Losing a ferret whilst out.

[Brimmer 220]

Just spent a long time reading through the thread about the locaters. I know time after time its been discussed, and rarely has a sensible outcome, either side of the fence always thinks they are right and have thete own opinions on the pro,s an cons of the locater.

I know a lot of folk seem to say they have never lost a ferret, i can include myself in this, but i,d like to say this is only due to the locater, i,d like to bet i,d lose at least one ferret a season without a locater, probs a lot more.

Just a question to peeps that never use them, Have you ever lost a ferret? How often are you out in a season and what size of bag are you getting? Your season totals and the sort of ground you work?

 

As i say, i use locater, have done for 20 odd years, out every weekend between sept to feb, getting decent bags, in the dales on varied land, from grassy shallow warrens to rocky slopes.

As a kid was brought up ferreting without a locater, relying on time, the dog and iniative to get the ferret back. ( usually bag in low single figures though.) .

So as title says, I,d like to hear about any lost ferrets, not something you hear a lot of folk talk about, but i know it happens.

 

 

[tegater 789]

I'm very similar in that I have never lost a ferret so far, but as a kid I spent hours someday just waiting and hoping. Sometimes I used a liner, but mostly, just the wait.

 

Locaters...............invaluable!

[The one 8,513]

We had a big scare today three of us out on a old railway and all the mk1 one boxes where just ticking away like a slow clock ?. wev'e done this permission before and never had a problem lucky today lost one jill over a hour and a half and Pedro had the only dig of the day for his hob and Christ knows how he located it and dug it out , But i was sure we where going to lose one today

[Brimmer 220]

I'm very similar in that I have never lost a ferret so far, but as a kid I spent hours someday just waiting and hoping. Sometimes I used a liner, but mostly, just the wait.

 

Locaters...............invaluable!

 

Excellent choice of a word there Tegater, invaluable agreed.

[Rake aboot 4,936]

I have had a locator since I could afford one,, still have the Mk1 but use the Mk3 now,,

 

I once worked a ferret without a collar cause I didn`t have enough to go round,, I worked a sandy burrow and the ferret must have been caught up in a fall in,, I lost it, I spent two weeks, every night, with a lamp and a spade looking for that ferret,, all night ,every night,, I was gutted thinking what that ferret went through buried, with no chance of being dug out,,

 

Never again,

[close 0]

hi mate when i was a kid i lost a ferret poaching old bill showd up and told us to fill holes in and go so we went i went back in week for ferret no show 2 weeks later copper turns up with ferret givs it back said it got handed in by landowner never had a locator a that time and yes learn by mistakes use locator always and dont poach or atleast dont get caught ha ha

[Brimmer 220]

We had a big scare today three of us out on a old railway and all the mk1 one boxes where just ticking away like a slow clock ?. wev'e done this permission before and never had a problem lucky today lost one jill over a hour and a half an d Pedro had the only dig of the day for his hob and Christ knows how he located it and dug it out , But i was sure we where going to lose one today

Sometimes you just look at the dial or the ground and think how the hell am i going to get to that? Funny how it happens, where there's a will there's a way. Somehow you get there.

[Brimmer 220]

I have had a locator since I could afford one,, still have the Mk1 but use the Mk3 now,,

 

I once worked a ferret without a collar cause I didn`t have enough to go round,, I worked a sandy burrow and the ferret must have been caught up in a fall in,, I lost it, I spent two weeks, every night, with a lamp and a spade looking for that ferret,, all night ,every night,, I was gutted thinking what that ferret went through buried, with no chance of being dug out,,

 

Never again,

Man after my own heart there rake, they are more than just a ferret, only when you have done a lot of digging to them, then you realise the hazards they face under the sod. Cheers for the honest reply.

[The one 8,513]

I lost a jill for a week in a three holed burrow fitted her with a fifteen foot collar put her down lifted the net she walked in and that was the last i saw of her for a week .Went back every night opened up the holes had a look checked with the knocker box filled the holes back in ,till the seventh night she walked out when i opened up a hole i think she was stuck behind a rabbit but at such a depth it wouldn't have mattered till she ate her way out

[Brimmer 220]

hi mate when i was a kid i lost a ferret poaching old bill showd up and told us to fill holes in and go so we went i went back in week for ferret no show 2 weeks later copper turns up with ferret givs it back said it got handed in by landowner never had a locator a that time and yes learn by mistakes use locator always and dont poach or atleast dont get caught ha ha

Lucky on getting it back!

One of the problems on the land we go is it will support even a dozy lost worker, these end up going unchecked for a few years, breed up, and before you know it, 3 years later, there,s bloody loads of the wild feral buggers killing everything in sight!

[whin 463]

lost a few over the years but none with collars on, usaly young ones playing about or first kills etc years ago and usaly in bad conditins got caut in a snow blizzard a few times in scotland had to bail out as it was a white out , sand can be a bugger if diggin to get feret etc , or under roots , ,found them again had them handed in to over the years ,some ferrets you dont need collars some you do some warens you can work easy others well locator needed , we ferretd hard with an old pal of mines as youngsters we had to be silent very quite net up put his greyhound ferrets in rabbits out and if they got one he would listen and either dig or gut a rabbit at hole to get her out , good bolting ferrets were more sout after back then , alot of peole had more feild craft then

[Guest vin]

lost a few over the years but none with collars on, usaly young ones playing about or first kills etc years ago and usaly in bad conditins got caut in a snow blizzard a few times in scotland had to bail out as it was a white out , sand can be a bugger if diggin to get feret etc , or under roots , ,found them again had them handed in to over the years ,some ferrets you dont need collars some you do some warens you can work easy others well locator needed , we ferretd hard with an old pal of mines as youngsters we had to be silent very quite net up put his greyhound ferrets in rabbits out and if they got one he would listen and either dig or gut a rabbit at hole to get her out , good bolting ferrets were more sout after back then , alot of peole had more feild craft then

 

 

bloody hell im agreeing with Whin... when we were kids we didnt have locators and as whin says the ferrets that would kill in and maybe then leave the kill and come off were very sought after little chaps..them that would lay up and have a kip were always less favored..

 

but I must admit nowadays i prefer a nice small to meduim sized fert that can handle the rough and tumble from a big buck and not get battered.

I would never even contemplate a trip without the locator..And now that ive sussed the mk3 out correctly,I would rate that over the old mk1 anyday for a more accurate point and locate.

[johnny boy68 11,726]

I don't use one and I've never lost a ferret in 20 odd years.90% of the time I'm ferreting I know the ground and warrens like the back of my hand and the odd warren runs that deep a locator would be useless in them, this season I've had to block a jill once and it happened once last season, (those were the first times in a few years that as occured) both times on returning she was curled up in the bag.Now I don't ferret for pest control unless me and Jai(Ideation) have the odd job doing a bit, then collars are used(Jai always uses them).If you ferret for pest control or you like numbers then locators are a great bit of kit to have though if your not overly concerned with a little wait then locators are not essential.

 

A few people on here will tell you that you shouldn't be ferreting without one which imo is rubbish, you'll get them saying "what if" this happened and as we all know when ferreting theres so many variables.Theres been a few times when me and Jai been ferreting this season when the ferret as gone off the box, what happens then?

[The one 8,513]

Aye ferreting differnt bit of ground every week i reckon a locators a must as you can never predict whats going on underground . But when we had bother yesterday we fell back to the old methods banging at the hole the ferret was entered with the spade and a gutted rabbit in a net down a hole ,one worked we got the ferret back but if she was stuck behind a rabbit we wouldnt have with out a locator

[Brimmer 220]

Nice replies guys, think the biggest problem with the folk not using them is the people with little, or no experience just going out and just leaving them lost, or leaving a load of kills below ground , (thats the bit i don't like).