I Hunt With Mink!

[BIGLURKS 874]

Haha love it and yes you can and some folk still do ratting with ferrets they just take a good beating while doing it there will be no salmon river safe when folk start training mink lol

[air gun ant 1,666]

I wonder what the legalities of keeping and training and in a way releasing (to hunt) a mink would be in this country?

[Minkenry 1,044]

 

 

I've been told conflicting stories about a ferrets ability to hunt rats. Can someone who has, or does hunt rats with ferrets please clarify something for me, because I am rather confused.

 

I've been told by some that ferrets often become intimidated by rats if you hunt rats too often over a prolonged period of time. I've been told the reason is that ferrets often get some pretty nasty bites while hunting rats. I've also been told that some ferrets will even receive semi serious injuries from hunting rats, and they recommend to never attempt it for the safety of you ferret. How true is this? Is this really the case when it comes to ferreting rats, or is this a bunch of rubbish fed to me by a bunch of softies who have nothing but pet ferrets they rarely hunt with?

 

I ask that because on the other hand, I've been told that ferrets do fine on rats, as long as you give them easy prey like rabbits first, and don't start the ferrets on rats too young.

 

So for those who know and have real experience with ferreting rats, please help to clarify a ferrets abilities in this area. If you don't have any first hand experience ferreting rats, please keep your opinions to yourself as I don't need any more hearsay. I've heard plenty of that already.

 

Ferrets love ratting mate...its just something that a lot of people dont do anymore.. I know my ferts love a rumble below ground with them.

 

theres that many different shapes and sizes of ferrets over here in the uk with all the inter breeding with EU polecats and various other strains including the very small Micro types that have been line bred down for size..most of them would be useless at ratting.

 

But theres still plenty of racey greyhoundy types of ferts (longer,thinner,leaner very athletic types)...they make great ratters.. we used to do lots of ratting many years ago and its true the ferrets did often take a beating off the rats...and its true..some did pack in after a few hard knocks.

But like dogs and other hunting partners,you always get the ones that just seem to be very good at it and enjoy it .

 

I think the only thing that stopped us all using the ferrets for rats was the clever bloke who invented the smoker method with and old chainsaw and some hosepipe etc etc. . . The 1st time I saw " Jonny D and his rat pack " videos was the last time we went ratting with ferrets...lol.

 

On the odd occasion when out ferreting rabbits we come across Rats sharing a warren etc etc.. I would be very disapointed in my ferrets if they didnt evacuate all occupants.

 

 

That's awesome! This is exactly what I concluded must be the case after reading and hearing such conflicting stories about how a ferret is on rats.

 

I find it a true shame that ferreting for rats was pushed by the way side by the smoking out of rats. I personally hate riding ATV's (four wheelers and such) because they are just so stinking loud, and I prefer the peace of a horse ride. All the RUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMM RUUUUUMMMMMMM RUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMM of the smoking rats out would just kill the deal for me, even though the efficiency I'm sure is beyond what a ferret could do. Plus for me it's all about the sport.

 

That's why I was a falconer. I find no real sport in shooting a bird out of the sky. To me it's not a sport, it's just gathering meat. Like going to the supper market. To me for it to be sporting the prey must have a more fair chance at escaping. I'd rather watch a falcon chase a bird out of the sky any day over blasting it out of the sky with a shot gun. Now I have nothing against guns. I use them all the time and enjoy it. I just don't consider it sporting. It's just gathering meat to me.

 

So here's what I gathered from what you just said, please tell me if I understood correctly. There are certain lines of ferrets that are good at ratting, others that are mediocre, and others that just plain suck at it. With in the lines that excel at ratting there are of course good and bad individuals, but as a whole they are tough and fast enough to hunt rats without too much problem, but they do occasionally take a beating in the process.

 

Does that pretty much sum up ferreting for rats, or have I missed or added something?

[nans pat 2,575]

how do you house them at home do you keep the carrier in their cage for them to sleep in..any photos...can they be housed in groups same as ferrets.

[Born Hunter 17,751]

Right, I want an Otter! Now that'd be a sight!

[johnharris 177]

^{Good post and excellent video}

[foxtails 272]

 

 

 

I've been told conflicting stories about a ferrets ability to hunt rats. Can someone who has, or does hunt rats with ferrets please clarify something for me, because I am rather confused.

 

I've been told by some that ferrets often become intimidated by rats if you hunt rats too often over a prolonged period of time. I've been told the reason is that ferrets often get some pretty nasty bites while hunting rats. I've also been told that some ferrets will even receive semi serious injuries from hunting rats, and they recommend to never attempt it for the safety of you ferret. How true is this? Is this really the case when it comes to ferreting rats, or is this a bunch of rubbish fed to me by a bunch of softies who have nothing but pet ferrets they rarely hunt with?

 

I ask that because on the other hand, I've been told that ferrets do fine on rats, as long as you give them easy prey like rabbits first, and don't start the ferrets on rats too young.

 

So for those who know and have real experience with ferreting rats, please help to clarify a ferrets abilities in this area. If you don't have any first hand experience ferreting rats, please keep your opinions to yourself as I don't need any more hearsay. I've heard plenty of that already.

 

Ferrets love ratting mate...its just something that a lot of people dont do anymore.. I know my ferts love a rumble below ground with them.

 

theres that many different shapes and sizes of ferrets over here in the uk with all the inter breeding with EU polecats and various other strains including the very small Micro types that have been line bred down for size..most of them would be useless at ratting.

 

But theres still plenty of racey greyhoundy types of ferts (longer,thinner,leaner very athletic types)...they make great ratters.. we used to do lots of ratting many years ago and its true the ferrets did often take a beating off the rats...and its true..some did pack in after a few hard knocks.

But like dogs and other hunting partners,you always get the ones that just seem to be very good at it and enjoy it .

 

I think the only thing that stopped us all using the ferrets for rats was the clever bloke who invented the smoker method with and old chainsaw and some hosepipe etc etc. . . The 1st time I saw " Jonny D and his rat pack " videos was the last time we went ratting with ferrets...lol.

 

On the odd occasion when out ferreting rabbits we come across Rats sharing a warren etc etc.. I would be very disapointed in my ferrets if they didnt evacuate all occupants.

 

 

That's awesome! This is exactly what I concluded must be the case after reading and hearing such conflicting stories about how a ferret is on rats.

 

I find it a true shame that ferreting for rats was pushed by the way side by the smoking out of rats. I personally hate riding ATV's (four wheelers and such) because they are just so stinking loud, and I prefer the peace of a horse ride. All the RUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMM RUUUUUMMMMMMM RUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMM of the smoking rats out would just kill the deal for me, even though the efficiency I'm sure is beyond what a ferret could do. Plus for me it's all about the sport.

 

That's why I was a falconer. I find no real sport in shooting a bird out of the sky. To me it's not a sport, it's just gathering meat. Like going to the supper market. To me for it to be sporting the prey must have a more fair chance at escaping. I'd rather watch a falcon chase a bird out of the sky any day over blasting it out of the sky with a shot gun. Now I have nothing against guns. I use them all the time and enjoy it. I just don't consider it sporting. It's just gathering meat to me.

 

So here's what I gathered from what you just said, please tell me if I understood correctly. There are certain lines of ferrets that are good at ratting, others that are mediocre, and others that just plain suck at it. With in the lines that excel at ratting there are of course good and bad individuals, but as a whole they are tough and fast enough to hunt rats without too much problem, but they do occasionally take a beating in the process.

 

Does that pretty much sum up ferreting for rats, or have I missed or added something?

 

i see what your saying about guns, in the ferret respect, yes there are different strains of ferret, but the ferret will take a rat no problem at all, same as the mink, but i do very much like what youv done with the mink, iv never ever seen that done before, good on ya fella a real good sport youv created there! keep us posted on this site how you do over the next few months, were all choked none of us have ever seen a mink tamed and worked like that before !

[vermin catcher 219]

 

Mink only cause global warming in America, everyone on here knows that.

Fair play to you for having a go, but theres got to be a reason your the only one doing it? Can I ask what a Mink brings to the table, that a ferret doesn't?

trout

 

:laugh: PMSL

[vermin catcher 219]

Best video ive seen in a very long time on here.excellent......Im getting me a mink

[Minkenry 1,044]

Mink only cause global warming in America, everyone on here knows that.

Fair play to you for having a go, but theres got to be a reason your the only one doing it? Can I ask what a Mink brings to the table, that a ferret doesn't?

 

Before I got into all the things a mink does better than a ferret, let me fist describe what a ferret does better than a mink. Ferrets have not only been bred for over 1,000 years to work with man, but they also descend from a wild ancestor that is much calmer and easier to handle than a wild mink. This makes ferrets much easier to handle and work with. Also, unlike mink who have a deadly aggression towards each other, ferrets, for the most part, can be kept together without issues. Because ferrets have been bred to work with man for so many years, they require little to no training before you take them hunting. You just simply put the ferret down the hole, let them chase out the rabbits, rats, or whatever you might be hunting, then pick the ferret up when he casually walks out of the hole.

 

Mink, on the other hand, have NOT been bred to work with man. They are naturally a very aggressive and high-strung creature, far more aggressive and high-strung than even a pure wild polecat. They have jaws that would put even the meanest ferrets to shame. A mink can bite so hard that even double layer welding gloves don't completely protect you! These are my hands after ONE training session with a large aggressive male mink while I was wearing super thick leather gloves sold specifically for mink farmers...

 

 

I've even heard of a guy who had his thumb nail split in half by a mink RIGHT THROUGH HIS WELDING GLOVES! Like I always say, there's no such thing as mink proof gloves that you can actually use. Once the gloves are thick enough to completely protect you from the mink, they are too thick to use your hands anymore!

 

Unlike the calm slow ferret which just lets you casually pick it up after the hunt, mink are too quick and wild to just be picked up. Mink must be trained to come to you, or you will loose them. It takes time and patients to tame and train a mink, and even more time and patients to raise a baby mink that is still tame as an adult. If you raise a baby mink correctly, it will end up tamer than if you get one as an adult, but it takes MUCH MUCH MUCH more work and patients to raise a baby mink than it does to just tame an already adult mink. Ether way you have your work cut out for you, and you're going to get bit in the process. The amount of time and effort it takes to train a hunting mink is comparable to working with an accipiter in falconry. So if you are a falconer, or know what it takes to be a falconer, then you have a good idea of what it takes to be a minkener. I like to describe Minkenry by saying it's like falconry, ferreting, and hunting with a dog all rolled into one. And unlike ferrets, after your done training the mink, you need to keep working with it consistently, or the mink will regress. Mink are far more high maintenance than a ferret, and it takes a real animal trainer to work with a mink, where as there is little to no training involved for a hunting ferret.

 

Now that we've gone through the negatives, it's time to tell the positives. Mink are far more athletic than a ferret or even a pure wild polecat. They can move faster, run longer, jump higher, bite harder, and are much tougher than any ferret alive. This makes them a much better killer. However this can also be a negative if your goal is for the game to be flushed, not killed by the mink or ferret. If your main goal is just to flush the game, the a ferret is going to do a MUCH better job because they are slow and lazy when compared to the mink. A mink will catch and kill far more game than a ferret, so if this is a negative for you, then this “positive” is actually a negative.

 

One advantage is, unlike the lazy ferret who just goes to sleep after his first kill, mink are far more likely to keep moving, and continue driving out game even though they've made a kill or two. Also, after making a kill, you can still call the mink out of the hole, rather than being forced to dig them out like you do with a ferret that is holed up with it's prey. Mink have a MUCH higher prey drive, and when not overly hungry, hunting is more fun to them than eating. If you have your mink at the right weight, they will just kill, maybe have a quick snack, and then keep hunting, only settling down to eat after they are too tired to continue hunting. I train my mink to cache their game in their box after they catch something, but it takes a ridiculous amount of time training a mink to cache (we're talking months of training), so it might just not be worth it to some people.

 

Except for the whole falling asleep in a rabbit burrow and having to be dug out, I would assume that using a ferret to net rabbits is probably far better in just about every way over using a mink. However, when it comes to rats, mink have a HUGE advantage. I've heard everyone's story about ferrets getting chewed up while ferreting rats. I have yet to see a visible wound left on a mink from hunting ANYTHING. I once had a mink get out of it's cage and chew through the wire on my rat cage and to kill over 2 dozen rats I had saved for training my mink to cache. She killed over 24 rats in a row with out a single visible bite on her body!

 

More than just killing rats, mink can kill much larger rodents like muskrats without mishap. Ferrets get chewed up from hunting brown rats which usually weigh from 150-250 grams and the world record wild brown rat tipping the scales at about 1,000 grams. Mink can kill muskrats which average just over 1,000 grams and some larger individuals grow over 1,500 grams! In my experience the average muskrat is about as aggressive as an extra mean brown rat. Watch these videos to see what I mean!

 

 

 

 

http://youtu.be/RdpgI88-NN0

 

These videos represent very normal aggression levels for a cornered muskrat, or one caught on dry land. They do the same thing to people too.....

 

http://youtu.be/HaAg3dJjHFY

 

Muskrats have HUGE beaver like teeth and super powerful jaws. My big thick mink gloves are 100% rat proof, but if you get pinched by a muskrat through the gloves it sure hurts! Their teeth don't pierce the gloves like a mink does, they just crush your finger, something a brown rat can't even BEGIN to do! Check out these chompers!

 

 

If ferrets get beat up by little 150-250 gram brown rats, then what do you think would happen to them against a 800-1,300 gram muskrat? I addition to killing muskrats, brown rats, and rock squirrels without mishap, I've even had one mink that would drive full grown beaver out of their bank dens! An average beaver weighs about 20 kg which is HUGE when compared to a little mink that weighed less than 900 grams! And beavers aren't just big cuddly pushovers ether! She must have really chewed on him to get him out of his den! Watch this beaver take on a full grown man when he could have just as easily ran away!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE06cQ-7YVs&feature=share&list=TL6If1sBhXMUY

 

My mink flushed the same beaver out of it's hole 2 or 3 times in the same day, despite the fact that the beaver KNEW we were outside his den trying to catch him with nets (our nets were too small so we never got him)! It wasn't like the beaver just decided to casually avoid the annoying mink. The beaver KNEW we were out there and after him, and he STILL chose to run out of HIS hole and risk being caught by two men with nets, instead of just trying to fight off the mink.

 

Just to clarify things, we weren't out trying to catch beaver. We were intending to catch muskrat, but my mink kept going back to the same den to attack the beaver instead! She actually bolted beaver on 3 different occasions, and multiple times on each occasion. We eventually had to just avoid hunting in areas with beavers or my mink would waist our time chasing beavers (which she was obviously too small to kill, and we didn't have nets big enough to catch them with) instead of hunting muskrats. Now if you choose to not believe me about the beavers, I can't say I blame you. I have no evidence that it ever happened other than my personal testimony, and the testimony of my friend who was with me. I have no video evidence, and had I heard this same story I would have my own doubts. But I promise you I'm telling the truth. Some day when I'm more prepared with the proper equipment maybe I'll actually catch a beaver my mink bolts, but for now you'll just have to take my word for it. But even if the beaver story wasn't true, I have PLENTY of evidence to support what I say about muskrats. Mink may be hard to handle, but they can handle quarry a ferret can only dream of.

 

THAT is what a mink brings to the table!

[Minkenry 1,044]

how do you house them at home do you keep the carrier in their cage for them to sleep in..any photos...can they be housed in groups same as ferrets.

 

Mink are more high strung than a ferret so they need more room to move around, plus they are semi aquatic so they appreciate a place to swim. Here's an example of my different setups.

 

[chelsea 125]

Just watched videos great stuff mate...

[Hot Meat 3,109]

Few points I'll clear up for you. Ferrets don't sleep in rabbit holes, if my ferrets went for a snooze while ferreting they would be deemed as useless an dealt with. Ferrets can be very highly strung, not all but a lot of ferrets are very excitable and very unpredictable. Ferreting ain't as easy as dropping a ferret in a hole an catching the bunny, granted most ferrets will flush the odd bunny, but good ferrets will not leave a bunny in there, hence the need to dig them out. I fully agree that training your mink is more demanding. But an untrained unhandled ferret is as much a nuisance as a dog that is nit trained. Most rats are dealt with with ease by a half decent ferret. It's the mummy rats with a nest of young or an adult buck rat that's trapped that will give the odd wound, however like I said most are dealt with, with no great difficulty.

 

 

Keep the posts and vids comin pal, well done

[Minkenry 1,044]

Right, I want an Otter! Now that'd be a sight!

 

Me too! And a martin, and a fisher, and a long tailed weasel, and a least weasel, LOL the list goes on! Once I feel like I've got mink down (I'm still getting the very basics down at this point!), I would like to try other mustelid species. But for now I'm going to stick with mink, and keep learning about them as there is still so much for me to learn!

[Minkenry 1,044]

Few points I'll clear up for you. Ferrets don't sleep in rabbit holes, if my ferrets went for a snooze while ferreting they would be deemed as useless an dealt with. Ferrets can be very highly strung, not all but a lot of ferrets are very excitable and very unpredictable. Ferreting ain't as easy as dropping a ferret in a hole an catching the bunny, granted most ferrets will flush the odd bunny, but good ferrets will not leave a bunny in there, hence the need to dig them out. I fully agree that training your mink is more demanding. But an untrained unhandled ferret is as much a nuisance as a dog that is nit trained. Most rats are dealt with with ease by a half decent ferret. It's the mummy rats with a nest of young or an adult buck rat that's trapped that will give the odd wound, however like I said most are dealt with, with no great difficulty.

 

 

Keep the posts and vids comin pal, well done

 

Thanks for clearing that up. So, you use the ferret finder to get the rabbit the ferret has killed (or still killing) not to actually get the ferret back? Sorry, I have very limited experience with ferreting and basically have to go off of what I have read and been told by ferreters. I have had ferrets when I was a kid, but I didn't know what I was doing, and we don't have burrowing rabbits here in the U.S. so we can't do the same stuff you guys do with your ferrets.