The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-02-16
HANDLING FERRETS.
HOW PROFESSIONAL RAT CATcHERs
USE THE ANIMALS.

These Fiery Eyed. Razor Toothcd
Little Beast Are Effective where
Traps and Poison F~nii-Th"y Arc
Generally worked with IL Muxxie.
"Weaseis aud fcrlpls.' said u pro
tesslonal lnt catcher, ARE about the
same thing. The Imported terrets
trained TO the business are larger than
the weasel. that is All. .After | am
through with rat catching ! USE my fer.
rets to hunt rabbits W, Of brush piles,
hay and straw stacks. which IL IL prof.
table business when rabbits are
plenty. What you call rabbits over
here we In England Gull hares.
when Il Il once starts IN rs a
professional rat catcher and gets to
understand training and working fer.
rets, there IL such III attraction IN the
trade that he never willingly gives II
up. It's a profitable business without
too much competition"
do the ferrets W. bite your"
Its a very careless and ward
ma thnt gets bitten by a trained Ter.
ret. When II In bitten by IN rnrng'
ed ferret. the bite " OF Il very severe
character. extremely painful ana slow,
to heal"
AZ the raj catcher talked Il G.non,h
old ferret, his fiery little ryrs glenn
Ing like living gems. was crawling over
his lap and trying 10 90, IN under ms
coat. "This fellow" sad ,hr m'
catcher, lis ns gentle rs Il kitten ana
likes to have his back rubbed ana 10
be- carrssed ns we'll nS any rnl you eyer
saw. When the ferret bites Il RATS
neck, he knows exactly what Ne IL do
Ing. and his front teeth. cutting like
raxors, 20 right through the jugulnr.
"Of course W. generally muzzlr them
when we send them IN after rats, ana
we always muzZle them when we send
them In after rabbits. " their teeth
were At liberty. they would XIII The
first rat or rabbi, they me, and would
remain In the hole sucking lts blood,
When We put a fertv, INTO II house nf,.
er rats. we stop up all the holes NJ til"
outside Of the house except one or two,
Over these We place bags. ana the fer
rets, driving the game before them.
run the rats into the bugs. We keep
the ferret without hls ordinary meals
before using him. and this makes him
keener In his chase.
ITS mighty easy to spoil Il ferret.
After a young ferret has been badly
bitten by a rut, IA sometimes happens.
you can't get him to 60 into II hole
muzzled. But when Il ferret IL full
grown and has the skill and courage
that he should have he IL Il hoIy terror
to rats and IL a valuable animal,
would not sell q well trained ferret for
$50, the price OF n good horse. Sucl, II
ferret l should be willing to put In n
pit with 80 rats. and he could In Il short
time kill every one Of them. Rats are
great fighters when they nre cornered.
but no other animal Of the same size
has as much courage al Il ferret or
weasel.
I'm England the largest ferrets are
called polecat ferrets and are II cross
Of the two animals. which are much
alike. In this country the word pole.
"a Is applied to the skunk, an entirely
different animal. The word polMcut
Ia supposed to be an Authorization OF
Polish cat, and the animal abounds
all over Europe. The mink Ia much
like the weasel, except that It Is larger.
and many d%epreda,ions thu, are nt'
tributed to the weasel are committed
by the mink. All these animals prowl
by night. and they frequently 20 many
miles In search OF food. even coming
iotp tnvypv nn.1 tl,A SvlNNNI,S ~ .Itlns - .
Audubon. who was Il close student
of nature, was delighted with the
weasel, or American ferret. lts long,
flexible body. It's extraordinary length
OF neck. the c%loseness OF Its fur. lts
keenness OF scent. It's wonderful agill.
~ and %quickness Of movement. all ok.
cited his admiration.
An American writer says: ''rhe com.
mon weasel has sometimes been
caught and carried off by large awks
and owls, Sorry was the experience
OF the captor In such cases. He has
caught n Tartar. The captive will bite
into the sides Of the enemy, 80 that
both will fall to the ground. the bird
m~ortally wounded and the weasel usu.
ally comparatively unhurt. y
The weasel's courage In defending 1t.
self when attacked by birds Of prey Is
universally admitted, nor Is 1t deficient
In fierce opposition to dogs and even
men when its nest Is Invaded by eI.
ther. II usually kills for food. biting
through the head into the brain with
such experiences that It's victim can
scarcely utter II cry OF pain, II usually
eats the brain first: then the res OF
the body follows. In pursuing mice,
rats and moles II follows them into
their runs or holes. A weasel's
proximity TO Il poultry yard Ia not to
be desired. But In barns, hayricks
and grain stacks 4, IL decidedly nd.
v%antagrous, MS It will surely extent.
Datr or drive away rats and mice"
The WeuSpl'S CHARACTERISTICS are nOt.