who goes ferreting with a shotgun

[fieldsportsman 107]

can anyone give me advise on going ferreting with a shotgun, pros, cons etc.

[watchman 256]

short range shots with a 12guage in wooded areas can be a problem using a .410 is a way round it,only thing i will say is you have to be bloody quick off the mark

[andy mecca 5]

safety is paramount agree on shooting arcs/areas especially working hedgerows. marking dogs on leash before ferrets are entered

[fieldsportsman 107]

cheers lads, i would have to keep an eye on the ferrets to obviousely.

[max abell 196]

We normaly do a bit with the shotguns near the end of the season personaly we use 20 bores with 5 or 6 shot it seems to work for us

The golden rule with ferret and shooting is 100% trust in the guns dont go with anyone who is trigger happy and make 100% sure you both know who

is shooting where so no accidents to human or ferrets happen also only shoot when the bolted rabbit compleatly clears the warren

personaly when shooting we leave the dog at home or in the 4x4 untill we finish each warren

HOPE you have a good time mate it's good fun but if shooting with idiots can be deadly

[RogerTheCat 3]

We ferret with shotguns all the time. Its faster as you do not spend time putting out the nets at the start and collecting them up at the end. Safety is paramount. We mostly work hedges and banks and you need at least two guns one to cover each side. For this reason you must know where everyone is standing. No shooting rabbits that bolt across the top of the bank as you could hit your mate on the other side. It is a good Idea to have a dog on the top of the bank to stop rabbits bolting that way. If there are two or more of you on one side you also have to watch your swing. It is a good idea to set out all the safety rules before you start and only take people with you that you know are safe. One other tip no shooting rabbits that you can see in the burrow as the ferret could be behind them. Wait the extra second for them to bolt clear. Finally when the rabbits do bolt and you can take a safe shot it is really fast shooting which I enjoy

[paulus 26]

takes practice, its not easy and you must trust each other 100% good fun though and always the chance to take the piss in the pub afterwards

[The one 8,511]

Easier and faster than netting up ,handier for doing the heavier cover burrows but your left with a pound of mince you cant sell and is often only good for ferret grub

[Richie10 345]

Couldn't think of anything worse, the danger involved, messed up bunnies and the noise. Prefer the quiet approach to ferreting, much more peaceful.

[Born Hunter 17,816]

If you enjoy shooting then its great sport but imo for proper rabbit control it isnt as good as nets. However I find it handy for mopping up any left overs from an area hit hard previously as you can cover the land real fast.

 

Biggest advice, keep level headed and dont let a 'hole hopper' make you chance a less than safe shot. When I was younger I shot my mate by doing that! Got a couple of No.6 in each leg! Nothing serious as it was a ricochet but shouldnt have happened!

 

Also let the rabbit bolt clear so you dont slug a fert! And if you have never shot over your ferts before just be mindfull of how they are responding to the gun as it might spook em and f**k up their working.

[Terra Firma 136]

As said before safety is paramount, we use silenced o/u 20bores and have had some great days, the best being 89 rabbits in a day down in Dorset, 4 ferrets and three guns.

By far my best day to date, the farmer was very happy with that.