Polecat

[OldTrapCollector 377]

Before you ask how you tell the difference, take it from me you will know which one has seen a human before.

 

Oh I know that! :stinker: :sick: :aggressive:

 

OTC

[TOMO 26,115]

hers a little thought for you all.

 

do you think there are any true polcats out there, lets face it ferrets have been domesticated for 2000 years , so im sure that there have been escapees for 2000 years . all that time interbreeding with the wild ones.

 

of course there is another school of thought as well. being that the ferret and wild polcat have the same cromasones(spelling) so they are the same animal . in other words , it would not matter if they did interbreed as they are the same

 

feck i have confused fyself now. whats your views TOMO

[gibby 0]

I know a woman who has lots of rescue ferrets and ferrets from other sources and has 3 huge courts of them. (Shes having a kit or 2 off me too)

 

Anyway she has a pure polecat, tame as you like, I couldnt believe how tame it was! It came from a wildlife reserve in North Scotland somewhere and had been hand reared. It was a hob and they used him for breeding pure polecats for re-introduction to the wild. After his job was done for a few years he was given to this acquaintance of mine and she had him neutered so he could live with her other hobs and jills.

Anyway I will try and get a picture of him if Im ever round there again, he is absolutely gorgeous, instantly recognisable as a wild polecat as opposed to a poley coloured ferret. But as he was hand reared he is as tame as can be, tamer than a lot of ferrets!

 

So in an answer to Fletcher, there are instances where wild polecats are kept in captivity with success. However catching a wild one and keeping it sounds pretty cruel to me (I realise you never said you would do that either). Wild polecats should stay wild if you ask me

[victoria vixen 0]

In the United States they have a similar animal, called the black footed ferret. Many also breed ferrets, or fitch, as the more beautiful furred ones are called. Ferrets are used to hunts rabbits in their dens, but are mostly kept as pets.

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Gibby; That bloke on ye avatar? Is that taken from " Sin City " ? I only saw the film twice ~ in succession. Once to watch it. Second time to see if I'd really just had the experiance it seemed I just had! Needed traction to get my f*ckin jaw to go back up!

 

Polecats. True Polecats. Polecats that had seen man before. Tameable Polecats. North of Scotland. So on and so forth .....

 

Old friend of mine. Mink Farm. Scotland. Polecats. Tv programme.

 

:whistle:

 

 

VV; I was always given to believe North American rabbits lived bush. How do people ~ who go after them with ferrets ~ stop them? I mean, I can see a ferret pushing a rabbit out of cover. But what do your guys do to actually capture the bolted bun?

[Popgun 0]

A chap i go beating with says hes got a polecat he got it from Wales looks like a big hob ferret to me but it can jump like a cat

[alimac 882]

think tomo is about right on this one, there will be very few truely wild polecats about now....

[gibby 0]

Gibby; That bloke on ye avatar? Is that taken from " Sin City " ? I only saw the film twice ~ in succession. Once to watch it. Second time to see if I'd really just had the experiance it seemed I just had! Needed traction to get my f*ckin jaw to go back up!

 

Polecats. True Polecats. Polecats that had seen man before. Tameable Polecats. North of Scotland. So on and so forth .....

 

Ditch, it is indeed from sin city! Im a bit of a closet comic book geek Ive got the books as well :whistle:

 

And by the second part of your message Im not sure I understand it, do you mean that you dont believe me? If your not meaning that at all I apologise. But why would I make something like that up?

 

Gibby

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Gibby; Not for a momment saying I disbelieve a word of it, mate! No. What I'm saying ~ or hinting at ~ is that there's a bit more to the Polecats of britain than most people realise

[gibby 0]

No problem ditch, like I say I just didnt understand what you were meaning and I apologise again for misunderstanding

 

And I know what you mean they are a lot more widespread than I previously thought.

 

Cheers

[victoria vixen 0]

DS, The ferrets are used when the rabbit, (an eastern cottintail- it's called) runs in a burrow or hole. These holes are usually dug by groundhogs mostly. The ferret is sent down the hole to flush the rabbit out. It is then pursued by beagle hounds or shot on sight, usually with a shotgun.

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

VV; If that's the case, I find it a wonder your guys haven't taken to using Purse Nets over those holes entrances. I know nets are used on foxes over there. Maybe our own Kye can introduce a 'new' aspect to the sport for ye all?

[Bosun11 537]

About 12 years ago I was asked by a old boy I knew, if I could take him to North Wales to pick up two ferrets he'd ordered(as he doesn't drive), off a chap who is well into them over there.

 

We met near Flint (half way for each) the chap had a trailer on the back of his car stuffed with different sized kits. The old boy got his then the bloke asked if he'd be interested in a wild polley kit. Not a chance but I was ! Told us that a wild female had been brought in injured off a road an had a litter, he then had the female to Liverpool Uni to get her Gene tested an she was the real McCoy (I could phone the Uni for proof) but the kits might not be, due to so many feral ferrets.

 

I bought a Hob, grew to be the most stunning 'Ferret' I have ever saw. Had to handle him every day or he'd spit an 'latch on' but when well handled was real playfull, more than any ferret I owned. As for takin him out......nightmare, strait down, murder almost all and come out wild as feck!! All bunnies were killed same way with a hole right through centre of skull???

 

Bred some crackin stuff off him, though all were a little fast underground, so the spade seen plenty of action!

Maybe I was sold a freeky ferret, i'll knever know but for the time I owned it, it was very strange.

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

very strange.

 

Beautifully put! And That, Bosun, just about encapsulates Everything I've Ever heard about Anything so much as touched by genuine blood, mate!

 

Still, every year though, we'll see a fresh crop of sixteen year olds gagging to get some. When Will the message ever get through? :whistle:

[victoria vixen 0]

It would be nice to get those nets, as I have seen them used and would be a lot cleaner than using a 12 gauge. Who carries them in the UK? Do you know?