On Wed, 29 Jun 2016 14:01:42 -0400, Dave Smith
> wrote:

>On 2016-06-29 9:42 AM, Janet wrote:
>> In article >,
>> says...
>>>
>>> On 6/28/2016 6:37 AM, Gary wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>
>>>> Ferret expense is better put to use as a loving pet or let them loose on
>>>> your farm to keep down the rodent population. Even the fur isn't worth
>>>> all that much.
>>>>
>>>
>>> I saw on Bizarre Foods they used them in Spain for rabbit hunting. The
>>> ferrets went down the hole and flushed the rabbit. Rabbit shot, ferret
>>> back in the cage.
>>
>> They still do that here, except poachers net the hole exits so any
>> escaping rabbit gets tangled up and can be killed with a blow to the
>> head. Nice and quiet, so the landowner doesn't find out.
>>
>
>There aren't too many farmers around here who would be upset if someone
>was getting rid of rabbits. They are even happier to get rid of
>groundhogs. When I was a teen my best friend moved to a farm some
>distance away and I used to hitch hike to spend time up there. The
>neighbours would give us boxes of .22 ammunition to shoot groundhogs and
>rabbits on their farms.

They couldn't be very knowlegeable farmers, a couple three feral barn
cats would have accomplished the extermination perfectly. I haven't
seen a rabbit or hedgehog in two years... no squiirrels, chipmonks,
moles, voles or field mice either. However possums and skunks are
still about, but they don't cause any damage except the skunks can
make a major stink when bothered.