Ferreting is one of Britain’s oldest fieldsports – a traditional, effective and humane method of rabbit control that has been practised for centuries and remains as relevant today as ever. Working ferrets to nets is pest control at its most sustainable, protecting crops, pasture and infrastructure while putting wild rabbit in the pot.
This section covers everything you need to ferret successfully, from choosing your first ferret – hob or jill, albino or polecat – to housing, feeding, health care and handling. You’ll find practical advice on essential ferreting equipment, including purse nets, long nets, locators and collars, plus guidance on reading a warren, working ferrets safely and dealing with a lay-up.
We also cover the groundwork that matters: securing land permission, the law on ferreting and rabbit control in the UK, working with landowners, and combining ferrets with lurchers, terriers or a shotgun for a complete day’s sport.
Whether you’re keeping ferrets for the first time or looking to improve your success rate in the field, you’ll find trusted, practical advice here from ferreters with decades of experience between them.
Edward Cook recommends some books that will help you learn how to make your own nets for ferreting
Simon Whitehead plays host to old friends on a fruitful two-day ferreting jaunt amid the deep, sandy warrens of Suffolk
Owners are forced to go to extreme measures to protect their ferrets from being stolen
Simon Whitehead travels to North Yorkshire, where he takes a young teenager out on his first day’s ferreting
Their ears aren't really big enough to tattoo but a good working ferret is an asset and you should get yours chipped if you value it
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