Help me catch this rat!

[AKSandman]

@3forks, can’t say I know what the issue is, but I did have a similar experience with squirrels one time. I caught 7 of the 8 living in the attic and that last one just kept snapping traps. Most squirrels will eat the bait on a rat trap by licking it. This wise fellow would reach out with a paw and grab the bait and avoid getting caught but still snap the trap.
I built a box that was about twice the size of a rat trap and just tall enough for the wire jaw to swing fully without hitting the top of the box. I screwed the rat trap in there and took safety wire and made a kind of v trigger that was attached to the pan (kind of like a conibear trap trigger) I then cut a hole in the side of the box above where the trap was and hung bait on the opposite side of the little box.

I have since killed so many squirrels with this setup it isn’t funny. I figured out the the best squirrel bait is the hindquarters of the last squirrel you caught.

so I know you aren’t trying to catch a squirrel, but rats and red squirrels aren’t too different, so maybe this little setup would work for you.

 

[AKSandman]

@3forks here is a little diagram of the box setup

 

[WRM]

^^^ That rat there is ingenuity!!

 

[3forks]

@3forks, can’t say I know what the issue is, but I did have a similar experience with squirrels one time. I caught 7 of the 8 living in the attic and that last one just kept snapping traps. Most squirrels will eat the bait on a rat trap by licking it. This wise fellow would reach out with a paw and grab the bait and avoid getting caught but still snap the trap.
I built a box that was about twice the size of a rat trap and just tall enough for the wire jaw to swing fully without hitting the top of the box. I screwed the rat trap in there and took safety wire and made a kind of v trigger that was attached to the pan (kind of like a conibear trap trigger) I then cut a hole in the side of the box above where the trap was and hung bait on the opposite side of the little box.

I have since killed so many squirrels with this setup it isn’t funny. I figured out the the best squirrel bait is the hindquarters of the last squirrel you caught.

so I know you aren’t trying to catch a squirrel, but rats and red squirrels aren’t too different, so maybe this little setup would work for you.

Thanks, for the suggestion!

I still haven’t caught that rat.

I haven’t seen any evidence of the rat recently, so took yesterday off from rat hunting to go scout one of my elk locations.

Much like elk, I may have bumped this rat by hunting too aggressively in its bedding area. I’m sure it will return… probably pregnant or if it‘s a bull, with its harem.

 

[WRM]

Get your mind clear--you already know it's not over!

 

[Maverick1]

If you know where his hole is and it’s legal a body gripper blocking his exit entrance. Every hole you see, personally I’d prob just shoot it

I hope you are talking about rats…..

 

[BROOKS5]

I've been dealing with a rather large rat problem in my back yard as well. We had them before we got chickens last spring but that seems to have helped the problem explode.
I've become a professional rat hunter with a flash light and pellet gun at night. I've managed to cut the population down to just a few or so I think. They quickly became trap smart and supper weary of me hunting them so it's gotten tougher and tougher. A bait pile in a good shooting lane might help!

 

[3forks]

Well gentlemen,

For those who are interested, I‘ve finally caught the rat that I believe had been raiding our garden.

I had taken a couple of days off from trying to actively catch this rat because there had been no depredation in the garden. I didn’t really think that the rat wasn’t still around, but was sick of trying to catch the bastard. Sure enough, this morning my wife advised that another of her cherished heirloom tomatoes had been gnawed on.

So, I dug a hole, and set a #0 long spring in the garden bed. I used a piece of bacon hanging off one of the tomato vines above the set and figured we’d see what would happen.

I went to the archery range tonight, shot for a while, then BS’d with a guy for a while in the parking lot until it got dark. Tonight was the one time I managed to forget my phone, so when I pull into the garage - my wife is standing there. She informs me something was in the garden making a lot of racket, and she’s been trying to call me for the last 30 minutes.

I grabbed a flash light and shovel, but all was quiet. A few minutes of looking around and there was the rat with the trap attached to its right front leg. My wife sees what’s going on, and the rat starts to try and make its escape dragging that trap around in the garden. Between the commotion of my wife, my old deaf and feeble dog now becoming enthusiastic about the pursuit, and the rat squealing and dragging that trap, my taxidermy plans for the rat evaporated. I chased the rat, got it cornered, and dealt the death blow.

The whole thing culminated in a pretty underwhelming moment, but I can finally say my long quest to catch this bastard is over.

I had planned to at least get a couple of good pics of this rat and pay it its due tribute by giving it the letzebissen, or last bite. But, when I retrieved my phone to take the picture I saw my wife had called me 21 times and sent me 6 text messages. I realized this has gone on far too long. Took one shitty pic of the rat on top of the trash can posed next to the trap that caught it, and with that - this concludes this thread and my hunt of this fricking rat.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Well gentlemen,

For those who are interested, I‘ve finally caught the rat that I believe had been raiding our garden.

I had taken a couple of days off from trying to actively catch this rat because there had been no depredation in the garden. I didn’t really think that the rat wasn’t still around, but was sick of trying to catch the bastard. Sure enough, this morning my wife advised that another of her cherished heirloom tomatoes had been gnawed on.

So, I dug a hole, and set a #0 long spring in the garden bed. I used a piece of bacon hanging off one of the tomato vines above the set and figured we’d see what would happen.

I went to the archery range tonight, shot for a while, then BS’d with a guy for a while in the parking lot until it got dark. Tonight was the one time I managed to forget my phone, so when I pull into the garage - my wife is standing there. She informs me something was in the garden making a lot of racket, and she’s been trying to call me for the last 30 minutes.

I grabbed a flash light and shovel, but all was quiet. A few minutes of looking around and there was the rat with the trap attached to its right front leg. My wife sees what’s going on, and the rat starts to try and make its escape dragging that trap around in the garden. Between the commotion of my wife, my old deaf and feeble dog now becoming enthusiastic about the pursuit, and the rat squealing and dragging that trap, my taxidermy plans for the rat evaporated. I chased the rat, got it cornered, and dealt the death blow.

The whole thing culminated in a pretty underwhelming moment, but I can finally say my long quest to catch this bastard is over.

I had planned to at least get a couple of good pics of this rat and pay it its due tribute by giving it the letzebissen, or last bite. But, when I retrieved my phone to take the picture I saw my wife had called me 21 times and sent me 6 text messages. I realized this has gone on far too long. Took one shitty pic of the rat on top of the trash can posed next to the trap that caught it, and with that - this concludes this thread and my hunt of this fricking rat.

That did't take too long . One bad ass rat. Time for about four fingers of brown. but just one.

 

[Randle]

Way to go, this has been a ride for you and you push thru to the end .
May you have the best nights sleep ever tonight.

 

[D S 319]

Bravo Zulu

 

[Fatcamp]

Way to see it through.

 

[KNOPHISH]

Reset that trap, where there’s one there’s more.

 

[Maverick1]

Well gentlemen,

For those who are interested, I‘ve finally caught the rat that I believe had been raiding our garden.

I had taken a couple of days off from trying to actively catch this rat because there had been no depredation in the garden. I didn’t really think that the rat wasn’t still around, but was sick of trying to catch the bastard. Sure enough, this morning my wife advised that another of her cherished heirloom tomatoes had been gnawed on.

So, I dug a hole, and set a #0 long spring in the garden bed. I used a piece of bacon hanging off one of the tomato vines above the set and figured we’d see what would happen.

I went to the archery range tonight, shot for a while, then BS’d with a guy for a while in the parking lot until it got dark. Tonight was the one time I managed to forget my phone, so when I pull into the garage - my wife is standing there. She informs me something was in the garden making a lot of racket, and she’s been trying to call me for the last 30 minutes.

I grabbed a flash light and shovel, but all was quiet. A few minutes of looking around and there was the rat with the trap attached to its right front leg. My wife sees what’s going on, and the rat starts to try and make its escape dragging that trap around in the garden. Between the commotion of my wife, my old deaf and feeble dog now becoming enthusiastic about the pursuit, and the rat squealing and dragging that trap, my taxidermy plans for the rat evaporated. I chased the rat, got it cornered, and dealt the death blow.

The whole thing culminated in a pretty underwhelming moment, but I can finally say my long quest to catch this bastard is over.

I had planned to at least get a couple of good pics of this rat and pay it its due tribute by giving it the letzebissen, or last bite. But, when I retrieved my phone to take the picture I saw my wife had called me 21 times and sent me 6 text messages. I realized this has gone on far too long. Took one shitty pic of the rat on top of the trash can posed next to the trap that caught it, and with that - this concludes this thread and my hunt of this fricking rat.

Excellent work!

But, we need more details! A couple of questions come to mind, the audience would like to know:

1. Do you have any trail camera pictures of this one?
2. I assume this was on your "hit list" of rats for the year?
3. Did you pass up other rats to get to this one?
4. What type of shovel did you use?
5. How far was the swinging distance with the shovel? (Do you think that the swinging distance was within your acceptable range, or did you get caught up in the moment with the wife and dog commotion and - perhaps - stretch your swinging distance a little further than what you practiced?)
6. What was the weight of the shovel? F.O.C.?
7. Shovel handle type? (Please, let it be wood; these new-fangled fiberglass or composite shovel handles are just too game-changing. I think they should have their own season.)
8. What type of bacon did you use for bait? (Please, tell us it wasn't pre-cooked bacon! Having it cooked ahead of time, well, you might as well call it "cross-bacon" - already cooked and ready to go - again, grounds for having another, separate hunting season using that type of bait!)
9. You mentioned that the rat dragged the trap some distance.....what was the final recovery distance?
10. What was the blood trail like?
11. Hate to revisit the shovel question again, but do you think using a trench shovel or pointed digger would have worked better? (I see the trench shovels on Instagram used all the time and am considering switching, but wasn't sure if I should this late into the season. Those trench shovel sponsors are really pushing their products HARD this year. While it's good to see the advances in technology, it's almost making it too easy for the new crowd, especially when they see all the ads in the videos!)
12. Speaking of videos - assuming you got this all on video - when is it going up on YouTube? (Are you going to post this one up IN-season, or post-season, to keep your views up? Got to strategize on how to best keep getting those "likes" and having people "smash the subscribe" button so you can monetize this whole thing!)
13. Now that your local rat population is under control, are you moving on to other areas? Are they OTC or draw? (If nobody is willing to give up their "honey holes" - would you consider going on a high-fence hunt? If so, post up a thread here, asking for some references, I'm sure the community will help out! Lots of good ones out there!)
14. Was this guided or unguided? (Some say it's not a "real" rat hunt unless it's a DIY endeavor....would like you thoughts on that as well.)
15. Have you considered starting your own guide service? (YouTube channel, website, guide service....expand your operations!)
16. Are you going to cook the rat? Deep-fried? Slow cooker? Or is it too greasy and smelly for the table?
17. What'd he finally score?

Others can ask their questions, too!

Congrats again!!!

 

[sndmn11]

[*]Are you going to cook the rat? Deep-fried? Slow cooker? Or is it too greasy and smelly for the table?

Oh man @3forks should have ate it.

 

[Elmer J. Fudd]

What am I going to look forward to for morning reading now? Also have we come up with a consensus name for this rat?

 

[mtnrunner260]

Well done on the trap set and congrats on not meeting the same fate of the rat after 21 missed calls from the Mrs.

 

[Dos Perros]

Ride this high OP, you’ve earned it. I know when I next step outside and the sun hits my face, it will feel a little warmer as my pride for you almost literally beams outward and into the great beyond. Well done.

 

[BROOKS5]

Excellent work!

But, we need more details! A couple of questions come to mind, the audience would like to know:

1. Do you have any trail camera pictures of this one?
2. I assume this was on your "hit list" of rats for the year?
3. Did you pass up other rats to get to this one?
4. What type of shovel did you use?
5. How far was the swinging distance with the shovel? (Do you think that the swinging distance was within your acceptable range, or did you get caught up in the moment with the wife and dog commotion and - perhaps - stretch your swinging distance a little further than what you practiced?)
6. What was the weight of the shovel? F.O.C.?
7. Shovel handle type? (Please, let it be wood; these new-fangled fiberglass or composite shovel handles are just too game-changing. I think they should have their own season.)
8. What type of bacon did you use for bait? (Please, tell us it wasn't pre-cooked bacon! Having it cooked ahead of time, well, you might as well call it "cross-bacon" - already cooked and ready to go - again, grounds for having another, separate hunting season using that type of bait!)
9. You mentioned that the rat dragged the trap some distance.....what was the final recovery distance?
10. What was the blood trail like?
11. Hate to revisit the shovel question again, but do you think using a trench shovel or pointed digger would have worked better? (I see the trench shovels on Instagram used all the time and am considering switching, but wasn't sure if I should this late into the season. Those trench shovel sponsors are really pushing their products HARD this year. While it's good to see the advances in technology, it's almost making it too easy for the new crowd, especially when they see all the ads in the videos!)
12. Speaking of videos - assuming you got this all on video - when is it going up on YouTube? (Are you going to post this one up IN-season, or post-season, to keep your views up? Got to strategize on how to best keep getting those "likes" and having people "smash the subscribe" button so you can monetize this whole thing!)
13. Now that your local rat population is under control, are you moving on to other areas? Are they OTC or draw? (If nobody is willing to give up their "honey holes" - would you consider going on a high-fence hunt? If so, post up a thread here, asking for some references, I'm sure the community will help out! Lots of good ones out there!)
14. Was this guided or unguided? (Some say it's not a "real" rat hunt unless it's a DIY endeavor....would like you thoughts on that as well.)
15. Have you considered starting your own guide service? (YouTube channel, website, guide service....expand your operations!)
16. Are you going to cook the rat? Deep-fried? Slow cooker? Or is it too greasy and smelly for the table?
17. What'd he finally score?

Others can ask their questions, too!

Congrats again!!!

I needed this this morning, thanks for that extensive effort

 

[DenverCountryBoy]

Oh man @3forks should have ate it.

Buffalo rat legs.