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Ferrets - A Brief History The
domesticated ferret now used in Ireland is descended from the European
polecat. It
It is thought that the Romans introduced rabbits to Britain, perhaps to supplement their rations. The probability of a domesticated polecat being used to hunt rabbit burrows shortly after that time is highly likely. In North Africa there are records of a ferret like animal being used to hunt rabbits circa 60 BC So the ferret, whilst a newcomer to the British Isles, is a very old working animal. The art of ferreting in Ireland is something that is handed down from generation to generation. Many Irish sportsmen and women owe their introduction to field and country sports to that first ferret that was given to them as a boy or girl. Rabbits - The Main Quarry
Greyhound or Polecat? The colour
of ferrets is not a reflection on their hunting ability. Some ferreters
prefer the greyhound or albino ferrets that are a light cream colour. In
undergrowth they are easier for
Whatever the choice, ferreters tend their little hunting partners with affection. Transporting ferrets to and from the shooting field and, indeed, in the shooting field, needs care too. For most ferreters the preferred container is a stout, wooden box with a carrying strap and hinged lid. This offers protection and comfortable quarters.
The three most popular methods of taking rabbits in Ireland are shooting over ferrets with a shotgun, the use of purse nets and the use of long nets. With ferrets entered into a warren and the ferreter retired to a suitable distance, the bolting rabbit is a testing shot for the shotgunner. Retrievers are always on hand to retrieve the rabbits when necessary.
The second method is the use of purse nets. Usually home made, these nets are placed over a likely rabbit bolt holes and pegged into the ground with a wooden peg. When the bolting rabbit hits the net the purse closes, trapping the animal securely.
The third technique
employed is that on longnetting, something that is seeing a resurgence of
interest in Ireland. Here, the ferreter runs out several hundred
feet of fine netting, supported on timber stakes. The bolting
rabbits are entwined in the net and captured by the ferreter.
A comprehensive display of ferrets and ferreting equipment is on view at the 2005 National Countrysports Fair, being held at Moira Demesne, County Down, Northern Ireland on 28 & 29 May where the Broadway Ferreting Society will stage a Ferret Roadshow and Essex Ferreter and longnetter, Brian Brinded, will demonstrate the art of longnetting
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has been used
as a working animal here for a number of centuries, with its main function
historically being the control of pest species such as rats and rabbits.
Rabbits
are undoubtedly the main quarry of the Irish ferreter and, indeed, have
been for as long as memories go back. During the years between the First
and Second World Wars, most country boys owned a ferret or two and
supplemented the family income by netting rabbits for the local butcher.
Land laws in Ireland were never been as draconian as on the British
mainland, so the farmer or estate owner loosing a few rabbits a week to a
local lad was not a major issue. The 1950s brought myxomatosis and
ended for a generation of sportsmen, the traditional field sport of
ferreting. Happily the rabbit population in Ireland has recovered,
although not to the extent of those inter-war years. Today, ferreting is
a very popular field sport, be it shooting rabbits bolting from their
warrens after the introduction of a ferret, or netting for re-distribution
or for the pot.
some
to see and for that reason are their choice. The darker, polecat ferret
can be a distinct advantage when there is snow on the ground, making it
easier to see. The preference is really down to the ferreter.
Three
Main Techniques
