ollywilli 49 Posted April 5, 2013 Report Share Posted April 5, 2013 Does any one still use their ferrets to push rats out still to terriers or into nets? Quote Link to post
jimster68 123 Posted April 5, 2013 Report Share Posted April 5, 2013 ive never tried to a bolt rat on purpose, but over this season i bolted loads whilst out ferreting ,some of the warrens that held good numbers of rabbits last year seem to have been taken over by rats ,at one large warren i bolted a dozen or so rats and none of the ferrets came out injured ,so i would say thet rats would rather bolt than take on a ferret . my dog enjoyed it ,but i nearly dived on a couple and wasnt overly impressed ,,,,,,atb....jim Quote Link to post
ratpackjack 272 Posted April 5, 2013 Report Share Posted April 5, 2013 I beg to differ a doe with young will not bolt she will fight to the end and pound for pound they can and will thrash a ferret,i would rather use a smoker than use a ferret...i have a jill here that the fella used for rats when i got her her nose was hanging off and she was in a bad way each to their own but if i can smoke them out then am all into it but if it mean using a ferret it just not for me Atb Jack....sure lads will disagree but thats my thought on it 1 Quote Link to post
fatlad 250 Posted April 6, 2013 Report Share Posted April 6, 2013 ive bolted rats for years with the ferrets only ever had one ferret badly bitten and that was when she got stuck betwen 2 rats came out with bites near her tail and round her face, treated her with antibiotics she was ok. i would only ever breed from a jill that works rats but thats just me i supose Quote Link to post
Huan72 687 Posted April 6, 2013 Report Share Posted April 6, 2013 A cornered rat can be a very dangerous animal, if you did use ferrets for rats then you are gonna have to accept the fact that your ferret may well get injured. I know there is risk with every trip but I think that with rats you are increasing the risk. Rats are very intelligent, are quite happy to use their teeth in anger and those teeth hurt! I have been bitten and and the teeth went straight through my fingernail!! Most rats probably do bolt but as ratpack said put young into the mix and the game changes. Cornered rats have been known to stand their ground against bigger animals than ferrets! Quote Link to post
jasperdog 98 Posted April 6, 2013 Report Share Posted April 6, 2013 i us ferrets to bolt rats and have done so for many years now. It's very rare that a rat takes on a ferret but in my experience the ferret comes out on top, having said that the odd occasion a ferret do's get injured. Quote Link to post
fitchet 788 Posted April 6, 2013 Report Share Posted April 6, 2013 Ive said it before ive seen rabbits kick fukc out of a ferret far worse than any rat .... 3 Quote Link to post
ratpackjack 272 Posted April 6, 2013 Report Share Posted April 6, 2013 Ive said it before ive seen rabbits kick fukc out of a ferret far worse than any rat .... Must be some big fecking bunnies 2 Quote Link to post
fitchet 788 Posted April 6, 2013 Report Share Posted April 6, 2013 Ive said it before ive seen rabbits kick fukc out of a ferret far worse than any rat .... Must be some big fecking bunnies Nope just determined ferrets. We had a big hob lose an eye due to a kick from a stop end bunny. Been ferreting rats all my life never had one lise an eye. Quote Link to post
air gun ant 1,666 Posted April 6, 2013 Report Share Posted April 6, 2013 Ive said it before ive seen rabbits kick fukc out of a ferret far worse than any rat ....i agree done rats a few times with no in jury's but bout 3 years ago my big hob got proper scalped buy a buck in a stop end. He's just grown hair back properly this year!! Quote Link to post
ollywilli 49 Posted April 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2013 Ok thanks lad, a great response in a short time, so a little follow up question and I may be should put it in another thread but ill add it here for now. Ferrets suitable for rats, hobs, jill, large, think, long, short or it is all in the brain. Reason I ask I have all workig ferrets, 2 from good working lines and there pants. One un known brill on everything one from a looney woman who had them as pets and good on everything. Do you have any preference when breeding ferrets for rats? But they will also be suitable for rabbits? Quote Link to post
gnipper 6,539 Posted April 6, 2013 Report Share Posted April 6, 2013 If your breeding ferrets for ratting then you need medium sized stock that can take a nip and go back for another. I do ferret rats now and again and 1 of my jills is a cracker on them but the other stronger more aggressive jill is a shithouse on them and comes away if they look like standing their ground. I did rats all the time when I was a kid and had some cracking ferrets back then. Quote Link to post
mule1943 291 Posted April 6, 2013 Report Share Posted April 6, 2013 Ive used ferrets to rats ,& if they been bitten a few times they wont go back to them ,but ok on rabbits . 1 Quote Link to post
jasperdog 98 Posted April 6, 2013 Report Share Posted April 6, 2013 Thats true mule, i preffer the smaller gill for ratting and rabbiting, have used hobs on rat but mostly for rabbit. 1 Quote Link to post
fatlad 250 Posted April 6, 2013 Report Share Posted April 6, 2013 i use medium to large jills never had any problems with them not going to rats, the only ferret that ive had not go was a little bitch i was given last summer. ive kept pretty much the same strain of albino ferrets for nigh on 20 years the lad i got them off mostly used them for rats Quote Link to post
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