Shooting Times & Country Magazine
WHY PLANNING IS ALWAYS VITAL
Ferreting is no different than any other countryside activity, be it walking, riding or shooting. It can be all too easy to become complacent and forget about the dangers that Mother Nature and the great outdoors present. There is no excuse for not planning your day properly. The weather forecasts are usually accurate, especially on smartphones. Clothing has never been better designed and hands, feet and head are all equally important. Accidents are just that, so it is advisable to have a first-aid kit handy.
The importance of food and drink is often forgotten. Dehydration affects us physically and mentally. By having a flask or portable stove in the truck you can ensure you keep warm and hydrated (above).
One thing I find alarming is our reliance on mobile phones. When we were on the hill we had no phone coverage: no weather app, no ability to call for help. This made us plan our trip carefully. People knew where we were and at what time we should return, what vehicles we were driving and how big the party was.
This may seem over the top but when ferreting in isolated areas you never know what might happen. We could get lost, fall and break something or worse, or get stuck digging out a ferret. If you are alone, this could be very dangerous. We all need to think, be careful and ensure we all enjoy another day’s ferreting. rabbits’ eagerness to bolt? I placed my two stocky hobs at the entrance to the warren. They paddled underground and it wasn’t long before the first bunny of the day bolted. Tawny may not be used to the hills but she made working them look easier than it was. Her day’s work, however, was prematurely curtailed.
The mist dropped and the visibility was reduced to 50 yards at best, 25 yards at worst. I wasn’t prepared to risk Tawny becoming unsighted, disorientated and perhaps panicked into running off. There is always another rabbit. She spent the rest of the day in her warm, dry crate in the back of my truck.
Modus operandi
The drop in visibility was disconcerting. I can fully understand how people quickly get into trouble on the hills without realising it until it is too late. After a little team talk we decided to change tactics. This may go against the culture of Dales ferreting, but not Sooty’s and mine. The free-running, organic, athletic lurcher was replaced by the synthetic long-net, my modus operandi.
We set the nets surrounding the warrens that were close to the track and walls so that we didn’t venture out on to the moor. It was proving to be taxing for the ferrets, which had to work extremely hard in sodden warrens. The rabbits didn’t really want to bolt. We were working hobs: large, methodical and with bags of stamina. The cold and wet environment could weaken a jill and give the rabbits the upper hand.
Marshalling the nets, alternatively working his brace of hobs and helping with the odd excavation, Shaun was on cloud nine. Torchie was feeling the force of Mother Nature but I had a few spare jackets and his concentration was soon back on track. We had our fair share of digs, if we can call them that. 28 • SHOOTING TIMES & COUNTRY MAGAZINE
I don’t usually get involved too much when we visit, but today I was enjoying myself — spade in, turf out and then rabbit removed. Whether it was Shaun, Sooty, Torchie or me, a dig took moments not metres. If the rabbits bolted, we had all the bases covered, but if they decided to face the ferrets, it was game over.
The last warren of the day summed up how ferreting can go sometimes. The warren was surrounded. Sooty, Shaun and Torchie were around the
“I wasn’t prepared to risk Tawny becoming disorientated and perhaps panicked into running off”
perimeter, I stood back. After what felt like a lifetime, a few minutes of wet and muddy ferrets muddling around the swampy underground pipes, a very damp rabbit bolted.
It headed towards the net followed by Moss. He went for the strike but the rabbit bounced off his jaws and ran straight into the yellow netting. The rabbit hit the wall of 6oz mesh but just as it started to get stuck in the wall of webbing, Moss joined it. His brakes failed him, instantly flipping the net