Yaniv wrote:- >Hunting is a sport that involve murdering animals...............from any >point you look at it there isn't any justification for the kill of this >animal, and that comes for you from a person that used to hunt for a long >time. Because it isn't necessary to kill the animal (you just want to) >someone has to make sure the animal has a fair chance not to be hunted. Rabbits in the UK are a pest and the land owner/farmer is obliged by law to control them. Out of all the methods available for the control of this pest ferreting is one of the most humane ways of doing it. The other alternatives are gassing (very nasty - it poisons the ground and any other animal or bird that has taken shelter in the burrow), shooting (could injure the animal without necessary killing it), of course there's trapping - ok the trap maybe of the humane type but the animal could injure itself trying to escape, and then of course there is that terrible disease that was introduced to kill rabbits, it can take about two weeks for the rabbit to die, in agony, now which is best the quick bolt from the warren and a quick death by chinning or the alternatives? Ferrets have been used for thousands of years as pest control operatives. >When a scared little Wabbit sit in a borrow and you insert a Ferret in one >end and block the other ends with nests the Wabbit doesn't have any chance, >he's all ready considered dead and can think what good sauce will accompany >him on the plate and does he like Brokly or mashed Potatoes. The rabbit is a pest and does millions of pounds worth of damage every year in the UK. I've got a stack of recipes for cooking the result of the pest control. >That's a good reason not to hunt with ferrets, and if that isn't, how about >loosing your ferret in that hole in the ground. you think you are clever >enough to find him...... how about putting your little cute fuzzy in a >wabbit hole that is now occupied with a 5 feet Viper? Scorpion? Spider? >you name it.....i'll never put my fuzzies in a Wabbit hole just from being >afraid what's in there. last but not least, BOB C, if you read this can you >back me up if I'll say that Rabbits have killed Ferrets before? I know >they did and even if its quite rare it can happen to you. The locator keeps track of the ferret, so finding the ferret isn't a problem. We don't get 5' vipers in the UK, I think 3' is about the maximum, (I've never seen a viper, a grass snake yes) and as for scorpions - I believe there is/was a colony of them living on the platform of the London Underground (a surface station), and if the ferrets met a spider they'd probably eat it! We don't have dangerous spiders in the UK. You don't need Bob C to answer the question about rabbits besting ferrets - it has happened on very rare occasions - the rabbit got lucky and kicked the ferret. BTW our wild mustelids the Polecat, Weasel and Stoat hunt rabbits all year round, ferreters normally pack in hunting when the rabbits are breeding. >To end this sub. enjoy your little fuzzies and buy your meat at the >butcher's shop. Sorry I don't see why I should spend two pounds on buying a "skinned" rabbit when I want whole carcase and can use my ferrets to get them for the cost of fuel, and have a day out on the moors away from the town and perform a service for the farmer by controlling rabbits. >From: BriteMeado <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: Hunting again >with others who know about it, perhaps even in the US? To learn the ins >and outs from someone experienced. In private. I've been out with my JRs >and they love it! Is there a special locator collar for ferrets or do use >the one you use on the JRs? I would think ferrets have a teeny neck. , Ferrets and JRs each have their own locator collars. Some places also sell a micro ferret set as well as the standard one. I guess you'd use the micro one on a very small jill. Sheila Bolton Ferret Welfare & National Ferret Welfare Society Newsletter Editor http://www.btinternet.com/~sheila/ferrets.htm (Last Update 3 March 1998) Waiting at Rainbow Bridge: Jill & Deanna Troi [Posted in FML issue 2246]