before. Well, they're back - and this time they reckon they've got the ultimate warren.
It's a hill not far from the South Devon coast and it's a honeycomb of buries. The South Somerset Ferreters are a group of
families who get together on a Saturday not to go shopping, not to go to a theme park.
They go ferreting. Between them, they have everything that ferreters
need, including two lurchers, a little Lakeland/whippet cross and their not-so-secret weapon, Louis,
a remarkably sprightly 10-year-old Jack Russell.
Also on hand to help is the Fieldsports Channel
cocker spaniel Muffin and her year-old daughter Mina. Yes, I don't think it really gets any better
than where we are today, anywhere in the country really. First job is to put the nets out - both long
nets and purse nets We know what we are up against today, because
we did it last year. Yes like I said we have got the whole perimeter again.
Blocked off
the long nets and we have still got a lot of purse nets to set. Roughly about 200 nets.
Yes it takes time, but if you don't put the time in, you don't get the rewards. It's not just a case of bunging a net over
a hole and banging it in. So you have got different sized nets here? Yes, I have got four footers, five footers
and six footers, all for different holes.
Does it depend on the size of the hole. Yes. Then there are the elastic bands Every purse net we use, we put an elastic
band around. So when we pick them up if we have any elastic bands left we know we are
missing a net from somewhere.
It takes a couple of hours to put out this
many nets. About 600 yards of long net we have got to
set up around as well, five dogs, about 15 ferrets which we put down all in one go. So
hopefully fingers crossed, not a lot will get away. Next up the stars of the show.
The ferrets.
We take time off for a bite to eat. Then - nets, dogs, children - everyone gets in position.
There's even time to disentangle Mina from a long net. The first rabbits don't take long to bolt.
Men, women and children are stationed round the long nets, ready to dive on anything that
wriggles. After a quarter of an hour of no activity,
we reckon we have had the best of this bury.
Now we have to retrieve the ferrets. When ferrets lie up and have to be dug out,
they uncannily choose the thickest part of the brambles. You need to sweep the brambles
with Ferret Finders. Just goes to show that without these finders
you would lose ferrets.
He went right the way across the other side. So good we have
got them all back now. Plus a rabbit for a bonus. Years of experience tells them that this last
ferret is deep underground.
The fastest way to cut through the bramble roots is to send
in Louis - still keen as a puppy. Once Louis has done his work, Jaf calls for another piece
of kit. It's a ferreting endoscope. At last we find the final ferret.
It was nowhere
near the brambles but in the next field, curled up with a rabbit. The next step is the main event. We're ferreting
the open hillside. Jaf is relieved to find the bury here is not connected to the holes
under the brambles next to it.
We get more rabbit action from this side of
the hill - and we're in a perfect place to watch it. There is even an opportunity to train a young
dog to stay away from ferrets. The last ferret of the day has chosen the
only clump of gorse to lie up beneath. It's another digging exercise, with Louis on hand
to offer help.
If you want to find out more, search for South
Somerset Ferreters on Facebook. And if you want to see our last film with them, click
on the link on the screen. Or why not make your Louis very happy and start your own ferreting
group. [Music].
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