>From:    Todd Leuthold <[log in to unmask]>=20
>
>>Any ferret will hunt as will any predator, it is in the genes.  They
>>don't need to be "taught"
 
>Yeah, except for those that won't... Out of eight ferrets, only two
>respond as expected.
>
>Fuzzer will kill a mouse, if it obligingly puts itself within an inch of
>him and just stands there.
 
All that is required of a ferret used for hunting rabbits is that they
bolt the them from the bury.  "Killing down" is not wanted, one reason
why a lot of ferreters prefer to jills instead of hobs - the say that
hobs are generally too big and too fast and tend to catch the rabbits
before they bolt; it results in a lot of digging for the ferreter whereas
the jill tends to be slower and more methodical in her approach giving
the rabbit time to make a run for it.
 
A fellow ferreter and I have recently been doing a bit of rabbit control
at a livery stable in North Yorkshire.  A mutual friend obtained the
permission for us and then thought about using a couple of her ferrets
alongside ours... she was a rather surprised when I turned one of the
ferrets down flat, he can be a biter - we need to be able to handle any
ferret used for hunting without the risk of being bitten.  The days have
all but gone of the macho male who took pride in his working ferrets
being vicious; my ferrets could be out hunting one day and the following
being used for PR with young children cuddling them.  A number of
ferreters these days are using pampered pets for working, ferrets that in
the summer will be picking up rosettes at ferret shows all over the UK.
 
At present I only have albino jills that I work but I've got Robin
Oakapple, a nice little poley mitt kit, that I may use later in the
season - he's booked in for being castrated today, so he and his brother,
Ruthven, will be meeting Alex the vet in a few hours time.
[Posted in FML issue 4027]