HANDLING AND TRAINING. 79 



need little or no training for by instinct their 

 nature is to hunt, drive and kill. On the other 

 hand it is from instinct that the rabbit endeavors 

 to get aAvay whether the animal entering the den 

 is ferret, mink, skunk or anv other of the flesh 

 eating kind. Same applies to rats as ferrets 

 and they are natural enemies. Thus it can be 

 readily understood, even though a ferret has 

 never been after a rabbit or in a den, the nature 

 and instinct of the two animals are such that 

 training is really not necessary. Simply place 

 the ferret in the entrance to den. After nosiug 

 around a little, nine times out of ten, it will enter 

 and explore the entire den before coming out. 

 Perhaps it would not be advisable to do this at 

 many dens in which there was no rabbits. Some 

 recommend that a rabbit be put or chased into 

 the first den tried. This is not a bad suggestion. 

 If a little actual experience on rabbits is de- 

 sired, ferrets only four months old, if broken to 

 being handled, easily caught, etc., may be given 

 a trial. Where rabbits are plenty wait until one 

 is run into a den. Now put the ferret at the 

 mouth of den. It perhaps will nose about a lit- 

 tle, at first, then go slowly in. The rabbit will, 

 no doubt, soon bolt by the ferret and come out. 

 The rabbit should be caught and held until the 

 ferret comes out when the rabbit mav be killed, 



