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KILLITnGRILLIT

Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 894
Location: Looking at a screen in the front room

Posted: Thu Nov 09, 06 5:27 pm Post subject:

The only problem that a ferret will come across that could hurt it to any degree would be a doe rat with young or possibly a stoat,however both of these would prefer to run than fight.
If you are very unlucky,and I don`t know anyone who has,you could put a ferret down a rabbit hole that a fox is resting in and as I say I don`t know of anyone who has.

If there is blood on a ferret and it appears to be in fine fettle,then I would deduce that the "Claret" does not belong to the ferret and you have a kill below.........fetch the spade

All ferrets will come up against a stop end with a rabbits hindquarters at some time and they will get an occaisional kick.I have never had a ferret show any signs of injury in the past 9 years.
Give it a try,yes your heart will be in your mouth and you`ll wonder if you`ll ever see the stinkers again,but below ground as soon as they smell rabbit,the red mist will descend and the only ones in peril are the occupants

hedgewitch

Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Posts: 5834
Location: Daft wench GHQ

Posted: Thu Nov 09, 06 5:32 pm Post subject:

Azura Skye wrote:

how dangerous is it for the ferret when he's underground? I saw a picture once where the ferret has come out and looks pretty bloodied and injured.
I keep thinking that I should be going ferreting, or rabbit hunting; because I have run out of our own chickens from the freezer and I don't really want to buy shop chicken, although I will probably have to. I don't know if I could kill a rabbit, I'd feel bad to take that rabbit away from its family, lol. But then it's had a nice wild life before being hit on the head.
Sorry for kind of hijacking the thread!

Azura, it's doing what they do naturally for the ferret I think, like hounds and terriers. I am firmly on the side of knowing the rabbit has had a nice wild life. I do know what you mean about feeling bad, but I now think it's a natural thing. Happy hunters, bunny has a good life before death and no-one is eating factory-farmed chickens. Just my take, though.

hedgewitch

Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Posts: 5834
Location: Daft wench GHQ

Posted: Thu Nov 09, 06 5:33 pm Post subject:
I should also say I haven't got ferrets, but I aspire to keep them.

JPBearclaw

Joined: 16 Jun 2006
Posts: 60
Location: Essex

Posted: Thu Nov 09, 06 6:03 pm Post subject:
Even a pet ferret will go to ground as its in their genetic make up to do so, im not saying it will make a good working ferret but it will quickly learn once it has encountered a rabbit.

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Thu Nov 09, 06 6:34 pm Post subject:

Kept them for the best part of 40 years.
Have bolted stoats and weasels and even dislodged a couple of other peoples lost ferrets.

The only real danger your ferrets face when working are idiots with guns, other peoples dogs and foxes, that can also take refuge in rabbit holes from time to time.

Going back to the 80s I had a whole series of hunting articles published in the then Shooting News, if people would be interested in seeing them let me know. They covered the then legal pass times of hare coursing, mink hunting and fox hunting.

I was a copper at the time and had to write under a pen name because I was being paid.

Azura Skye

Joined: 14 Jun 2005
Posts: 2199
Location: Carmarthenshire

Posted: Thu Nov 09, 06 9:29 pm Post subject:

well thats good then, (that its rare for them to be injured).
My two don't seem super eager to vanish down holes to be honest. Not even a trouser leg.
I would never consider hunting rabbit if it wasn't for the fact that I hate buying shop meat, and that I want the best for my two fuzzbutts. Is there such a thing as 'reared' rabbit? As in, a rabbit born and bred in the same way as a chicken is raised to become oven fodder one day.
When people kill rabbits, it is a blow to the head, or a cut to the throat that finishes them off? It's one reason I don't like buying chicken because, even if its organic, it's still had its throat cut. I don't like that, a nice clean chop, or whack is better. If all rabbits are killed via a hefty whack over the head, I may just buy rabbit as I know its had a quicker death than a chicken.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Thu Nov 09, 06 9:39 pm Post subject:
If your butcher's selling rabbit he should be able to tell you whether it was ferreted or shot.

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Thu Nov 09, 06 10:08 pm Post subject:
Nobody ever cuts a rabbit throat , so rest easy.

Azura Skye

Joined: 14 Jun 2005
Posts: 2199
Location: Carmarthenshire

Posted: Fri Nov 10, 06 6:07 am Post subject:
yay : ) thanks guys

KILLITnGRILLIT

Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 894
Location: Looking at a screen in the front room

Posted: Fri Nov 10, 06 9:11 pm Post subject:

Azura Skye wrote:

When people kill rabbits, it is a blow to the head, or a cut to the throat that finishes them off? ...............If all rabbits are killed via a hefty whack over the head, I may just buy rabbit as I know its had a quicker death than a chicken.

There is an interesting thread about blows to the head-V-neck breaking from a humanitarian perspective(don`t ask where as I haven`t a clue.....socailly confused

)but I haven`t had a chance to try the 2 together.
I prefer to kill a net caught rabbit IN the net rather than remove it first.

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Fri Nov 10, 06 11:04 pm Post subject:
Hold them by the back legs in one hand & a swift karate chop behind the ears breaks the kneck.

willding2007

Joined: 13 Jul 2007
Posts: 33
Location: rhondda valley

Posted: Sat Jul 14, 07 11:21 am Post subject:
not very good at writing myself but if you need any particular topics answered i will do my best

Leveller

Joined: 07 Aug 2007
Posts: 14
Location: Somerset

Posted: Tue Aug 07, 07 10:02 pm Post subject:
Seems a good an oppertunity to say hello I spend most of the winter trying to outwit and catch the humble Coney be it with ferrets, nets, hounds or all three.

pricey

Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Posts: 6444

Posted: Tue Aug 07, 07 11:41 pm Post subject:

Leveller wrote:

Seems a good an oppertunity to say hello

I spend most of the winter trying to outwit and catch the humble Coney be it with ferrets, nets, hounds or all three.

They look lovely, both girls from the look of it? I had a pair like that called Teardrop, and Mask. 20 years ago

God how time flies.

Leveller

Joined: 07 Aug 2007
Posts: 14
Location: Somerset

Posted: Wed Aug 08, 07 8:14 am Post subject:
Those in the picture above are brother and sister, I've got nine kits here at the moment they're eating me out of house and home!

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