The new permission we have obtained (as mentioned in 'Just a quick one') was finally ferreted today, not the best day weather wise, but the season is coming to an end, so we had to show willing and make sure our faces and nets were seen to be making an effort on this new land before it was too late.
Our mind set was probably wrong, knowing the land well around these parts, we have seen a lot of Myxi wiping the local rabbit population out, and after a quick mooch of the surrounding land with not a rabbit seen our hopes weren't high!!
We grabbed a couple of long nets, a bag of purse nets and two boxes of ferrets, two males and three females. A brief description of this warren is that it stretches for 100+ yards (very big!) a barbed wire fence runs the length of it with holes to both sides of it, and running parallel is a small dyke
We weren't going to let the weather stop us catching a few though.....we hoped!!
So we started laying the long nets, one either side of the fence, and a few purse nets under the holly trees, awkward and prickly.....luckily not on my side of the fence, ahem.....! ;-)
You can see the extent of thewarren in this photo, we are just over halfway down looking up to the gate we arrived at, this side having the open holes appearing at random in the field.
This shows Davids side, complete with prickly bushes and dyke!!
Sorry Mate.....Honest!!
As can be seen here the trees are all being used by the rabbits and prove an awful dig to the ferrets if they killed in!
This huge hole to the side of a tree absolutely stunk of rabbit and had plenty of droppings around it, roots were clearly visible see below....
.....this is a close up of the hole above, the root system entwined into the rabbits runs, creating a secure environment from any wouldbe predators!
Looking up towards the gate from the dyke side.
David just resetting the net after a rabbit bolted and pulled the peg right out, the pursed net and rabbit falling straight into the water, luckily the net holding till David got to it!
Another end of the warren, and another tree that they have housed themselves in, at one point the ferret finder was saying a four foot dig in this area was imminent, thankfully the ferret reappeared out of a hole without any sign of rabbit fur or blood on it!
A cracking bolt from a hole, straight over the dyke and into the waiting long net.....excellent catch!
The second one in the bag, lets hope theres a few more
A nice open hole, lots of droppings and a familiar smell......very welcoming, and the ferret didn't need to be asked twice to get in!
End of the day, three rabbits in the bag, truck loaded and two very wet but happy ferreters are on there way home wondering.......maybe one more week to go ;-)
Happy Hunting to you all
