# Ferrets



## Clever Moniker (May 12, 2013)

We have an adopt-a-ferret program in my city because of the need to rescue these little guys.

Questions are, why do you like ferrets? How do they help you hunt? Will my cat and a ferret get along?

Sorry for all the questions, just want to dialogue with those whom have ferrets. More specifically though, I'm interested in how it relates to hunting... and how ferrets will perform in this regard. 

Cheers,

Clever Moniker


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## B.P.R (Dec 28, 2012)

Hmm cat and a ferret....

Not a good idea... i know people whos next door neighbours cat has killed their ferrets.... the ferrets were running about in the back garden at the time...

Saying that... i keep mine in a triple hutch...out the back...and next door has 5 cats...and no problems whatsoever.

If you get a nice hutch/ run out back there will be no problems at all


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## August West (Jan 21, 2012)

Useless here because rabbits don't live in warrens. If they do in Canada ferrets are used to chase them out into purse nets, or long nets, caught by dogs or shot. Looks like good sport to me.

Edit: Most ferreters keep their animals in a hutch outside, not inside like a house pet so the cat would be moot.


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## youcanthide (Jun 16, 2013)

If you get a big hob ferret it will probably be able to fight the cat lol

If your allowed to hunt with them the amount of rabbits you get in a season will increase tenfold


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## August West (Jan 21, 2012)




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## B.P.R (Dec 28, 2012)

Apopogies if this is a little long....

Ferrets are mainly kept as working animals... used to flush rabbits to their fate...

Now this is either done by using purse nets...long nets..shotgun.. hawks... or letting the dogs run them...

All are very effective.. each to their own...

Personally... i like to use a mixture of pursenets...longnets..and the dogs...










The dogs 'mark' a hole..which tells you rabbits are at home...like so...










The dogs also hold the rabbits in the nets for you....










And catch any that slip the nets....



















Result...










Now... there is obviously many different things that can and do go wrong...

The aim is for the ferret to spook the rabbit out the burrow... but sometime this doesnt happen... for whatever reason the rabbit can hood tight... whether the ferret has got hold of it...or the rabbit is in a 'stop end' (the end of a burrow...a dead end) ... the bunnies will turn away from the ferret...and puff themselves out to fill the whole of the burrow...meaning the ferret has to scratch and try to get around the rabbit to the head and neck...

If successful...they can kill the rabbit... and will take their meal...and fall asleep!...

This means you will have to either wait..... or dig them out...

Digging them requires a locator collar... a small collar on the ferret..and you have a reciever box above ground...

A collar on a ferret...



















Now...

Housing them... is totally upto you... aslog as they have plenty of space to run around... play and feed... and are nice and warm... they dont care...

Security is the most important aspect... they are escape artists!...

I keep mine in a triple hutch...










The best thing about them... is they eat ANY meat... rabbit..pigeon...chicken...deer... crow... squirrel etc...

They dont half make light work of them!...



















They also feed on ferret kibble (dry food) ... which is good for the summer to keep flies at bay.

THE most complicated...and important aspect of keeping ferrets... is the male/female mix...

Ferrets come into season around march?...

Females need to be 'taken out of season'... either by... mating... or an injection...

Most get around this by using a 'vasectomised' hob...

This is what i use...

He still performs the deed.. but doesnt plant the seed  ...

Neutering is an option too...

If left in season jills (females) ...can get infected...and ultimatley die.

Males come in season around the same time... and can try to 'bum' eachother... and therfore fight like heck... resulting in serious injury..

Therfore... the best combination... is what i have...

2 jills and one vasectomised hob.(male) ...

Ofcourse of they are all neutered there is no problem  ...

They are great animals...for working...or for pets...

Id reccommend them highly...

Hope this helped


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## orcrender (Sep 11, 2010)

Great post on ferrets and their use for hunting. I also liked the video.


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## V-alan-tine (Nov 12, 2013)

You can not beat a good ferret. They become your friend. I have had a jill that kept working even though she was blinded by a bite to the head (probably a fox). And I have had a hob sit tight under cover till I came back with a shovel to dig him out (2 hours later) I had just started digging when my dog started pointing and whimpering at where the hob was waiting for me  saved a lot of digging. I really miss that dog, the best I ever had, a natural, minimal training.

Only one recommendation with ferrets - lots of handling, if the jill is trustworthy you should start a.s.a.p even before they are weaned if possible.


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## Tentacle Toast (Jan 17, 2013)

Well I learned a lot here...great thread! Hawks, ferrets, dogs...there's nary a forum with a more interesting mix of members.


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Yep ... great thread! Ferrets are just so darned cute ... they are often sold in pet stores here. I see them for sale in the newspaper all the time. I find them difficult to resist, but do not need another pet. Rabbits here do not live in warrens ... not sure about elsewhere in North America. That's the first time I have seen those locater collars ... good use of technology.

Cheers ....... Charles


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## B.P.R (Dec 28, 2012)

V-alan-tine said:


> You can not beat a good ferret. They become your friend. I have had a jill that kept working even though she was blinded by a bite to the head (probably a fox). And I have had a hob sit tight under cover till I came back with a shovel to dig him out (2 hours later) I had just started digging when my dog started pointing and whimpering at where the hob was waiting for me  saved a lot of digging. I really miss that dog, the best I ever had, a natural, minimal training.
> Only one recommendation with ferrets - lots of handling, if the jill is trustworthy you should start a.s.a.p even before they are weaned if possible.


My friend...who i got my youngsters off... has 2 young daughters who were handling them well.... as soon as they were up an about....

When i got them at 6 1/2 weeks... i and my son just carried that on...and they are all bulletproof... as all my ferrets are/have been....

7weeks old...


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## V-alan-tine (Nov 12, 2013)

The only person my ferrets did not like was my 1st wife, those teeth went in deep (not joking) lol


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## Aussie Allan In Thailand (Jan 28, 2013)

Excellent explaination, and wonderful photographs B.P.R.

You quite cleary know your stuff on this issue, and many more from your prior posts.

We are similar is more respects than we are different; regarding interests and skills.

I enjoy nearly all of your posts, and pictures.

From my own personal perspective, I believe you'd be an exceptional "mate" also.

Kindly keep up your posts here; as I believe many can learn a lot from your experience.

All the best for the upcoming festivities season mate.
Along with my appologies to others for taking up space here for what most likely should of been a PM.

Cheers Allan Leigh


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## Clever Moniker (May 12, 2013)

Aussie Allan In Thailand said:


> CExcellent explaination, and wonderful photographs B.P.R.
> 
> You quite cleary know your stuff on this issue, and many more from your prior posts.
> 
> ...


No apologies necessary, that was an awesome post by BPR. He deserved it.


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## Lacumo (Aug 18, 2013)

Great info on ferret raising and hunting!


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## Tentacle Toast (Jan 17, 2013)

So, do these ferrets need to be trained for this endeavor, or is this just the exploitation of their natural behaviours?


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## B.P.R (Dec 28, 2012)

Natural behaviour buddy...

Theyre just designed to bend...and their sleek and slender shape means they can walk through burrows comfortably...their teeth are just menacing!! ...

Any ferret will work... to some degree... they will all go down a hole....

The level at which they work is what makes the difference...

Experience..experience....experience...

Young'uns can be a little nervous and play around the entrance...and wont venture deep to where the rabbits are...

Youngster can be started with an experienced ferret...

This will help their confidence...and they will follow the older ferret deeper and deeper...

Once they click...theyre away  ...

This wasnt an option for me...as my experienced hob was killed unfortunatley whilst out ferreting...

So i had to think fast...

I built a little pipe setup in my garage... which helped the kits (young)...get used to dropping lower...climbing higher...twisting..turning and so on...

Theyre away now... but the pipes have had a modification since i got my workbench... they now go through it  ...

A little video just to show


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## Tentacle Toast (Jan 17, 2013)

How'd you lose your hob? On average, how many do you lose, & what (aside from eating themselves into a slumber) are the causes?


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## yeeharr (May 26, 2010)

Excellent post(s) BPR! My own ferrets have aiways seen more rats than rabbits. My dogs are too big for working around warrens effectively, so it's rats for the terrier.

I've bolted foxes with my ferrets, (not by design). These fearless little mustelids will go into the dark and face anything they encounter.


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## B.P.R (Dec 28, 2012)

Tentacle Toast said:


> How'd you lose your hob? On average, how many do you lose, & what (aside from eating themselves into a slumber) are the causes?


Losing them... not very often at all...

If you dont have a locator... you wait.... when it gets dark... you wait..

theres little tricks...such as putting another ferret...preferably unknown to the one your waiting on....down the hole... in the hope it disturbs the other... but that can go the otber way and you end up with 2 down there! ....

If its going to be an overnight job...or you must leave... you block all the holes up and go back first thing the next day..and open the burrow up... the ferret should be eager to get out...

Wouldnt you?  ...

Only idiot will leave a ferret for good...

Remember me explaining how a jill(female) ..needs to be taken out of season?

Well some people will just breed...which makes the market full of ferret kits...very cheap/free and easy to acquire....

Cheaper than getting the jab or paying to get a hob snipped...

This makes ferrets very 'disposeable' to some people... idiots....

Who wont think twice about dumping ferrets...or leaving them instead of waiting.

My ferret was killed whilst ferreting...

A mates dog grabbed it at the burrow by mistake...thinking it was a rabbit...

The dog would have let go.... but my ferret bit hard on the dogs face...which made the dog crunch/clamp down...

Thus breaking its spine...and was PTS shortly after...

My son seen this...and was devastated...

This is why its VITAL.. that you break (accustom) a dog to ferrets...from a very early age...


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## Tentacle Toast (Jan 17, 2013)

Thanks for explaining; very interesting stuff! Sorry your boy had to see that, though.


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## B.P.R (Dec 28, 2012)

Tentacle Toast said:


> Thanks for explaining; very interesting stuff! Sorry your boy had to see that, though.


Not nice... but part and parcel of life...

Its all a learning curve for him... after all.. he is the next generation


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## MrTriscuit (Oct 10, 2011)

Do your ferrets come to the call of a name?


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## youcanthide (Jun 16, 2013)

Mine dont, doubt anybodies would to be honest


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## MrTriscuit (Oct 10, 2011)

Do they bond to smell?


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## youcanthide (Jun 16, 2013)

I think so, ive heard of people with ferrets that are fine with them but bite other people?


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## B.P.R (Dec 28, 2012)

Not sure if its smell they bond to... or people in general... maybe it is smell come to think about it...

You can see easily... people who are natural at handling them...such as my son....

And people who arent...

I suppose the ferret will know this...


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