A few hours out with Belle and Bilbo...

[Toka 10]

After a PM from Lost Scouse, who only lives less than half an hour away, and a quick meet up at a new military/hunting clothing store nearby to introduce ourselves properly we agreed to head out with both our dogs. Belle is a black Patterdale who is a few years older than Bilbo. She is used to working with a lurcher and is a good bushing and rabbiting dog but she had never been ratting.

I was heading out that afternoon to a couple of my haunts and told LS that I would check if he could tag along. After a few hours and a positive response from the farmers I arranged an outing for the following day.

I picked up LS and Belle the following afternoon and within quarter of an hour we were at the first farm. This one would be a bit hit and miss for both dogs as we had recently cleared a few rats from the buildings and I wasn't sure there would be many out yet. There is not a lot of earth to dig to and most of the rat runs are between block walls or under concrete, neither of which they can get through, although frustratingly enough we regularly see rats sat just inside these runs. There is a large straw and manure heap that is always worth a look, but until it gets a bit colder it may be very slow there as well.

I was looking forward to see how Bilbo reacted to another bitch working alongside him. He had been out with other Plummers but that was at an age when he wanted to play and they wanted to work. I was wondering if his attitude had changed in the few months since.

As I opened his box in the boot, after parking up, and he was off round the corner to his favourite area near the grain hopper. He took no notice of Belle at our feet and didn't give her a second glance. We caught up to him as he was showing interest in a hopper feed pipe. Belle joined him and almost instantly became interested in the scent as well. Unfortunately it was not possible to do any more with that and so we moved on. Bilbo scenting the gaps between the blocks, joined by Belle and it was all work...until he realised there weren't any rats around. He then decided to harass Belle, attempting to play, and mount her. Belle stuck to her work and put up with him until she'd had enough and a sharp warning was sent his way. This reduced his interest but occasionally he would try his luck...he is male after all!!!lol. We did the rest of the sheds and ended up on the straw. If Belle showed any reluctance at all it only took a command or a bit of directing from LS to get her involved. No rats were found but both dogs were finding trails.

The interesting thing from my perspective was how good the bond between Belle and LS was. I was assured that at Bilbo's age she was just like him if not worse. Wanting to do things her way with some input from LS and always at 100 miles per hour. It was only at the age of about 2 years, and a couple of warnings from his lurcher, that she started to stay closer and realise that she should listen to LS more. She had come to realise that when he pointed out areas to investigate that it was in her interest to do it quickly. She would relax until finding the scent she wanted rather than doing everything at break neck speed.

With that in mind we headed off to the next farm, I was confident that we would come across a few rats there. We got out of the car and both headed over to the concrete surround to the manhole and they both showed some interest there. I used my new smoker for a few minutes but nothing had bolted so we moved on. Close by is a large old iron field roller and on this occasion both dogs began to mark positively around the base of this as we passed. Banging the roller usually causes a rat to exit but today there was no sign. With their interest still high we got out our sticks and started to follow tunnels underneath. Seconds later I saw a grey body appear alongside the roller base heading away from the dogs. They did notice and as the rat ran behind a resting wooden board near the chicken shed. I saw that it did not exit the other side and was confident it would be hidden behind it. The dogs, in pursuit, seemed to realise it as well and Bilbo reached one end at the same time as Belle reached the other. I tilted the board over to reveal the rat, midway between both dogs and both went for it. It was a close thing but I think Bilbo latched on first but only through his previous experience with rats. Fractions of a second later they had it in a tug of war. It was great to note that there was no aggression towards each other over this rat, just a lust to get it dead. We let Belle have a rag once Bilbo had been released and moved inside the shed. There had been no signs inside since a few weeks ago when Bilbo managed to clear a good number of rats. Yards from the entry Bilbo started to show an interest in a hole in the sawdust. And I took that as my queue to start digging. After about 4 feet of digging I began to think he had miscalculated. Belle was joining in but room it this trench was limiting. Another couple of feet and it began to look like whatever had been in the had managed to escape as the hole veered upward and out underneath the shed wall. We took stock and LC using his stick found another tunnel offshoot heading further along the shed. Another foot or so and I saw Bilbo strike at what I knew would be a rat. Any thoughts of allowing Belle a turn vanished as he struck again and extricated a large rat from the hole. Belle helping with its dispatch.

We moved on from there to a large water tower that had fallen onto its side in the field. Again both dogs marked strongly but we were unable to shift it sufficiently to extricate any vermin or allow the dogs safe passage, due to its sheer size. We checked buildings as we headed towards a bank at the bottom of the yard that has some holes in it, but to no avail. The bank appeared to have been the subject of interest, perhaps by a fox or one of the farm dogs, as the holes I had filled in had been dug out to a huge proportion and after a couple of minutes we left it to move on. As we got out of the undergrowth Bilbo started to scent the air over a collapsed old shed. Seconds later Belle had darted underneath this wooden structure to investigate. Bilbo followed her and within seconds there were sounds of chasing and excitement from underneath. No rats were caught but a small nest was found by us as we broke our way through the wooden walling to find the dogs in the low space underneath.

We headed back to the car after that, a great 3 hours in total, in good company!! A shame that there had only been two rats and that Belle hadn't been first at either of those but I am sure next time she will succeed. With her more methodical manner of searching and her direct-ability I am sure she will come up trumps. Bilbo I am sure will also learn a lot from her. Here's to the cold weather bringing them in and to our next venture. Thanks LS for getting in touch and starting the ball rolling. There are a few other members who may well be keen, and are local enough, to form a rat pack if we can just find our rat Mecca.

 

p.s. sorry no pics with this one!!

[lost scouse 46]

toka thanks for the invite mate as you said a good 3 hours but only a couple of rats but its only a start its hopefully going to get colder and the rats will be nesting in some of the buildings looking forward to more days out Degsy

[BEARINATOR 2,871]

Good write up Toka mate

[lost scouse 46]

that little whirl wind of a terrier did him proud on the day and what the farmers said he,s done him proud on lots of other occassions

[Running 7]

good write up thanks for sharing

[kingoftoosh 15]

That was a good read bud. Looked at your vid of bilbo, He's a wee cracker. Looks like he is lovin the rat slaying!!

[Vosey 24]

Sounds like a good trip out, Bilbo is coming on fine, excellent in the video.

 

My little bitch is all 100 mph as well, she is marking very well but just needs a bit more luck to put some in the bag. Her recall is none existant when she is onto a scent, I just hope she calms down for next season.

 

ATB

 

Vosey

Edited October 30, 2009 by Vosey

[Danny123 1]

Another good write up...sounds like it was an interesting day out for both you and the dogs!

[goldfinch2007 2,332]

good post mate.how long did it take to write,it would have took me a week

[Toka 10]

...F''in computer crashed half way through and i had to start from the beginning as well......lol

 

it deffo is easier and more fun being out there doin a bit than writing it up!!!! lol ..

 

ta for all the comments!

[bedrock 16]

It sounded like a good day Toka. Get some pics up next time for the dyslexics like myself.

[Toka 10]

diolch yn fawr iawn!!!! Bedrock [hope i spelt that right, its been a long time since the hills of Wales]

 

yeah gotta appologise for the lack of pics but we were gassing so much as we went that i forgot completely...wont let it happen again!!

 

ATB