Biting Ferret - Further Help Please :)

Question
Hi Ailigh
I emailed you on 15th August regarding our young male ferret and his biting problem.
We had him neutered 3 weeks ago and his biting has not calmed down in the slightest.
We have been following the nip training techniques in the Ferrets for Dummies book - scruffing, hissing and time outs. It all seems to make him more annoyed and so far none of this has been effective.
We have tried to figure out what is triggering the biting - but he seems to bite simply because he can! He'll attack whatever he can get hold off, if it is not skin then he realises that, lets go and goes for skin instead! He goes for fingers, toes, arms, legs, hands, necks, faces...everything! It's strange because otherwise he seems to like us - he is pleased to see us when we get him from his cage and will come when called and occasionally licks us and likes to be kissed in return.
I know from having other young animals in the past that they can through a phase of testing out their teeth but I am at the point where I am wondering if this is what he'll always be like. Have you had any other cases like this and do you have any tips?
Thanks lots.

Answer
I am not sure how old he is, but if he is young, he will grow out of some of the biting.  If he is older, something in the past (that you have no way of knowing) may be triggering the bite.  I have taken on many biting ferrets in the past and the biggest thing to get them through it is patience.  I recommend hand feeding to encourage bonding to you and to teach him that hands are nice.  Also, it will take a while for the hormones to burn through his system.  You need to try to figure out what sets him off.  I had a ferret who bit all the time until I realized he was biting for me to pick him up.  Once I learned this, whenever he came around my feet, I picked him up.  I had another ferret, young, that bit when I picked him up.  We worked through with him that being picked up was Ok.  When he bit, we didn't put him down until he stopped.  Once he stopped, he got put down.  Finding the root cause can always be helpful.