Hunting: Ferret VS Rabbit. We have talked many times about wild rabbit hunting, but not everyone knows that particular shape that sees the ferret and the dog as the protagonist, preferably Cirneco dell'Etna.
The ancestor of the domestic rabbit, the wild specimen is a rodent that closely resembles the hare, yet differs from the latter in size. It is a nocturnal creature, exaggeratedly territorial and prefers to live in more or less populous colonies composed of a few adult males (in some cases even only one) and several females. The hierarchies that move the rabbit colonies, surprisingly, are iron and the members of the "family" are all skilled diggers: it is no coincidence that rabbit holes are intricate and deep. Normally, low-ranking individuals live in peripheral burrows, while the most important group members occupy the central ones. The rabbit is herbivorous and granivorous, and its reproductive abilities are well timed throughout a year during which it is able to carry out a maximum of 6 litters.
Able to live up to about seven years (domestic rabbits even reach 10) one of the worst enemies of the rabbit, especially in Sicily where this hunting is well known, is the ferret. Anyone who has practiced this form of hunting has inevitably fallen in love with it: the ferret simplifies the hunter's duties, yet training him is difficult and fatigue does not always correspond to excellent results.
Similar to the skunk, the ferret has not wrongly been defined as bloodthirsty: it seems that its name derives directly from the Latin fur meaning thief, since since ancient times it has been a very clever hunter of domestic rabbits. Probably native to North Africa, the ferret was already used by the Romans to capture rabbits with the help of nets: today, however, the mustelid finds its natural prey directly in the burrows, forcing the wild to flee and wisely directing it towards the hunter.
Although the colors of the coat are the most varied, it is good to remember that according to many hunters the best specimens are those with fur ranging from yellowish to white: they will hardly be confused with rabbits on the run and therefore killed by the hunter by mistake.
Although they are particularly ferocious creatures, it seems that they are also sensitive to humidity and cold and extremely delicate: unfortunately the best time to hunt rabbits with ferrets is just the rainy and humid one, when the rabbits stay in their burrows to protect themselves from the cold. . During the beautiful days instead the wild rabbit hunting it takes place preferably with the dog following in the rabbit's footsteps.
In principle, however, ferret hunting can also be integrated with the presence of hunting dogsIn fact, these can force rabbits to return to their lairs even during clear days, where the lethal ferret is waiting for them.
This form of hunting has developed so much that some, to experience the stages of the underground sequel in real time, tie a bubble around the ferret's neck. The noises that can be perceived are initially deaf: they are sentinels who warn of the entry of an unwanted guest. The noise is produced by the frantic beating of the hind legs on the ground. There follows a confused rolling caused by the more or less numerous rabbits on the run and immediately after the first rabbit comes out of the den, the hunt starts: at this point it is all in the skill of the hunter since this phase requires not a little practice and familiarity.
To avoid that the ferret inside the den kills some rabbits, it is equipped with a muzzle (leather or rope): this particularly ferocious creature has in fact the ability to bleed the wild in a few minutes, occupying for a more or less long time the lair.
Once the hunt is over, retrieving the ferret is not easy: you need to know how to treat it delicately, to prevent it from escaping or biting. On the other hand, teaching a ferret is something that requires commitment and skill: it starts from three months of age, and immediately the undisciplined character of the carnivore is evident. To begin with, it is essential that the ferret becomes familiar with the man and only after that it is possible to start wild rabbit hunting training.
Young ferrets are normally trained with the help of their mother who leads them into empty burrows and shows them the various stages of the search. In later stages, the empty den is replaced by a den inhabited by rabbits so that the ferret slowly gains experience. Normally one chooses to train no more than two ferrets at a time. Only in this way can the results be rewarding.
Recall that rabbit hunting with ferrets in some European countries including France and Italy has been banned.