Another cracking few hours.....

[toka_shigazu]

Went out for a few hours today with Degsy and his Patterdale Belle. We were going to try the turkey farm, around the sheds and mounds of earth. Last time we had gone we only accounted for a solitary rat, and not many more had been seen. I had seen a few more recently and was hoping today may be better. The weather was not any better though...as we arrived it was drizzling lightly and didn't look as if it would change.

 

We headed down towards the bottom end of the yard to begin with, before we had arrived Belle started to mark at the edge of the fallen roof panel of a collapsed shed. She was soon joined by Bilbo who was also marking the same large panel. With a bit of effort on our behalf we managed to lift the end of the panel, both dogs shot underneath, moving expectantly through the mud and water, we lifted as much of the panel as we thought we could but no sign of ratty. Both dogs were still showing interest though and as Bilbo headed out from under to check if any rats were in the process of fleeing, we managed to lift the panel a fraction higher. As we did this Belle darted forward as an inch or two of ground was uncovered. We heard her snarl and snap and then a squeal, as she pulled her head out from under the panel she appeared with a rat in her mouth, Bilbo who by then had crossed to her side darted in and also took hold of it. A few seconds of tugging between them and that was our first rat accounted for.

 

We decided to stay within the bounds of what used to be a large shed, as the dogs were both showing an interest in other locations, most of which involved us doing a lot of lifting. The roof had collapsed followed by the side panels in a storm a few years ago. It gave the rats plenty of dry warm, secure places to bed down or hide. Although the main area of interest was a large panel, which included an air fan and chimney, this was far too heavy for us to move, and we managed to get both dogs away from it and over to a more manageable covered pallet. Both dogs marked this pallet, one either end of what appeared to be a rat run that vanished underneath. Within seconds we lifted the pallet and both dogs shot underneath, Bilbo got the first grip of this rat and was joined fractions of a second later by Belle. Two rats in near enough two minutes and we were already made up with both dogs.

 

At this point both dogs had returned to the large panel, surrounded by tow or three inches of water on two sides. Degsy stood back and watched and I decided to have a jump up and down on the panel to see if that dislodged another furry. Sure enough, as Degsy shouted. I looked round and saw a large rat swimming through the water towards Degsy. Both dogs gave chase and as they arrived it began to exit the water at Degsy's feet, his stick came down hard on top of the rat still in the water. I don't think he missed but maybe the water dulled the blow, as the splash reduced we saw the rat sidestep away, and head under the original roof panel. A second later it appeared out the other end and headed towards a pile of rubbish, rusted metalwork and old drums. Whilst Bilbo headed into this pile Belle started to scent off to one side at the edge of yet another panel. There was a hole directly underneath that led to a small pile of old paving slabs. As we got to these and started to remove top pieces two rats flew out from a lower hole and headed towards a large panel on the floor. By the time we got there and raised this one there was no sign of either rat.

 

Both dogs were darting about but within seconds we had lost sight of Belle, I saw her out in the field under a trailer and thought perhaps she had chased a bird over there...I had seen something fly through the air in front of her maw before I lost sight of her. She was not responding to Degsy's calls and so we headed over. As we did she came out from underneath the trailer with a rat in her mouth. Where it was from only she knew but I could see Degsy was proud as punch!

 

At this point we decided to re locate to the next shed and the one that usually produces a few rats from under discarded tin sheets. We got both dogs inside and they both had a look around but neither showed any real interest. We moved on a hundred yards out into the field to a group of mounds near to a large drainage ditch, where Bilbo had caught his last rat prior to this trip. Again neither dogs showed any interest, it was a point to note that the feed hopper that had been in the middle of these mounds had been moved, it was likely that the rats had moved on to another easy feeding station.

 

We headed back up, meaning to skirt the sheds and head over to a large hillock covered in small rat holes that backs on to the lower sheds and duck enclosure, trouble was no one had told the dogs that and both darted back to the first shed. Again both headed to the same downed panel and started to show interest. We lifted it again and got it no higher than a foot off the ground before all hell broke lose, the rat, aware of its impending doom decided to take it to the dogs and ran straight at Belle. She was tuned into the goings on now and didn't need a second invitation, she struck and neatly lifted the rat off the ground, whilst crushing down with her jaws. Bilbo joined in and both dogs stretched the juvenile rat before we got it from them.

 

We left it with the others, to collect once we had been to the main bank, and headed off. We arrived at our main 'venue' to find that someone, or something, else had been there before us. The small dug holes, tidied up, that we had left last time had been enlarged and opened out. There was also a track in the mud that may well have been a small foxes. Belle found one such hole and started to dig, ending up almost completely out of sight. Bilbo, meanwhile was off scenting the many smaller holes that covered this mound. He showed little interest and as he returned Belle had moved on to a small patch that appeared to be a an old wooden board. She was marking and digging furiously at it as Bilbo returned and joined in. One end of this board ended next to the junction box of two drainage pipes covered by an ill fitting lid. As the noise and excitement rose at Belles end we saw rats exiting from this other end. Two or three exited and a few, on seeing us, headed back in and into the second drainage pipe. By now both myself and Degsy had gotten out our machete's and were trying to cut back the thick undergrowth. The dogs had noticed and attempted to follow the rats but within a couple of yards they had been slowed by this tangle of bramble and bush that the rats were well away.

 

Both dogs returned to the board and continued to mark. Our attention was focussed on the drainage ditch and clearing this area to give the dogs a chance, so when two large rats exited the other way into scrub we were caught off guard. Both disappeared into this thick blanket and were lost within seconds. The dogs both lost interest, which was our sign to move on and only some 20 yards away up the side of a small barn both dogs stopped and started to mark either side of a railway sleeper. Bilbo joined Belle her side for a few seconds and as he did I saw a large rats head appear, see me and disappear back into this hole. Bilbo returned and as he did the rats head surfaced again. He struck and both of us thought that he had secured the rat, but as he drew back it was obvious that he had missed. In an attempt to help the dogs we prised the sleeper up an inch or two but again this did not appear to help. We managed to clear more scrub and were able to cleanly lift it and move it out of the way. Underneath was a long exit tunnel that dropped down into another hole. There was no sign of the rat and form where it had been our half hearted attempt at tilting the sleeper may have allowed it access to this tunnel and its freedom. Better next time to be patient and allow the dogs to dig I think.

 

Having checked the area around the duck enclosure with no interest we headed back to the wooden board, which again was attracting attention from both dogs. A rat exited within a few seconds and tried to get away, a determined effort by all involved had it turning from the scrub cover and out into the open again, avoiding stick, spades and bodies as it seemingly ignored safe holes and led us a merry dance over this mound for some 20 yards or so before it disappeared into a hole next to a large metal cover in the ground. Having retrieved our equipment we got our smoker out to give it a go and allow us a breather. The hose slipped down next to this metal cover and the engine started up. For a few seconds nothing happened and then smoke appeared from the hole Belle had taken such an interest in. This was followed almost immediately by a large rat. Belle and Degsy gave chase and Degsy, showing some of his famed dance moves spun round and dropped both feet into the hole next to this felling rats escape route effectively blocking it. Belle, working in concert with her owner and obviously used to this display of hunting tactics arrived just as the rat tried to turn tail, she struck and held onto the rat. Bilbo made his way down to join in just as a similar sized rat exited from a hole a few feet from the first. My cry stopped him and as he turned he saw this second rat and within a heartbeat he reached it and struck. Both dogs we tossing and snapping at their own rats and we were made up for them!

 

We had another walk around and saw a few more rats, mainly in areas which we could not get proper access to for the dogs. There were many rats seen, a few others missed and 6 that had been caught. For a miserable day and what turned from an hour into nearly 3 hours we thoroughly enjoyed oursleves and so did the dogs. They seemed as if they could go on all day and neither wanted to leave. Another enjoyable outing!