Is it a dying art ?

[Arry 21,819]

When I was at school at at about the age of 12 would get the black board rubber throw at me for day dreaming looking out the window. Dreaming of being out over the fields with the ferrets. Arms all scratched up from brambles like I'd been self harming from the weekends outing. There where half a dozen in my class that went ferreting and several more in the school. They all made up about four teams in my small town, us boy loved the sport and mother loved the helping put food on the table.

Back to the heading the only people ferreting in the town now is four of us old lads in our 70's that where in the same class all those years ago, in just two teams. No youngsters have taken ferreting up here some of the sons tagged along for a few years. After a while they got fanny struck a car night clubs I don't know just drifted off to none country pursuits. Seems ferreting doesn't have the draw any more perhaps food is so easy to come by drive into KFC of McDonalds we couldn't do that maybe a hotdog when the Fair was in town. I think part of it was we had f**k all and by catching a rabbit or borrowing a pheasant helped feed the family.

Just remanising really.

Cheers Arry

[Aussie Whip 4,097]

Same over here, plenty of ferrets but not many ferreters. The young people that have them look horrified when you talk about working them. Even the country kids no nothing about them, what are these people teaching their kids? It is a dying art but all us old blokes will keep it alive while we can. World's gone to shit.

[Ferretman65 2,228]

20 minutes ago, Arry said:

When I was at school at at about the age of 12 would get the black board rubber throw at me for day dreaming looking out the window. Dreaming of being out over the fields with the ferrets. Arms all scratched up from brambles like I'd been self harming from the weekends outing. There where half a dozen in my class that went ferreting and several more in the school. They all made up about four teams in my small town, us boy loved the sport and mother loved the helping put food on the table.

Back to the heading the only people ferreting in the town now is four of us old lads in our 70's that where in the same class all those years ago, in just two teams. No youngsters have taken ferreting up here some of the sons tagged along for a few years. After a while they got fanny struck a car night clubs I don't know just drifted off to none country pursuits. Seems ferreting doesn't have the draw any more perhaps food is so easy to come by drive into KFC of McDonalds we couldn't do that maybe a hotdog when the Fair was in town. I think part of it was we had f**k all and by catching a rabbit or borrowing a pheasant helped feed the family.

Just remanising really.

Cheers Arry

It's dieing a death over here for sure 

[grompz 703]

just like you arry, all my young days at school were wasted, all i thought about all day, was getting home to get out ferreting and out with the dogs, majority of youngsters today, are not intrested in ferrets,dogs, snaring , lamping or any other country pursuits, ive got three grandsons one who used to be mad keen to come out ferreting and lamping with me, the other two were always good with the ferrets, but sadly not following in my footsteps, like you say arry, any of us old boys that know how ferret, how to make a purse net, poach a fish, work and train a good dog, are definetly a dying breed, still as it is we will all be resigned to the history books soon, sad but true

[Arry 21,819]

9 minutes ago, grompz said:

just like you arry, all my young days at school were wasted, all i thought about all day, was getting home to get out ferreting and out with the dogs, majority of youngsters today, are not intrested in ferrets,dogs, snaring , lamping or any other country pursuits, ive got three grandsons one who used to be mad keen to come out ferreting and lamping with me, the other two were always good with the ferrets, but sadly not following in my footsteps, like you say arry, any of us old boys that know how ferret, how to make a purse net, poach a fish, work and train a good dog, are definetly a dying breed, still as it is we will all be resigned to the history books soon, sad but true

Think thats the way it's going mate. All the lefty's don't help people get all assie if they ask about ferreting and you tell them about dispatching rabbits. Think the media and films like Water Ship Down and Bambi don't help. Joe public think the Rabbits talk to the badgers and the Deer etc etc.

Think the youngsters got so much to fill there heads with and travel is so easy. youngsters are more affluent the sports they can take up.

Cheers Arry

[gnipper 6,467]

The lack of rabbits can't help get youngsters interested can it, walking round the countryside lugging a box of ferrets and a load of gear round for nothing can't be too exciting for them, I know it's sickening for us who used to catch a few.

[Ferretman65 2,228]

I wasn't out this morning this lad rang another mate said let's out out for an hour before rain comes on me myself wasn't up to it that was an hour an a half it's lashings down now but there home try 

[iworkwhippets 12,543]

Hey up our Arry, hope you n yours are keeping well, it is a dying art mate, back in the early fifties i was at it, if i werent at it, i dreampt of it, it seemed everyone had lurchers of somekind, n ferrets, coming home we a few bunnies over my shoulder, on the bus, nobody batted an eyelid, but those were the days, bringing home and putting meat on the table, i can see my mother at the kitchen window as i arrived home we a couple of bunnies, her face lit up, i loved that way of life, n still do, but in my dreams , out with bob a grew given to me by a neighbour on my way home fro school,     a brill dog n companion , tackle out and take anything that came up in front of him 

Edited October 9, 2022 by iworkwhippets

[tatsblisters 9,685]

Similar childhood growing up our hunting grounds were mainly on the banks of the then heavy polluted river don and land near the spoil heaps some from disused pit's. I remember how me and a few mates got the money to buy our first ferrets about 50 years ago by cutting bullrushes and selling them in bunches door to door local to us as folk used to have them in a vase with flowers as a window ornament. I dare bet their will be younguns now reaching adulthood who will have never used a spade or a shovel like we did as kids to dig our ferrets out when they killed in.

[The one 8,477]

The good honest working ferret might be slipping away but there will be plenty house fur babies (I would hate to smell there houses) show ferrets and fancy crap about 

[Guss33 375]

I seem to sell more ferrets to kids for pets. I have the same problem no young ones seem to want to go ferreting, they seem to want to go for dear. It’s a shame to let an old school way of catching rabbits. 

[terryd 8,421]

I was same Arry I can remember it now. Top floor class room with windows looking out over the fields toward home where my dogs and ferrets were waiting. Bloody torture being stuck in a religious education class. What an absolute waste of time that was.  Most youngsters now a days are all bull crosses and facebook. They get off on the wrong foot. Instead of starting from ground up with few rabbit snares then get a pup and a ferret and progress 

[DIDO.1 22,781]

I'd say it's a mix of the new electronic cyber YouTube world that kids live in and lack of rabbits. My lad would love a ferret but we just don't have any quarry. 

For a young lad to take up something like ferreting they need a couple of mates to go with, yes we can take em to begin with but eventually, to really get the bug they need to wander and roam with friends. 

[Arry 21,819]

I've a young guy who come out ferreting from the next town he's 65 lol.

Cheers Arry

[DIDO.1 22,781]

Lack of access to air rifles will start to have an effect. Shooting and mooching with air guns was probably the main way into fieldsports for most kids, now they can't take one out the front door