Young shots: ferrets, purse-nets and rabbit nuggets

School’s done and dusted for another academic year, and what better way to spend your holidays than being out in the fresh air and our glorious countryside with shotgun, rod or rifle in hand. Whether you’re sharpening your clay shooting skills, helping out with the harvest or even mending pens or fences on your nearest farm shoot, I hope you enjoy your time off – and enjoy reading the entertaining, informative and educational content you will find below.

Let us know what you would like to see in future editions of Shooting Times Junior, too – this is your space, after all.

Martin Puddifer, managing editor

In this edition

• Working animals: starting out with ferrets
• How to tie your own purse-net
• Cookery corner: rabbit nuggets with honey mustard dip
• Readers in the field: a calf called Banana
• Welcome to BASC: Let’s Learn Moor celebrates 10 years
• 3 of the best: junior gundog training vests
• Gundog guidance: teaching the back cue

Working animals: starting out with ferrets

A ferret will follow a rabbit underground where no dog can go, which is why ferreting still works. They are clever, funny and full of mischief – and a big responsibility. Here is what to expect before your first pair arrives.

What is a ferret?

The ferret (Mustela putorius furo) is a domesticated relative of the European polecat, from the same family as weasels and badgers. Males are hobs, females are jills and youngsters are kits. Their long bodies let them turn round inside a burrow.

How much do ferrets cost?

Kits usually sell for £30 to £100, but that is the cheap part. Housing, bedding, a carrier, vet checks, vaccinations and neutering cost far more. Nobody may legally sell an animal to an under-16, so a parent must buy them.

What do you feed a ferret?

Ferrets are obligate carnivores, meaning meat only. Good ferret kibble, raw meat or a mix is right; dog food, adult cat food and sugary treats are not. Their gut is short, so they eat little and often, with water always available.

How do you keep ferrets?

Never keep just one. Ferrets are sociable and need compatible company. Buy the biggest hutch you can, with mesh too strong to push through, an insulated bed, a litter tray and shade – ferrets suffer badly in heat. Always keep them away from pet rabbits.

What kit do you need for ferreting?

Purse-nets to cover every hole, a carrying box and a locator collar and receiver so that a ferret that stays underground can be found, plus a spade to dig to it. And you must have the landowner’s permission.

Do ferrets bite, and do they smell?

A well-handled ferret rarely bites, but kits nip in play and need patient daily handling. Ferrets are musky and an entire hob smells strongest of all. Neutering reduces it; bathing usually makes it worse.

How to tie your own purse-net

Every rabbit that bolts into a net on your local shoot is stopped by something somebody made by hand. Here is how to make your first one.

A purse-net is the simplest tool in ferreting: a bag of knotted twine pegged over a rabbit hole. When a rabbit bolts it hits the net, the drawcord snatches tight and the whole thing closes around it like an old drawstring purse. That is exactly where the name comes from.

Buying one costs a few pounds. Tying one costs you an evening – but the first rabbit you catch in a net you made yourself beats the first rabbit you catch in a net you bought.

What you need to tie a purse-net

• Netting needle, 8in
• Mesh stick, sometimes called a gauge
• Netting twine – hemp is the traditional choice, but nylon is rot-proof and more forgiving for a beginner
• Braided nylon drawcord
• 2 rings, 1in
• 1 net peg – hardwood, softwood, metal or plastic all work

Beginners’ kits containing the lot are sold by most ferreting suppliers, and the twine and gauge that come with them are already the right size for rabbits.

How to tie a purse-net – step by step

• Step 1. Load the needle. Wind on twine until the needle is full but still slips easily through a mesh. Load a second needle now – you will run out before the net is finished.
• Step 2. Tie on. Hang one ring from a hook or a door handle at about chest height and knot the twine to it.
• Step 3. Cast on. Hold the mesh stick in one hand and the needle in the other, and work meshes on to the ring, locking each knot as you go. A standard rabbit net is 15 to 16 meshes round. Count them twice – finding you are one short at row 10 is a miserable business.
• Step 4. Ease that first row off the stick.
• Step 5. Work down the net. Turn the ring each time so you are always working in the same direction, and repeat row after row. With nylon, tie every knot twice or it will slip.
• Step 6. Keep going to 36in. That is roughly 17 rows. Go longer if the holes on your ground are big ones.
• Step 7. Cast off on to the second ring. Fasten the twine properly before you cut it.
• Step 8. Add the drawcord. Hang the net up, make the cord twice the net’s length plus 3ft to 4ft, pass it through the top ring and thread it down through the loops on both sides. Knot it below the ring and add your peg. Ask an adult to seal nylon ends with a match.

Send us a picture of your first net – and the first rabbit in it – at shootingtimes@twsgroup.com.

Cookery corner: rabbit nuggets with honey mustard dip

If you have been out ferreting, this is the obvious thing to do with what you brought home, and it is an easy first go at cooking rabbit. It makes enough for three to four.

Ingredients

For the nuggets

• 2 wild rabbit fillets (250g)
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 1 egg
• 100g breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil

For the dip

• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tsp runny honey
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• Squeeze of lemon juice

How to make rabbit nuggets – step by step

• Step 1. Ask an adult to cut the rabbit fillets into thumb-sized strips. Sharp knives are an adult job.
• Step 2. Line up three bowls: flour, salt and pepper in the first, beaten egg in the second, breadcrumbs and thyme in the third.
• Step 3. Roll each strip in the flour, dunk it in the egg, then press it into the breadcrumbs. Wash your hands – handling raw meat always means soapy hands afterwards.
• Step 4. Ask an adult to heat the oil in a pan. Hot oil spits, so this bit is not for you.
• Step 5. An adult fries the nuggets for two to three minutes each side, until golden and crisp. Cut one open to check it is cooked through – no pink inside.
• Step 6. Stir the mayonnaise, honey, mustard and lemon juice together for your dip. Taste it. Add more mustard if you are feeling brave.
• Step 7. Pile the nuggets up, put the dip in the middle and share them out – if you can bear to.

Send us your photos of your finished dish at shootingtimes@twsgroup.com and we will publish them on our social media pages.

Readers in the field: a calf called Banana

I grew up in the Borders, in Coldstream, on an arable farm at the top of a hill overlooking the river Tweed. I was very young when my parents taught me where meat comes from.

One night, they brought home a pregnant Highland cow. She gave birth to a ginger calf – he was calm with a gentle nature. I named him Banana. A few years later, when he was fully grown, my father humanely slaughtered and butchered him. The lesson I learned that day was that Banana had lived an incredible life, roaming freely across open fields. When his life came to an end, he served another purpose by becoming food that helped feed my hungry family.

At the time it was a hard lesson to learn but I am now glad that my parents did this. When we moved to Edinburgh, many of my city classmates had no idea where their burger patties came from. Some thought that raising animals for meat was cruel, while others had been vegetarian or vegan throughout their childhoods.

My parents were so passionate about fieldsports that they named me Ptarmigan. By the age of 6, I was going pheasant shooting with them and by 7 I had my first airgun. Gamebird hunting taught me the same lesson as the farm: if you choose to eat meat, you should respect the animal, make a clean, humane shot and never waste what you harvest. Every pheasant we shot was taken home, prepared and eaten. At school I am still one of the only children who understands where meat comes from and how it is produced.

I believe that, as a society, we need to do a better job of educating children – especially those growing up in cities – about meat production, farming, game shooting and where their food comes from.

This winter, if you host a meal for non-shooting school friends, don’t just cook the meat – show them where it came from and invite them out to your next shoot day.

Ptarmigan Barr, aged 11

Welcome to BASC: Let’s Learn Moor celebrates 10 years

Nearly 2,500 children from 70 schools swapped the classroom for the countryside this summer as Let’s Learn Moor celebrated its 10th anniversary.

Held across eight locations in northern England, the project introduced many youngsters to moorland for the very first time. They discovered how sphagnum moss helps store carbon, learned about wildlife conservation and wildfire prevention, and met the people who care for these special landscapes, including gamekeepers, farmers, beekeepers and mountain rescue volunteers.

Since it began, Let’s Learn Moor has given more than 16,000 young people the chance to explore the UK’s uplands through hands-on activities that bring learning to life.

Curtis Mossop, BASC’s head of training, education and outreach, said it was fantastic to see children running through the heather, asking questions and discovering the beauty of nature for themselves.

Let’s Learn Moor is a collaborative educational project overseen by BASC and Countryside Learning and made possible by accessing BASC’s Legacy Fund. Events are facilitated by the Regional Moorland Groups and private estates across northern England, with the support of more than 50 other partners. The project has become the UK’s largest upland classroom, and it is set to return in 2027. There is more on the anniversary in our full report on Let’s Learn Moor turning 10, and more on the organisation’s work at basc.org.uk.

Curtis Mossop, BASC head of education and outreach

3 of the best: junior gundog training vests

Some of our favourite kit for the field this season, sized for younger handlers so that pockets and dummy holders actually sit where they should. There are more gear reviews on the ShootingUK gear pages.

Winslow junior training vest

sportingsaint.co.uk

A full-length vest with zip front and large lower pockets. Sizing: 10-11 years (large) and 12-13 years (X-large).

Dummy vest “trainer cool” junior

muntjactrading.com

A harness-style dummy vest with a mesh back panel and twin front pockets. Sizing: for ages 7-14 years.

Gundog obedience trainer children’s dummy vest

gundoggear.co.uk

A lightweight dummy vest with contrast pocket flaps. Sized by height rather than age: 122cm-128cm and 140cm-146cm.

Gundog guidance: teaching the back cue

These simple training steps will help you feel confident, build trust with your dog and set the right foundations for success in the field. This month is stage 11 of the series, and it comes from Jennifer Thomas of JT Dog Training, an ambassador for Muntjac Trading.

• Step 1. Start with a simple setup. Sit your dog facing you. Walk a short distance and place a small dummy or a treat in a bowl. Keep it close so that your dog can see where you have been. Walk back and make sure they stay sitting.
• Step 2. Use the stop whistle. Take a few steps forward together. Blow your stop whistle and let your dog turn to face you. This is the position you need before you give the back cue.
• Step 3. Give the back cue. Stand tall and lift your arm above your head. Say “back” clearly. Your arm should point directly over your dog’s head. This helps them understand that back means move straight away from you. When they go, let them collect the dummy or the treat.
• Step 4. Keep it short and straight. Repeat a few times. Keep the distance short and place the retrieve in a straight line behind your dog.
• Step 5. Progress the challenge. Recall your dog a couple of strides towards you, stop them on the whistle, pause for a moment and count to three in your head. Keep your arm up, then push them back for the dummy or treat. This helps your dog learn to stop cleanly, wait, then move straight back on your cue.

Gundog training kit for this series is supplied by Muntjac Trading.