I have known him stand the whole day long in a snowstorm--the snow on the ground and in the holes, the flakes drifting against his face--and never once show impatience.

All he disliked was wind--not on account of discomfort, but because the creaking of the branches and the howling of the blast made such a noise that it was impossible to tell where the rabbit would bolt.
He congratulated himself that evening because he had recovered all his ferrets.

Sometimes one will lie in and defy all efforts to bring it out.
One plan is to place a dead fresh rabbit at the mouth of the hole which may tempt the ferret to come and seize it.

In large woods there are generally one or more ferrets wandering loose in the season, that have escaped from the keepers or poachers.
If the keeper sees one he tries to catch it; failing that, he puts a charge of shot into it.

Some keepers think nothing of shooting their own ferrets if they will not come when called by the chirrup with the lips, or displease them in other ways.