with a bag,stuffed with straw ect.... but if the weather was to turn once you had left and the ferret was indeed caught then it faces a long night of being exposed to the elements. chances are that if things got real bad,snow/sleet/winds ect than you would return to recover a dead ferret. we opted for a homemade trap that was exactly the same in design, it was constructed from materials commonly used to produce carry boxes and the best thing was the cost......nothing. this isnt gospel, just my opinion. (preparing myself for a blazing) atb HERITAGE

 

Just dig the hole out and put the cage inside not exposed put grass or bracken around it.Go back at first light always worked for me.P1

[Edgar 1]

Yes I was planning to cover the cage with gorse or whatever to help keep the ferret warm. Anyway I hope I won't need to.