Getting rid of rats

[Mike J]

Just put 3 fenn mk 4s down, I’ve had a few in the live catch but they must have caught on and are going nowhere near it opting for chewing rubber matting instead, active holes so we shall see, I’ve built box tunnels ( not baited ) see how we do, bloody rats

Mr Fenn trap eliminates another.


IMG_2261.JPG


The white tape goes through a hole in the side to indicate its caught and the wire used to release the safety catch.
.

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Fair play, I’m at zero for 3 traps currently, baited with peanut butter, I’ve got a live trap with all sorts of bait in and they are just not interested, I’m thinking they are eating the grains within some straw bails, I’ve seen them on cctv so know they are there, think I’m going to get a field cat, these rats really are giving me the run around

Mine previous was in August since then Id shot 13 before catching again. What seems to have changed things may be the 15" of old drainpipe against one entrance, my idea being to extend the run-in and decrease suspicion and it worked within a week.
Ive also seen a real whopper so there is atleast one that needs special attention.

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[Danoutdoors]

Just put 3 fenn mk 4s down, I’ve had a few in the live catch but they must have caught on and are going nowhere near it opting for chewing rubber matting instead, active holes so we shall see, I’ve built box tunnels ( not baited ) see how we do, bloody rats

Mr Fenn trap eliminates another.


IMG_2261.JPG


The white tape goes through a hole in the side to indicate its caught and the wire used to release the safety catch.
.

.

Fair play, I’m at zero for 3 traps currently, baited with peanut butter, I’ve got a live trap with all sorts of bait in and they are just not interested, I’m thinking they are eating the grains within some straw bails, I’ve seen them on cctv so know they are there, think I’m going to get a field cat, these rats really are giving me the run around

Mine previous was in August since then Id shot 13 before catching again. What seems to have changed things may be the 15" of old drainpipe against one entrance, my idea being to extend the run-in and decrease suspicion and it worked within a week.
Ive also seen a real whopper so there is atleast one that needs special attention.

.

What’s your set up to get them to be shot, free bait for some time then wait with air rifle and ambient lite so you can identify?

[Mike J]

Just put 3 fenn mk 4s down, I’ve had a few in the live catch but they must have caught on and are going nowhere near it opting for chewing rubber matting instead, active holes so we shall see, I’ve built box tunnels ( not baited ) see how we do, bloody rats

Mr Fenn trap eliminates another.


IMG_2261.JPG


The white tape goes through a hole in the side to indicate its caught and the wire used to release the safety catch.
.

.

Fair play, I’m at zero for 3 traps currently, baited with peanut butter, I’ve got a live trap with all sorts of bait in and they are just not interested, I’m thinking they are eating the grains within some straw bails, I’ve seen them on cctv so know they are there, think I’m going to get a field cat, these rats really are giving me the run around

Mine previous was in August since then Id shot 13 before catching again. What seems to have changed things may be the 15" of old drainpipe against one entrance, my idea being to extend the run-in and decrease suspicion and it worked within a week.
Ive also seen a real whopper so there is atleast one that needs special attention.

.

What’s your set up to get them to be shot, free bait for some time then wait with air rifle and ambient lite so you can identify?

PM sent.

[Kev Berry]

Just put 3 fenn mk 4s down, I’ve had a few in the live catch but they must have caught on and are going nowhere near it opting for chewing rubber matting instead, active holes so we shall see, I’ve built box tunnels ( not baited ) see how we do, bloody rats

Mr Fenn trap eliminates another.


IMG_2261.JPG


The white tape goes through a hole in the side to indicate its caught and the wire used to release the safety catch.
.

.

Fair play, I’m at zero for 3 traps currently, baited with peanut butter, I’ve got a live trap with all sorts of bait in and they are just not interested, I’m thinking they are eating the grains within some straw bails, I’ve seen them on cctv so know they are there, think I’m going to get a field cat, these rats really are giving me the run around

Try moving the traps to where you see them.
Cover them in loose straw.

Or get a air rifle with night vision

[Danoutdoors]

Just put 3 fenn mk 4s down, I’ve had a few in the live catch but they must have caught on and are going nowhere near it opting for chewing rubber matting instead, active holes so we shall see, I’ve built box tunnels ( not baited ) see how we do, bloody rats

Mr Fenn trap eliminates another.


IMG_2261.JPG


The white tape goes through a hole in the side to indicate its caught and the wire used to release the safety catch.
.

.

Fair play, I’m at zero for 3 traps currently, baited with peanut butter, I’ve got a live trap with all sorts of bait in and they are just not interested, I’m thinking they are eating the grains within some straw bails, I’ve seen them on cctv so know they are there, think I’m going to get a field cat, these rats really are giving me the run around

Try moving the traps to where you see them.
Cover them in loose straw.

Or get a air rifle with night vision

I’ve got a couple of farm cats, should be letting them out early jan, hopefully they will move them off or eat them, my dad has night vision gear but we don’t live near enough for him to visit and I haven’t the time to sit out for them, I’ve not seen one in the day yet so that can only be a good thing, hopefully get them sorted and gone in jan

[Kev Berry]

Just put 3 fenn mk 4s down, I’ve had a few in the live catch but they must have caught on and are going nowhere near it opting for chewing rubber matting instead, active holes so we shall see, I’ve built box tunnels ( not baited ) see how we do, bloody rats

Mr Fenn trap eliminates another.


IMG_2261.JPG


The white tape goes through a hole in the side to indicate its caught and the wire used to release the safety catch.
.

.

Fair play, I’m at zero for 3 traps currently, baited with peanut butter, I’ve got a live trap with all sorts of bait in and they are just not interested, I’m thinking they are eating the grains within some straw bails, I’ve seen them on cctv so know they are there, think I’m going to get a field cat, these rats really are giving me the run around

Try moving the traps to where you see them.
Cover them in loose straw.

Or get a air rifle with night vision

I’ve got a couple of farm cats, should be letting them out early jan, hopefully they will move them off or eat them, my dad has night vision gear but we don’t live near enough for him to visit and I haven’t the time to sit out for them, I’ve not seen one in the day yet so that can only be a good thing, hopefully get them sorted and gone in jan

always people looking for ratting permissions Dan if you havent got the time to shoot em

[Danoutdoors]

Just put 3 fenn mk 4s down, I’ve had a few in the live catch but they must have caught on and are going nowhere near it opting for chewing rubber matting instead, active holes so we shall see, I’ve built box tunnels ( not baited ) see how we do, bloody rats

Mr Fenn trap eliminates another.


IMG_2261.JPG


The white tape goes through a hole in the side to indicate its caught and the wire used to release the safety catch.
.

.

Fair play, I’m at zero for 3 traps currently, baited with peanut butter, I’ve got a live trap with all sorts of bait in and they are just not interested, I’m thinking they are eating the grains within some straw bails, I’ve seen them on cctv so know they are there, think I’m going to get a field cat, these rats really are giving me the run around

Try moving the traps to where you see them.
Cover them in loose straw.

Or get a air rifle with night vision

I’ve got a couple of farm cats, should be letting them out early jan, hopefully they will move them off or eat them, my dad has night vision gear but we don’t live near enough for him to visit and I haven’t the time to sit out for them, I’ve not seen one in the day yet so that can only be a good thing, hopefully get them sorted and gone in jan

always people looking for ratting permissions Dan if you havent got the time to shoot em

Yea think they would be disappointed, only really a couple of stables n a small barn with hay in, enough to pods me off and not enough for someone to bother with, blokes been on the farm next door but didn’t get any, he has got 10 cats though

[Will Smith]

Dan as a general rule if you can see them through the day you have got a problem, is there a reason you are not using bait ?

PM me if you would prefer.

Will.

[Danoutdoors]

Dan as a general rule if you can see them through the day you have got a problem, is there a reason you are not using bait ?

PM me if you would prefer.

Will.

Cheers Will but all good, had one in the live catch other day, he had his last meal and was swiftly dispatched, the cats have been released today so hopefully they will get on top of the bloody things and keep them away for good

[Mike J]

Dan as a general rule if you can see them through the day you have got a problem, is there a reason you are not using bait ?

PM me if you would prefer.

Will.

Cheers Will but all good, had one in the live catch other day, he had his last meal and was swiftly dispatched, the cats have been released today so hopefully they will get on top of the bloody things and keep them away for good

Did you keep it for bait....

or use it as cat food?

[Stewlaws]

A friend stored all his heavy horse ploughing bridlewear etc in a unused grain dryer, the air ducting through poor design was jammed of corn, rapeseed and flax ...within a winter period those rats had reduced the leather wear to just the brass fittings.... Never seen such a scene of destruction, what rats we did kill was a token gesture..this was on Salisbury plains.

[brendan taaffe]

Stop feeding your dog. Seriously, can’t you borrow a mates Terrier for a while? It would have a great time.

Absolutely, a decent terrier will sort the rats. Whatever isn't killed will move out. Just letting the dog having a regular leak should move them.

[Don’tTellEmYourName]

The number of times I’ve had my arm down a rabbit hole trying to grab a border terrier by the tail to get the stupid dog back again.

[Kev Berry]

Stop feeding your dog. Seriously, can’t you borrow a mates Terrier for a while? It would have a great time.

Absolutely, a decent terrier will sort the rats. Whatever isn't killed will move out. Just letting the dog having a regular leak should move them.

I was inundated with rats when I had boarding kennels and when I had 30 or so dogs at the farm.
Dog p**s didnt bother them one bit

The pair of scotties I had did, as did a bit of lead.
Poison not being an option.
What really cleared them from the farm was about a dozen of our desert lynx cats getting loose. Murderous feckers they were

[stubbojo]

9mm bolt action shot gun sorts em out , went ratting on an very old farm really run down ,
with ferrets me and the son were armed with 4.10 bolt action and the 9mm bolt action shot gun
never seen so many rats .......think we shot over 30 rats and the ferrets had a few too
when i was younger i had lurchers , terriers , ferrets, proper hunter gatherer ...... loved it

[Mike J]

9mm bolt action shot gun sorts em out , went ratting on an very old farm really run down ,
with ferrets me and the son were armed with 4.10 bolt action and the 9mm bolt action shot gun
never seen so many rats .......think we shot over 30 rats and the ferrets had a few too
when i was younger i had lurchers , terriers , ferrets, proper hunter gatherer ...... loved it

Blimey, a 9mm Garden Gun they are something to remember, do you still have it?

At 13 my first cartridge gun was a Webley 410, using a Fourlong no:5 even knocked over a fox with it.

Those really were the days, can you imagine a 13year old owning a shotgun in todays society.

.

[Bob Watson]

Just got my BSA ultra multi back in commission. Bought a bottle last week, sights zeroed, in the process of scouring google maps ready for a door knocking session looking for a permission or two!

There's a chicken farm not far from me, probably already has guns on but worth a try!

[Harper]

A couple of good dogs should do the trick. I used to have a plumber terrier the best dog I’ve ever had and second to none when it comes to ratting.
Try some of your local Facebook hunting groups bound to be someone looking for new spots

[Chris Hammond]

9mm bolt action shot gun sorts em out , went ratting on an very old farm really run down ,
with ferrets me and the son were armed with 4.10 bolt action and the 9mm bolt action shot gun
never seen so many rats .......think we shot over 30 rats and the ferrets had a few too
when i was younger i had lurchers , terriers , ferrets, proper hunter gatherer ...... loved it

Blimey, a 9mm Garden Gun they are something to remember, do you still have it?

At 13 my first cartridge gun was a Webley 410, using a Fourlong no:5 even knocked over a fox with it.

Those really were the days, can you imagine a 13year old owning a shotgun in todays society.

.

I think they're also named rook rifles. Usually rim fire.

My first shotgun as a teenager was a full choke folding 410. I bought it from Galleons in Cambrige and took it home on the bus. I asked the driver to drop me a mile or so short of the town and walked home along the Devil's Dyke with an Eley 5 cartridge loaded and -rather to my shame now- put up a big old hare which I dropped with my first shot with the gun! Those were the days! I walked home along the main road swinging a hare with one hand and toting the gun with the other. I doubt more than a half dozen cars passed me.

I wouldnt eat hare so wouldn't kill one nowadays.

[Mike J]

9mm bolt action shot gun sorts em out , went ratting on an very old farm really run down ,
with ferrets me and the son were armed with 4.10 bolt action and the 9mm bolt action shot gun
never seen so many rats .......think we shot over 30 rats and the ferrets had a few too
when i was younger i had lurchers , terriers , ferrets, proper hunter gatherer ...... loved it

Blimey, a 9mm Garden Gun they are something to remember, do you still have it?

At 13 my first cartridge gun was a Webley 410, using a Fourlong no:5 even knocked over a fox with it.

Those really were the days, can you imagine a 13year old owning a shotgun in todays society.

.

I think they're also named rook rifles. Usually rim fire.

My first shotgun as a teenager was a full choke folding 410. I bought it from Galleons in Cambrige and took it home on the bus. I asked the driver to drop me a mile or so short of the town and walked home along the Devil's Dyke with an Eley 5 cartridge loaded and -rather to my shame now- put up a big old hare which I dropped with my first shot with the gun! Those were the days! I walked home along the main road swinging a hare with one hand and toting the gun with the other. I doubt more than a half dozen cars passed me.

I wouldnt eat hare so wouldn't kill one nowadays.

A hare with a .410 is a very good shot, along the Devil's Dyke makes it even more memorable.
When I think back what we could do in those days, walk along a road with a gun over your arm as long as it was broken, stand it and talk to whoever you met, Grace and Favour shooting rights, buy guns and cartridges, shotgun licences sold in the local Post Office for a few shillings, we really didn't know how lucky we were.

The Rook Rifle was certainly a cartridge rifle* .300 from memory, the bullet was slow and had just enough energy to knock down branchers as the young rooks were called when they sat on the branches around the nests but weren't strong enough to fly. It was an annual occasion on most rookeries, us kids would run around collecting the rooks and some mothers would make rook pie from them, my Mother wasn't a great cook but it was meat and there was always enough to enjoy when meat was rationed.

* A garden gun was 9mm and fired a pinch of shot.

[JohnCopeman]

Had a really " intersting" 9mm- it was a " falling block" action.
Bloke plagued my life out for it....cant remember the make but it was obviously continental.
Also had an " ACME" Garden Gun....cant remember what/ who ended up with that.

[Mike J]

Had a really " intersting" 9mm- it was a " falling block" action.
Bloke plagued my life out for it....cant remember the make but it was obviously continental.
Also had an " ACME" Garden Gun....cant remember what/ who ended up with that.

Falling block 9mm would certainly be interesting, I wonder if it was a rifle that had been bored out?

I had an over and under .410 that was the subject of an article by Gough Thomas in the Shooting Times. It had been buried when a stock shed was mucked out and the farmer said whoever dug it out could keep it. When found it needed a new stock but it still shot straight enough, I think I sold it to a chap for his son to shoot clays.

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[JohnCopeman]

What make was that????
I doubt there were many .410 OU even by top London makers
Sir Joe's 28g Trio were considered pretty revolutionary at the time.

[neil hardiker]

Fenn in a tunnel/pipe as per above. Top tip - watch yer bell ringers when setting the thing - reckon you'd only do it wrong, the once!

[Mike J]

What make was that????
I doubt there were many .410 OU even by top London makers
Sir Joe's 28g Trio were considered pretty revolutionary at the time.

I cant remember the proof marks but it wasn't English that I do remember
It was a hammer gun, the hammers were very small thought to be a early pre-hammerless design.
Its sale helped fund a B2 during my short flirtation with clays quickly forgotten when I couldn't get beyond C class

.

[Stewlaws]

Had a 410 guage with a drilling above it in .22, very crude and not exactly refined, came from an old lady that handed it in to gunmakers Crudgington of Bath, we played with it for a weekend and returned it, think it was probably sawn in half to decommision.

[JohnCopeman]

Semi hammerless .410 Over and Under??????? Was one barrel longer than the other
Seriously only ever seen ou hammer rifles from continent.
Was it side lever or did it have a top strap?

[Will Smith]

They are exquisite John, both things of great beauty IMO.
I will however just stick to collecting lures as they look a little out of my league .

Will.

[JohnCopeman]

They won't be worth a w**k when lead is banned...... even though" soft iron" is now available in 2 1/2 " shells.

[Mike J]

Semi hammerless .410 Over and Under??????? Was one barrel longer than the other
Seriously only ever seen ou hammer rifles from continent.
Was it side lever or did it have a top strap?

Seriously, No.
Both barrels were the same length, and yes it was a side lever.

The most interesting O/U Ive shot was a Boss easy-opening 20bore, while in NZ I shot skeet with a Krieghoff which was easily the best O/U I ever shot with.

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