Simon enjoys a days ferreting with master net maker Ian Clayton and his lurcher Dan
Ferreting
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Hawking is a fascinating, healthy sport that can be enjoyed by everyone. Edward Cook explains just how easy it is to get going
Sporting Answers: Locating a lost ferret
Q) I have just started ferreting with some new friends and we tend to spend long periods waiting for our ferrets to return. None of us has a ferret finder and we are all fairly inexperienced. Is one really necessary? M. GARBUTT By email
Simon goes Ferreting to evict the local rabbits from some old Suffolk Oaks
Simon Whitehead goes out for a days ferreting on a old Suffolk estate
What do you about ferreting in the summer months?
What do you do to fill your time with when you’re not ferreting during the summer months?
Will ferreting too regularly make my ferrets tame?
An old boy in the village tells me you shouldn’t handle ferrets too regularly because it makes them tame and less likely to work. Is he right?
Is gassing rabbit burrows as good as ferreting them?
Over the years I have given several people permission to go ferreting on my land, but none have ever really got on top of the job.
What causes colour variations in the rabbits I’m ferreting?
I have taken on some new ground just four miles from farms which I’ve been ferreting for several years. Apart from two black rabbits netted in the 15 years I’ve been doing it, all the rest of the bunnies have been of ‘normal’ colour.
Does a gunshot frighten rabbits more than a ferret?
Rabbit shooting: I’ve noticed that I tend to bolt fewer rabbits when using a gun than when I use only ferrets and purse nets. Does the sound of a shot frighten them more than a ferret?
A fledgling ferreter
Q)I have two pet ferrets and am interested in working them. Do you need to train ferrets to hunt rabbits or do they do it naturally? Also, if I do take them out, what is the best way to catch the rabbits, and how should I despatch them once caught?…
Should I put my ferrets in seperate hutches?
With ferrets is it best to put hobs and jills in separate hutches – especially when they’re brothers or sisters?
How much do working ferrets cost?
What would you say is a fair price for working ferrets? Different people around here seem to charge what they like.
Ferret at large
Q) Recently my hob ferret escaped from his hutch and remains missing. Where are the best places to enquire or advertise the fact that he has gone astray? And are there any other avenues that I should explore to try to find him? T. GOLDRICK By email
How do you go about ferreting roadside hedgerows?
How do you go about ferreting roadside hedgerows? The one running through our farmer’s land is alive with rabbits and he says he wants them clearing.
What trap can I set overnight to catch a lost ferret?
Can you recommend a make of live cage trap to leave set overnight to catch a lost ferret? How's it best used?