She wrote:
>To DFG's dismay they found that there were no feral colonys of ferrets
>anywhere in the US.
 
Then you wrote that she was referring to something completely different
but she was NOT.  I, too, have seen the actual study and there were NO
feral colonies.  There had at one time been a short-lived one (not of
domestic ferrets but of polecats) on a Pacific Northwest Island which
also had European rabbits who lived in colonies and which lacked many
predators but even there the colony died off.
 
What you are referring to is a re-write by CA F&G which doesn't match
the actual reports.  Yo uand she are referring to completely different
things.  You seem to be forgetting that the CA F&G has a well known
history of altering things to suit their own purposes.  I suggest that
you personally contact at least some (your choice of who because the
responses are incredibly consistent) of the other individual
professionals who are misquoted by CA F&G as claiming that there are wild
populations in their states and you will find that you will be told over
and over again by those biologists that CA F&G makes things up and then
falsely credits others with saying them.  It is a tacky technique,
whether it is used by government officials or rumor mongers (or in this
case government officials who regularly behave like rumor mongers).
 
>Still, if the DFG is as unreliable in their reports as you say they
>are then the whole report is meaningless and proves nothing.
 
BINGO!  Most of the states' Departments of Fish and Game, or Fish, Game
and Wildlife as we have here, or other configurations are reputable.  A
few aren't.  CA's is NOT and it sure doesn't have squat to do with the
rest of the states which have their own departments so, please, don't
think that department generalizes outward; that would be like saying that
something specific to Kettering must also affect Liverpool or visa versa.
So, check with the others and find out yourself when and how they were
mis-quoted by seeking out the individual biologists and asking them.
Multiple people here have done so and it is VERY enlightening.
 
>I greatly admire Bob Church for his writing, although I have to admit to
>never having heard of Theirry Lode.
 
Very possibly the world's best expert on mustelids, TL is a professor
in France who has also been a visiting professor in other countries.
 
>I have contacted the author of the article, unfortunately she is unable
>to give me the information you asked for other than the scientists accept
 
The person should at the very least be able to provide the names,
affiliations, or both of the claimed scientists involved.  Otherwise, it
is just someone saying something with zip - zero - nada to support the
claims.
 
No one argues that when the situations are right then feral colonies of
polecats, polecat crosses, or even hunting ferrets can establish.  What
is being argued is that the conditions here in the states simply are not
amenable -- and have not been amenable -- to such feral situations.  (One
exception may be HI but CA has too many predators, too much competition,
etc.)
 
If you search in the FML Archives you will find many of these things
addressed including the NZ stuff.  Just look at the header of any FML
and you will find the archives address right there handy.
 
In the right and very narrow conditions: not too hot, no wild or domestic
predators, garbage that is recognized as food due to wide exposures to
many foods as kits, etc. then some can go longer than a few days, but
not long term which is completely different thing.  That's an almost
non-existant scenario here, BTW.  What is more commonly found among
survivors is that someone has been caring for them.
[Posted in FML issue 4026]