Ferret Finders

[GreyRake 108]

Was looking at ferret finders, need to get one at some point over the summer. Ive never used one and have read people prefer the Mk1s? Why is this? Also do you guys buy a collar for every ferret your using? Or can you safely expect all the ferrets in the burrow to lay up at the same caught rabbit? Not that i cant afford a finder, I'm just grudging these prices, especially as i work with PCBs and know how cheap they are. Also 60 odd for each collar alone seems steep. The second hand finders Ive came across are not much cheaper and always seem to have something wrong with them, so i guess ill just be buying new.

[Nigel1 10]

I have the mk 3 m with 2x collars and wouldn't be without it great piece of kit also it depends regarding the ferrets it depends on how many rabbits are in the warren mind seem to go there own way they only seem to stick together if there is only one rabbit in the warren but having a finder will show you were your ferrets are hope this helps ALB [BANNED TEXT]

[The one 8,493]

I prefer the mk 1 ive 14 collars and work each ferret with a collar on ,i wouldn't put a ferret to ground with out a collar , ive also mk3 and two collars but struggle to get on with it . But with collars on you know where your ferrets are and what there up to and most can be dug out safely and quickly with any rabbit there at compared to the alternatives

[Fergus 18]

They're handy pieces of equipment and once you have used one you wouldn't be without it. Makes retrieving a rabbit and ferret easier because you know exactly where and how deep it is to dig to. If its an easy dig it also saves you time by digging out the ferret/rabbit and moving on to the next burrows. Without a box and collar all you can do is wait for the ferret to come out. They also let you ferret areas with some more brush/cover with confidence knowing where your workers are. If you value your ferrets and have the coin-get one and enough collars for all of your troops.

[GreyRake 108]

Locator is defiantly on the cards. Last season was my first ferreting as an adult and alone. Didn't want to invest too much until I was sure I was going to make the most of it. But caught the bug so really want to go for it next season. My ferrets are very valued. Mainly stuck to small warrens, but got some big warrens on waiting for me on some permissions for after the summer.

 

Another thing I want to get is a long net but not sure what to buy exactly. Don't fancy one of these big carry 'quickset' set ups with a really long net. Just something smallish to carry about and come in handy where the purse nets are tricky. One of my permissions is thick thorn hedgrows with fences on either side, I had to crawl through the thorns to set nets. So thought some long nets would come in handy. What size would you guys suggest? What should I be searching eBay or wherever for exactly?

[Country Joe 1,411]

http://www.thehuntinglife.com/forums/topic/270118-stop-net-or-25yd-basket/

 

One of these would be handy, i also used to do hedges solo, with purse nets, and had to get through to other side when a rabbit hit the other side i never lost a rabbit, but as you say hard work.

The best way is too have a ferreting mate, and long net either side of the hedge, stand with a dog either side and you should have a few, keep moving the nets along the hedge.

Apart from being ivective, its great sport.

you are a long way from me, but if you are ever down this way I can show you.

Look on longnetting on here there's a post by cumbrianratcher on how to run out and pick up a quickset longnet.

well worth a look.

http://www.thehuntinglife.com/forums/topic/287611-long-net-basket/

Have a look at above, thread there's a video on there by cumbrianratcher that should be helpful.

Edited May 1, 2013 by Country Joe

[GreyRake 108]

Thanks for the replies guys.

 

That long net carrier/setting kit looks good, I'd just be worried about having so much more to carry. Some of my permissions I'm never far away from the car but others I'm trekking far away over the hills, so would be more inclined to get a long net as small as I could but with it still big enough to be useful. Seen a video on YouTube of a guy ferreting hedges, he put a wooden board in the hedge to divert the rabbits out into the field beside for the long nets and dog, would save alot of hassle on a few of my best spots.

 

I do have a friend that came out a few times with me and it does make a big difference having the extra hands. Think he's keen to do more next season just hope he's got the time to make it more often. Unfortunately as I live alone and work full time I can't take a dog on at the moment, it just wouldn't get the time it needed. But I have been reading up on coursing dogs and if my circumstances change to suit a dog in the future I'll get one added to the team. Would be most valuable to me for marking holes more than anything I think, wasted alot of time netting empty holes.

 

Thanks for the offer country joe, I'll keep that in mind.

[The one 8,493]

We took a youngster out he had three ferrets one collar bolted a rabbit and it got into the next burrow he just dropped a jill in after it , right away im thinking its getting late and its no going to bolt . He had to wait till we finished up our burrows and stowed the gear away them we got to him he had been sitting a hour trying to find his jill with his collared ferret dropped in two of our collared jill's ten minutes later broke threw at three foot to find the ferrets and a dead rabbit , we came off the hill in the dark that night with all the ferrets but it could have ended differently and badly for the guy .

I wouldn't go out with out a locator now best thing ever for ferreting

[Country Joe 1,411]

I would look into more rabbiting type dogs rather than coursing strains if rabbiting is your game.

i realize you cant have a dog, but they are so useful apart from marking , and catching.

when netting hedges with longnets, they are good at pushing rabbits into the nets,

which can stop hole hopping.

Edited May 1, 2013 by Country Joe

[GreyRake 108]

Yeah I had to wait a few hours for one of my ferrets at the end of the season. Decided that would be the last without a locator. Had been taking other precautions like sticking to shallow looking, less than ten holers and double checking all around for holes and I never entered a ferret after 1pm incase I had to wait.

[rob190364 2,594]

other thing to note re. locators, if you enter your ferret somewhere where you can't dig for whatever reason, they give you the peace of mind that your ferret is still there and hasn't slipped away unnoticed. You can also determine whether or not the ferret is still moving around etc.

 

I know they're quite expensive, but stick a fiver a week in a tin starting now and by the time the season starts again you'd be able to get yourself a mk1 with a collar off ebay

[The one 8,493]

Aye a couple of times when we have been ferreting ive put a spare 15 foot box in front of a large patch of gorse in case the burrow extended into the gorse and the ferret got in underground and we didn't know about it ,

[Lancashire Hunter 22]

I am in a similar position mate. But i done it cheap. I picked up a mark 1 collar for 30 quid of ebay. And a transsitor radio with the long wave setting it picks up the signal from the collar no problem and does the job it doesnt say the depth but it works plus there are cheap alternatives on ebay if you type on pet locators. Hope it helps.

[GreyRake 108]

other thing to note re. locators, if you enter your ferret somewhere where you can't dig for whatever reason, they give you the peace of mind that your ferret is still there and hasn't slipped away unnoticed. You can also determine whether or not the ferret is still moving around etc.

 

I know they're quite expensive, but stick a fiver a week in a tin starting now and by the time the season starts again you'd be able to get yourself a mk1 with a collar off ebay

True, the time we had to wait for the ferret, it was in a hole under a hedge in a steep mound, i would not have wanted to dig it. But i must have checked around for other holes/ the ferret every five minutes whilst waiting hours, the peace of mind would have been good.

 

Can afford one and ive got until September or later to buy one. Keeping an eye on that other thread about someone planning on making a batch of Mk1 copies. Got until September or later to see if i can find a good deal. Could populate a PCB myself if i had one to copy. But then id be stuck at the plastic case/cover.

[rob190364 2,594]

 

other thing to note re. locators, if you enter your ferret somewhere where you can't dig for whatever reason, they give you the peace of mind that your ferret is still there and hasn't slipped away unnoticed. You can also determine whether or not the ferret is still moving around etc.

 

I know they're quite expensive, but stick a fiver a week in a tin starting now and by the time the season starts again you'd be able to get yourself a mk1 with a collar off ebay

True, the time we had to wait for the ferret, it was in a hole under a hedge in a steep mound, i would not have wanted to dig it. But i must have checked around for other holes/ the ferret every five minutes whilst waiting hours, the peace of mind would have been good.

 

Can afford one and ive got until September or later to buy one. Keeping an eye on that other thread about someone planning on making a batch of Mk1 copies. Got until September or later to see if i can find a good deal. Could populate a PCB myself if i had one to copy. But then id be stuck at the plastic case/cover.

 

they come up on the for sale section on here quite regularly pal, worth keeping your eye on as you sometimes get some good bargains.....usually have to be quick though!