As im fairly new to ferreting for rabbits etc.
I hear that your meant to stop using ferrets from around April to September.

Question 1. Why is this

I hear its because the young rabbits are being born etc, but i read that rabbits have upto 5 litters per year so surely this happens all year round and not just april to sept

is this right

this is another of those old traditions... there are a couple reasons really

yes it use to be determined to be the rabbits main breeding season and in order to allow the young to grow you wouldn't ferret them.. Also .. a ferret stumbling upon a nest of tiny bunnies is a bit more likely to have a snack that wont fight back and curl up in the fluff to nap also a Doe protecting her bundles of fluff is said to be more dangerous at this time of the year..

However.. the ultimate goal of many ferreters is to completely clear the permission of rabbits for a farmer or other land owner... this is what they are employed to do... so some either continue ferreting or shoot the rabbits instead if they dont want to use their ferrets for the other above reasons.

Also some may consider the weather not to be condusive to having a couple ferrets stuffed in a wooden box and hauled all over the fields in the warmer weather...

So the old addage was/is Ferreting is done during any month with an R in it..

Thanks for the reply,
Well i aint employed by anyone to clear rabbits really
So i would prefer to leave them alone and build up numbers again

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So i take it people like me stop at the end of April

also if you kill the baby buns your killing next seasons sport

Also as the undergrowth increases... nettles, brambles etc its nye inpossible to net up all the holes.

so what do i do during our so called summer then

(09-03-10 03:19 PM)slaine Wrote:  so what do i do during our so called summer then

Shoot , traditionally the summers when the jills have there young anyway so you wouldnt be working them in the summer when they have young to care for

And don't forget your ferrets will still need exercise so plenty of out of cage fun time for them.

I ferret from sept/oct till about march you can ferret the summer but your ferrets stay in and eat the young also a doe will be aggressive protecting its kits and i have heard of peoples ferrets being killed by mother rabbits,i find it unpleasant killing the does in kindle,
i get in to more mouching/fishing/shooting in the warmer months.

its man/woman bonding time with yer ferrets now till its time to hunt so make the most of it and have fun with your ferrets chuck em down some pipes in the garden get em used to being picked up as they exit the pipe get them keen, bonding time get your locators on them so there used to them once you become so close youl find it hard to put them down a hole without fretting,i do anyway ,ive got that bad with old franky i try and find little open field burries where i can make sure i can see him exit or i hover with the locator tracing his movement its worse now i take me lad as he says DONT YOU LOSE HIM DAD and i smile knowing he loves the little ones as much as me