ABOVE: Purse net set

ABOVE: Left Nylon Net Right  Hemp Net

Purse Nets

Purse nets are used to directly cover the hole. There are many different sized purse nets, most commonly used are 4oz, 6oz and 8oz. This refers to the weight or thickness of the net material, in my opinion 4oz are easier to untangle and are great when ferreting open warrens but 6 and 8 oz are stronger and better for ferreting hedgerows where brambles can tangle and snag your net. They commonly come in a few sizes 3ft, 3ft 6 and 4ft. I use 3ft because where I ferret I do not require the larger lengths. The last choice you will have to make when purchasing your nets are what material to get. The two main choices are Hemp (cannabis plant) or nylon. I have both and they both have their advantages. Hemp is a lighter material and easier to untangle, the down side is you have to ensure you store them correctly as if they are put away damp they will rot quickly. You will not have this problem with  Nylon nets, they are easier to look after as they are plastic based and will not rot, altough this does make them a lot harder to untangle but it is all down to personal preference. 

A purse net has two eye rings at either end of the net, one at the top where the net is tied and one at the bottom where the drawstrings run through to the peg. The net is pulled over the hole with the top eye at the top of the hole and the bottom hole on the floor, this is then pegged in to the ground. Once the rabbit has bolted into the net the draw string pulls tightly around the rabbit encasing it in the net. From here the rabbit can be removed and humanely dispatched without causing unnecessary harm.

This is probably the most efficent and common way of ferreting as there is less room for error but for me is not the most enjoyable method, this is ideal for people with no licencse or for people who have to remove a large number of rabbits and can not afford to miss them. 

Long Nets

Long nets are used in many ways, one of these is by ferreters as either the main defence for catching the rabbits or as a backup incase they avoid the purse net, very common as sometimes you miss a bolt hole, misplace your net or they simply don't entangle properly. They have a similar principle to purse nets, they catch the rabbit by entangling them in a loose net, however they are hung betwwen poles to forma barrier. Again theese nets come in a huge range of varieties, as with purse nets you have the weight choice of 4oz, 6oz and 8oz etc, length choice ranging from 25 yards to 100 yards and sometimes bigger. The poles are generally set 8 yards apart, so a 25 yard net would require 4, one on each end then two spaced in between, a 50 yard net would require 7 and 100 yard would require 13.

With each long net 50% of the net is slack, so a 50 yard long net actually has 75 yards of netting to allow for the rabbit to entangle. If the net is set to tight they simply bounce off, as i have learnt, so remember allow for slack in the net. The net will be approximately  2ft 6 high  and has lines running through the top and bottom. These lines should be nice and tight allowing it to hold the net high all the way along and should be tied to the end poles either 25, 50 or 100 yards apart, this will allow the extra 50 % of net to be loose, known as bagging. Once you have caught your quarry it can be dispatched in the same way you would when using a purse nets.

This is a very efficient back up tool to anyone ferreting, especially when on your own as if two rabbits bolt at the same time, which can happen, you have a backup for that second little bunny. They are also very helpful when ferreting bushy hedgerows that are covered by wire fence's as you can not access the holes to clear them and set purse nets.

Lurchers

Lurhers are commonly used amongst ferreters who do it for sport as it is fantastic to watch them  chase as they would in the wild. Lurchers were commonly used for hare coursing before the ban, you can still run dogs on rabbits as theese are classed as a pest/Vermin where as hares are not. Running dogs along with Long Netting are huge field sports of there own (see more about using lurchers in my Running dog section) but are also used alongside ferrets with great results. the principle is very simple the ferreter will stamd back with his lurcher on a slip lead and wait for a rabbit to bolt he will then give the command  and slip the dog setting him off in hot pursuit this is an adrenaline filled sport as  it is great to watch the dog course the rabbit, the more experienced teh dog the more fun it is to watch as they learn to push the rabbit in to the open where it will be easier for a kill.  they can also be trained to mak holes to save you setting up all your nets on a fifty hole warren to find no one at home, this is a companion i wish i had.

As described earlier all you need to get going wih lurchers is a ferret a dog and a slip lead, theese can range from The simple, a piece of rope with a loop at one end to go around your wrist with an open end to feed through you dogs collar and would be held firmly in your hand, on giving the command you simply let go of the open end and the dog is off, the lead will simply slide through the collar. Alternatively you have the slightly more advanced double lead this is a standard style lead with a Spring Clasp at the end with another simple piece of cord attached to the catch on seeing your quarry you pull the cord and the whole lead unclips from the collar.

Alot of profesional ferreters and pest control will actually use all three if the methods i have just explained  as the dog will hold the rabbit in the purse net  to stop it escaping and some times ferreters put the dog th eother side of the long net as a third line of defense you would have to be an unlucky hunter to not bag yourself some rabbits doing it this way.

This is obviously a rather expensive way of ferreting compared to netting as you have to care for the dog everyday not just on hunt days it is a 365 day job, and not just a one time purchase.

Flushing To Gun

This is a very self explanitory  section the ferreter simply stands above the burrows and shoots at his quarry upon bolting

 The choice of gun however is not so simple as i have just found out when purchasing my first shotgun. The sky is the limit when it comes to shotguns.

Feeding Your Ferret

 As ferrets are carnivours they require a very high level of protein in theyre diet, atleast 35%. Many people used to feed theyre ferrets brad and milk although theese days are long gone as there is no nutritional benefits to the ferret at all. People also commonly feed theyre ferret cat food as did i for a long time although  i no longer do this due the amount of vegetable matter in theese foods which can cause a host of problems to the ferret. The best food for a ferret is meat mine live on a diet of rabbit and dried ferret food, alot of people me included feed what i catch. You can also purchase day old chicks from online exotic pet stores which are equally as  nutritional to the ferrets need. As regards to Dried Ferret foods there are many on the market now days i personally use Alpha Ferret Feast which i feel is the best value for money. always remember when feeding dried food to have plenty of water avaliable as they will easily dehydrate. you will notice theyre bottle will not empty as quick when eating fresh food as theyre is alot of water in the flesh. 

Main Exterior Run With pipe leading from upper level into shed comtaining the sleeping quarters. 

Sleeping quarters inside the shed  with two levels that can be seperated when breeding. 

Breeding

Breeding your ferrets is something you should avoid untill you have plenty of experience looking after them, as there are plenty of ferrets bred each year with no homes to go to as people use it as the cheap option to spaying your jill.  if you decide you want to breed to keep a good line from dying out or colour variation then here is the basics you will need to know. you will need the services or an entire hob (not sniped) and a female that has not been spayed. You can only breed a ferret whilst she is in season normally between april and september you will know she is in season by the swelling of the vulva. after 14 days is when you would put her in to the males court and let them overnight. i would not stand and watch as it is a very rough mating and not for the faint hearted. After they have been mated remove the jill and check for bites and scratches on the back of her neck as this is where the males will hold them down. After apporximately 14 days the jills vulva should have gone down if not then the lucky girl is in for another night of romance..... once it goes down you know she has been mated you will then need to count down the days from their mating,  it should be 42 days from mating to giving birth. You will here when the Babies (Kitts) arrive as they will make a little cherping noise, please note you should not disturb them for atleast two weeks. After this it should be okay to look and see how many you have. Once they are moving about you should start handling them as regulary as possible to tame them the more you handle them the tamer they will be. From about four weeks you should be putting in plenty of fresh meat so the kitts can suck at it and start to wean you can also use dry food soaked in water but it is not as good as fresh meat. REMEBER do not feed ferrets cows milk as it is not good for them. Eggs are good as a treat as they are high in protein but i would say no more than once a week. Once the kitts start eating the meat and are weaning from their mother you will need to put a bowl of water in for them to drink as they will not know to use a water bottle at this stage but they will soon get the hang of it watching their mum use it