Thread: ferrets

Just watching an old episode of country calendar, and I was surprised to see Ferrets being used in Bunny control in NZ.
I was under the impression that they have always been public enemy number 2

well no, pretty much all introduced species were introduced for a reason rightly or wrongly and even protected till established or out of control.

Im pretty sure theres still an underground group of ferret fanciers who bred them.

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

well no, pretty much all introduced species were introduced for a reason rightly or wrongly and even protected till established or out of control.

Makes sense.
To give an idea of the era, a guy is reloading 223 and says it costs him 20 cents a round

Pengy

My Grandfather was born in Blackball in 1901.

Pop used to tell me him and his mates all had ferrets to hunt rabbits with when they were young boys.

He told me they would find a warren, block as many holes as they can and net a couple more, send a ferret down and wait for the fun to begin.

Probably around 1910-1915 era, He also told me he got into trouble with his father too ...... seems wagging school to got ferreting with your mates wasn't the smartest idea even if you return home with dinner.

During the late 70's and early 80's lots of people started ferret farms to try and cash in on a booming fur trade.
Some of the farms were quite large, but like most things back then it went from bust to boom to bust again in a fairly short space of time.

Cheers
Pete

Interesting Pete. That story reminds me so much of my mind spent youth

Interesting Pete. That story reminds me so much of my mispent youth

Bloody phone.grrrr

Still some in circulation in the rabbiting world today.. I'm under the impression they're just used for fairly specific cases, but very effective when so.

Wild ones are still treated as such and rapidly despatched I'm told.

I can remember getting $60 for a ferret skin when I was a teenager at the local fur traders. But I hate the fuckers now as I did back then (ferrets) that is.

Many farms liberated their ferrets I think into the wild instead of killing them when the market collapsed, shit NZ has done some bright arse things!

Some bright pricks back I the old country " liberated" some farmed Minx. The results were pretty catastrophic, including the wiping out of all of my grandfather's prized goldfish and racing pigeons.

I bet the goldfish couldn't race Pengy

They sure as he'll couldn't go faster than the Minx (sp)

After reading these posts, it's the same old story.....introduced species.......whatever the reason/story....