The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1893-12-08
SHOOTING WITH FERRETS.
TRAINING THEM TO DRIVE RAB.
BITS FROM THEIR HOLES.

the Creatures and Choosing the
Ground to be Covered.
x THROUGH there are a goodly
"A number of hunters who think
III tteream of sport does not
x awe until the snow is on
the ground,hthey can get after the rab-
bit, and by tho aid of the ferret, drive
him forth to get a good funning shot
without all the tiresSme tramping,
along the scent of rabbit in search
of food, often to get no nearer to the
quarry than several hundred yards.
Truly the ferreter has the best of it
when he knows his business and has a
good ferret that knows his equally
well. The great trouble is that so few
of our ferrets do know their business,
or, to use common phrase, zone end
Of it" The fault of this lies in the
owner of the ferret, and is easily reme-
died, for there is no animal more
easily trained, or more useful when
trained, than the well-bred ferret. I
was talking to man the other day
who breeds ferrets and makes quite
business of it, keeping them on
farm, and having them divided off in
yards and hutqhes, just as if they were
prize rabbits. 1 wanted to buy
couple of yoHng buck ferrets for the
coming scasons and asked him if he
had any bred from parents that had
been properly trained? He replied:
'Whcn l first commenced this bust.
ness L had ferrets ON hand that were
trained like bird dogs, and, of course,
] valued them accordingly. Do you
think there was any demand for them?
Well, there was not, and when 1 asked
SIS or $40 for a perfectly trained fer
ret people thought was crazy. SO I
gave it up, and now havo neither
trained ferrots nor ferrets reared and
bred from trained stock. 1t does not
pay"
l was surprised at this, and picked
out pair to do my own training,
ready for tho first tracking snow. AS
from this it would appear that great
many people who use these animals do
not understand the advantage to he
gained from trained one, Il may rs
we'll make it plain before I go any
further. i thiAk all will allow that
there are few things more annoying to
the hunter than to have the ferret
''lie up" when Pit into a hole, result
ing in the loss |port while you wait
his pleasure ah 8oming out, or if he
is left, the losa N-the ferret, value,
say, SO. That IS only the first evil.
the others are when he will not work
at all, refusing p9rsistently to go into
mn earth, or when he enters, and finds
n rabbit, he will kill and eat it instead
of dragging it out, and has no idea of
answering the voice or call of his mas
ter. In Germany, France and Eng
land the ferret is taught all Of this,
and there is, with few exceptions, no
bother and no delAy to sport.
Obtain n young animal, and see that
he is healthy, has clean feet, with no
scabs on them or any sign of there
having been any, for this IL a sign of
'hutch rot" and will make the little
| fellow sensitive 70 hard weather, and
apt to shirl. Take him home and have
for his homo n moderately warm, dry,
clean hutch, and mind that it is kept
so. This is the most important item
of them all. Then commence the
training process, which is done
through the medium of food. When
| You go to bed feed him, make q curl
ous squeaking sound like rat squeal-
ing. produced by pressing the tongue
against the side of the teeth and
strongly sucking the air through tho
interstices. Any boy will give you a
| lesson. Do this whenever he is fed,
so as to impress upon the mind that
| ,c ,,:x 4
half the training is done. Then begin
to handle him. Make up your mind
to the fact that when you put your
hand down be will think it is some
thing to eat, aHsl..yi1l raise up to
"nose" it, and thkt if you draw the
hand away in sudden manner he will
be quicker than you, and will seize it.,
giving you pretty bad bite but that
if you keep the hand moving steadily
and fairly down, in fearless manner,
the ferret will find ont his mistake
and not bite. This is one of the hard
est lessons the trainer has to learn, as
they are bloodthirsty looking little
cattle, and it requires some courage to
do this the first time or two. Having
overcome this difficulty, handle the
ferret at all times and all seasons
You cannot overdo it, and after time
you will take quite fancy to the lit
tie thing. 1 never carry ferret bag
but carry them loose in my pocket
which is fitted with flap and button.
Having progressed SO far, take tn,
ferret out in the open, and take hin
hungry, so that when you make tn,
call he will be keen to come to you
when he must be rewarded with {
piece of meat or liver. If he does +hi
well, advance him to the hedgerow ol
brush, and get him so that he will
come to you whenever you make th'
call.
When the hunting commences, b,
careful and have the ferrets we'll fec
the night previous, but not the morn
ing you go out, unless it is very cold
when very little milk may be given
This will insure better work. Arrivin:
Mt the earth, either located befor,
hand, or by the hound dog. take the
ferret and place him IN the entrance
if il be tenanted he will immediatol,