Swap: Ferretting

[243lee]

Have a rare “problem” with some rabbits, shot good numbers but have a bank showing a few still, 20-50 showing depending on the night, pretty open ground
Near to warminster
TO BE CLEAR this isnt an open ongoing permission it will be invite only and invite is only valid for the day(s) we agree.
Any underhand sneaking about or contacting farmers will result you being thrown through the nearest hedge minus any kit you have plus im contracted for at least another 2 years
Also have another farm near marlborough if this goes well..
what you fancy swapping before im forced to get up there and rifle them?!

 

[Fursty Ferret]

So you want someone to come and clear your rabbit problem for you and also give you a fieldsports opportunity? Or have I misunderstood.
Proper rabbit control often has a significant value attached to it for the landowner...those carrying out the ferreting would be doing you a good turn, not the other way around

 

[J.kerslake]

So you want someone to come and clear your rabbit problem for you and also give you a fieldsports opportunity? Or have I misunderstood.
Proper rabbit control often has a significant value attached to it for the landowner...those carrying out the ferreting would be doing you a good turn, not the other way around

To be fair I’d say it’s a bit of sport up for swaps for a different bit of sport, plenty of people out there that enjoy ferreting but don’t have the rabbit numbers!

 

[Fursty Ferret]

Fair enough, but working in professional pest control I know the value of proper rabbit control....especially on arable land and wouldn't class it as sport but suppose I appreciate certain scenarios it could be.

 

[J.kerslake]

Fair enough, but working in professional pest control I know the value of proper rabbit control....especially on arable land and wouldn't class it as sport but suppose I appreciate certain scenarios it could be.

It’s exactly the same as deer stalking in that respect…

 

[243lee]

To be clear i have no issue with sitting up there and putting hard hours in with the hornet or .222 and clearing the lot quick sharp, as you suggested its a job that needs doing as opposed to going out once a fortnight when the mrs ****es you off, and if no takers il be on it and theyl be gone, already shot touching 80 in last 4 night time visits, i just know how little opportunity there are nowadays for a chance at a sensible bag of rabbits so i thought id see what interest there is, maybe someone has a couple of does need culling but no outlet for them? Who knows.
Either way, theres a couple of days of good sport if you have ferrets and no rabbits before i get up there and rifle them

 

[stalker.308]

Its a great offer. I used to keep ferrets in an area if the world with not that many rabbits. Back when I kept ferrets I would have happily swapped some stalking for the chance to work them on a heavily infested rabbit ground.

Good luck with the swap.

 

[243lee]

Much appreciated, although they are classed as vermin its almost a shame to shoot them so aggressively as there is so few about but needs must or il have some explaining to do!, no body i know keeps ferrets anymore so just shows the numbers (or lack of) about, 15-20 years ago i knew 7-8 of us, me included who used to use them regularly, some bloody good sport in all honesty!

 

[Dan Newcombe]

Would you not be better off paying someone to come as a sub contractor as a one off job, or just shooting them as you say and keep it neat and tidy?

 

[243lee]

Its what il end up doing starting tomorrow night i think, just thought as everyone is commenting about the lack of rabbits about and the good old ferreting days id offer it to someone who would get some sport out of it rather than sat there knocking them over with a centrefire

 

[Boosh]

I think some of the most hardcore and educated of lifetime rabbit men have probably ran the scenario's over in there heads many times over in the last 10 yrs of holding back on scraps.
Getting stuck into one good days rabbiting won't fill the void.
Really glad you have got some good numbers there, and really hope you keep using the centrefire on them!

 

[243lee]

shot a good few with the rimfire around the margins but best chance of hitting a dent into them is from the field below shooting into the bank so ranges can be from 100-250 ish

 

[Boosh]

The best chance of putting a dent into them with a rifle is an assassin with a rimmie or airgun making micro movements over maybe a few hundred yards over the space of a day.
Constantly hitting them over many days with a centrefire will do the same.
Ferreting will do good as long as you get the right person, but getting to know the ground might be a problem for a turn up for one day guy.
You wont get a turn up for one day guy to do anything more than messing.

 

[243lee]

Stand little to no chance with a pellet gun, marginal with rimfire, certwinly not the most efficient way i reckon as the couple you may see in the day will be long gone,The side of the bank is as flat as marathon runners chest, very very safe shooting into it, not so much as a mole hill for cover stalking along it hence the sitting in the field with the centrefire