Too much blade action! (even for me.)

[NEWKID 27,716]

Good read Brimmer and nice end of day photo..... Often wonder myself why somedays they just don't bolt as expected, like you say could just be the ferrets are fitting up but I also think the disturbance of digging can cause more digs...

Atb

Kev

[Brimmer 220]

Just a follow up response to Moe, FV and Tomo about the numbers of ferrets to put in the warrens. I can understand, and do stick more than one ferret in a warren when its required, this is usually in a large warren, with large tubes where 1 ferret gets the runaround from numbers, and cannot shift the rabbits.

What we are working at the moment are on steep hillsides, and on first glance look like a huge warren. In reality, once you start, you soon realise this could not be further from the truth. A large area may have anything up to 300 holes on it, this can be broken down into lots of disjointed warrens, which rarely link up, maybee 12 -20 holes in a section, which you may get a few rabbits out of, but of course you have to keep leapfrogging along setting nets in front and pulling nets fom behind as you work through it. Thats the old fellers job. and he's pretty good at it.

As for my part, I drift over the netted area, lifting a ferret that has worked, and on standby for and pulling bolters, resetting nets and digging. and re-entering a ferret in what i might think is a different part of the warren, Have to say, most of the time it is like a well oiled machine, and not many mistakes are made.

Nearly all the time , we are both busy without a break, and the single ferret that is entered is busy also, usually without more than a minute after entering, the rumbling is happening, Imagine that in 3 places at once? bolting see's myself pulling and resetting as it comes out, or digging the rabbits, tbh, i am a little overstreched on the hillsides to cover one ferret in there, never mind more than that!

My old feller used to have the same philosophy until recently about 'get both of em in' until he saw the controlled manner in which we are working now. I'd like to bet, it only takes the same amount of time to clear the warren, i'm not running round re-entering ferrets into a new bit of the warren every few seconds, resetting the nets they have just pulled off, and holding my head in my hands from 20 yrds away as a few bolters run past the one in the net already, trying to pull 2 rabbits at once from two ends of the warren.

 

Then when we come to the digging!

I have not yet seen a man dig in two places at the same time yet, (but i'm getting close!).

I do know what i am doing, and could probs show a lot of folks a few tricks along the way.

I'd say we are probs 90 percent efficient at what we do, on the land we do it, and a whole load of ferrets will just cause problems!

Edited November 8, 2012 by Brimmer

[ferretville 69]

Interesting brimmer you work in a manner which is best suited to you and the old fella and results tells the story . As i said you know your ferrets and land better than i do and the way you work does the job . Interesting to see how people work differing land and warrens with there animals . Im of the opinion your never to old to learn something new rather than being of the i know it all and theres plenty out there that think they know it all . Look forward to your next post brim and a think its about time i got my ass in gear lol atb fv

[Sirius 1,391]

Interesting thoughts, nice post and results. It seems unbelievable to me to use one ferret, but that's just due to the different terrain we have down here in the West Country to yourself. We have deep extensive hill warrens where you sure have to get the rabbits pushed out and at least 4-10 ferrets are needed. Even on hedges I like a good few in there dependent on size. We did a warren a few days ago emptied in 7 ferrets and it still took 10-15 mins before the rabbits started bolting.

Great to read different people's experiences Brimmer keep posting, it's a good read.

[theferreter 311]

good haul of rabbbits brimmer well done