jembo 0 Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 Went out with the dog and ferret yesterday after getting the locator collar fixed and i have lost the bloody ferret already wearing the collar!! The locator is working and there is a good reading at between 14 and 15 feet, but under a 100ft beech tree. The roots are massive so there is no way I can dig him out without damaging the tree. I have blocked all holes up apart from one and left the ferret box there with some new straw and a smelly pheasant in it to draw him out. Lost the ferret at 3pm yesterday. Went down to look at 6pm, 10pm 6.30am 12.30pm and 4pm today no sign. The collar is still working. How long will the ferret survive underground, I am pressuming he is / has killed and eaten a rabbit. Any suggestions on how to get him out would be good!!! Quote Link to post
pigeonphill 69 Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 Went out with the dog and ferret yesterday after getting the locator collar fixed and i have lost the bloody ferret already wearing the collar!!The locator is working and there is a good reading at between 14 and 15 feet, but under a 100ft beech tree. The roots are massive so there is no way I can dig him out without damaging the tree. I have blocked all holes up apart from one and left the ferret box there with some new straw and a smelly pheasant in it to draw him out. Lost the ferret at 3pm yesterday. Went down to look at 6pm, 10pm 6.30am 12.30pm and 4pm today no sign. The collar is still working. How long will the ferret survive underground, I am pressuming he is / has killed and eaten a rabbit. Any suggestions on how to get him out would be good!!! just hope the ferret isnt snagged up on a root and can work its way out as at that depth u would need a jcb to dig it out.hope it all works out for you in the end .best of luck phill Quote Link to post
whippetmike 3 Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 (edited) ferret might of killed the rabbit in a dead end and might have to eat it's way out give it time as long as there no way out it'll end up in the ferret box take the pheasent out tho it'll drag it back down back to square one lol or worst the collar could be court on the roots fingers crossed it's not the latter i'v waited a week before the ferret was under concrete just went back till she showed all the best let me know how you get on mike. Edited January 6, 2009 by whippetmike Quote Link to post
festa 206 Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 13 hrs down the hole there is a few thing that may have gone wrong has the collar came off the fert ,,, is there a chance its tangled or hung up on a root ... has the ferret been injured ...... the only way to find out is start digging im sry but it was a choice between choppin through roots or retrieving my fert the tree would loose every time .... hope you get some good news soon ... gary Quote Link to post
diggermad 154 Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 just hope the ferret is there why not put another ferret down should disturb it and hopefully they will walk out together hope that helps cheers DM Quote Link to post
John-B 4 Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 just hope the ferret is there why not put another ferret down should disturb it and hopefully they will walk out together hope that helps cheers DM Pretty sure I would still be there digging now under torch light Quote Link to post
whippetmike 3 Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 just hope the ferret is there why not put another ferret down should disturb it and hopefully they will walk out together hope that helps cheers DM Pretty sure I would still be there digging now under torch light your crazy 14 to 15ft under a 100ft beech tree block all the exits and wait Quote Link to post
Brimmer 220 Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 Only one way at that depth, leave alone and keep your fingers crossed and sit it out. It's unlikely to be snagged on a root at that depth, probs blocked in behind a kill. They soon stiffen up once rigormortis kicks in. Being a hob, it should eat it's way out in a few days. Hope you get him back. Quote Link to post
badgeroy 3 Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 (edited) Personally i wouldnt leave a pheasant there, firstly it could attract a fox, scent may stop ferret coming out second the ferret may try to drag it back down the warren and block its self in again, just leave the box there without the pheasant. Edited January 6, 2009 by badgeroy Quote Link to post
jembo 0 Posted January 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 There is no way I could dig that depth with all those roots. I hope you are right whippetmike, that he is stuck behind a kill and will eat his way out. I did think about putting another down but i really dont want to risk losing another. The burrow is about a mile away from the house, so my neighbour and I are taking it in turns to go and have a check. How long will the batteries last on a collar it was new in yesterday? Quote Link to post
stevesel 18 Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 Ive used a live catch rat trap rather than a ferret box,pushed into the hole then blocked up behind. If it goes in it has to stay in rather than being able to wander in and out at will. Quote Link to post
Brimmer 220 Posted January 7, 2009 Report Share Posted January 7, 2009 Any sign yet Jembo? Quote Link to post
stealthy1 3,964 Posted January 7, 2009 Report Share Posted January 7, 2009 Maybe its just lost its way, if the collar goes off the scale then its a deep warren, what ferrets normally do is walk around until they find there way out, a deep warren can have a few hundred meters of tunneling, so dont give up. Quote Link to post
redeye jedi 39 Posted January 7, 2009 Report Share Posted January 7, 2009 sounds like a blocked kill to me, but to be on the safe side you need to make a live catch trap, it isnt hard. just dont let the fert eat his way out and decide to go for a wander. Quote Link to post
epo 2 Posted January 7, 2009 Report Share Posted January 7, 2009 Ive used a live catch rat trap rather than a ferret box,pushed into the hole then blocked up behind. If it goes in it has to stay in rather than being able to wander in and out at will. thats what id use to catch him lee Quote Link to post
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