A sad day ferreting

[stevethefish 80]

The crew came down again for another bite of the cherry, we started back on the hedgerow we left the other day. It was that cold we really struggled to get going at first.

We estimated the temperature at about minus 14/15 seems to be the norm at the moment, the breath from our noses was freezing immediately and became big lumps of ice that we had to pick clear so we could breath, crazy.

Are we silly or what? you couldn't pay people enough to do a job like this they would refuse to do it in such low temperatures. Anyhow we started and it wasn't as good as we expected, the rabbits were scarce, I just wonder if they had gone into the deeper warrens where the cold couldn't penetrate. We had a few and then decided to have a warm drink and a sarnie, well needed at this point. It was so funny when Ray bit into his boiled egg sarnie to find that the egg had frozen solid and iced up, I chunted "freg sarni" frozen egg! get it, whatever......

Anyhow we got back to work and started to freeze our socks off again, I thought I saw a large white hare but on further examination it was a polar bear cub.....(had to keep them laughing) although these are real arctic conditions. Seeing as we were struggling a bit we decided to hit a hedgerow that has some deep sets, it was at the second one where things went wrong, we had a kill with 2 ferrets on it and it registered 4 foot, not too bad apart from the ground was that solid with ice it was unbreakable. We use a steel handled grafter when its tough going and even this would not touch it. I can honestly say that the ground was definately as hard as concrete and I know I have had to dig plenty of it. We chipped away at it and took it in turns, all 4 of us were belting the crap out of the ground with little effect but it had to be done. Eventually we got through the iced surface, it was over a foot thick and then hit solid stone, AAAAHHHH, it took us about 2 hours to get to about just under 4 foot, that may I say was hard work. Eventually we managed to break through and even then it was a struggle to get to the hole so we had to chip away at the sides to open it up more so we could get in. What seemed like forever we got there, Steve with just his legs from the knees showing cried out the ferrets are dead.

 

We all looked at each other with gutted and sad faces, these 2 ferrets were the best Stevo had and were long standing pets. Steve pulled the first ferret out, Ginger mick, he was lifeless and definately dead and then the other one, but this just had a glimmer of life. Ray quickly gave it mouth to mouth, sounds silly but needed trust me and it just started moving slightly. We gave it a good rub to massage its heart and then it went straight under the jumper of Ray to give it some warmth. I shot down the hole to examine the situation, it seemed that the rabbit had backed up in a bottle end and the ferrets had crawled over it to get to the head. They killed it and started to pull at it as they do and must have pulled it into the very tight hole creating a plug, it was very hard for Steve to pull the rabbit out of the hole and would have been impossible for the ferrets to have moved it. That is probably why they remained underground for so long, we though it strange at the time. It just makes me wonder how they got past it in the first place, unless the did it in a wider place and just dragged it there.

 

Well that really put the dampers on the situation so we decided to call it a day and more attention could then be given to the other ferret. We only managed a dozen rabbits but that was the last thing on our minds, the other ferret needed attention and that was a priority.

When Stevo got home, his missus took control of the ferret, she nursed it back to health with Stevo's tea, a bit of fillet steak egg yolk and a bit of kidney, I think I will go to theirs when I'm ill.

At least the other one survived, it was touch and go though at first, poor old ginger mick though, we will miss him on our adventures he was an excellent worker and a bit of a character.

RIP old fella.........................

a cold start............... Stevo with a stray polar bear

Half way through the dig

[Ideation 8,216]

Awwww mate thats tough. RIP Ginger Mick. It just goes to show that no matter how prepared you are and how experienced sometimes things just go wrong beyond your control and theres nothing you can do or could have done, as hard as that is to accept sometimes. Well done on acting so quick to save the other one mind, long may it live to do battle with the bunnies.

[ferrettom 0]

R.I.P GINGER MICK

[pigeonphill 69]

sorry to hear about the ferret we had one last year that came up from a warren and one of its eyes was just hanging out of the socket nothing could be done but to put it out of its suffering .when we put them to ground we all keep our fingers crossed they return safely

[fieldsportsman 107]

The crew came down again for another bite of the cherry, we started back on the hedgerow we left the other day. It was that cold we really struggled to get going at first.

We estimated the temperature at about minus 14/15 seems to be the norm at the moment, the breath from our noses was freezing immediately and became big lumps of ice that we had to pick clear so we could breath, crazy.

Are we silly or what? you couldn't pay people enough to do a job like this they would refuse to do it in such low temperatures. Anyhow we started and it wasn't as good as we expected, the rabbits were scarce, I just wonder if they had gone into the deeper warrens where the cold couldn't penetrate. We had a few and then decided to have a warm drink and a sarnie, well needed at this point. It was so funny when Ray bit into his boiled egg sarnie to find that the egg had frozen solid and iced up, I chunted "freg sarni" frozen egg! get it, whatever......

Anyhow we got back to work and started to freeze our socks off again, I thought I saw a large white hare but on further examination it was a polar bear cub.....(had to keep them laughing) although these are real arctic conditions. Seeing as we were struggling a bit we decided to hit a hedgerow that has some deep sets, it was at the second one where things went wrong, we had a kill with 2 ferrets on it and it registered 4 foot, not too bad apart from the ground was that solid with ice it was unbreakable. We use a steel handled grafter when its tough going and even this would not touch it. I can honestly say that the ground was definately as hard as concrete and I know I have had to dig plenty of it. We chipped away at it and took it in turns, all 4 of us were belting the crap out of the ground with little effect but it had to be done. Eventually we got through the iced surface, it was over a foot thick and then hit solid stone, AAAAHHHH, it took us about 2 hours to get to about just under 4 foot, that may I say was hard work. Eventually we managed to break through and even then it was a struggle to get to the hole so we had to chip away at the sides to open it up more so we could get in. What seemed like forever we got there, Steve with just his legs from the knees showing cried out the ferrets are dead.

 

We all looked at each other with gutted and sad faces, these 2 ferrets were the best Stevo had and were long standing pets. Steve pulled the first ferret out, Ginger mick, he was lifeless and definately dead and then the other one, but this just had a glimmer of life. Ray quickly gave it mouth to mouth, sounds silly but needed trust me and it just started moving slightly. We gave it a good rub to massage its heart and then it went straight under the jumper of Ray to give it some warmth. I shot down the hole to examine the situation, it seemed that the rabbit had backed up in a bottle end and the ferrets had crawled over it to get to the head. They killed it and started to pull at it as they do and must have pulled it into the very tight hole creating a plug, it was very hard for Steve to pull the rabbit out of the hole and would have been impossible for the ferrets to have moved it. That is probably why they remained underground for so long, we though it strange at the time. It just makes me wonder how they got past it in the first place, unless the did it in a wider place and just dragged it there.

 

Well that really put the dampers on the situation so we decided to call it a day and more attention could then be given to the other ferret. We only managed a dozen rabbits but that was the last thing on our minds, the other ferret needed attention and that was a priority.

When Stevo got home, his missus took control of the ferret, she nursed it back to health with Stevo's tea, a bit of fillet steak egg yolk and a bit of kidney, I think I will go to theirs when I'm ill.

At least the other one survived, it was touch and go though at first, poor old ginger mick though, we will miss him on our adventures he was an excellent worker and a bit of a character.

RIP old fella.........................

a cold start............... Stevo with a stray polar bear

Half way through the dig

sorry to hear that mate, its always hard, they become firm friends, at least the other survived

[The one 8,463]

Sad to lose ferrets at anytime ,but during the working season is a bitter blow

[stevethefish 80]

Thanks for the kind words lads, its a shame but like you say these things happen, onwards and upwards....

[pigeon640 0]

good story mate altho sad !!

 

 

all the best for future outing s

[Malt 379]

Sorry to hear the sad news but at least he went out doing what he was bred to do..

[redeye jedi 39]

R.I.P the ginger one. hard when you lose one thats worked its arse off for you.

top marks for the fast actions that certainly saved the other stinker. well done guys.

 

ATB

 

REDEYE

[airbourne 128]

bad luck mate

[auld salmon 28]

sorry to hear aboot the loss. rip ginger

[ryangolding 4]

sorry to hear that mate.

[ferrety f 23]

That a shame but at least the lad went doing what he was made for.. Hunt on little Ginger.

[ulverston moocher 60]

thats a real shit blow mate sorry to hear about the fert rip ginger mick.