Q) I have just started ferreting with some new friends and we tend to spend long periods waiting for our ferrets to return. None of us has a ferret finder and we are all fairly inexperienced. Is one really necessary? M. GARBUTT By email
Caring for ferrets
Will ferreting too regularly make my ferrets tame?
An old boy in the village tells me you shouldn’t handle ferrets too regularly because it makes them tame and less likely to work. Is he right?
What should I put in my ferrets’ exercise yard?
My son has been ferreting several times with an uncle and now wants ferrets of his own.
Can you work ferrets from two different sources?
My shooting pal wants me to help him clear some really big burrows on his ground with my three ferrets, and his four.
Do ferrets need a drink of water while working?
Do you give ferrets a drink of water while they are working, or is it best to leave it until you get back home?
How long should I wait before digging out a ferret?
If one of your ferrets lays up, how long do you leave it before you start digging?
What should I look for in a healthy ferret?
I'm going to buy a couple of four month old kits for the first time. What signs should I be looking for when I check them over prior to paying for them. For a start, should I visit the owner to see how and where they're kept?
How old should a ferret be before putting it to work?
Is there an ideal age for a working ferret and how old does a ferret need to be before it starts working?
How far can a lost ferret go?
What’s the furthest you’ve ever known a ferret to stray after being lost in a burrow?
When do you feed your ferrets?
How often, and at what times of the day do you feed your ferrets? One of my ferrets occasionally refuses to come out of a burrow and sometimes it can be underground for hours!
Cold-weather ferreting
Near perfect conditions promise a ferreting opportunity too good to miss. Tony Jackson grabs his gun and heads for a likely-looking hedgerow