Scallywag 78 Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 Well I set off with my borrowed ferret and my lurcher this morning on our first solo ferreting trip. My friend had pointed me in the right direction saying ‘just go for a stroll’, which was soothing and ‘don’t lose my ferret’ which wasn’t. The first thing I discovered was that I was in a field with a horse the size of a garden shed, with a smaller friend. After a slightly alarming few minutes where they worked out if we were a threat and I discovered all my stock training had worked as my dog did as I told him to, the horse and pony decided to help and followed us for the rest of the time. In the next field over were three more of the b*****ds, skittish as hell. We mooched about for ages before I got a mark off my dog, Jed and I sent the ferret down. She bolted one which Jed just missed as it went back down a few yards up the hedge. He went and marked where it had gone and therefore missed the second rabbit, which backed out of a hole by my boot and almost ran over my foot escaping. If I’d been quicker I could have caught it myself. We then went to where Jed was marking and after a fair bit of waiting I realised it was time to dig. I was relieved to discover I CAN use a locater and soon found fur. This is where my inexperience really showed though as I hadn’t dug a big enough hole and was struggling to get the rabbit out. Also, anxious about losing my mate’s ferret I took her out first and ended up with a rabbit stuck in a hole in one hand and a pissed off ferret in the other, plus a large horse literally breathing down my neck. I put the ferret down and of course she was back in in a heart beat and in the general muddle I let go of the rabbit and it scarpered, ferret in hot pursuit, Jed giving me a look of disgust. After a long period of underground to-ing and fro-ing I realised I was going to have to cross into the field of skittish horses which had been crowding round the hedge snorting and stamping, so over I went. Luckily two of them got bored and wandered off while the third got in the way trying to see what was going on. I dug again and hit the nail on the head again, only this time I’d learned my lesson and had dug a bigger hole. There was an undignified tug of war as I explained to the ferret that it was my rabbit, not hers and then out it came, ferret attached, Jed trying to grab it and horse sticking it’s nose in. I despatched it and gave it to Jed who had been patient and would have had a couple with a more experienced ferreter. He carried it around for a bit then handed it back nicely. By now it was time to go so there it is, one rabbit which had been bolted and dug for twice. Not exactly glorious, but I didn’t lose the ferret, I gained a lot of confidence and I didn’t come home empty handed which would have killed me, so all in all, I’m happy. The ferret........ The helpers........ Jed gets impatient........ Pretending it's his catch......... Quote Link to post
ferreting 1 Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 nice mate Quote Link to post
trapper25 0 Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 well done mate, isnt it great when that rabbit bolts like a bullet out of a gun! seen it a thousand times but it still gets my heart racing Quote Link to post
madmac 0 Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 Great experience and fun for All. You could tell Jed was made up at 'his' catch. One look at the bigger of the horses and my dog decided discretion was the better part of valour and turned her back on it, horse what horse? Good luck for next time Quote Link to post
byrney 2 Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 (edited) I've been in a simillar situation with the horses, gets a little stressful does'nt it. Edited February 23, 2008 by byrney Quote Link to post
ferretville 69 Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 Good on ya FV Quote Link to post
cúagusgiorraí 57 Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 I love that dark brindle in his coat. Quote Link to post
lurchergrrl 1,441 Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 That's great, been wondering how it went Bet you can't wait till next time! Quote Link to post
Ossie 11 Posted February 23, 2008 Report Share Posted February 23, 2008 great write-up, love the pic of your dog halfway down a hole! no way could i take my dog into a field of horses, he's shit-scared of my little shetland cross! Quote Link to post
lurcherchavvy 3 Posted February 24, 2008 Report Share Posted February 24, 2008 sound like a good little mooch mate Quote Link to post
pritch 335 Posted February 24, 2008 Report Share Posted February 24, 2008 happy days you learn more from mistakes & missed rabbits we all done it & some of us still do Quote Link to post
Tyla 3,179 Posted February 24, 2008 Report Share Posted February 24, 2008 Nice one mate, i have the same problems with "helpful" horses on some of my permission. They like to join in with lamping too Quote Link to post
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