Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Coyote, Small Game, Varmints => Topic started by: addicted on February 27, 2011, 10:54:13 AM

Title: Rabbits in Germany, A new style with FERRETS.
Post by: addicted on February 27, 2011, 10:54:13 AM: Well I did something rather nifty today. I went on a rabbit hunt. But this was no ordinary rabbit hunt, this hunt we used ferrets. Started out the morning with greetings and cogniac, not unlike most mornings at a german social hunt. There was to be 6 guns in the group, 1 dog, and 2 ferrets.

It was a simple yet revolutionary spin on the common rabbit hunt. Find the rabbit holes in the vinyard, let a ferret run down the hole, and shoot any escaping rabbits providing a safe shot oppourtunity. It was a blast.The day started out with a bang and a dead rabbit on the first hole then slowed down for while with a few missed shots. I didnt pull the trigger on the first few sets as I was still trying to get ahold of the whole scheme. Once I figured how the germans liked each situation to be handled gave it a go. Put the bead on an escaping rabbit(cotton tailish) and gave him the ol pop and tumble. He started to make for the embankment and his hole and the germans called for another shot which i biffed looking for the second trigger on the SXS I had never fired before. Once we saw my shot hit the ground infront of the rabbit he released the dog which quickly closed the distance to the rabbit and retrieved it with one of the greatest dog grins i've ever seen. A short while later I made a quick snap shot on a rabbit that dove from the bank and only got its front feet on the ground before I toppled him. The Germans were impressed(as was I) and we ended the morning shortly after. In the end we were short a ferret but i guess they are usually recovered.
Title: Re: Rabbits in Germany, A new style.
Post by: addicted on February 27, 2011, 10:55:58 AM: more
Title: Re: Rabbits in Germany, A new style.
Post by: addicted on February 27, 2011, 10:57:05 AM: more
Title: Re: Rabbits in Germany, A new style.
Post by: addicted on February 27, 2011, 11:02:05 AM: In one of the early dens a ferret went in and didnt come out in a timely manner. They expect the ferrets to be done with a den fairly quicky. Most of the holes were cleared in less than a minute. On the particular one we waited 7-10 minutes without the white ferret coming back out. The handler figured that the ferret might be chasing the rabbits in circles because the den appear large with many openings.So he sent in the second ferret. A minute later the white ferret came out but not the second. He set up traps at the openings so that when the ferret comes up he will be captured.

If a ferret does catch a rabbit and kill it which doesnt happen too often but can happen, especially if a shot rabbit runs back into a hole the ferret will gorge himself then sleep a few hours and gorge himself again. The ferret will do this for days until the rabbit is used up then return to the surface looking for food.
Title: Re: Rabbits in Germany, A new style.
Post by: addicted on February 27, 2011, 11:03:46 AM: we probably saw 10 rabbits, which they said is a very slow day, and shot 6.

They said on a good day you will see 100+ rabbits and go home with 50-60.

Depending on the state laws i would really like to try this when i get back to the states.
Title: Re: Rabbits in Germany, A new style with FERRETS.
Post by: Special T on February 27, 2011, 02:02:44 PM: Very cool thanks for sharing!
Title: Re: Rabbits in Germany, A new style with FERRETS.
Post by: 400out on February 27, 2011, 02:19:25 PM: That is sweet! I would love to be present for that hunt !
Title: Re: Rabbits in Germany, A new style with FERRETS.
Post by: addicted on February 27, 2011, 09:05:22 PM: Wish I had more pictures of the ferrets, but if they were out, we were moving.
Title: Re: Rabbits in Germany, A new style with FERRETS.
Post by: runamuk on February 27, 2011, 09:16:18 PM: very cool.....what type of dogs were they using? Long ago whippets were commonly used....
Title: Re: Rabbits in Germany, A new style with FERRETS.
Post by: addicted on February 27, 2011, 09:48:57 PM: some sort of wirehair pointer. He was 2 years old. the size and shape of a small lab.
Title: Re: Rabbits in Germany, A new style with FERRETS.
Post by: runamuk on February 27, 2011, 09:51:24 PM: Quote from: addicted on February 27, 2011, 09:48:57 PM
some sort of wirehair pointer. He was 2 years old. the size and shape of a small lab.

awesome...sounds like a bunch of fun to me....
Title: Re: Rabbits in Germany, A new style with FERRETS.
Post by: ribka on February 27, 2011, 10:02:34 PM: Really neat hunt. Al ways interested in seeing how other cultures hunt. Thanks for sharing
Did you get to keep and eat any of the rabbit?
Title: Re: Rabbits in Germany, A new style with FERRETS.
Post by: bowhunterforever on February 27, 2011, 10:28:58 PM: Sounds like a blast
Title: Re: Rabbits in Germany, A new style with FERRETS.
Post by: addicted on February 27, 2011, 11:40:50 PM: He probably would have let me have all of them but I dont have time to deal with it. He probably sold most of them and put a couple in the freezer.
Title: Re: Rabbits in Germany, A new style with FERRETS.
Post by: carpsniperg2 on February 28, 2011, 01:00:22 AM: That is very cool! Thanks for sharing the pics :IBCOOL:
Title: Re: Rabbits in Germany, A new style with FERRETS.
Post by: FC on February 28, 2011, 01:21:05 AM: That looks like lots of fun, are those ferrets trained or are they just pets?
Title: Re: Rabbits in Germany, A new style with FERRETS.
Post by: addicted on February 28, 2011, 07:24:47 AM: He said they dont require any real training but it helps to handle them every day so they get used to having a name and coming when you pat on the ground and call them.
I then replied "so this one is named Freddie?" and he said "they are all named freddie so we dont mix them up"
Title: Re: Rabbits in Germany, A new style with FERRETS.
Post by: jeepasaurusrex on February 28, 2011, 07:52:46 AM: We had tons of huge rabbits around the airfield in Katterbach. So many that we would have annual hunts to cull the herd. I say herd because we called the Churnobyl Rabbits. They were huge! They even brought out a couple of Bradley fighting vehicles to crush the dens. When we would fly in on the helicopters you would see them scatter. I have a video of it somewhere.
Title: Re: Rabbits in Germany, A new style with FERRETS.
Post by: runamuk on February 28, 2011, 08:29:34 AM: Quote from: addicted on February 28, 2011, 07:24:47 AM
He said they dont require any real training but it helps to handle them every day so they get used to having a name and coming when you pat on the ground and call them.
I then replied "so this one is named Freddie?" and he said "they are all named freddie so we dont mix them up"

that is awesome :chuckle: :chuckle:
Title: Re: Rabbits in Germany, A new style with FERRETS.
Post by: DeerThug on February 28, 2011, 05:44:13 PM: How cool. I will be heading out with my daughter's ferret this weekend. I am sure she will not have a problem with it...
Title: Re: Rabbits in Germany, A new style with FERRETS.
Post by: sisu on February 28, 2011, 06:01:30 PM: Josh, you are going to be so spoiled when you get stateside you'll be looking for re-deployment to Germany.
Title: Re: Rabbits in Germany, A new style with FERRETS.
Post by: addicted on February 28, 2011, 09:50:41 PM: Quote from: sisu on February 28, 2011, 06:01:30 PM
Josh, you are going to be so spoiled when you get stateside you'll be looking for re-deployment to Germany.

If only If only.

They did approve my IPCOT paperwork so I will be here(while not inthe desert) until 2015. :IBCOOL:
Title: Re: Rabbits in Germany, A new style with FERRETS.
Post by: sisu on February 28, 2011, 09:58:10 PM: Quote from: addicted on February 28, 2011, 09:50:41 PM
Quote from: sisu on February 28, 2011, 06:01:30 PM
Josh, you are going to be so spoiled when you get stateside you'll be looking for re-deployment to Germany.

If only If only.

They did approve my IPCOT paperwork so I will be here(while not inthe desert) until 2015. :IBCOOL:
hahahahaha You are going to be the only guy to retire out of the same base he checked into. hahahahaha
Title: Re: Rabbits in Germany, A new style with FERRETS.
Post by: addicted on March 01, 2011, 07:41:12 AM: I heard of a guy who did that at minot AB ND :drool: