Ratting help

[kentishsteve]

I would really like to do some ratting with my terrier does anyone have any advice on where to begin i.e equipment and methods. Or does anyone in the kent or sussex area who does any ratting be willing to let me and my border terrier tag along

[kentishsteve]

come on people give me something

[MM]

right, gone on then, ill start.

 

 

 

first, you need a terrier

[thomasbeaton]

WIDO LOL

[bignoel]

you could try a good old chicken or pig farm for starter's

[ferretman]

WIDO LOL

wots a wido???

[kentishsteve]

thats a good start then cos ive got a border that i just cant break to a ferret and she has killed a couple of rats up the garden (not that my gardens a dump or anything) also what is a WIDO

Edited September 19, 2008 by kentishsteve

[Hezbear]

You could either let the terrier mark the used holes and dig them out with a spade or get a 2 stroke chainsaw engine minus the blade, put a length of hosepipe from the exhaust and smoke them out, put extra oil in so it's blue smoke, I used to love ratting with my old terriers and i used to get some good sport around my local tip and local streams.

[Cranfield]

If you use the smoking out method as suggested, you should be able to bolt them for your dog.

Go and knock on some Farmers doors and ask if they have any rats they want rid of.

[Santlache]

There's few things more fun than watching Terriers working and killing rats

 

Firstly, don't go digging them out, that's too much like hard work....

 

As Cranfield and Hezbear say, get yourself a chainsaw, not forgetting to remove the chain of course, then smoke the ******* out and let the party begin as the terriers hover them up. I've inherited an old leaf-blower which has had an 20" small pipe attached to the exhaust so you can get into all those little places, ideal.

 

However, before the fun begins:

 

1. Be sure your terrier is fully up to date with it's vaccinations.

 

2. Always take a pair of washable plastic or garden gloves for handling the dead rats and a bin liner or two to put them in.

 

You may find there's a little too much cover for the rats at present, if so give it a month or so until we get some frosts on the ground and they start moving into barns etc, then you may find you'll get better results. Your dog is also bound to get bitten the first time, but once is usually enough for them to learn and gain a hatred of them not to get caught again.

 

For those who haven't a terrier, try doing the same but with a .410, an ideal ratting gun but you'll never get as many as the terriers

 

Have fun.

 

Cheers

 

Michael

[seb]

Anyone tried one of these smokers it looks good but a little expensive. There is a video of it in action

 

http://www.arthurcarteruradshop.co.uk/shopexd.asp?id=17

[Santlache]

That looks pretty neat, the Russell seems to get quite a few.

 

I too would be interested to hear if anyone has used one of these smokers

 

Cheers

 

Michael

[lapwing]

You want to be a bit careful with people waving sticks around. Smoking the rats out tends to get fairly frantic and it is all too easy for someone to swipe at a rat and the terrier get there first. I nearly lost a good JR terrier this way (broom handle on the head) so now if anyone picks up a stick when we are ratting I just put the dogs away in the car and let them get on with it. Doesnt take people long to figure out which is more effective!

[Santlache]

I agree.

 

Terriers, Sticks or a Gun - never pick and mix.

 

The best fun and most effective though is without doubt the Terriers

 

Cheers

 

Michael

Edited October 15, 2008 by Santlache

[samowen318]

my nanna owns a farm and there is a long old building where the chickens roost, a few hours into darkness get the .410 and the lamp burst open the door lamp on and shoot as many rats as i can get, simple but they run everywhere so its important to check your shot, a young rat once ran towards me and it was blinded by the lamp as it was running i swung my boot and kicked about 20 yards into a wall stone dead it was.

[farmboy]

We tried the old chainsaw (- blade of course ) + hosepipe for the first time last week. Unfortunately we didn't have a terrier handy so my sister's kelpie was called in. Unfortunately we didn't actually catch any rats due to it being a small colony and the dog being in the wrong place when they bolted. Then the chainsaw packed up forcing a premature close to the events.

Hopefully we'll be able to get the saw going again in order to try again. Now we know a few of the bolt holes, I think i'll block up some of the hard to reach ones to give the dog a better chance.

 

Was great fun whilst it lasted, despite the headache from the noise and smoke.

Just a s a matter of interest, how long will the adults hold out for? We only saw young ones.

 

Gareth

[Santlache]

Hi Gareth

 

Good job

 

You really need a terrier, or two, or three depending on how many rats there are. I'm sure the Kelpie will get one or two but he's too big and won't be quick enough for the rats, or get into places a terrier can.

 

Your ideal scenario is like Sam has, open the door, lamp on and throw half a dozen Terriers in and watch the carnage

 

They hate the smoke and will leave almost immediately, so if you gave them a good blast all around, not just in one place, you maybe saw all there was. Wait until we get a good frost for a night or two then have another go, I bet you'll get a lot more as they start seeking cover.

 

Cheers

 

Michael

[farmboy]

Hello Michael,

 

Quite right on the kelpie being a bit big for the job. He'd be plenty fast enough in open spaces, its a shame that they aren't out in the open. He's run down a few rabbits in his time. We weren't outside or in a large area, just an enclosed area where our feed gets kept. The rats are living under some cake bins which are non movable, probably some in the wall and under the floor as well. We'll probably clear out as much as possible before having another go. If we can block the doors and channel them out we should be good to go.

We are quite lucky really that we don't get masses of the **** like some places do.

 

I can still remember my first time ratting properly. I can't remember how old I was at the time, probably about 6. I was in our hay barn, above what was an old bulls house with my dad. There was only a few bales and a load of loose hay left and the rat's home was shrinking fast. They went through the floor on to the spaces on top of the wall below and couldn't get far so we fetched the dog and a couple of muck forks and set about pulling them off the walls for the dog to sort out. She must have had at least half a dozen and a few got whacked by the pair of us. Was the best fun ever for a 6 year old.

The poor dog was old by that time and must have collapsed a few times but it didn't stop her. She had a funny heart and would collapse if excited. Never suffered from it though.

 

 

Gareth

[Santlache]

Gareth

 

Sounds like the best introduction a 6 YO could have.

 

You also sound like you have an on-going job if you keep feed in there, and I expect it'll be a case of just keeping the numbers down. I'm surprised you don't keep a terrier on the farm for such jobs.

 

The last ratting job I did was passed on from an old respected Terrierman from Oxford as it was down in West London at some private residences. Three of us met up with seven terriers and moved around smoking all the outbuildings one by one - we got one rat, bolted a fox and the dogs also had a tussle with a cat, which used up 6 1/2 of it's seven lives during the encounter.

 

Poor show really and a waste of time as all the drain covers were broken or damaged, it was quite obvious as soon as we got there where all the rats were all coming and going from at will.

 

Cheers

 

Michael