Why The Retreat?

[GreyRake 108]

Last weekend we saw a rabbit hop into it's hole. Just two entrances, threw a net over each then entered my jill. Was a fair bit rumbling and we caught a few glimpses of the rabbit around the entrance but It didn't bolt. Was taking a while and my ferreting partner said he seen the rabbit putting up a good fight, so I popped my hob in the lower hole. Thirty seconds later both ferrets just wandered out, not interested in going back in. Couldn't see any holes we missed. My hobs good at making a kill and he will move on after, but not that soon. Left us a bit puzzled.

[Hot Meat 3,109]

Could have lost it, or the Jill has killed it an by time hob was put down there was no interest left in it for them, sounds of it tho you'll never know

[sikastag_1 689]

You'd be surprised how quick a big hob can kill a rabbit mate, some small jills can kill in jig time aswell, the Jill probably killed it and the 2 of them Ain't interested because its dead, the rabbit could have not bolted for loads of reasons youse were noisy, or smoking etc

Edited September 14, 2013 by grant_c

[GreyRake 108]

Theres a chance we spooked the rabbit yeah, when it was at the entrance my partner tried to make a grab at it but it shot down again. Maybe they did kill it then, hob killed another two last weekend 6ft+ down, think he's sitting out for a few weeks until I'm working flatter ground.

[Country Joe 1,411]

If you disturb a Rabbit and it pops down a hole, theres a good chance it knows you're there,

or if your dog puts a rabbit into its bury,

If its not deep then you can go ahead, and if no bolt, should be easy to dig out.

if it looks deep, sometimes best to leave it, and ferret other burys, going back to it later,

and the rabbit may bolt, but not everything works in ferreting,

but the above method is always worth a try, I have done this many times with success.

but would the rabbit had bolted if ferreted right away, well who knows.

[The one 8,495]

If you saw it and it wasn't for bolting i would of had the locator out and tracked it , its likely that they either killed it or its backed up to a dead end and they have scratched its rear then given up a idea dig , if that rabbits still alive its wised up and will do the same again

[GreyRake 108]

The battle was moving all around, to the entrance then back deep into the hole, it never really stayed still to get a location on, once it did go quiet, they came out straight away. Usually my hob will stay with a rabbit in a dead end for a good half an hour at least, allowing me to dig. But it seemed very odd for them both to just come out like that, so soon. Even if they had killed it, my jill would have kept ragging it for while. Its as if it had bolted but we would have noticed it As long as they didn't back away from a scrap !!!

[johnny boy68 11,726]

Still loads of cover around it probably sneeked out of a bolt hole.

[GreyRake 108]

Still loads of cover around it probably sneeked out of a bolt hole.

This particular bit of land has short grass all year round. There sometimes is a sneaky hole we miss, but in this case we had an especially good look around - only two holes. Plus we would have herd/caught a glimpse or a rabbit bolting.

[The one 8,495]

sounds like they just lost it in the burrow,I would of worked the next burrow then went back and ferreted it again after it had time to calm down

[GreyRake 108]

Think your right the one. I did intend on going back to it, but time gets on haha. Will try that hole again next time. I had considered them loosing the rabbit inside but couldn't quite commit to the idea. Surely the would have smelt and explored to find the rabbit? Maybe not. These two (brother and sister) are keen workers, but I sometimes think they are too quick to decide whether a holes empty or not.

 

Keen to see how the kit I got from Dogger gets on. She seems a bit ditzy at times but I'm keen to compare her to my best jill.

[Ideation 8,216]

Youd be amazed how quick they can kill a rabbit sometimes. SOmetimes you can hear a fair battle, others, nothing. . .

[stealthy1 3,964]

I've dug to rabbits in a stop end that have piled up soil behind them to keep the ferret at bay, like the One said, track the ferret to its last known position, and dig if its not to deep, you may be surprised, some times a ferret will kill the last rabbit in stopend, while there are live rabbits in front of the dead one

[Jamie m 668]

Most I've pulled was four , thing is you hope for it every time : ) ,

[Country Joe 1,411]

I used to ferret land next to the Solway it was pure sand, with a lot of rabbits, the burys were only a couple of spadeful deep, so you weren't worried about non bolters, many a time you would dig to a stop end and have two or three rabbits in front of the rabbit the ferret was working, used to take big bags.

I lost it, when it became a RSPB bird sanctuary, returned recently to see what it was like, and couldn't find where i used to ferret, then i noticed a few old fence posts when the tide was out, the Sea had reclaimed the land.