Cruelty to OAP's!

[Brimmer 220]

Hi chaps, been out every weekend since the last weekend in Sept, mainly just prospecting on our land, not any numbers, and going easy on them, mainly due to the hot conditions we seem to have been getting.

Black unfit dogs, ferrets cooking in boxes and flies everywhere has not been great sport TBH.

Today was the first day we have got into gear properly, the dogs are in ok shape, the ferrets are making great shape, everything is experienced, and finally the temperature dropped today to a typical workable northern level of 3 degrees at best. Quite a few sleet showers as well.

I have finally got the oap to stop wasting time hunting land with the runners wishing there were rabbits there, and knuckle down and get on with some good old fashioned, no frills, ferreting where some rabbits are.

Its not pretty, its not pleasant, dogs are near redundant (only a couple of runs all day), constantly setting and resetting nets all day, with a spot of digging inbetween to break the machine.

On different permission, we have not touched in a good few years, the numbers have improved. some areas the warrens are large, and spanning huge areas on some tricky hillsides. Consequently, they are quite deep, so its basically a jill job, working for the bolt, netting everything, keeping quiet.

2x4yr old albino jills with us today, b*****d and Eyeball, With the 2x5yr old albino hobs Billy Bob and his Brother as backup.

Eyeball has had a litter this year, 3 jills and a hob, all albino, and in a few weeks hope to start them, but no rush.

TBH, the hobs hardly got a look in today, Eyeball and b*****d doing all the work, and i'll have to say, faultless.

Over the last few years. after having to ferret more and more tricky spots to get a few on some large warrens, i have broken from the old ideas of needing a good few ferrets in a warren to get rabbits to move, and just rely on a single committed ferret to one by one show the door to every rabbit at home. Thinking being, you cannot dig in two places at once, you cannot pull rabbits out of nets in two places at once, and two ferrets will deffo get you more digs than one ferret.

It seems to be working, what time you lose with lack of ferrets in a warren, you make up for in a controlled clinical clearing of a warren with no drama's.

Most rabbits today were being stubborn with a good few digs, the old man and myself constantly netted up, leapfrogging on the big extensive warrens, me ferreting, digging and carrying whilst he pulled and laid nets, from behind and laid in front of me. A Propper Machine!

I could not believe how the jills saw the day out, nearly every rabbit having to be bullied out of the holes, not just bolting cause a ferret was in the warren.

And the old man, at 72 yrs old, still seeing a full day out on land that has tired myself out today. Ended up with 47.

 

 

Back out tmoz. Hope the jills can handle two days on the bounce.

[staffs riffraff 1,068]

Great write up and cracking day of hard warned quarry well done guys

[jimster68 123]

nice write up ,looks like you had a cracking day.......jim

[dave1600d 35]

just a quick one mate...what dyou do with all those rabbits?,,just wondering..cheers in advance,,dave

[Mick C. 229]

Them two jills are something else.

[Tiercel 6,986]

Over the last few years. after having to ferret more and more tricky spots to get a few on some large warrens, i have broken from the old ideas of needing a good few ferrets in a warren to get rabbits to move, and just rely on a single committed ferret to one by one show the door to every rabbit at home. Thinking being, you cannot dig in two places at once, you cannot pull rabbits out of nets in two places at once, and two ferrets will deffo get you more digs than one ferret.

It seems to be working, what time you lose with lack of ferrets in a warren, you make up for in a controlled clinical clearing of a warren with no drama's.

Most rabbits today were being stubborn with a good few digs, the old man and myself constantly netted up, leapfrogging on the big extensive warrens, me ferreting, digging and carrying whilst he pulled and laid nets, from behind and laid in front of me. A Propper Machine!

I could not believe how the jills saw the day out, nearly every rabbit having to be bullied out of the holes, not just bolting cause a ferret was in the warren.

And the old man, at 72 yrs old, still seeing a full day out on land that has tired myself out today. Ended up with 47.

 

 

Back out tmoz. Hope the jills can handle two days on the bounce.

 

I have a great deal of respect for you Brimmer ( even more for your father as I am lot closer to his age than yours. ) Even though I do not think that digging to ferrets is ferreting, although, I must admit that on shallow warrens it is very effective.

 

I have long been a believer that too many ferrets spoil the broth, one ferret that really works can clear a larger warren in the same time as 5 but without the digs. As to the rabbits being reluctant to bolt on a day, I have a theory about that too, just wish it would work every time, not just most of the time.

 

TC

Edited October 26, 2012 by tiercel

[Brimmer 220]

Over the last few years. after having to ferret more and more tricky spots to get a few on some large warrens, i have broken from the old ideas of needing a good few ferrets in a warren to get rabbits to move, and just rely on a single committed ferret to one by one show the door to every rabbit at home. Thinking being, you cannot dig in two places at once, you cannot pull rabbits out of nets in two places at once, and two ferrets will deffo get you more digs than one ferret.

It seems to be working, what time you lose with lack of ferrets in a warren, you make up for in a controlled clinical clearing of a warren with no drama's.

Most rabbits today were being stubborn with a good few digs, the old man and myself constantly netted up, leapfrogging on the big extensive warrens, me ferreting, digging and carrying whilst he pulled and laid nets, from behind and laid in front of me. A Propper Machine!

I could not believe how the jills saw the day out, nearly every rabbit having to be bullied out of the holes, not just bolting cause a ferret was in the warren.

And the old man, at 72 yrs old, still seeing a full day out on land that has tired myself out today. Ended up with 47.

 

 

Back out tmoz. Hope the jills can handle two days on the bounce.

 

I have a great deal of respect for you Brimmer ( even more for your father as I am lot closer to his age than yours. ) Even though I do not think that digging to ferrets is ferreting, although, I must admit that on shallow warrens it is very effective.

 

I have long been a believer that too many ferrets spoil the broth, one ferret that really works can clear a larger warren in the same time as 5 but without the digs. As to the rabbits being reluctant to bolt on a day, I have a theory about that too, just wish it would work every time, not just most of the time.

 

TC

 

Must admit Tiercel, the fact that i had to leave 1 corpse behind under the sod today twists me, b*****d had killed, was covered in blood, was 5 foot down, and i was unable to reach the body. That is a pointless death.

 

I have a theory about rabbits not bolting as well, and its probs a number of reasons, noise, scent, sighting, nets and make up of tunnels down there all play a part, as well as few teeth stopping it! its just down to me to get them out mate, alive or dead.

 

Hope you are ok down there Tiercel.there's part hawkers up here at present!

[The one 8,484]

Great read and pic mate ,my old man stopped going out with me when he was seventy

[tegater 789]

Did you go easy on them last year if I remember. Looks like it paid off.

[troter58 1,711]

great read and hats off to the old lad 74 well done hope i am still up and at them in 20 years very nice bag and i also like to work one good ferret less holes to dig atb troter

[ferretville 69]

Enjoyed that write up brimmer nice to see peoples different perspective on ferreting . Personally i think different land and size of warrens calls for different tactics . I have 2 jills 1 a poley and the other a albino . Now the 2 of them are like chalk and cheese in the way they work . The poley is etremely fast and very thorough in her work doing the entire sett till she is satisfied theres nothing at home or staying with her quarry . On the other hand the albino is slower and more methodical in her approach to the job but none the less still very accomplished at her work . To be honest i have the best of both world s with the pair of them either worked separately or in tandom.

Same can be said about me 2 males 1 a poley who is brother 2 the jill poley and the other a albino of no relation to the female albino . Now the poley hob is very much like his sister in the way he works and the albino hob is like the albino jill . I consider myself very fortunate to have a team of ferrets that give me great variation in differing land and warrens . Yet at the same time i know i can work them as a team and get the job done . You cant put a price on a great team of workers that do the job day in day out and a certainly wouldnt part with mine for love nor money atb fv

[ferretville 69]

Forgot to mention a big thumbs up to your old man

[Magwitch 687]

I take an old boy out with me, he's nearly 65 and to be honest I am thinking of trading him in..................................I need one like you got Brimmer Thats a good haul of underground chickens mate

[Tiny 7 1,694]

Cracking little read that fellah....

[skycat 6,173]

Hats off to your dad....... and the ferrets! People who think that ferreting is not hard work have obviously never really done a lot: hard on the back and the knees.