The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Wildlife => Topic started by: spandit on May 22, 2014, 07:53:46 am
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We have a bin in our carport to encourage us to clean the mountains of crap out of our cars once in a while.
This evening when we got home, we heard a rustling in the bin. Closer investigation saw a rat that had fallen in and couldn't get out.
I fetched an air rifle and with a friend holding a torch, I killed it but trying to hit a panicking rat meant that the first shot wasn't in the best place (but injured it enough to allow me a point blank headshot, with another one to make sure).
I don't particularly like rats but still feel a bit bad about killing it (like shooting fish in a barrel!). How would you have dealt with it?
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i dont have a gun i live in a town, id have hit it with a spade or a big stick!!!
then worried about what to do with the body...
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I would have chopped it on the neck with a spade - assuming it wasnt jumping around.
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A number of years ago we kept our feed in a big plastic dustbin. Although it was summer there was still some leftover feed in the bottom. One day I looked in and found a very dead rat, and lots of bits of rat. We worked out that several had got in - large hole chewed in the lid - then not been able to get out, so had eaten eachother :tired: I think you shooting your rat was a rather better fate than those rats had.
Needless to say after that we invested in a couple of large metal bins so every kind of feed including wild bird seed can be kept safe.
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I'd of just let it go.
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How would you have dealt with it?
Most probably by letting the terrier sort it. Very quick and efficient. :)
In the barn, and out of reach of the dogs, then the air rifle is the first choice. :thumbsup:
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Have had the same thing happen I used a electric fence post and speared them, disposal is by nature let a rook or other scavenger clean it up, making sure it is out of reach of the dogs.
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We have this now and again, I just drop in the Terrier and it's dead in an instant
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Wouldn't it be better to feed it some poison to take back to its family! I wouldn't waste my time on just one :-J
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I'd have just tipped it out to the dogs.
I have absolutely no compassion for them. Death on sight, a long with grey squirrels, magpies etc.
Fleecewife - They really are cannibalistic bastards, a lot of the ones I catch in fenns have been part eaten by the time I check the traps in the mornings.
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I was tempted to let the dogs have a go but no guarantee they would have caught it and could have got bitten.
I think I'll set my trap up on the off chance any others wander by
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We use to have similar with mice and rats in a warehouse I use to work in (not food, you'll be glad to here) we kept a sledge hammer that was dropped on them, efficient and humane enough for me.