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Different Ferrets Work Different?


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Iv 2 hobs, i always use my albeno he tends to chase the rabbit into a stop end or keeps on to it till I dig it out with the rabbit but today I used my polecat and he was giving them the run about and bolting them but on the odd occasion he would stay in a certain spot then move about again but always went back to the same spot. So I dug to it and it was a stop end with a rabbit in it, I couldn't understand why he kept leaving it then going back instead of just staying there.makes me think how many iv missed today but he never walked away from the holes just put his head out then went back down.

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He may have caught the scent of another rabbit or heard something that caught his attention, how old is the polecat? They are very intelligent and each ferret have different traits, my albino hob does the same as your albino, but mine will 9 out of 10 times come out after about ten mins , if he doesn't a dead rabbit in a net draws him out in a matter of minutes and saves a dig :) Iv also found that Hobbs are sometimes more thorough than jills because they move slower through the warren therefor they are more likely to pick up a rabbit on a ledge or up a stop end. Don't you ever use them both together?

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Theres worker's and theres workers I personally wouldn't breed from him now you know hes no giving 100% , Maybe he just couldn't get into the rabbit and before moving away and coming back the rabbit has bolted or moved

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Iv just got another collar so I will be using them together on big warrens. When I went on sunday with my albino he bolted 3 and killed 3 but stayed with the kill and dug to one alive but he was still on it. My polecat is about 2 I bread him myself but I haven't used him as much as the other iv 2 Jill's but never work them.

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I work all my ferrets with collars and if ones no showing a quick sweep with the box soon shows where it is and if a stationary mark for a few minutes out comes the spade , some days dug rabbits make up most of the bag , but can you imagine the landowner seeing rabbits coming out of burrows you have just ferreted and your no even down the farm drive ? i would be giving the next guy to chap my door a shot at the ferreting .

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Always take my 2 hobbs along they are my insurance policy :yes: In some ways i think they are better than jills my boys are slow but thorough if there is bunny at home i would put my life on he will find it and stay with it if it doesnt bolt.Sometimes if iam not happy with way the jills have worked a borrow il just give it a quick sweep with the boys to be sure. Many a rabbit has fallen fowl of this trick.

The trick in my opinion is spend time with your ferrets you will learn how they work they are all different in some way,but the information gained can be the difference between success and failure.

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I find you don't have as many digs using Jill's as the rabbit has more chance of shaking a Jill then making a break for it

Yes i agree in general mate but sometimes a jill cant move them and doesnt stay with it long enough as she gets frustrared or side tracked.Once my jills have had a fair crack at pushing them out if iam not happy with the results il remove the jills and flush with a hobb or 2.you obviously wouldnt do this on a deep warren but rarley on my ground do i dig more than 2-3ft.

Couple of weekends ago i was out 90% of holes were in thick bramble warren was maybe 20yards long i started 2 jills one end and worked them slowley along the bury i bolted 5 rabbits from un netted holes than went back down further up the bury .Now once i got near the end 2 bolted one to a purse net and one to a stop/gate net i had that end.Now i was sure there were more rabbits in there as id seen 5 bolt and the chances of them all being the same rabbit were slim.My jills were in and out like rockets every hole that end of bury.Took them out went back to the other end and started my 2 hobbs ,same routine.About half way down got a mark on 1 hobb les than a foot straight in one rabbit backed up! maybe ten minutes later both hobbs located at the far end of bury where the 2 jills had bolted a couple.Now because i know my ferrets well, again i new they had something- dug down maybe 2 ft or a little more 1 dead rabbit and 2 more backed up in a dead end.So rather than 2 rabbits i had 6 with very little effort.

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