Crops are coming down and the rats are on the move. Make sure you kill them before they can do any property damage. They are a major cause of electrical fires, after squirrels. I just shot 8 of them. I didn't recover them all because I shot two of them in their rear ends that were sticking out of holes and one that only showed me it's gut, through a hole in the ceiling liner.



Keith

Pan fried in a 10 cast iron pan.....yummy!

I suspect Norway rats probably taste pretty similar to squirrel, which I like to eat. I don't plan on trying them though. We put poison out in the barns.

Poison doesn't kill all the rats. I think some have an adverse reaction and stop eating it before getting a fatal dose.

Keith

What are you shooting them with?

Packrats have chewed the wiring on my tractor twice. We've had fun shooting them at night using a suppressed 22 with a thermal scope. A few weeks ago I shot a mouse at 39 yards.

I shoot the rats with a Ruger 10/22, with a cherry wood stock, that I was given for my sixteenth birthday, back in 1986. I just hold a flashlight alongside it, to light the rats up.

Keith

nice! I'm using a 10/22 charger.

we don't have any thank God

For every 1 you see there are 10 you don't.

WS

I learned how to trap catching rats. 1 long spring and a rag. Original bottom edge set just didn’t know it at the time. Set in front of hole and around the walls of building they are in. You’ll catch every rat using any building. Normally had 4 traps set. Have one in every trap until they are gone

You better call someone if you killed that many. Those numbers they been there awhile. Didn’t move in because crops were just picked

Way to go

Try a mix of Dry UNcooked oatmeal and dry powdered Plaster of Paris........ Has a tendency to Constipate.... It works in my experience. Tut

Need some cats. Got two that live in the house. 4-5 that showed up as strays the wife feeds outside. All been neutered. Enough strays show up I still have to shoot one every few months so replacements are not a problem. Got a new one a few months ago. Kitten. Bout old enough to get clipped. Rats mice packrats are not a problem. Have not found a dropping in the house in years.

Good to know
Nontoxic to critters up the food chain too

Only thing I have ever caught in a conibear trap is giant rats that a snap trap was no match for

Wow

I have an all out war with rats, since they have been chewing wires in my tractors and equipment. What I have found is the shotgun method works the best. Traps, flour with baking soda, poison bait needs to be rotated. First Strike soft bait has been working great.
Rats are really smart.


Poison doesn't kill all the rats. I think some have an adverse reaction and stop eating it before getting a fatal dose.

Keith[/quote]

"I learned how to trap catching rats. 1 long spring and a rag."

what does the rag do?

Yep, like Danny said, you need some outside cats.

Prevent them from seeing it. Cover it with a rag and they will step right on it. Looks like part of the floor in dark

Problem with bait is they crawl off and die only to stink.
Wonder if fly bait would work