'European' Polecats.

[Green Island Hunter 28]

Interesting thread, the whole Eu. thing always polarizes opinion whether on a working forum or a pet forum.

 

I've one of each, the ferret was bought from someone on here and has just turned 3 years old. The Eu kit is 14 weeks old in these pictures.

I don't work ferrets now but did for several years in the past.

 

 

both look like fu-king ferrets to me, what a load of f.uking bull-shit!!

[rapidjenky 97]

ive got a jill off my mate which he had a couple of litters from but dident want no more so i took her on. im sure she is a euro, or part one anyway. he said she was a wild polecat lol

i also have a half bread hob which i got last year as i kit. he worked his ticket most of the time last year but has settled down now and worked really well last sunday. i think he has matured abit lol and should be ready for this season.

 

will get a couple of pics.

 

to be honest i couldent give a toss whats in em as long as they graft. i have 5 ferrets different colours but there all ferrets!

[rapidjenky 97]

the jill, around 4 years old, just come out of season.

 

my half x hob, coming up a year.

[barry lurcher 27]

Johnny Birks of The Vincent Wildlife Trust

The polecat, the mammalogists' spiritual equivalent of the quintessentially Welsh Red Kite, is recovering well in Britain. That is one conclusion from a major study recently published by The Vincent Wildlife Trust (VWT). The report, The Distribution and Status of the Polecat Mustela putorius in Britain in the 1990s, by Johnny Birks and Andrew Kitchener, includes a review of previous distribution surveys, the findings of a new survey, development of a method to monitor variations in abundance based on live-trapping by volunteers, a summary of the relationship between polecats and ferrets, and a description of a study of polecat ecology on lowland farmland in England (part of which was carried out in Worcestershire).

The VWT distribution survey produced over one thousand records from the 1990s, 68% of which were road casualties. Many of these were collected by naturalists (thanks to all who helped in Worcestershire) for us to confirm their identity as either true polecats or ferret hybrids. Records of true polecats came from 228 'new' 10-km squares (several of which were in Worcestershire), confirming continuation of the encouraging recovery after near-extinction at the beginning of this century. Worcestershire is now completely repopulated by true polecats (a process which probably began in the far west of the county in the 1960s), although feral ferrets and hybrids will always occur from time to time as a result of ferrety escapes or releases.

for the diagrams please buy a copy of the printed version of Worcs Record

Figure 1. The caption is on the figure. However the reproduction method may not show the populations derived from introductions clearly. They are clearly defined in Scotland, the Lake District, and the SE band running SW-NE across England away from the growing Welsh population.

The latest survey suggests a dramatic 93% increase since 1991 in the area occupied by polecats in Britain. However, only some 30% of this is thought to represent 'real' range expansion. The remainder amounted to 'catching up' following a period of conservative recording which had not reflected the true extent of the expanding range, nor the establishment of new populations derived from re-introduction's since 1970 (now occupying 87 10-km squares). The understandable confusion with feral ferrets and mink, and assumptions about the polecat being mainly confined to Wales probably explain past reticence to report polecats in the Midlands. Notably, the VWT survey indicates that the polecat occurs in more 10-km squares in England than in Wales. Reduced persecution and the post-myxomatosis recovery of rabbits, a favoured prey, are thought to be the main factors behind the polecat's continuing advance. Clearly the polecat's recovery has much in common with that of the buzzard.

for the diagrams please buy a copy of the printed version of Worcs Record

Figure 2. The caption is on the figure, which should be viewed in relation to figure 1

All possible polecat corpses collected were processed by the National Museums of Scotland where, among many valuable studies, work on the confusing 'ferret question' was carried out. Skins were scored and skulls measured from polecats and ferrets from many parts of Britain, and compared with those from 'pure' Welsh animals to determine where else true polecats still survived. Despite increasing evidence of hybridisation with ferrets as one moved East through the polecat's range, true Welsh-type animals were found throughout Wales, in the English Midlands, and in populations derived from re-introduction's. True polecats are now re-established in the Midlands by natural spread at least as far east as a line through Macclesfield, Northampton and Oxford, and through re-introduction's to Argyll, Cumbria, the Chilterns and parts of Hampshire and Wiltshire in central southern England.

Studies of mitochondrial DNA at the University of Leeds revealed two geographically distinct lineages in British polecats and feral ferrets that probably reflect the past history of hybridisation. However, this work also showed just how closely related the two forms are, adding weight to the view that the ferret is simply a domesticated variant of the wild polecat. Domestication in ferrets involved selection against many of the predatory and survival skills found in wild polecats. As a consequence the ferret is severely disadvantaged in the feral state, so there is likely to be selection for the polecat phenotype in all wild populations. This is expected to limit the damaging effects, in terms of polecat conservation, of hybridisation with ferrets.

To improve understanding of the polecat's recovery, a monitoring exercise based on live-trapping by volunteers was developed and tested. 136 1-km squares of the Ordnance Survey grid were each live-trapped for seven nights. Significant regional variations in trapping success were recorded, with squares near to the species' historical stronghold more likely to catch polecats. The trapping data revealed a positive association with rabbit abundance, and a negative association with areas of high road density. It seems likely that polecat mortality on Britain's roads may be high enough in some areas to cause population effects; this may explain why the species has still not re-established itself fully in the valleys of South Wales, nor around the fringes of the West Midlands conurbation. Estimates of population density suggest a modest abundance on farmland of between 0.7 and 1.0 polecats per square kilometer.

The apparent link between polecats and rabbits was backed up by diet and radio-tracking studies. Analysis of stomach contents of road casualty animals showed that rabbits comprised 85% of the bulk of prey remains. The radio-tracking study was carried out mainly in the Parish of Matron to the west of the Malvern Hills (in modern Herefordshire, but in vice-county 37), and around the Kemerton Estate on the edge of Bredon Hill on the Worcs/Glos border. Radio-tagged polecats spent half their time in rabbit warrens hunting the occupants and sleeping. Warrens comprised % of all daytime resting sites identified. In winter, farmyards were the most preferred habitat. Polecats visited them to prey upon rodents, leading to the risk of contamination with anticoagulant rodenticides. Analyses of liver tissues recovered from road casualty polecats shows that rodenticide contamination is widespread, and matches the pattern found in barn owls. The VWT is still studying the extent of this problem in collaboration with the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology.

The VWT report makes recommendations for research and action to promote polecat conservation. It recognises that the species is spreading from an upland, western refuge with relatively low human activity towards the intensively farmed lowlands where negative pressures are much greater. Areas of concern include the effects of road casualties, rodenticide poisoning, deliberate and accidental persecution, and habitat degradation. Maintaining rabbit populations is regarded as important, especially on intensive farmland where alternative prey are scarce.

For the time being we are no longer appealing for polecat records from Worcestershire, though a new survey may be organised early in the new millennium.

The VWT Polecat Report (152 pages) is available from The Vincent Wildlife Trust, 10 Lovat Lane, London EC3R 8DN, price £8.00 to include post and packaging.

[barry lurcher 27]

just a report someone might like to read regards paul

[f mac 40]

decent read

[fazza123 516]

A good read folks ! Had to chuckle when I saw the question as I bought a 'half cross' ? Last week ! My daughter showed an interest in it so the bloke chipped up that I'd need to be rich to buy it cos it's not a normal ferret it's a rare half wild one ??? The Kent billed me 20 quid ?? It's blatantly a dark ferret but the little ones happy.

[Ideation 8,216]

The bottom line is that the only reason you could need the blood, is because we have let the state of the ordinary working ferret go to shit in most cases. What makes folk think it's going to be any different second time around? Always hear folk talking about the amazing working ability of the e.u crosses, and what they say sounds like exactly how you should expect any ferret to work. So when folk tell me that they work way way better than any ferret they have seen, it just means that they have seen some really poor ferrets.

[Country Joe 1,411]

[Country Joe 1,411]

These are my Two half Euro Polecats, Sire was caught in the Scottish highlands, would take Capercaillie singlehanded.

Will breed these pair next year, book early bargain £50 a Kit,guaranteed to work.

[Rake aboot 4,935]

Aye Joe

Ah`ll take 4 but ah`ll no pay a penny mair than 150 quid each !!!

[Rake aboot 4,935]

the jill, around 4 years old, just come out of season.

 

my half x hob, coming up a year.

 

Nice Ferrets,,  ferrets!..not Euro`s or crosses,or owt else,, ferrets,,  I would bet that there is no wild blood in these ferrets at all,, where was the "wild" polecat caught ??  tbh,, I`m not trying to be a cnut,, it`s just that this polecat nonsence is a bit of a joke now,,You`re totally right about not careing as long as they work,,

[rapidjenky 97]

the jill, around 4 years old, just come out of season.

 

my half x hob, coming up a year.

 

Nice Ferrets,,  ferrets!..not Euro`s or crosses,or owt else,, ferrets,,  I would bet that there is no wild blood in these ferrets at all,, where was the "wild" polecat caught ??  tbh,, I`m not trying to be a cnut,, it`s just that this polecat nonsence is a bit of a joke now,,You`re totally right about not careing as long as they work,,

 

did you even read the post above the pictures?????as i said i was told thats what they were when i got them, i know there just ferrets thats why its states in the post THEY ARE JUST FERRETSchrist sorry for joining in abit.

[Brimmer 220]

The bottom line is that the only reason you could need the blood, is because we have let the state of the ordinary working ferret go to shit in most cases. What makes folk think it's going to be any different second time around? Always hear folk talking about the amazing working ability of the e.u crosses, and what they say sounds like exactly how you should expect any ferret to work. So when folk tell me that they work way way better than any ferret they have seen, it just means that they have seen some really poor ferrets.

 

Could not of put it better myself Ideation.

 

100's of years ferrets have been bred to do a job that suits us, usually taking them way beyond any natural instinct that a wild poley might have.

 

The domestic ferret are at best trustworthy and can be handled without fear, even with your hand alongside them up a tube drawing a rabbit.

 

They can be picked up outside the holes without skulking, some decent domestic poleys are a bit too fast for us tbh.

 

This is the best bit, a good ferret can be equally as lethal below ground as any wild ferret, but most faggs out there are too scared to pick up a spade anyhow!

 

This is even better, a good ferret will go on killing long after a small amount of kills have been made unlike a wild poley or feral animal will.

Most wild poleys or feral animals will make kills, eat until full and stash there kills until they need them, (as i have witnessed on occasions ferreting sets that contain wild poleys or feral ferrets, Have bolted many a rabbit from medium sized sets with ferals and poleys in residence, sat on kills, not moving .)

 

Are they that lethal? Are they managable?

 

Stop going backwards to try and breed a good working animal, there are so many failures due to bad breeding of failure ferrets.

 

You owe it to generations of men that knew better than ourselves,

Edited August 10, 2011 by Brimmer

[Rake aboot 4,935]

the jill, around 4 years old, j

 

my half x hob, coming up a year.

 

Nice Ferrets,, ferrets!..not Euro`s or crosses,or owt else,, ferrets,, I would bet that there is no wild blood in these ferrets at all,, where was the "wild" polecat caught ?? tbh,, I`m not trying to be a cnut,, it`s just that this polecat nonsence is a bit of a joke now,,You`re totally right about not careing as long as they work,,

 

did you even read the post above the pictures?????as i said i was told thats what they were when i got them, i know there just ferrets thats why its states in the post THEY ARE JUST FERRETSchrist sorry for joining in abit.

 

yup I read it,, the wee rant was not really aimed at you. Perhaps I coulda worded it better ,but it was about being told they were crosses, thats why I added the last sentence,, but don`t apologise for joining in though,, just rant, like I do!! lol