Ferreting for rabbits.

[Furrball]

Hi guys
I have started a thread for people who have an interest in ferreting. I know there are a couple of members who have a vast amount of knowledge on this.

[Furrball]

I can't remember what size nets I used to use I think they were 300mmx300mm and obviously string threaded through so the net closes when the rabbit fires into the net.

[Tezza]

Back in the day (40 years ago) we used to use (1 yard square purse nets with 2 inch holes) and (25 yard long nets with 2 inch holes) but the man to ask these days is Wirehunt he's forgot more about rabbiting in NZ than most people know.

[Furrball]

Gee mate yards is out of my depth. I'm more mm and metres lol. Yea hopefully wirehunt comes on board with this one.

[Gilby]

Hi guys, does your ferret use for ferreting require any training? i.e. feed raw bunny as younger. stick a young one with a mentor ferret etc.....

please share your experience

[wirehunt]

I rarely use purse nets at the moment, so many small rabbits around and they are straight through them. But the dogs are making short work of them at the moment, around here the runners are referred to as 'snack packs' The purse nets are great if there isn't many holes, any more than about three and we have the longnet out....

However several 50 yard (45metre) longnets are used pretty regularly. Unfortunately they have got to be bought from GB as no one here makes them here The cheapest way is to buy a net unrigged then put it together here, time consuming and fiddly but way cheaper than buying ready to go. Its the freight that really kills it. I prefer several 50 yard nets to a lesser number of 100 yard (90 metre) nets, those 100s get heavy by the end of the day.

When buying longnets go for 50 yard with 100% bag. What that means is the net is actually 100 but you 'shorten' it up, this is what tangles the rabbit and keeps it caught. I've got some with 50% bag but find they just don't catch that well.