Rats

[Nick3439 83]

So; the 'mentor' I had growing up basically told me not to use ferrets for rats. So I didn't.

 

Being 10years old until 15 I didn't ask why just cracked on with learning all sorts of other bits and tricks.

 

My mentor alas has long since died and I tend to work ferrets alone and shoot with people who learnt from the same man or with less experience than myself.

 

So. My question. Why was he so anti it? I've read in a few books that it can take the 'fight' out of a ferret and I suppose the disease risk too; but is that it?

 

So the reason for the question. Someone has asked me to clear rats from there smallholding. I was just going to do my old chainsaw exhaust/shotgun and dog routine... But thought id ask here... Anyone use ferrets on rats? If so how? And finally pros and cons?

[bobcullen79 1,495]

Some ferrets love it and relish the job, but its not just for any old ferret. You get ferrets that relish the rabbiting job and are worth their weight in gold, you know their dependable. Too many encounters with ratty can end that for various reasons. If you have good ferrets and value them, need them day in day out, why risk it when you can use a smoker. Best ratting ferret I see was some tiny scrawny albino jill, just wanted to nail everything, even people. Hard as nails she was, got lost and was found days later in a fenn. She was also grabbed a few times by the terriers, which could explain her bite first ask questions later nature.

[Nick3439 83]

Thanks ever so much! Explains it nicely!

[The one 8,522]

You will find rats often bolt from rabbit burrows when your ferreting them but its a different game bolting them from From there own burrows with ferrets and as said why get a good ferret smashed up

[krawnden 1,036]

I used to have a jill that I did a bit of ratting with. Didn't use nets - just bolted them to dogs. And I know a couple of people who are right into it. And pretty soon I shall be having a go again as I saw today that one or more rats have taken up residence in my compost heap.

 

I think the reason your mentor told you not to do it is that if you do a lot of it, sooner or later the ferret's going to take a pasting from a rat. I guess if it's a really bad pasting you could lose the ferret (though depending on how long ago you're talking about, maybe back then a vet wouldn't have been able to do anything to save the fert but perhaps these days they could?? Don't know - I'm only speculating.)

[Minkenry 1,044]

I used to have a jill that I did a bit of ratting with. Didn't use nets - just bolted them to dogs. And I know a couple of people who are right into it. And pretty soon I shall be having a go again as I saw today that one or more rats have taken up residence in my compost heap.

 

I think the reason your mentor told you not to do it is that if you do a lot of it, sooner or later the ferret's going to take a pasting from a rat. I guess if it's a really bad pasting you could lose the ferret (though depending on how long ago you're talking about, maybe back then a vet wouldn't have been able to do anything to save the fert but perhaps these days they could?? Don't know - I'm only speculating.)

 

Wow, I didn't realize ferrets were so fragile! I like to use brown rats to start my young mink on. I find them to be a soft easy prey that helps get a young mink some good hunting experience, and build its confidence, before hunting larger and more aggressive prey like rock squirrels and muskrats.