Harris Hawking With Ferrets

[Tom OGrady]

I have read various mails or threads about using ferrets with hawks.
I have never used a ferret in the past with my hawks.I would most apreciate
any information anyone as on using the ferret.I have the fear that if i used a ferret my hawks would nail the ferret as soon as it pops its head out of the hole.
TOM

[Coedhirion]

If the bird is not a first year bird and has not been "brought up" with ferrets around, then it is very likely to nail it. I keep my ferrets where the birds can see them all the time, except when the ferrets are fed. they get to accept them as part of the furniture. I always hunt a new bird from fist untill I am confident. However I never 100% trust the bird, I keep one eye open just in case.

[Blaze]

Me too..My bird can always see my ferrets...when the bird is taken out with the ferrets (hunting)...after a few outings the bird knows exactly whats going on when the ferrets are entered...N she will keep focused on the warren...But like coedhiron (something like that..lol) said i dont think you can trust the bird 100%!

[Minty]

I think ferrets are Brilliant!
They can make your Hawking turn from a zero kill day to plenty if the conditions are right.
I was told a Ferreter is worth his weight in Gold which i can now believe but i would/ i will bring up my harris with them they are such a advantage.

Good tip about feeding them away from the Bird never thought about that another tasty morsel of info on here:supz:

[Albie]

I think ferrets are Brilliant!
They can make your Hawking turn from a zero kill day to plenty if the conditions are right.
I was told a Ferreter is worth his weight in Gold which i can now believe but i would/ i will bring up my harris with them they are such a advantage.

Good tip about feeding them away from the Bird never thought about that another tasty morsel of info on here:supz:
I agree with Minty,
But always have your ferrets in view of the bird at home and sort of socialize them.
My mate Dave is now having good hawking with his FHH Shadow,with no problems the Bird knows the Ferrets are there to do the job and She has a sort of respect for them.
Just yesterday he was telling me that a rabbit bolted with one of his young ferrets hanging on to it but the bird followed but never made contact because of the ferret.
Mind you Dave's bird is the sort of bird we would all like to own!
Albie..

[Dave G]

hi all i use ferrets with my hawk and another members hawk both males which are flown together first time this year,my male is 3 years old and has only ever seen a ferret once before which he nailed arse end but all was ok,however this season i got me a young jill while he was in the moult but he could not see the ferret unless i got it out and showed it him,when he had finished his moult and was bowed out in front of the ferrets pen then i kept handling the ferret around the hawk who never baited once to get at him,but i was still warey of him nailing it, however we had both the birds out and kept them on the fist for the first bolt which was missed but since then both birds sit in the trees while the ferret is entered and are happy to wait till a rabbit is bolted and if the ferret comes out the holes and walks around the hawks dont bat an eyelid which is great because this means we dont have to rush in and grab the ferret before the hawks do lol

[JFSeaman]

Ferrets are a fine tool.

I didn't want ferrets. I thought I could walk up enough prey for my bird. No go on that one. In 4 weeks of trying 3 days a week we walked up 1 rabbit.

I'd been out with another falconer with his ferrets it made a convert of me. So I got a couple jils, ferret finder and I carry a spade in the car boot. Now we can almost always bolt rabbits for some good flights

My bird wasn't manned around the ferrets and initially only flew from the fist when 'you see the whites of their tails'. Eventually without me doing anything, the bird learned the ferrets are friend not prey. That they get up the rabbits.

On a recent outing, ferret down the hole, rabbit bolted, bird slipped from the glove but very quickly the rabbit went down a near hole. The bird circled into a tree above the hole and waited. The ferret popped up and the bird didn't even start for the ferret. They looked at each other and the ferret went back down the hole same as it would go looking for where the rabbit went, not running from the bird. Ferret re-bolted the rabbit for a good flight.

With that annecdote don't assume your bird will ever be 'ferret safe'. I don't put my bird up to follow on then get out the ferrets. I make the first slip from the glove then let the bird and ferret work it out.

My bird 'likes' one ferret more than the other but that is no guarantee. On a quick trip to my hedge warren, we bolted a rabbit, good chase down the hedge but a miss, the bird immediately went strait back to have a go at the ferret. Seemed to blame the ferret for the miss, to anthropomorphisize, the ferrets job is to get the rabbits out of the hedges and he let it back in so the bird, being wound up after the chase tried to have a go at the ferret.

It takes far more time to care for the ferrets then it does for the bird, ferrets need to be 'manned' or handled.

Hope a ferret helps your birds success.

Good hawking.

[HunterPaul]

good post fred..... but i would trust a harris with the ferrets more than a red....simply due to the fact that the harris is a pack hunting bird and sees you the dog and the ferrets as part of that pack.... if you give it stuff to chase you are important in its life...and i find most harris' quickly adapt to a ferret on the scene, all it takes is a few rabbits put up for it by the little devils and she starts to ignore them....as food potential.... but mistakes do happen and although the bird is a killing machine the ferret will have a go back if caught, and these are mean little critters and will damage an over zealous bird if the unfortunate opportunity arises....

[Tom OGrady]

I agree with Minty,
But always have your ferrets in view of the bird at home and sort of socialize them.
My mate Dave is now having good hawking with his FHH Shadow,with no problems the Bird knows the Ferrets are there to do the job and She has a sort of respect for them.
Just yesterday he was telling me that a rabbit bolted with one of his young ferrets hanging on to it but the bird followed but never made contact because of the ferret.
Mind you Dave's bird is the sort of bird we would all like to own!
Albie..
Hi again
The pics are great mate you all seem to have a great time working these ferrets with the hawks.The land were i work work my hawks has lots of winged game and also hares but i only ocasionaly see a rabbit out in the open.
They always get down the holes before you get anywere near them.Ithink the ferret would be a usefull tool for me and i will take your advise and give a ferret a try.
THANKS AGAIN FOR THE ADVISE
REGARDS TOM

[Tom OGrady]

good post fred..... but i would trust a harris with the ferrets more than a red....simply due to the fact that the harris is a pack hunting bird and sees you the dog and the ferrets as part of that pack.... if you give it stuff to chase you are important in its life...and i find most harris' quickly adapt to a ferret on the scene, all it takes is a few rabbits put up for it by the little devils and she starts to ignore them....as food potential.... but mistakes do happen and although the bird is a killing machine the ferret will have a go back if caught, and these are mean little critters and will damage an over zealous bird if the unfortunate opportunity arises....
Thanks for the advise what would be the best type of ferret to purchase a albino jill or a pollcat type with mixed colours or is this not important.
regards TOM

[Tom OGrady]

good post fred..... but i would trust a harris with the ferrets more than a red....simply due to the fact that the harris is a pack hunting bird and sees you the dog and the ferrets as part of that pack.... if you give it stuff to chase you are important in its life...and i find most harris' quickly adapt to a ferret on the scene, all it takes is a few rabbits put up for it by the little devils and she starts to ignore them....as food potential.... but mistakes do happen and although the bird is a killing machine the ferret will have a go back if caught, and these are mean little critters and will damage an over zealous bird if the unfortunate opportunity arises....
Thanks for the advise do you know the best type of ferret to buy ?a albino jill
or the multi coloured pollcat type e.c.t:?:

[HunterPaul]

you will get alsorts of answers on this no doubt....ranging from the polecats resemble rabbits as they leave the hole so the harris can make a mistake to the albinos look like the rats we feed the hawk....beleive me the birds know the difference and half the time we are judging them on our own cack handed standards ...so it is down to personal preference...like not wanting an all over liver coloured dog, because you prefer the liver and white.....i have an albino and poley jill, plus a male..... reason if its undergrowth the albinos are easier to see for me when retreaving...the polies are easier to see in the snow .... and i think the polies are cute also.... so whatever you like imho

[Tom OGrady]

you will get alsorts of answers on this no doubt....ranging from the polecats resemble rabbits as they leave the hole so the harris can make a mistake to the albinos look like the rats we feed the hawk....beleive me the birds know the difference and half the time we are judging them on our own cack handed standards ...so it is down to personal preference...like not wanting an all over liver coloured dog, because you prefer the liver and white.....i have an albino and poley jill, plus a male..... reason if its undergrowth the albinos are easier to see for me when retreaving...the polies are easier to see in the snow .... and i think the polies are cute also.... so whatever you like imho
THANKS AGAIN OFF OUT HAWKING NOW SO I MUST GO.Ithink i will also buy a book on ferreting before i purchase a ferret.
REGARDS TOM

[Sean]

hi tom, you may find it hard getting a good few ferrets at this time of year m8. it doesnt matter what colour of ferret you get, the rabbits dont care. It might be a little bit easier to introduce the bird to an albino first, but nomatter what the color, the bird will soon click on. also dont beleive that a bird in his second season introduced to ferrets will be impossible to hunt with ferrets.

[Tom OGrady]

hi tom, you may find it hard getting a good few ferrets at this time of year m8. it doesnt matter what colour of ferret you get, the rabbits dont care. It might be a little bit easier to introduce the bird to an albino first, but nomatter what the color, the bird will soon click on. also dont beleive that a bird in his second season introduced to ferrets will be impossible to hunt with ferrets.
Thanks SEAN FOR THE ADVISE I WILL TRY A ALBINO JILL I THINK.
I have been told that you have to breed with a jill or they can become unwell
do you know if this is correct.Ithink breeding ferrets every now and again would be no great hard ship if this is correct as i could pass them on to uther falconers.
HAPPY HAWKING
TOM

[Sean]

yes m8, u will need to breed a jill when she comes into seaosn, or u risk her catching a disease. but its best to get a hob that has had the snip, so you dont get any babies. or you can get a hormonal jab from the vet to take her out of season. its not worth breeding ferrets, no money in it and also very hard to get rid of the young.

[Kentish Falconry]

Thanks for the advise what would be the best type of ferret to purchase a albino jill or a pollcat type with mixed colours or is this not important.
regards TOM

Hi Tom did you get your leather sorted out M8?
I always used to use White Jills but a pal of mine had 2 whites killed by his HH and he seemed to think it was because of the association of White Ferret and the White lab Rats he fed the bird when not hunting, he changed to a polecat type and never had another problem.
Who knows what is going on in these birds minds???


Terry

[Big JoeJoe]

good post fred..... but i would trust a harris with the ferrets more than a red....simply due to the fact that the harris is a pack hunting bird and sees you the dog and the ferrets as part of that pack.... if you give it stuff to chase you are important in its life...and i find most harris' quickly adapt to a ferret on the scene, all it takes is a few rabbits put up for it by the little devils and she starts to ignore them....as food potential.... but mistakes do happen and although the bird is a killing machine the ferret will have a go back if caught, and these are mean little critters and will damage an over zealous bird if the unfortunate opportunity arises....

Great piece of advice HP, spot on

BJJ

[Tom OGrady]

Hi Tom did you get your leather sorted out M8?
I always used to use White Jills but a pal of mine had 2 whites killed by his HH and he seemed to think it was because of the association of White Ferret and the White lab Rats he fed the bird when not hunting, he changed to a polecat type and never had another problem.
Who knows what is going on in these birds minds???


Terry
THANKS TERRY
for the contact i have decided to go for a full hide although i only make jesses i can share the hide with another falconer i fly with.My wife is sending for it as she isgoing to make it a part of my christmas presents.
cheers TOM

[Chris S]

not sure if anyone has said this already but my f redtail hated ferrets and a good friend told me to try this and it worked a treat put the bird out on the lawn and place the ferrets in one of them clear plastic animal tanks upside down right next to the bird,after a while the bird get fed up of hitting the tank and just looks at them as things it cant kill, done this with all my birds and they dont even look at them now,i also use any colour ferrets.
all the best
chris