feral ferrets

[theferreter 311]

They were everywhere on our permission a few years ago, the keepers had caught 34 of them, we caught 3 on our travels, They had been building for several years, a few the year before turned into a lot the year after, the caused havoc, but luckily the cold winter near wiped them and the rabbits out.

Just been to the Isle Of Man recently, there were plenty over there on the roads at night, they use the roads for ease of moving about i think, why bushwhack when you can run the tarmac!

Even saw a poley and an albino running up the road together, that made me chuckle!

34 ,thats a lot to be caught,thats a fair population ,what sort of acreage ??

On two large farms, the pheasant pens belonging to the shoot acted like magnets to them, but they were widespread through the land though, the large warrens were hit the worst, you could tell the numbers were down. Sometimes you would find a pile of shoite outside the big warrens, they were living in them just picking off the residents as they needed, We even bolted as many as 4 rabbits out of a warren that a feral was in residence in, they give your ferrets hell when they square up to them, never bolted one yet, they stay put and hold there ground.

Tried taming 2 of them years ago, one was in the bottom of a drop box, a big spitting albino hob, had to pin him down with a forked stick, then stick my hand down and grab it round its big massive neck, people dont realise how strong the ferals are, they physically put our working ferret to shame.

he could not be handled, sulked and skulked around, tried killing any ferret you put with him, and in the end i did what i should have done the moment i first pulled him out of the drop box.

A few years later i pulled a poley jill out of a rockpile in the process of making a kill, it just froze when i got to it, scared shitless, took it home and caged it, but by the morning after it had just dropped dead. Saw sense after that, they are of no use whatsoever to anybody as a working animal, half handy at keeping rabbit numbers down, but will always hit anything they can, pheasants, chickens,

Any that cross our path now when we are in a position to do anything about it get dispatched. Shame really.

The 34 was just the pheasant keeper by the way, the moorland keeper had been busy as well!

 

Must have been raining hard that night!

 

A bog at the side of the traps had at least 6 others thrown in it, and this was on the moor edge!

shame to see ferrets dead like that all because some dickhead has worked it with no collar got a lay up and couldent be annoyed waiting c**ts like this have no place in the ferreting game

[torchey 1,328]

They were everywhere on our permission a few years ago, the keepers had caught 34 of them, we caught 3 on our travels, They had been building for several years, a few the year before turned into a lot the year after, the caused havoc, but luckily the cold winter near wiped them and the rabbits out.

Just been to the Isle Of Man recently, there were plenty over there on the roads at night, they use the roads for ease of moving about i think, why bushwhack when you can run the tarmac!

Even saw a poley and an albino running up the road together, that made me chuckle!

34 ,thats a lot to be caught,thats a fair population ,what sort of acreage ??

On two large farms, the pheasant pens belonging to the shoot acted like magnets to them, but they were widespread through the land though, the large warrens were hit the worst, you could tell the numbers were down. Sometimes you would find a pile of shoite outside the big warrens, they were living in them just picking off the residents as they needed, We even bolted as many as 4 rabbits out of a warren that a feral was in residence in, they give your ferrets hell when they square up to them, never bolted one yet, they stay put and hold there ground.

Tried taming 2 of them years ago, one was in the bottom of a drop box, a big spitting albino hob, had to pin him down with a forked stick, then stick my hand down and grab it round its big massive neck, people dont realise how strong the ferals are, they physically put our working ferret to shame.

he could not be handled, sulked and skulked around, tried killing any ferret you put with him, and in the end i did what i should have done the moment i first pulled him out of the drop box.

A few years later i pulled a poley jill out of a rockpile in the process of making a kill, it just froze when i got to it, scared shitless, took it home and caged it, but by the morning after it had just dropped dead. Saw sense after that, they are of no use whatsoever to anybody as a working animal, half handy at keeping rabbit numbers down, but will always hit anything they can, pheasants, chickens,

Any that cross our path now when we are in a position to do anything about it get dispatched. Shame really.

The 34 was just the pheasant keeper by the way, the moorland keeper had been busy as well!

 

Must have been raining hard that night!

 

A bog at the side of the traps had at least 6 others thrown in it, and this was on the moor edge!

shame to see ferrets dead like that all because some dickhead has worked it with no collar got a lay up and couldent be annoyed waiting c**ts like this have no place in the ferreting game

seriously the amount of feral ferrets far outnumber the amount of ferreters,the polecat population seem to be doing more than ok,i,m sure theres been some deliberate releases aswell..

[theferreter 311]

They were everywhere on our permission a few years ago, the keepers had caught 34 of them, we caught 3 on our travels, They had been building for several years, a few the year before turned into a lot the year after, the caused havoc, but luckily the cold winter near wiped them and the rabbits out.

Just been to the Isle Of Man recently, there were plenty over there on the roads at night, they use the roads for ease of moving about i think, why bushwhack when you can run the tarmac!

Even saw a poley and an albino running up the road together, that made me chuckle!

34 ,thats a lot to be caught,thats a fair population ,what sort of acreage ??

On two large farms, the pheasant pens belonging to the shoot acted like magnets to them, but they were widespread through the land though, the large warrens were hit the worst, you could tell the numbers were down. Sometimes you would find a pile of shoite outside the big warrens, they were living in them just picking off the residents as they needed, We even bolted as many as 4 rabbits out of a warren that a feral was in residence in, they give your ferrets hell when they square up to them, never bolted one yet, they stay put and hold there ground.

Tried taming 2 of them years ago, one was in the bottom of a drop box, a big spitting albino hob, had to pin him down with a forked stick, then stick my hand down and grab it round its big massive neck, people dont realise how strong the ferals are, they physically put our working ferret to shame.

he could not be handled, sulked and skulked around, tried killing any ferret you put with him, and in the end i did what i should have done the moment i first pulled him out of the drop box.

A few years later i pulled a poley jill out of a rockpile in the process of making a kill, it just froze when i got to it, scared shitless, took it home and caged it, but by the morning after it had just dropped dead. Saw sense after that, they are of no use whatsoever to anybody as a working animal, half handy at keeping rabbit numbers down, but will always hit anything they can, pheasants, chickens,

Any that cross our path now when we are in a position to do anything about it get dispatched. Shame really.

The 34 was just the pheasant keeper by the way, the moorland keeper had been busy as well!

 

Must have been raining hard that night!

 

A bog at the side of the traps had at least 6 others thrown in it, and this was on the moor edge!

shame to see ferrets dead like that all because some dickhead has worked it with no collar got a lay up and couldent be annoyed waiting c**ts like this have no place in the ferreting game

seriously the amount of feral ferrets far outnumber the amount of ferreters,the polecat population seem to be doing more than ok,i,m sure theres been some deliberate releases aswell..

dont no about releases more like left behind by some

[Brimmer 220]

The ones in the traps were ferals, not lost ferrets, the ones we had were ferals not lost ferrets. They were probs the offspring a couple of generations back when as you said somebody lost them probs due to not collaring up

.

I'd say probs 2 -3 generations over the same amount of years, with plenty of grub to go at and the place was alive with them, a lost ferret can have something done with it, these things cannot.

[theferreter 311]

The ones in the traps were ferals, not lost ferrets, the ones we had were ferals not lost ferrets. They were probs the offspring a couple of generations back when as you said somebody lost them probs due to not collaring up

.

I'd say probs 2 -3 generations over the same amount of years, with plenty of grub to go at and the place was alive with them, a lost ferret can have something done with it, these things cannot.

[TOMO 26,272]

1 of our farms up the dales,, the old boy used to release ferrets,, we would often see them,,, personly i dont think they do dent a healthy population of rabbits,, they certainly didnt on these farms, if you think about it a single ferret only needs to eat 1 rabbit a week. and look at new zealand, massive ferret/polcat population, and a bigger rabbit population.

[torchey 1,328]

1 of our farms up the dales,, the old boy used to release ferrets,, we would often see them,,, personly i dont think they do dent a healthy population of rabbits,, they certainly didnt on these farms, if you think about it a single ferret only needs to eat 1 rabbit a week. and look at new zealand, massive ferret/polcat population, and a bigger rabbit population.

I wouldn,t be suprised if certain farmers are releasing them,and the places your talking about have got a much higher than average rabbit population [you lucky f****r] .I think places [like mine]with not such a great rabbit population and a much higher than average ferret population it just might make a difference

[borris 12]

couple years back i caught a feral jill that had gone in my local pub, all the barstaff were stood on barstools

gave her to a lad who came to my house looking to buy a ferret, she turned into a good little worker i heard.

one of my cousins ferrets got found behind the gambler down the local lol they must like it in the boozer.

[Brimmer 220]

1 of our farms up the dales,, the old boy used to release ferrets,, we would often see them,,, personly i dont think they do dent a healthy population of rabbits,, they certainly didnt on these farms, if you think about it a single ferret only needs to eat 1 rabbit a week. and look at new zealand, massive ferret/polcat population, and a bigger rabbit population.

One wont even scratch the surface Tomo, but a few years down the line if left alone, 1 becomes 6, if half of them are female, then the year after 6 becomes 18, the year after that 54. on the third year i can definateley tell you that you will see a big dent in the big warrens.

New Zealand may have a massive ferret/polecat population,and a bigger rabbit population. but it has less that 4 million people living there. its hardly under pressure from people unlike britain is.

Wish there was only a 4 million in britain!

[TOMO 26,272]

1 of our farms up the dales,, the old boy used to release ferrets,, we would often see them,,, personly i dont think they do dent a healthy population of rabbits,, they certainly didnt on these farms, if you think about it a single ferret only needs to eat 1 rabbit a week. and look at new zealand, massive ferret/polcat population, and a bigger rabbit population.

One wont even scratch the surface Tomo, but a few years down the line if left alone, 1 becomes 6, if half of them are female, then the year after 6 becomes 18, the year after that 54. on the third year i can definateley tell you that you will see a big dent in the big warrens.

New Zealand may have a massive ferret/polecat population,and a bigger rabbit population. but it has less that 4 million people living there. its hardly under pressure from people unlike britain is.

Wish there was only a 4 million in britain!

 

 

yeh your right there,, it would be a great place with just 4 million

[DKGPestControl 22]

On one of my ferrting trips a few years ago I actually caught a pole cat a brought it home. It came walking out of a hedge as I walked past. It was all skin and bone! I approched with caution and dangled a rabbit infront of it and put it in a hession sack. We i got home I kept it in a spare hutch for a week or so without being brave enough to try and hold it as it seemed to bite what ever went near it! (as it was so bloody hungery I think) I still have it to this day and after a couple of weeks getting some food into it, it was as friendly as any other. Must have been a lost pet as i herd about the wild one's! Have any of you found a ferret that has been keepable?

[torchey 1,328]

On one of my ferrting trips a few years ago I actually caught a pole cat a brought it home. It came walking out of a hedge as I walked past. It was all skin and bone! I approched with caution and dangled a rabbit infront of it and put it in a hession sack. We i got home I kept it in a spare hutch for a week or so without being brave enough to try and hold it as it seemed to bite what ever went near it! (as it was so bloody hungery I think) I still have it to this day and after a couple of weeks getting some food into it, it was as friendly as any other. Must have been a lost pet as i herd about the wild one's! Have any of you found a ferret that has been keepable?

That definitely sounds like a lost one.I was walking down a hedge row a couple of years back and see a rabbit flipping about,i thought it was caught in a snare,when i got closer it was being held by a great big polecat,as soon as it see me it let the rabbit go and was gone.one lucky f****r rabbit .I did put traps out for that one as it was right close to a pheasant pen,but no luck

[Jamie m 668]

Someone I know found a poley Jill in mid season last year whilst out, took it home deflead and ticked it fed it up put up a poster in the area found no luck , he had it out back end of last season and it's now his pride and joy lol reckons it's mustard , one mans loss another mans gain so to speak ,

[DKGPestControl 22]

I must admit, it is a great worker too, better than my other I think. Wonder if its got something to do with being wild for a while or if its just a better ferret??

[stealthy1 3,964]

I must admit, it is a great worker too, better than my other I think. Wonder if its got something to do with being wild for a while or if its just a better ferret??

 

 

Do you find yours puts weight on faster and has a thicker coat than your other ferrets?