I'm Still Alive And Ratting...don't Worry.

[RemyBolt 420]

Long time no blabber...for me. But don't worry, I'm still here. Wouldn't have written this up if it's like the usual 3 or 4 after working at the farm...but this was something different!

 

Okay, so many of you know I'm a sales manager. The farmer whose land I mainly shoot on has had a staffing issue and I've stepped in to help. Extra money is always nice, but the free fuel is even better! Anyway, I've been learning computer programming, and am picking eggs at the farm, on top of my usual job and responsibilities. Which is why I'm hardly online any more.

 

But I picked up a new IR light the other week, and only just managed to get out with it. Oh my goodness!!! This thing is brilliant. Only £30ish off ebay ( http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/T20-850nm-IR-illuminator-1-mode-12month-uk-waranty-ideal-for-pulsar-digital-NV-/161595372795?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item259fd5b4fb ), but after hearing about the style and benefits of them from one of the other guys at the farm, I thought I'd check out the IR version. It was cheap enough, so purchased. WOW!!!!

 

I can happily sit there and shoot all night long on 2x 18650 batteries. Amazing! The beam can be focused so when battery is running low...no problem, another 20 mins shooting before I need to change battery. The focus is also good for checking out the bottom end of an egg belt!

 

So what does this matter? Well, I went out with my modified IR camera, and the T20 light, and bagged me 33 rats in around 3 hours. Considering these rats are super cautious, and won't go near any light at all...I'm happy as can be with that number.

 

The highlight of last night was this one corner in the right scratch area, top left, front corner. There's a gap about the size of a postcard where rats always poke their heads out, but never actually come out from there. As frustrating as this is, I decided to take a shot as soon as I had a clear hear view. Pop, down goes the rat. It twitches out and lays there dead. But the head's still moving. It's actually another rat looking over his twitching dead friend!!! What the [inset expletive]?!?!?!

 

I take another shot. Bag me another rat...except they're like 2 stories high. Go off and clear a load of other rats, none of which cared about their friends being killed (no joke, 3 times I killed a rat next to another rat, and the live one just looked around the area, didn't run or seem bothered), so I had double fun, and learned to reload very quickly in the dark. Usually they all scatter so shots are few and far between...unless they're super hungry.

 

Got back to the entrance of the scratch area and heard a squeak. Checked the top corner again. Bagged a third rat from there. This one fell to the floor thanks to it's twitching, and climbing over it's friends. I sat back on a beam against the outside wall of the scratch area and waited...sure enough, another rat, same spot, asking for a pellet-implant. I obliged. What was going on?! They were literally climbing over other still warm dead rats to look through that gap! It's been renamed suicide-corner. Madness.

 

Great news is there's a new girl starting doing eggs in hse 4 today. Hope she doesn't mind the 2 massive rats and 1 small one that are going to drop out on her...oops. Did I forget to say about them?

 

House 4 was brilliant fun. The run route up the cage (keeps chickens away from the electronics) and over the window was stunning. When I first got there it had 6 rats on it. I took a couple of shots on there and there were still 2 left. These were the 2 I got with the shots. Moved them to the ground and put a little bait on that ledge. Got another 4 rats from there. 3 off the ledge and 1 off the floor (one fell off the ledge onto the floor, then another rat came over and sniffed the chocolate mix on it's face....bad move Senor Ratto!). Also got another 2 off the cage, using it as a ladder. There's seriously something so gratifying about shooting a rat from a high area and watching it fall. It's like a crap version of a Hollywood acting. Love it.

 

So anyway, back and shooting. When new girl is up to scratch, I'll be able to get on here more and will add a load of posts and pics.

 

Am back out again tonight, so will pop some pics on here tomorrow if I remember. I have a couple of pics of other ratting sessions that I'll load up another time.

 

For now, I'm off to charge a load of 18650 batteries, and to buy some more pellets!

 

Happy shooting everyone.

[walshie 2,804]

We weren't worried.

[bigmac 97kt 13,806]

I never missed him :D

 

did not no you were gone :whistling:

 

atvbmac :thumbs:

[villaman 9,983]

_{Nice wright up}

[moxy 617]

_{Nice wright up}

Indeed. But who is he again?

 

 

Oh!! How's this secret thingy going that you were on about a bit back?

[RemyBolt 420]

 

_{Nice wright up}

Indeed. But who is he again?

 

 

Oh!! How's this secret thingy going that you were on about a bit back?

 

Making a big step forwards, but also delayed too.

 

It's super nerdy, but got a load of gear coming. It's a really bitter sweet thing though. A friend passed away and his dad is selling me all his shooting gear, so I can keep everything working for him. It's an agreement we had. If I passed, he'd be keeping my shooting going, so I'm going to honour him by using his gear a lot. So that's set me back with that project. But it's still on the go ahead.

Edited February 28, 2015 by RemyBolt

[moxy 617]

[j j m 6,553]

Good write up mate nice to see you back

[mark williams 7,558]

Nice write up mate, good to see you back.

 

atb

[RemyBolt 420]

I've got some rubbish pictures of some smaller ratting sessions, but my phone's rubbish for sending them to tinyurl to then transfer on to here.

 

I'll get on that tonight. The wife is back late today, so I should be able to get something sorted out soon.

[toxo 160]

Good write up Remy. Always good to get some background to the slaughter and talking about the behaviour of rats helps all of us.