Ferrets Compared To Wild Polecats

[Minkenry 1,044]

I have absolutely no experience with polecats, and only limited experience with American ferrets. I get the strong impression that your hunting ferrets are quite a bit more quick and aggressive than our American ferrets which are bred to be nothing but pets. In writing my book I make a comparison between the original ancestor of the ferret (the polecat) and the modern hunting ferret. Being that I am rather ignorant on both subjects, I thought I better consult with the experts to make sure I'm making an accurate comparison.

 

This is what I have written.....

 

"The ferret was once a wild animal called a polecat, who wanted nothing to do with man. Then one day some bright hunter who thought outside the box decided to try to use a polecat to chase small mammals like rabbits out of their burrows. Who knows how this idea began, or if our ancient hunting entrepreneur had to try multiple species of mustelids before he had success with the polecat, all we know is the polecat eventually became the mustelid of choice for mass domestication. I can almost guarantee you he had multiple failures before he was finally successful, and people who first heard his idea most likely mocked him, saying it would never work. But he must of stuck with it, or inspired someone who did, because now thousands of years later we have the ferret to show for it.

 

The original ferrets would have been much more aggressive and fearful than the nice finished product we have to work with today. The founder of ferreting would have undoubtedly had to spend hours upon hours taming his original ferrets, just so they wouldn't bite. Or maybe he bypassed the extensive taming all together, and wore thick leather gloves. Even with the protection of gloves, it still would have been necessary to train his wild ferrets to come when he called, or they would have definitely escaped the first time he tried to hunt with them! Unlike the slow, calm ferrets we have today, the polecats first used for ferreting would have been much more high strung, and far more athletic than the modern ferret. He wouldn't be able to just release his tame polecat, and then calmly pick it up again when it came out of the burrow he sent it down. He would have needed to take the time to train the polecat to come back, or else it would just run away and be gone forever!

 

Ferreters today (I'm not sure if Ferreter is even a word) have their work done for them. Because the ferret has been bred for calm dispositions, most ferrets are practically born tame, when compared to the wild polecats, and only need minimal handling before they become safe to hold without gloves. Also, the modern ferret is much more slow moving, and not as jumpy as their ancestor the polecat. There is little to no need to do any extensive training to get the ferret to come when you call. All that's needed to retrieve a hunting ferret now days is to just calmly walk over and pick them up when they come back out of the hole they were down."

 

 

Now realize this is a COMPARISON. I realize that not all ferrets are all sweet loving, but I want to show the contrast between what the ferret once was (a wild polecat) and what he is today (a domesticated hunting companion). Since I neither go ferreting, nor have I so much as seen a polecat, I was hopping to get your expert opinions as to the accuracy of my statement regarding the retrieval of a hunting ferret, and the comparison of a ferret and a polecat.

 

If you don't have experience with polecats, or at least polecat hybrids, I would prefer if you don't critique my comparison between the two, since you lack the experience I am seeking to give me advice. Your opinion based on "what you think" isn't what I'm looking for. I'm looking for someone who KNOWS the difference first hand.

[Malt 379]

Few points I'd raise with that.. First off you say the original stock would have been 'fearful'. Personally I think the polecat's fearless and inquisitive attitude is one of the reasons it was able to be domesticated. Ferrets have been domesticated for centuries, maybe thousands of years. It's generally accepted that they were domesticated from the European Polecat, but I've also read there is a possibility that the Steppe Polecat played a part in it's make up somewhere way back.

 

Also you say they would have had to be trained to come to a call.. While it's not unheard of for a ferret to come when called, the majority won't. You will get them flying up to the bars of their housing when they hear your voice, but most of the time that all flies out of the window when you're out and about. From what I understand, ferrets over the years have historically always kept and bred for the sole purpose of extracting rabbits from their burrows, so they occupy a niche role. Their only use is to go down a burrow so the chance of them wandering off and not returning has always been dependant on the ferreter monitoring the exits of the rabbit warren they're currently working on..

[Born Hunter 17,817]

Without sounding too much of a twat, perhaps consider getting someone who has a lifetime of experience and education on the subject of ferrets and polecats to write that small section for you? As a guest writter perhaps. I think your book will be better respected for it.

 

Just a thought, no offence intended.

[Minkenry 1,044]

Few points I'd raise with that.. First off you say the original stock would have been 'fearful'. Personally I think the polecat's fearless and inquisitive attitude is one of the reasons it was able to be domesticated. Ferrets have been domesticated for centuries, maybe thousands of years. It's generally accepted that they were domesticated from the European Polecat, but I've also read there is a possibility that the Steppe Polecat played a part in it's make up somewhere way back.

 

Also you say they would have had to be trained to come to a call.. While it's not unheard of for a ferret to come when called, the majority won't. You will get them flying up to the bars of their housing when they hear your voice, but most of the time that all flies out of the window when you're out and about. From what I understand, ferrets over the years have historically always kept and bred for the sole purpose of extracting rabbits from their burrows, so they occupy a niche role. Their only use is to go down a burrow so the chance of them wandering off and not returning has always been dependant on the ferreter monitoring the exits of the rabbit warren they're currently working on..

 

 

I am aware that ferrets most likely descended from multiple types of ferrets. The point of this section was to talk about domestic vs wild animals, not describe the history of ferreting. I feel that just using the word "Polecat" without specifying what species pretty much covers my bases on both.

[Minkenry 1,044]

Without sounding too much of a twat, perhaps consider getting someone who has a lifetime of experience and education on the subject of ferrets and polecats to write that small section for you? As a guest writter perhaps. I think your book will be better respected for it.

 

Just a thought, no offence intended.

 

Thanks for the thought, but this is a very small and unimportant part of my book. It's only a couple paragraphs, and the purpose is describing the differences between hunting with wild and domestic animals, not so much going into ferreting practices. So I don't think having a guest writer write me 3 or 4 paragraphs isn't really necessary. Thanks for the idea though

[Minkenry 1,044]

So, while everyone was too busy telling me I shouldn't write 3 paragraphs in my mink book about ferrets, I found what I believe to be an answer to my original question. Here is a quote I just read off of here, if anyone reading this disagrees with anything please speak up as I would like another opinion on the matter if there is one to be had. Here is the quote....

 

"..,as for ferreting my true wild hob and even one of my jills can never be placed on the floor,handled yes but still being nervous of humans even after a number of years would be useless out in the field.... very rarely will you come upon true wild polecats in the wild unless trapped or run over,they are very nervous of humans.... "

 

I find this quote to agree perfectly with what I have read elsewhere, and have been told about polecats when compared to ferrets. If anyone has something to add or take away from the following quote, please chime in, otherwise I am going to take it as the truth and use it to help me write the 3 paragraphs about ferreting that I am writing in my mink book.

 

Now just a reminder, I am only writing THREE SHORT PARAGRAPHS ON THE SUBJECT. I am not writing a chapter on it. There is no need to continue beating the fact that I am not an experienced ferreter to death. I'm not writing a book on the subject. I'm writing 3 paragraphs. I just want to make sure those three paragraphs are accurate before I add them. Thank you for your help

Edited January 11, 2014 by Minkenry

[bobcullen79 1,495]

So, while everyone was too busy telling me I shouldn't write 3 paragraphs in my mink book about ferrets, I found what I believe to be an answer to my original question. Here is a quote I just read off of here, if anyone reading this disagrees with anything please speak up as I would like another opinion on the matter if there is one to be had. Here is the quote....

 

"..,as for ferreting my true wild hob and even one of my jills can never be placed on the floor,handled yes but still being nervous of humans even after a number of years would be useless out in the field.... very rarely will you come upon true wild polecats in the wild unless trapped or run over,they are very nervous of humans.... "

 

I find this quote to agree perfectly with what I have read elsewhere, and have been told about polecats when compared to ferrets. If anyone has something to add or take away from the following quote, please chime in, otherwise I am going to take it as the truth and use it to help me write the 3 paragraphs about ferreting that I am writing in my mink book.

 

Now just a reminder, I am only writing THREE SHORT PARAGRAPHS ON THE SUBJECT. I am not writing a chapter on it. There is no need to continue beating the fact that I am not an experienced ferreter to death. I'm not writing a book on the subject. I'm writing 3 paragraphs. I just want to make sure those three paragraphs are accurate before I add them. Thank you for your help

Your so up your own arse its unbelievable. You basically come on and asked what you should write in your book, and when you came across clueless, you got given a suggestion, a worthy one at that. Then get shirty when you didnt like the replies. Dont like feedback - dont post..

[Tiercel 6,986]

I do find it odd that when writing a book about training mink, that you add a couple of chapters about ferrets. I cannot work out what they would add to the book? Unless, it is to draw a parody of the simularities between the european polecat and the mink in the wild?

 

The problem you have with the percived wisdom surrounding both the eu polecat and the mink is that both are thought to be untrainable, yet we now know that it is not the case, don't we!

 

TC

[Minkenry 1,044]

 

So, while everyone was too busy telling me I shouldn't write 3 paragraphs in my mink book about ferrets, I found what I believe to be an answer to my original question. Here is a quote I just read off of here, if anyone reading this disagrees with anything please speak up as I would like another opinion on the matter if there is one to be had. Here is the quote....

 

"..,as for ferreting my true wild hob and even one of my jills can never be placed on the floor,handled yes but still being nervous of humans even after a number of years would be useless out in the field.... very rarely will you come upon true wild polecats in the wild unless trapped or run over,they are very nervous of humans.... "

 

I find this quote to agree perfectly with what I have read elsewhere, and have been told about polecats when compared to ferrets. If anyone has something to add or take away from the following quote, please chime in, otherwise I am going to take it as the truth and use it to help me write the 3 paragraphs about ferreting that I am writing in my mink book.

 

Now just a reminder, I am only writing THREE SHORT PARAGRAPHS ON THE SUBJECT. I am not writing a chapter on it. There is no need to continue beating the fact that I am not an experienced ferreter to death. I'm not writing a book on the subject. I'm writing 3 paragraphs. I just want to make sure those three paragraphs are accurate before I add them. Thank you for your help

Your so up your own arse its unbelievable. You basically come on and asked what you should write in your book, and when you came across clueless, you got given a suggestion, a worthy one at that. Then get shirty when you didnt like the replies. Dont like feedback - dont post..

 

 

Where did I ask what I should write in my book? All I asked was if what I wrote is accurate in your opinions. No one has yet to answer my question. They instead have mocked me for asking my question and said I should write nothing at all because I'm an ignorant, arrogant, American prick. I never asked how ignorant I am on the subject, I know that, hence my question. I am writing a simple 3 paragraphs using ferrets as a comparison, and wanted to check the accuracy of my short little statement on the subject of ferrets vs polecats, and everyone jumps on my back and instead of helping me tells me how stupid they think I am. Explain to me how finding out how much you all hate me is feed back to my question?

[Minkenry 1,044]

I do find it odd that when writing a book about training mink, that you add a couple of chapters about ferrets. I cannot work out what they would add to the book? Unless, it is to draw a parody of the simularities between the european polecat and the mink in the wild?

 

The problem you have with the percived wisdom surrounding both the eu polecat and the mink is that both are thought to be untrainable, yet we now know that it is not the case, don't we!

 

TC

 

I am not writing a chapter on ferreting. I am not even writing a whole page on the subject. I am writing 3 maybe 4 paragraphs. The point is not to really teach anyone anything about ferreting, but to make a comparison between hunting with a wild animal, and hunting with a domestic one. I wanted to use ferrets as ONE of the examples of hunting with a domestic animal, and describe the differences between what a ferret was like in the beginning (in other words what a polecat is like now) and what they have become through domestication. It is a simple and short comparison, not a chapter or chapters on the subject

Edited January 11, 2014 by Minkenry

[Huan72 687]

Ferrets and polecats like any hunting animal that was wild at some stage will be different, the key is to look how much have they changed over time. Has it changed physically, has it changed psychologically OR is the main difference the early handling and interaction from the human, with the mother showing the kits that the human is not to be feared. Ferrets have proved able to survive in the wild and indeed the polecat currently suffers in the wild from hybridisation with ferrets. To be honest I think that a short piece in the book may not give the subject justice, it would be worth doing research on any physical differences and also look at it the other way round, you work mink now, if you were to breed your own and raise from baby, what impact do you think the example that the mum gives to her babies, in her attitude towards you, would have. An interesting subject for sure and covers any animal used for hunting, as years ago, whether that was 500 years or 10,000 years, that animal came from wild stock.

[Williampalmer 20]

Give up minkenry, your a bellend

[Born Hunter 17,817]

I tried..... f**k knows why but I tried.

[Minkenry 1,044]

I tried..... f**k knows why but I tried.

 

I appreciated your comment, as you were genuinely trying to help, and had innocently misunderstood how very little I was writing on the subject.

 

You weren't just calling me names and telling me I'm a stupid arrogant American like some other folks on here.

Edited January 11, 2014 by Minkenry

[Minkenry 1,044]

Give up minkenry, your a bellend

 

To be honest, I had to look up that insult, since we don't use that word over here. Thank you for helping to expand my vocabulary good sir.