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CHAPTER IX. 



FERRETS AND RATS. 



HE natural disposition of the ferret is to 

 drive, kill and hunt its own living. It is 

 also a very keen scented little animal, and 

 upon smelling the rat or rats in their holes 

 or where they have been running around, will 

 find them. For rat hunting ferrets should be 

 older than for rabbits. While those a year or 

 older are best yet many are successfully used 

 that are five to twelve months of age. Various 

 methods are used in training for rat hunting. 

 Perhaps the following is as good as any : First 

 get a young rat and put it in the box with the 

 ferret. If you can't get a young rat, use an old 

 one, but cripple it by breaking its tushes. After 

 they have killed two or three in this way they 

 can be used in barns or wherever there are rat 

 holes. The ferret or ferrets will enter the holes 

 and chase the rats out. 



In hunting rats where there are many dens, 

 holes or hiding places, so that the rats run from 

 one to the other, two or more ferrets will do the 

 work much quicker than one. Put the ferret or 

 ferrets in holes or under the building, or wher- 



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