need a bit of advice

[zx12edge 1,001]

I am mainly a dog man but do a bit of ferreting and have been offered the chance of a couple of thousand acres of land to run the dogs on,but it all depends on us clearing a thirty acre field.This field as a railway line running two sides of the field and the warrens run along the side of the railway.this place is riddled with warrens and is hard to tell were one finishes and the next starts. This goes on for about a quarter of a mile on both sides.been over a few times now and cleared a lot of the brambles out and had a shine on the night and this place is alive with rabbit so need to make a visible dent in the numbers to sweeten Mr farmer up.It,s a bit iffy to run the dogs on so will be a ferret only job and maybe a shotgun or two.Looking for a few pointers from some of you more knowledgeable ferreters out there on how to approach this.

[muddy210 34]

first of all i would suggest the use of a good marking dog then you will have a better idea if they are all inhabited. your gonna need a few ferrets to get the rabbits moving in a big warren like this there are a few ways to work it and thats to either start at one end and move along the bank to the other hopefully pushng most of the rabbits to one end or with a team of you start in 2 gangs either end and work to the middle. be a big job on your own. i would try and net as much as possible and long net a bit off the bank of the railway. in days gone by people use to use rags soaked in creatsote and start back filling from the outer edges of the warren till the rabbits where concentrated in the middle not sure on the success of this but its been written a few times and i have heard the old boys going on about it. on big warrens like this a good few ferrets are needed poss into double figures to do it in a single sitting, otherwise have some fun and make a few weekends out of it.

[zx12edge 1,001]

Obliged for the advice Muddy.I only keep four ferrets to do the odd bit of ferreting and bolting for the dogs,We would like to make a good impact and try and secure this land for the future.Looks like we are going to have to find some help to clear these warrens.what you say about a couple of gangs working to the middle makes a lot of sense to me would like to clear it as quick as possible.

[Ideation 8,216]

I would purse net everything i could, then divide the area with long nets. The key will be having enough ferrets to ground to get the rabbits moving. To be fair i wouldnt attempt it without dogs, even if it was only a couple of terriers toget toand hold rabbits,as chances are you will be running around like mad men, trying to keep on top of the bolts. I would also want to plan it right so you cando it in a oner. Nothing worse than netting it all and not catching much, and needing to net it all again, this time facing educated rabbits. You will probably find its a number of unconnected warens. And sounds like a job for 4-6 men, with a few dogs. And you need decent ferrets.

[The one 8,482]

If the burrows are in the railway banking ?. give a thought to snaring it they will be working 24/7 and can make a large dent in rabbit numbers quickly

[Mick C. 229]

Your going to need a few good ferrets

 

Also you are going to need a ruck of purse nets

 

At least one person who is a seasoned ferreter - the more expeirience the better

 

A steadydog that knows the score would certainley save time and leg work

 

Did a good mile of railway batter for the council few years ago

 

Luckily they were shallow sets .

 

There was three of us on this job

 

Took us about a fornight to go up one side and down the other

 

One man would clear vegitation from around the holes

 

Then me and another lad would net up until all the nets were used up

 

Enter ferrets

 

Most of the rabbits were netted although we did have a dig every now and again

 

When ever any of us had a minute or one of us would drop back and pick the nets up then reset them further up.

 

We also blocked off the holes we had ferreted

 

The job went well.

 

Looking back i would have liked more nets and a couple more ferrets.

 

There was times when one particular ferret would come straight off once a rabbit got bottled up tight.

 

You need to swap them around a bit to keep them keen

or they can sicken of it when your at it for days.

 

Hope this gives you an insight

 

.

[Mick C. 229]

Forgot to add this was a disused railway

 

Is yours?

 

If not the one might have the solution

[shabadoodoo 16]

i would use longnets mate if you think its over ran with rabbits use long nets as you be constantly be pulling rabbits out of purse nets

[zx12edge 1,001]

Thanks for all the advise fellas. Should be a breeze then me with four fat ferrets and a couple of dozen nets and

Forgot to add this was a disused railway

 

Is yours?

 

If not the one might have the solution

Forgot to add this was a disused railway

 

Is yours?

 

If not the one might have the solution

No its a busy railway.the warrens are mostly at the edge of the field in a dip and not many holes on the banking

[zx12edge 1,001]

Thanks for all the advise guys.Sounds like it will be a breeze what with my four fat ferrets and me geriatric mate and a couple of dozen nets. At least the dogs ferret friendly,.got a feeling its going to be a bit of comedy show.think i had better get me hand in my pocket and get a bit more gear and find someone with a lot more experience

[Mick C. 229]

They could come out the otherside of the fence

 

I personally wouldnt go with longnets

 

The rabbitts will hole hop and make loads of exta work for your ferrets.

 

One in the net is caught there and then

[Leeview 791]

Thanks for all the advise fellas. Should be a breeze then me with four fat ferrets and a couple of dozen nets and

Forgot to add this was a disused railway

 

Is yours?

 

If not the one might have the solution

Forgot to add this was a disused railway

 

Is yours?

 

If not the one might have the solution

No its a busy railway.the warrens are mostly at the edge of the field in a dip and not many holes on the banking

I'd be very wary of using dogs in that scenario IMHO

Y.I.S Leeview

[zx12edge 1,001]

Thanks for all the advise fellas. Should be a breeze then me with four fat ferrets and a couple of dozen nets and

Forgot to add this was a disused railway

 

Is yours?

 

If not the one might have the solution

Forgot to add this was a disused railway

 

Is yours?

 

If not the one might have the solution

No its a busy railway.the warrens are mostly at the edge of the field in a dip and not many holes on the banking

I'd be very wary of using dogs in that scenario IMHO

Y.I.S Leeview

He is a steady dog and have had a few from there on the lamp but don't think I would take the chance when we ferret it.No of a lad that had his terrier killed on this bit of land a few years ago, ran up the bank got hit by a train.

[salukiman 28]

If the rabbits are sitting out at any distance and the dip you said the burrows is in would provide cover i would first start by looking at the train times use thier noise as cover and drop a long net in the space close to the base of the bank then push the rabbits into it from the otherside the weather on the night will be the deciding factor you need a dark windy night or it will just be an educatio to the rabbits of your method

 

then i would sit on the bank maby behind a pile of the brambles you removed as cover facing away from the railway line with a silenced air rifle

 

 

then for the next week i would snare the whole place putting multiple snares along any well used run lines and check them twice a day if one or or all 3 methods work i would repeate them untill they dont produce the results they were

 

 

 

nby now if you are vigilant and whatch the movement of the rabbits you will have a better feel for the place and a better understanding of what the rabbits are doing as in the areas that are more active

 

as for ferreting you may find that with the other directions you have taken the rabbit numbers may have declined enough to secure the permission

 

if not in my experience of large banks the rabbits are going to have a lot tunnel to use in there escape and will use this to evade your ferrets what you are going to need is numbers of ferrets to cause enough panic bellow ground to make above ground a better chance of suvival and i dont think you will be able to tell untill

you are there looking and listning with proven ferrets to ground

[salukiman 28]

When ferreting i would devide the whole thing up into sections and work on both sides at the same time so you can watch for each others ferrets walking through and away

 

net everyting you can and devide the sections withvlong nets as the rabbits will most likly run the length of the bank get in yor long net or back net

 

i would also put a locator box further along the bank switched on taped ti a stick stuck in the ground at least that way you will know when the ferrets move along