Shooting Times & Country Magazine
The greatest tool we have
In this hi-tech world can we improve on the ferret-finder, wonders Simon Whitehead
In a world packed full of technology, ferreting’s simplicity is one of the best things about it. The essential techniques haven’t changed much since its inception. In fact, the only real change in ferreting is one piece of technology that we should not operate without — the ferret-finder.
One of ferreting’s attractions is that even though the kit and the theory have remained the same, every day in the field is different. I could ferret the same rabbit holes with the same ferrets in the same fashion, and I would always end up with a different outcome and experience. This is what makes ferreting amazing.
If rabbits were predictable, they would soon become extinct as every ferret slipped underground would locate every rabbit in every warren. Each rabbit would bolt cleanly and nothing would ever slip the nets, escape the dog or make a canny break for freedom. Thankfully, we do not live in such a world. It’s always the rabbit that dictates what is and isn’t going to happen — never the ferret nor the ferreter.
We could have the best dogs and the finest ferrets, but if the rabbit decides for whatever reason it doesn’t want to bolt, it won’t, while if it fancies bolting, it will. As responsible ferreters, our problems start when the rabbit decides that its best option is to stay underground. When a ferret remains below ground, there is only one solution. But before you get digging, you need to locate it.
Your ferret’s life is entirely dependent upon you and it may be bottled up with a rabbit or two in the
“Your ferret may be bottled up with a rabbit, or trapped by the warren’s design”
pipes, or it could be stuck behind a rabbit unable to move freely, or trapped by the warren’s design. Waiting isn’t the answer.
Ever since I first started ferreting in the 1980s, I have always advocated the use of a ferret-finder. My first finder was a battered old grey ‘knocker box’, or technically speaking, a Deben Mk1. Over the years, I have been privileged to have had a unique insight into the ferret-finder’s evolution. However, this essential bit of kit is now very hard to find.
The go-to ferret-finder was always a Deben but, in 2020, Deben Group Industries made the decision to stop producing its Deben Mk3 because it was no longer financially viable. Ferreting is hardly a massparticipation sport. So it has been with considerable thought that I’ve had to reassess my options. As an old dog, I’ve had to learn some new tricks.
This hasn’t only been a problem for me, but I’ve also been uncertain when advising people on the subject. I adore my Deben Mk3s, not only because I can find my ferret in seconds with it, but also for a lot of sentimental reasons. But mine are now getting on a bit.
Original
Admittedly, the production quality in the latter years left a lot to be desired and the collars that I still use are my original ones from many years ago. When they are working everything is fine, but what do I do when I need to get a receiver fixed or get a new collar? How can I justify the increasing cost of replacing the collars if I cannot trust them to work properly because used collars have no warranty? Equally, both collars and finders are becoming more and more expensive as stocks dwindle.
Common sense must prevail and, though my systems are fine now, this problem isn’t going to go away. It is for this reason that I found myself making the short journey up the A19 through Teesside to meet up with David Huddart.
It is by no coincidence that every time I researched ferret