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Help!!!!!

capel

Warren Veteran
A family of polecats is living behind Bournville's hutch:shock: I've just got back to the news that when Rog and Gordon were putting Bournville back in his hutch at 10pm they noticed he seemed to be acting oddly and was reluctant to go towards the back of the hutch. Then they heard a scurrying and squeaking behind the hutch and when they went to investigate they were met by the sight of a polecate staring back at them. They actually caught a glimpse of two other smaller ones so suspect there's a mum and 2 youngsters. Then when Rog went round the front he saw another scurring across our lawn , hugging the front porch and then off towards the back of the house where the hutch is. Perhaps this explains bournville's stressed behaviour this morning. Needless to say he is indoors..living in the kitchen for the foreseeable future until we have sorted the problem. What do I do next ????? Help please!!!!!!!
 
oooh also there was a man on tv the other night from the polecat/ferret society - can't remember the name of the society but it must come up if you google it.
 
Rog said they were very dark brown with bandit type mask markings . The farmer at the end of the lane has pet ferrets which we've seen being leash-walked up the lane, as well as a character in the village called Alan-the ferret who has several. These that rog saw were much darker and their faces looked a bit different. I know that several months ago someone released some of Alan's ferrets and 2 were still missing so I suppose it could be them. I'll phone the cheshire link you've given me Abby. Poor Bournie..no wonder he was stressed and tense this morning.:shock:
 
Yikes! Just as well you noticed in time and moved Bournville to safety. My thought is that they'll probably move on if they aren't getting food from anywhere. Anyway, good luck with this.
 
The thing is that there's a good source of small edible things to eat..toads frogs mice etc. I'm going to clamber through next door's thicket to see if I can get some pics of the back of the hutch .
 
This might be a stupid question, but how can you tell the difference between a wild polecat and an escaped domestic ferret?

it's very difficult... you also get hybrids. I worked on a polecat project a few years back - here is a polecat that we caught:
100_0875.jpg
 
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I know, that's why I'd like to get a piccy before I ring round. I don't want to waste the Society's time. Rog is convinced that they are polecats but I'm not so sure that they'd chose to live round here when just a few hundred yards away there's open spaces as well as woods.
 
I know, that's why I'd like to get a piccy before I ring round. I don't want to waste the Society's time. Rog is convinced that they are polecats but I'm not so sure that they'd chose to live round here when just a few hundred yards away there's open spaces as well as woods.

If you do manage to get a photo, I can ask the person who was running the project - he'd know whether it was a polect, ferret or hybrid...
 
There's a distinct possibilty that they are ferrets as the farmer down our lane has some as well as a ferret enthusiast in the village.
 
Are you sure they aren't ferrets? I am in Cheshire if you need a hand at all :wave:
Do you know about them, how to catch them etc? If so, pm me with your address if you are close. I'm in the Tarporley area. Going of fnow with the camera..not very hopeful though.
 
I imagine a cat trap would be the best way to catch them. If there is someone local perhaps they'd be willing to pop by and have a look for you? It sounds like if it is a polecat you might not be able to disturb it.

Tam
 
Perhaps you could contact the cheshire wildlife trust, as they're interested in the hybrids as well as the pure polecats, so either way it would be useful for them...

http://www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/cheshire/proj_polecat.htm

cheshire wildlife trust said:
The Cheshire Wildlife Trust has been monitoring sighting of both the pure species and of the feral hybrid in Cheshire for some years. This work is to continue. The information from these sightings is soon to be compiled in conjunction with a national survey of live-trappings by The Vincent Wildlife Trust. To aid our own local survey we are very keen to receive sighting details from anyone who thinks they may have seen either a pure polecat or a hybrid polecat. If you think you have seen one of these animals please do contact us, by phoning 01270 610180 or by email. Thank you.
 
There's at least 3 of them, whatever they are. No sign of them at the moment, apart from a very pungent smell along the back of the shed and hutch. John,our neighbour came along and said he reckoned they'll be either ferrets or mink(there's a colony down by the old mill pond) but the markings were def ferret/polecat. Anyway he's going to contact Alan the ferret for me this morning. He's got ferret traps so hopefully we'll get something sorted this weekend. Meanwhile Bournville will be living the life of Riley as a housebun. We'll have to move his hutch out from under the shelter of the tree and away from the smell. So it looks as though this weekend we'll be moving the hutch out so we can jet wash the area with bleach and then stack all the building paraphanalia in that space and move the hutch/run across to the (hopefully) empty space against the house wall. It's going to take ages as it means moving over 500 bricks, lintels, joists etc!!
 
There's at least 3 of them, whatever they are. No sign of them at the moment, apart from a very pungent smell along the back of the shed and hutch. John,our neighbour came along and said he reckoned they'll be either ferrets or mink(there's a colony down by the old mill pond) but the markings were def ferret/polecat. Anyway he's going to contact Alan the ferret for me this morning. He's got ferret traps so hopefully we'll get something sorted this weekend. Meanwhile Bournville will be living the life of Riley as a housebun. We'll have to move his hutch out from under the shelter of the tree and away from the smell. So it looks as though this weekend we'll be moving the hutch out so we can jet wash the area with bleach and then stack all the building paraphanalia in that space and move the hutch/run across to the (hopefully) empty space against the house wall. It's going to take ages as it means moving over 500 bricks, lintels, joists etc!!


what if they are wild polecats though? :shock:
 
I've had a word just now with someone from the Cheshire Wildlife trust and have been told that although polecats are scarce in some areas, Cheshire has a large population. The polecat expert isn't available until Monday so hopefully Allan will be able to check on what they are if he manages to trap one. We have a large woodpile at the side of the shed which may well be where they are holed up..on the other hand they might just have been "visiting".
 
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