steve123 29 Posted May 1, 2011 Report Share Posted May 1, 2011 How many ferrets do you think are living in the wild, i ask this as over the last 4 months my lurcher has killed five in her kennel and run , three hobs and two gills, i dont know why they all go in there as my ferrets are bout 30 yards from her. she is ok with my ferrets when we go out but does not tolerate these feral ones at all. This last one was quite a big hob 1.3kg about 3 lbs Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ideation 8,216 Posted May 1, 2011 Report Share Posted May 1, 2011 How many ferrets do you think are living in the wild, i ask this as over the last 4 months my lurcher has killed five in her kennel and run , three hobs and two gills, i dont know why they all go in there as my ferrets are bout 30 yards from her. she is ok with my ferrets when we go out but does not tolerate these feral ones at all. This last one was quite a big hob 1.3kg about 3 lbs Do you live in a town or rural? That looks like a ferret rather than a polecat. There are wild populations, but not around in wales mate. Very wierd to get so many, all polecat looking? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
steve123 29 Posted May 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2011 How many ferrets do you think are living in the wild, i ask this as over the last 4 months my lurcher has killed five in her kennel and run , three hobs and two gills, i dont know why they all go in there as my ferrets are bout 30 yards from her. she is ok with my ferrets when we go out but does not tolerate these feral ones at all. This last one was quite a big hob 1.3kg about 3 lbs Do you live in a town or rural? That looks like a ferret rather than a polecat. There are wild populations, but not around in wales mate. Very wierd to get so many, all polecat looking? hi its a village with some woods nearby , not many wild rabbitts close, yes i agree with you its more ferret than polecat ive seen wild polecats dead on the road and once bolted a very dark ferret or polecat from a warren but all these are of a similar colour ,one was quite alot lighter than this one . this boy was a bit scarred up and his coat a bit scraggy but otherwise in good condition , i can only imagine that they are breeding locally because the amount found , i used to do a milkround a few years ago and found an escaped ferret but that was one nasty ferret . i find it strange that they keep going into the lurchers run as i have only found them dead in there. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ideation 8,216 Posted May 1, 2011 Report Share Posted May 1, 2011 Bit weird that on all accounts. I would say someone was dumping them, but that's a lot, and over what period of time? How are they getting into the lurchers run? Any way you could block it off, or maybe set a cage trap with some meat and see what you get, at least that way you might be able to tell how wild they were. And i would slightly worry about the dog getting too used to killing ferrets. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Malt 379 Posted May 1, 2011 Report Share Posted May 1, 2011 There's been a few turn up round here lately, although they were very tame.. I'm wondering if it's the product of today's society & they're being dumped at the season's end. A fiver's feck all to pay for a new ferret kit when you don't have to look after them in the summer. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ideation 8,216 Posted May 1, 2011 Report Share Posted May 1, 2011 There's been a few turn up round here lately, although they were very tame.. I'm wondering if it's the product of today's society & they're being dumped at the season's end. A fiver's feck all to pay for a new ferret kit when you don't have to look after them in the summer. Aye and hat kind of mentality tells you all you need to know about the person doesn't it Had a few ferals that have become good workers, that survival instinct is strong i guess. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
socks 32,253 Posted May 1, 2011 Report Share Posted May 1, 2011 How many ferrets do you think are living in the wild, i ask this as over the last 4 months my lurcher has killed five in her kennel and run , three hobs and two gills, i dont know why they all go in there as my ferrets are bout 30 yards from her. she is ok with my ferrets when we go out but does not tolerate these feral ones at all. This last one was quite a big hob 1.3kg about 3 lbs Do you live in a town or rural? That looks like a ferret rather than a polecat. There are wild populations, but not around in wales mate. Very wierd to get so many, all polecat looking? there is a strong polecat population in qwest wales .......... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
steve123 29 Posted May 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2011 i think i will try and put some smaller mesh around the bottom of the run as i too am worried she will take a liking to my own ferrets. she has caught a couple of big rats too in there. in some ways i am gld she has caught them as i have a few chickens that i free range in the day and i bow my hawk out . i have a couple of rat traps permanantly set around but have only caught rats in them. i will try and pick up some live catch ones and see how i go. i dont know if these are tame or wild as i havent found a live one yet but if i do get a live one i will try and keep it for use. cheers steve Quote Link to post Share on other sites
micky 3,325 Posted May 1, 2011 Report Share Posted May 1, 2011 How many ferrets do you think are living in the wild, i ask this as over the last 4 months my lurcher has killed five in her kennel and run , three hobs and two gills, i dont know why they all go in there as my ferrets are bout 30 yards from her. she is ok with my ferrets when we go out but does not tolerate these feral ones at all. This last one was quite a big hob 1.3kg about 3 lbs Quote Link to post Share on other sites
steve123 29 Posted May 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2011 was this an escaped one did you manage to catch it Quote Link to post Share on other sites
micky 3,325 Posted May 1, 2011 Report Share Posted May 1, 2011 was this an escaped one did you manage to catch it i catch two or three every year in traps,this one was caught in a rabbit snare,its in Norfolk now and its just had a litter of two,i dont no why it went in the wire as it was set so high ,it must have ran down the run tasting the air, and come a cropper. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
steve123 29 Posted May 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2011 nice one , i think there are more out there than we realise. cheers Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Malt 379 Posted May 1, 2011 Report Share Posted May 1, 2011 How many ferrets do you think are living in the wild, i ask this as over the last 4 months my lurcher has killed five in her kennel and run , three hobs and two gills, i dont know why they all go in there as my ferrets are bout 30 yards from her. she is ok with my ferrets when we go out but does not tolerate these feral ones at all. This last one was quite a big hob 1.3kg about 3 lbs Do you live in a town or rural? That looks like a ferret rather than a polecat. There are wild populations, but not around in wales mate. Very wierd to get so many, all polecat looking? there is a strong polecat population in qwest wales .......... I've seen them here in Pembrokeshire. One ran across the road in front of me with some prey dangling from it's jaws last year. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ideation 8,216 Posted May 1, 2011 Report Share Posted May 1, 2011 How many ferrets do you think are living in the wild, i ask this as over the last 4 months my lurcher has killed five in her kennel and run , three hobs and two gills, i dont know why they all go in there as my ferrets are bout 30 yards from her. she is ok with my ferrets when we go out but does not tolerate these feral ones at all. This last one was quite a big hob 1.3kg about 3 lbs Do you live in a town or rural? That looks like a ferret rather than a polecat. There are wild populations, but not around in wales mate. Very wierd to get so many, all polecat looking? there is a strong polecat population in qwest wales .......... I meant feral ferrets mate, don't know of any sizable populations of definate ferrets, rather than wild poleys, but of course i could be wrong We get the wild poleys here as well in the south Quote Link to post Share on other sites
woody 99 Posted May 1, 2011 Report Share Posted May 1, 2011 i saw one the other night but it was dark polecat type Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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