Anyone Interested

[Ashanali]

I would love to see this. Sounds amazing. Animals are really incredible (unfortunately I'm too far away.)

[asal]

how do you stop your ferrets running away

warrens are self contained units, even along a massive fenceline there will be separations between clusters of holes so they can't get too far. The ferrets are so driven by the smell of the rabbit they stay down the hole and keep running about until the smell subsides (ie their own scent and urine covers it, they scent mark as they run about) and then when it's over they womble out of the holes and snuffle around. They do get a prey reward, when they come when called I offer them a dead rabbit to latch onto. We do a lot of the recall work at home, you call them and when they come back you give them a big scrub-a-dub and some some raw food, same goes when you feed them, condition them to the noise.

Pretty much the same as training a really high driven working line dog. Except when it's over they're happy to just shut down until the next scent patch gets them going. Plus the great thing .... ferrets eye sight is pretty bad, they're short sighted creatures so they want to follow their nose down the hole more then spotting something halfway across the paddock and bounding after it As long as you have some fresh food or at least some blood stain on your shoe you can lure them

hey... ive found if mine are no where in sight and i want em quick, scrunch some cellophane paper or scrunchy noisy plastic

they come flying

should i admit! kids ev let em out by forgeting to lock the doors? so discover cages empty n not a ferret in sight?

only lost one using the crinkle call.

n he was i discovered too far away to hear it...yes we did find him eventually 600 mtrs down the paddock curled up asleep.

[gillybob]

God it would be great, everyone had ferrets when I was a kid.

They are rabbits for everyone up here, but they use 1080 for the wild dogs, so it isnt safe.

Id love to watch good working ferrets.

Nothing wrong with letting animals do what they are suposed to do.

[Moselle]

Guess I am a bad mum for hunting a feral pest and killing it humanly for food, shame on me

Presumably Moselle & her dogs are vegan? Since I've worked on several farms (sheep, beef, dairy) and visited hundreds more, and can tell you that most hunted meat is at least as humane as any animal product you'll buy at the supermarket.

If only I lived closer! My girl would love to try rabbit.

No, dogs and I not vegan. It's not a case of my disagreeing with rabbits being humanely put down but it's your choice of words that I didn't find too appealing. It's one thing to do what one feels has to be done (still see it as a man's job) but to derive pleasure out of it???

[Moselle]

God it would be great, everyone had ferrets when I was a kid.

They are rabbits for everyone up here, but they use 1080 for the wild dogs, so it isnt safe.

Id love to watch good working ferrets.

Nothing wrong with letting animals do what they are suposed to do.

Sorry but I don't find the idea of allowing dogs (as an example) tear an animal to pieces when there is no need for this atrocity to happen just cause it is instinctual for some dogs to do so.

[Nekhbet]

Moselle your discussion is best founded in another thread. Nobody is shredding anything so please.

But ferreting is fun and very exciting. youtube these guys do it how we do it *warning rabbits dying in screen vews*

OK anyhoo, last call for anyone interested, either next week tues/wed or we can make it a saturday morning if you're a weekend warrior It is an early start and get ready to be grotty I have plenty of willing farms available

eta Asal problem is once ferrets are chasing down live bunnies the scrunchies dont work to well anymore nice fresh rabbit lures em out though. They're desperate to work one just latched onto my arm tonight while they were running about the shed

Edited October 7, 2010 by Nekhbet

[lanabanana]

God it would be great, everyone had ferrets when I was a kid.

They are rabbits for everyone up here, but they use 1080 for the wild dogs, so it isnt safe.

Id love to watch good working ferrets.

Nothing wrong with letting animals do what they are suposed to do.

Sorry but I don't find the idea of allowing dogs (as an example) tear an animal to pieces when there is no need for this atrocity to happen just cause it is instinctual for some dogs to do so.

Really? How odd.....does it also disturb you when wolves hunt for their dinner? Hunting is a perfectly natural behaviour.

And I am really sorry but man I was PMSL when I read "its a mans job".

I would love to have a go at ferreting, I think it owuld be a brilliant way (especially for kids) to see how nature actually works.

When we were in NZ we (well we being me not the man) always thought about taking up pig hunting to provide a nice bit of meat for the fams but unfortunately I didn't have the first idea about it so it always remained an "interest" LOL

[ncarter]

how do you stop your ferrets running away

warrens are self contained units, even along a massive fenceline there will be separations between clusters of holes so they can't get too far. The ferrets are so driven by the smell of the rabbit they stay down the hole and keep running about until the smell subsides (ie their own scent and urine covers it, they scent mark as they run about) and then when it's over they womble out of the holes and snuffle around. They do get a prey reward, when they come when called I offer them a dead rabbit to latch onto. We do a lot of the recall work at home, you call them and when they come back you give them a big scrub-a-dub and some some raw food, same goes when you feed them, condition them to the noise.

Pretty much the same as training a really high driven working line dog. Except when it's over they're happy to just shut down until the next scent patch gets them going. Plus the great thing .... ferrets eye sight is pretty bad, they're short sighted creatures so they want to follow their nose down the hole more then spotting something halfway across the paddock and bounding after it As long as you have some fresh food or at least some blood stain on your shoe you can lure them

I would love to go if I was in Victoria. I used to go ferreting with my grand-dad when I was a wee kid growing up in gippsland. We used to put nets over the rabbit holes and catch the bunnies as they got caught in the net and then quickly break their necks and then grab the ferret. Do you get bitten much nekhbet? I remember the ferrets being so wound up that they would sometimes bite you if you werent careful. What is a scrub-a-dub btw???

[espinay2]

I have a property near Canberra if anyone wants to ferret on it. Reasonably big warren needs to be dispatched. Going to bulldoze, but the offer is there if someone would rather clean it out for me.

[Moselle]

God it would be great, everyone had ferrets when I was a kid.

They are rabbits for everyone up here, but they use 1080 for the wild dogs, so it isnt safe.

Id love to watch good working ferrets.

Nothing wrong with letting animals do what they are suposed to do.

Sorry but I don't find the idea of allowing dogs (as an example) tear an animal to pieces when there is no need for this atrocity to happen just cause it is instinctual for some dogs to do so.

Really? How odd.....does it also disturb you when wolves hunt for their dinner? Hunting is a perfectly natural behaviour.

And I am really sorry but man I was PMSL when I read "its a mans job".

I would love to have a go at ferreting, I think it owuld be a brilliant way (especially for kids) to see how nature actually works.

When we were in NZ we (well we being me not the man) always thought aI bout taking up pig hunting to provide a nice bit of meat for the fams but unfortunately I didn't have the first idea about it so it always remained an "interest" LOL

Is it really a "brilliant way to see how nature actually works" for kids??? Yes yes....the same excuse is being thrown around....let's breed our backyard dog because it is going to prove educational for our kids?! How necessary is it for kids to go ferreting? is it going to make them brainier or serve to simply desensitise them and make them less likely to feel compassion for animal life? I seem to think so in alot of cases. Oh by the way, you can go on pissing yourself stupid at my comment that hunting is a man's job cause guess what? I still seem to think so.....

[Polecatty]

I would love to come as I am a very keen ferreter but unfortunately I am a little too far away. I do a fair bit of ferreting but have finished up for the year now- as soon as I see a snake I pack it in. I would hate to lose a ferret. Hope you get a few bunnies and don't forget to throw up a few pics on here after your trip. Would love to see them.

Poodlefan, a good dog can be worth it's weight in gold to a ferreter. A good dog will mark warrens [so you don't mess about with the ones that are empty], will hold rabbits in the net so they don't wriggle free and can pick up bolters that slip nets or come out of well concealed holes. A dog isn't necessary but a good one is very, very useful. Sighthounds are great and I've heard of collies being handy as well. Stangest dog I've ever seen helping out with ferreting was a great dane.

Moselle...are you also barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen? Because that is similar to your line of thought. Hunting is not a man's job. Hunting is for whoever can do it effectively, be they male or female. Nor do dogs 'tear' the rabbits apart- in fact many rabbiters teach their dogs to retrieve rabbits live to hand without a mark on them. Will ferreting teach kids to be brainier? Who knows. It will teach them to evaluate and analyse situations carefully, however. Ferreting is not just sticking a ferret down a hole and hoping for the best. Not if you do it properly, anyway. Will it desensitise kids? No more than buying plastic wrapped steaks off the shelf in the supermarket will. It may enhance their understanding of reality, but 'reality' and 'desensitisation' are two different things.

[poodlefan]

Is it really a \"brilliant way to see how nature actually works\" for kids??? Yes yes....the same excuse is being thrown around....let\'s breed our backyard dog because it is going to prove educational for our kids?! How necessary is it for kids to go ferreting? is it going to make them brainier or serve to simply desensitise them and make them less likely to feel compassion for animal life? I seem to think so in alot of cases. Oh by the way, you can go on pissing yourself stupid at my comment that hunting is a man\'s job cause guess what? I still seem to think so.....

And when there isn't a man around, then what?

What you think is your opinion and you're entitled to it. You don't have to hunt if you prefer not to but suggesting that other women shouldn't is rather outdated IMO.

There is no longer any such thing as "men''s" and "women's" jobs. I'd argue that in reality there never were.

Women have been providing game for the table since the dawn of time. God knows without all members of a family contributing to the table, we'd probably have died out long ago.

I have no more problem with women hunting than I do with men embroidering.

Polecatty:

Hunting is for whoever can do it effectively, be they male or female.

Absolutely! Annie Oakley didnt start out as an exhibition shooter. If that little girl hadn't picked up a gun, she and her family would have starved. A woman does what a woman's gotta do to get the job done.

Edited October 8, 2010 by poodlefan

[Nekhbet]

yup I'm a chick and I hunt Deer, fish, rabbits etc I have a little more free time then the OH and so I use it to fill the freezer with FREE meat. I dont see anything wrong with that

Polecatty do you breed ferrets too? We're always looking for new blood. OH wants to open a working ferret registry and start DNA profiling ferrets, as well as start a pedigree book for them so we dont lose the blood.

as for excitement biting ... our little female chased me down a paddock because I had some blood on my pants ... not funny really They're itching to go, last night one of hte twins latched onto my forearm clung on for dear life because I was using charlie carp on my vege seedlings the little turd. Nice marks today only one tooth broke the skin

Edited October 8, 2010 by Nekhbet

[Moselle]

I would love to come as I am a very keen ferreter but unfortunately I am a little too far away. I do a fair bit of ferreting but have finished up for the year now- as soon as I see a snake I pack it in. I would hate to lose a ferret. Hope you get a few bunnies and don't forget to throw up a few pics on here after your trip. Would love to see them.

Poodlefan, a good dog can be worth it's weight in gold to a ferreter. A good dog will mark warrens [so you don't mess about with the ones that are empty], will hold rabbits in the net so they don't wriggle free and can pick up bolters that slip nets or come out of well concealed holes. A dog isn't necessary but a good one is very, very useful. Sighthounds are great and I've heard of collies being handy as well. Stangest dog I've ever seen helping out with ferreting was a great dane.

Moselle...are you also barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen? Because that is similar to your line of thought. Hunting is not a man's job. Hunting is for whoever can do it effectively, be they male or female. Nor do dogs 'tear' the rabbits apart- in fact many rabbiters teach their dogs to retrieve rabbits live to hand without a mark on them. Will ferreting teach kids to be brainier? Who knows. It will teach them to evaluate and analyse situations carefully, however. Ferreting is not just sticking a ferret down a hole and hoping for the best. Not if you do it properly, anyway. Will it desensitise kids? No more than buying plastic wrapped steaks off the shelf in the supermarket will. It may enhance their understanding of reality, but 'reality' and 'desensitisation' are two different things.

No I do have a career, lol. Okay so you've explained that dogs don't tear rabbits apart....don't know the story on that one but I'll take your word for it. What I do know is that dogs are in fact often used to tear other animals apart as part of a hunting expedition (namely pigs amongst other animals). I won't make apologies for the fact that I find that totally despicable, wild animals or not.....we humans should exercise a little respect in not wanting to put a prey animal through agonizing pain. I disagree in your thinking that ferreting will teach kids to "evaluate and analyze situations carefully." And it does serve to desensitise kids and cannot be compared to purchasing meat off the shelf at the local supermarket.....there is no killing involved in purchasing ready steak in comparison to going hunting!

[megan_]

I'd much rather people understand where their meat is coming from than think that it comes shrink wrapped from the supermarket.

Nekhbet - get back in the kitchen and bake some scones...

[Moselle]

Is it really a \"brilliant way to see how nature actually works\" for kids??? Yes yes....the same excuse is being thrown around....let\'s breed our backyard dog because it is going to prove educational for our kids?! How necessary is it for kids to go ferreting? is it going to make them brainier or serve to simply desensitise them and make them less likely to feel compassion for animal life? I seem to think so in alot of cases. Oh by the way, you can go on pissing yourself stupid at my comment that hunting is a man\'s job cause guess what? I still seem to think so.....

And when there isn't a man around, then what?

What you think is your opinion and you're entitled to it. You don't have to hunt if you prefer not to but suggesting that other women shouldn't is rather outdated IMO.

There is no longer any such thing as "men''s" and "women's" jobs. I'd argue that in reality there never were.

Women have been providing game for the table since the dawn of time. God knows without all members of a family contributing to the table, we'd probably have died out long ago.

I have no more problem with women hunting than I do with men embroidering.

Polecatty:

Hunting is for whoever can do it effectively, be they male or female.

Absolutely! Annie Oakley didnt start out as an exhibition shooter. If that little girl hadn't picked up a gun, she and her family would have starved. A woman does what a woman's gotta do to get the job done.

I was wondering when you would make your appearance PF? LOL.....If there was no man around I would quite happily resort to a vegan diet. I guess its a case of "birds of a feather stick together" and I choose not to keep company with women that are rough around the edges as that is the way that I potray women that are into hunting.

[poodlefan]

Moselle:

What I do know is that dogs are in fact often used to tear other animals apart as part of a hunting expedition (namely pigs amongst other animals).

Not by anyone who knows anything about pig hunting they aren't. The pigs are shot once caught and held.

No hunter worth a damn wants the animal ripped to pieces or valuable hunting dogs risked for nothing.

Fox hunting sees the fox dispatched by the dogs and live animal coursing is the same. Both incidentally are banned in Australia. Both IMO sure beat a slow death by strychnine or 1080.

[Moselle]

I'd much rather people understand where their meat is coming from than think that it comes shrink wrapped from the supermarket.

Nekhbet - get back in the kitchen and bake some scones...

Megan....guess what? people don't need to be directly involved in the slaughtering of animals to realise that the meat they purchase from the supermarket was, once upon a time, walking and breathing.

Now, where are those scones?

[Moselle]

Moselle:

What I do know is that dogs are in fact often used to tear other animals apart as part of a hunting expedition (namely pigs amongst other animals).

Not by anyone who knows anything about pig hunting they aren't. The pigs are shot once caught and held.

No hunter worth a damn wants the animal ripped to pieces or valuable hunting dogs risked for nothing.

Fox hunting sees the fox dispatched by the dogs and live animal coursing is the same. Both incidentally are banned in Australia. Both IMO sure beat a slow death by strychnine or 1080.

The idea of using poisons to kill fox is totally apalling to me! As so far as pig hunting is concerned.....well, I have seen videos and photos of a group of dogs latching onto any part of the pig that they could hold onto whilst the pig is in atrocious pain.....no need for that.....how I would so love it if it were possible for those people responsible for such to come back as a pig....I would be making sure that their crown jewel was being grabbed and masticated upon!

[poodlefan]

The idea of using poisons to kill fox is totally apalling to me! As so far as pig hunting is concerned.....well, I have seen videos and photos of a group of dogs latching onto any part of the pig that they could hold onto whilst the pig is in atrocious pain.....no need for that.....how I would so love it if it were possible for those people responsible for such to come back as a pig....I would be making sure that their crown jewel was being grabbed and masticated upon!

Poison, traps.. all pretty hideous stuff IMO. I prefer a quick death, even if it's not as clean as some would like.

Mind you, I'm a sighthound owner AND the owner of a very effective mousing Poodle.