# The Return of the Rats and an Old Friend



## Grinch (Jan 3, 2016)

Hello everyone, about two weeks ago I began noticing rat skat here and there throughout the barn. In my barn there's a mini what my Father used to call a " poultry silo " it's roughly 10ft high and roughly 8ft in diameter of galvanized metal. I could hear movement in there, so I climbed up and up on top there was a large rat right by the fill hatch. More than likely my Father bought this second hand and it has seen better days. The fill hatch requires a good smack with a hammer, thus I had one on me and killed the rat. Inside of it I discovered nearly two hundred rats. 

With very little feed in the silo I brought the 4" hose over and started filling it. After filling it about halfway I let it sit for a while, after supper I went out and opened the bottom chute and they all pour out into a wire bin I have. So I was in the garage yesterday changing the oil in my dozer and I noticed something scurrying across the concrete floor. 

Turning my attention to it I see a rat in the corner with a piece of dog food. I was just getting my old Steven's 22 bolt loaded with birdshot when a sudden flash of brown appears and it takes the rat down. After a bloody scuffle I see a weasel stand on its hind feet and look at me. Somewhat shocked I see the little fella teeter off with his prize.

So then this morning while out feeding the animals I see some rat carcasses laying there. And who else but the little weasel bobbing around. 

So hopefully our friendship continues because since he's been around the only rats I've seen are dead. 

Until next time everyone, stay safe, stay hydrated and stay sane.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Answer to the age old question;

Which would you rather have? A weasel or a rat?

Thanks @Grinch

You don't post very much but when you post I really like your style!


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

The thing with rats is you will only see a very small number of what you have. The way they breed it will take an army of weasels to clear the out. It is a pain but traps. You can then rid your self of the dead rat also. You do not want poisoned rats running off to die in other places. If you use the normal spring type trap anchor them down a trapped rat often does not die right away and runs off with the trap to die else where.
Good luck with those nasty rodents .


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## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

So you're saying Obama showed up in your barn and killed some rats!?! Unbelievable!


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## Demitri.14 (Nov 21, 2018)

Sounds more like Bill Clinton after Chucky Schumer


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

When I was a teenager I picked eggs at the neighbor lady's chicken coop. It held 7000, the new built one held 21000. they got rid of the chickens in the smaller coop to use as a work shop. 4 rows double decker cages, after a week me and her nephew would go with bb guns and shoot rats, they were there by the thousands. Did this every nite for about 3 weeks then all of a sudden they were all gone. We didn't kill them all, neighbor lady says after they get harassed enough they pack up and go somewhere else. Where to I have no idea. I always imagined seeing a rat caravan leaving the place but never did. Freaky as hell being in that coop with that many rats, we'd tie our pant legs closed so one couldn't sneak up there.


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

Sasquatch said:


> So you're saying Obama showed up in your barn and killed some rats!?! Unbelievable!


You are mixed up boy!

The weasel showed up and killed some Sotoros


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

1skrewsloose said:


> When I was a teenager I picked eggs at the neighbor lady's chicken coop. It held 7000, the new built one held 21000. they got rid of the chickens in the smaller coop to use as a work shop. 4 rows double decker cages, after a week me and her nephew would go with bb guns and shoot rats, they were there by the thousands. Did this every nite for about 3 weeks then all of a sudden they were all gone. We didn't kill them all, neighbor lady says after they get harassed enough they pack up and go somewhere else. Where to I have no idea. I always imagined seeing a rat caravan leaving the place but never did. Freaky as hell being in that coop with that many rats, we'd tie our pant legs closed so one couldn't sneak up there.


We would hit the dump for rat shoot entertainment. It was a target rich environment.


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

Weasels can be terrible if you have chickens, but they decimate mice/rats/chipmunks. 

Same with fishers, I had one really do a number on the over populated rabbits this winter. Found many kills, he ( dimorphic, BIG tracks) even cleaned up around the barns/house. As not raising farm animals now both are welcome.

Weasel story. Sitting on a blow down in camo, bow hunting deer. I see an animal going through my cordwood stacks, thought a red squirrel, but looked predatory? It worked each stack in my woods and got to my blow down. The weasel ran right up the blow down and was about to hop on my leg. I huffed, the weasel chirped and scurried to underneath blow down, looking up at me. It was puzzled? Then wind switched, it smelled me and made a bunch of screeches as it high tailed it off.....

If you have fresh snow, track a fisher or weasel, you will learn a lot.......


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## stevekozak (Oct 4, 2015)

Mad Trapper said:


> Weasels can be terrible if you have chickens, but they decimate mice/rats/chipmunks.
> 
> Same with fishers, I had one really do a number on the over populated rabbits this winter. Found many kills, he ( dimorphic, BIG tracks) even cleaned up around the barns/house. As not raising farm animals now both are welcome.
> 
> ...


I would hightail it if I got downwind of you too....:vs_whistle: :vs_smirk:


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

hawgrider said:


> We would hit the dump for rat shoot entertainment. It was a target rich environment.


That was air rifle marksmanship practice for me too.

Rats/mice you need to deal with the very first ones. Once they get establised it's a mess. I need to refresh my bucket traps in the barns soon. Come fall they look to have a comfy winter.


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

stevekozak said:


> I would hightail it if I got downwind of you too....:vs_whistle: :vs_smirk:





stevekozak said:


> I would hightail it if I got downwind of you too....:vs_whistle: :vs_smirk:


Most People have lost their use of sense of smell, the sense is still there. There is a lot of information in a scent. When I'm cooking I can tell when the food starts boiling two rooms over (long before it chars/burns), if stored food is getting rank..... Buy buy/sell dates on foods, use your nose. I've had milk go bad quick, but also some go a week or two beyond "sell date" still taste/smell fine

How many times do you go outside and look around, but ignore smells? Plants, flowers, trees, pollen, animals (some stink, I know deer smell), dead/rotten things, often get ignored. Try closing your eyes and smelling.

I was coming out of my woodlot late spring, and saw a doe and three fawns in a pasture. Wind was in my face, so I crawled into the high grass and got quite close to the fawns playing in the field. Mother doe was chomping spring greens. The little fawns did all sorts of play and I watched for ~ 10 minutes. The wind, switched for a bit and the Doe huffed, tail up! Fawns were on alert then too. The wind went back my way and the Doe could not locate me? I was feet away from the fawns. She stomped and huffed some more, then slinked into the woods, fawns in tow.

Even when not hunting, I find stalking the woods a lot of fun and a learning experience. Use ALL your senses, sight, smell, sound, touch. We use sight , and ignore/not notice our other senses. Touch gets to walking on dry fall leaves without making noise....


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## NewRiverGeorge (Jan 2, 2018)

He did say 200 rats right?? :vs_whistle:


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

@stevekozak

"I would hightail it if I got downwind of you too...."

I can tell by the way You smell!!!






listen to rest of album, a classic by the best slide player


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

NewRiverGeorge said:


> He did say 200 rats right?? :vs_whistle:


Feedin and breedin!!!


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

Mad Trapper said:


> @*stevekozak*
> 
> 
> "I would hightail it if I got downwind of you too...."
> ...


Off topic Ry Cooder


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Great story on that. Weasels are cool. Make great pets cept they will eat a babys lips since they smell like milk. Or so they say about near all of them small carnivores.


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

Weasal family are fasinating to watch .

Weaseals, mink, ferrets, martens, fishers, wolverines .

Predators extrorinare.


I forgot otters......


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## Deebo (Oct 27, 2012)

Damn, Rat soup.
I heard a story about a three level building.
Cats on one level.
Rats on one level.
Skinning and tanning cat skins for fur coats on lowest level.
You feed the rats to the cats, the cats to the rats, and skin and sell the cat fur.


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

Grinch said:


> Hello everyone, about two weeks ago I began noticing rat skat here and there throughout the barn. In my barn there's a mini what my Father used to call a " poultry silo " it's roughly 10ft high and roughly 8ft in diameter of galvanized metal. I could hear movement in there, so I climbed up and up on top there was a large rat right by the fill hatch. More than likely my Father bought this second hand and it has seen better days. The fill hatch requires a good smack with a hammer, thus I had one on me and killed the rat. Inside of it I discovered nearly two hundred rats.
> 
> With very little feed in the silo I brought the 4" hose over and started filling it. After filling it about halfway I let it sit for a while, after supper I went out and opened the bottom chute and they all pour out into a wire bin I have. So I was in the garage yesterday changing the oil in my dozer and I noticed something scurrying across the concrete floor.
> 
> ...


Oh, man that's terrible. So sorry for your troubles. I hope people take heed of what you're saying ,because rodent infestation could happen to anyone of us. I left food out in containers that were chew-through, so I know what can happen. My problem never got as bad as yours Grinch, but the rodents did enough damage to teach me a lesson I'll never forget. And as the old saying goes, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."


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## ActionJackson (Sep 4, 2020)

I like how the Scottish handle their rat problem:


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## OrneryOldBat (Feb 10, 2017)

Only thing I hate worse than rats is raccoons with their clever little hands. I had to clean out a storage shed where a bunch of raccoons had made into a den over the winter - treated it like a hazmat site, respirator, tyvek suit, foot covers, gloves, bleach solution everywhere. Yech.


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