Ferrets showing me how its done!

[Joe67 239]

Remember am new to ferreting,some mistakes were made but ive learnt from them.

 

I decided last night i was gonna take the 2 hobs out this morning and see how they get on,i didnt know the last owner so didnt know if these ferrets were good workers or not.I left the hoose about 7am and walked across to small woods not far away,i soon came across the first set of burrows holes and started to put down the nets,then i came across a mixi rabbit,any other rabbit would have bolted by now but this sat there for about 5 minutes while i put nets down,once i got really close it bolted.

 

Heres the mixi:

 

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So after netting all the holes it was time to send in bud and wiser,i put bud in first then put wiser in further along,wiser didnt do much at first i could see him sitting just inside the burrow hole for 1-2 mins,while every few minutes i seen bud sticking his head out one burrow then going back in.At this point i thought i had one worker and one lazy fooker.Wiser later disapeared then then not long after one rabbit bolted out a burrow,WTF i was sure i covered them all!I still couldnt find were this rabbit bolted from and then bud got stuck in the net,justas i tryed to help he got free and went back in,and then guess what,another rabbit bolted,i later found the burrow under lots of deadwood next to atree.I spent some more time there then the hobs didnt want to go back in so i moved on.

 

I found the next burrow not far away,as i moved closer to start putting the nets down one rabbit bolted,i then netted all the burrow holes then double checked i never missed any this time then put the 2 hobs in,few minutes later one a rabbit hit one of the nets,i picked the rabbit up but it was tangled in the net with wiser stuck to it,wiser wouldnt let go of the rabbit for abit then finaly did,i then grabed the rabbit from behind the neck and grabed its back legs,steched.At this point i thought the rabbit was dead so i put it down on the ground,the fooker got up and bolted!I tryed this burrow abit longer then the hobs lost interst so i moved on.

 

Not long after i found a small burrow with about 4 holes so tryed that,after a while the hobs refused to go back in.

 

I decided id try one more burrow then head home,i netted the burrow holes then sent in the hobs.After 5-10 mins a rabbit bolted and hit the net.This one was alittle easyer to free from the net,this time i was sure i wouldnt make the same mistake twice,i grabed the rabbit by the back of neck and grabed the back legs and streched it,thought i heard it cracking then i put it down,then the fooker bolted!

 

So in the end i was happy with both hobs,i had doubts about one at first but was proved wrong later,infact they done there job was me who fooked up with the rabbits/netting,i know what some of you might say about the rabbits,i made a mistake,next time it wont happen.

Edited March 4, 2011 by Joe67

[jmilam08 193]

Try gripping them round the back of kneck and pushing there chin up with the other hand until u feel the break I find this the easiest way for me to do it.you can pit there head thru the mesh of the net to [bANNED TEXT] doing it this way so you ain't gota worry about them bolting.

Edited March 4, 2011 by jmilam08

[The one 8,481]

A good honest post but ive a feeling your going to get ripped

[Joe67 239]

A good honest post but ive a feeling your going to get ripped

every chance mate,gotta have a laugh i expected alittle hastle for not killing the rabbits quick and easy..

Edited March 4, 2011 by Joe67

[lost scouse 46]

alright my mate i dont take them out the net to dispatch them and as has been said put your hand round its neck firmly with the other hand put the heel of your palm under its chin and push up hope this helps Degsy

[Rake aboot 4,935]

"A good honest post but ive a feeling your going to get ripped"

 

 

 

Not by me mate

 

Well done Joe, for getting oot and trying it, Glad it went well.

It can be a bit ovva knack to dispatching them but you`ll get it.

 

Sounds like you have done well with the ferrets though!

 

Maybe I`ll come up and show you how it`s done bud !! lol

 

ATB

[terrierone 32]

been said honest post , put my hand up ,, i done the same last week it BOLTED,,, BUT WE ALL LEARN IN THE END,, ATB T1

[Jamie m 668]

I was out today dug a rabbit it's neck snaped like a twig then u remembers I'd dropped one two or three weeks earlier there's no shame matey we all make the oddmistake , you could chop with your hand at the back of the head and neck a couple of times that works to , oh and when you put it on the ground keep hold of the back legs just incase, save it running off , good post

[wilson4347 5]

Well done for getting out matey!!!!!

[Joe67 239]

Aye ill try the chop next time,are the rabbits likly to return to those burrows?I dont have a finder sorted yet,they aint cheap!but am tempted to try those ones again

Edited March 4, 2011 by Joe67

[f mac 40]

it aint hard joe just takes a few trips to get used to it [bANNED TEXT] ,i use the chop just because its the way i learned and it stuck u can always break its back and get pissed on if u like

[theferreter 311]

well done mate for getting out and giving it a go practice makes perfect

[darbo 4,776]

as with everything you learn through experience. nobody knows it all especially when your first starting out. keep at it and good luck.

[Ideation 8,216]

Heres a tip mate. Try holding the rabbit by the back legs, hanging down, in the left hand, with the rabbits back pointing to your right and its belly to your left. Then with your right hand, hold your fingers together and give a sharp, firm, decisive chop to the back of its neck/head. One chop should kill it, but you can tell because when it is alive the ears will lie along its back, and when it dies its ears will flop down to point out at right angles to the body. Does that make sense? You can also do this is the net which is what i do, kill quick, spare net on and untangle while waiting for the next bolt.

[Joe67 239]

I went up with the 2 hobs again this morning for just over a hour,i tryed one of the burrows from yesterday but after a few minutes the hobs lost interest,so i searched for another burrow and found a couple of decent sized ones next to each other,it was really over grown and a bast... to get the nets down,because it was so spread out and overgrown i only put the one hob down so it would be easyer to keep track/find him.Not long after one rabbit bolted and somehow got past the net(think i need to clear the area around the hole better before i put the nets down).Anyway i fixed that and put the hob back in,after a few mins i could hear thumping below,it sounded like the rabbit was giving the hob the run around,so i thought fook it and put the other hob in at the other side and after a few minutes i watched a rabbits face just touch the net,then it started to move back slowly and turned around so i stuck my hand in and draged it out and guess what what stuck to its neck...After 2-4 mins the hob let go and this time i grabed the rabbit by the back of the neck and pushed its head back,easyer than before(thanks for the help).

 

After that i packed up,i was happy enough with the one rabbit this time the hobs get a good meal for the hard work(if possible ill sneak some out the hutch for the jill later)i also had to leave because one of the wee fookers chewed through the mesh on the carrying box,had to walk about with a broken slab over it that i found in woods

 

Good scran for the hobs:

 

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Edited March 5, 2011 by Joe67