thurso jack 3 Posted January 29, 2006 Report Share Posted January 29, 2006 Well i have been out at the rats with the smoker for the first time today, i bought a chainsaw off ebay for £40 all in and adapted it and welded a inch thick tube by around 10 inch long, this was the first time out ratting for me and my year old JRT bitch, we went to a farm where i have gotten permission to rat on and the farmer showed me where some holes were, so the dog showed some interest in the holes so i proceeded to start the smoker and let rip, but nothing so we moved on to a sileage pit where there were loads of holes and again started the smoker the holes were all spewing out smoke and after about a minute a rat bolted about 3 feet from us, the dog spied it and immeadiatly took off for it but it had a head start and we were on a steep bank in amongst tyres and all sorts of things, but she chased it for another 4-5 feet and just when she was going to snap at it the bugger got in amonst a huge pile of around 60 old tyres and it was gone, there was no chance of moving them and in the excitement i fell down the slope smoker still in hand and landed at the bottom unsure of where exactly the rat had bolted to. We tried a few more holes but nothing even though the smoke was belching through them, so we moved to another farm along the road but this place was very clean and tidy and little signs of rats so he called his brother who has another farm and we went a look there, but it was much of the same except he had more cattle in the sheds and it looked a bit more promising but he wasnt willing to let the dog off in with the cows so we spent the next hour shooting pigeons with the air rifle in the barn, which was good craic! He then suggested we try another farm next to him which he assured me was infested with rats as the guys place is a midden, so we tried ringing him but no answer so we just drove over to check it out and see if he was about as we travelled down the farm road i was sure we had taken a wrong turning as my 4x4 was stuggling to get down it and i was sure no one could possibly live down a road like this but just as i was getting ready to turn around i spied a farm about 500 yrds away, so on we went now as i arrived at the house it wasnt any better, i was glad of the rubber boots on as the slurry was up to the rims almost of my boots and this was at the front door, and as i walked to the front door i looked around me and there was 3 rats just sitting at the byer entrance looking back at me, my mate wouldnt even get out of the car it was such a mess, so after chatting to the famer he said no probs lash at it so i had a quick look around with the dog and seen a further 5 rats running about but the light was fadeing by now and i kept loosing them and im sure there was a lot i never even seen, as it was dark by now we didnt bother with the smoker and just called it a day as the farmer said just come out anytime and not to even bother ringing just come out, and my mate who wouldnt leave the truck had been on the sauce lastnight and was starting to feel weasy with the smell of the place, but i dint want to leave as this was te sort of place i had been looking for, but they will keep until another time,. Unfortunately no rats taken for the day but i got a further 3 farms to rat on so it isnt all bad and the dog got a wee chase and did what she was meant to do and enjoyed just hunting about, so it will be back out to the same place next week with a few more dogs and hopefully a pile of dead rats, as me and the dog are still learing the ropes im sure we will get more sucsess in the future but it was good just being out and seeing the smoker flush a rat out and letting the dog have a bit of sport. Just a quick question fore those more in the know hoe long do you smoke a hole for before giving it up as empty? i was doing them for about 3-4 minutes and if nothing came out moving on is this long enough?? YIS THURSO JACK Quote Link to post
RYESWAY 0 Posted January 29, 2006 Report Share Posted January 29, 2006 Well i have been out at the rats with the smoker for the first time today, i bought a chainsaw off ebay for £40 all in and adapted it and welded a inch thick tube by around 10 inch long, this was the first time out ratting for me and my year old JRT bitch, we went to a farm where i have gotten permission to rat on and the farmer showed me where some holes were, so the dog showed some interest in the holes so i proceeded to start the smoker and let rip, but nothing so we moved on to a sileage pit where there were loads of holes and again started the smoker the holes were all spewing out smoke and after about a minute a rat bolted about 3 feet from us, the dog spied it and immeadiatly took off for it but it had a head start and we were on a steep bank in amongst tyres and all sorts of things, but she chased it for another 4-5 feet and just when she was going to snap at it the bugger got in amonst a huge pile of around 60 old tyres and it was gone, there was no chance of moving them and in the excitement i fell down the slope smoker still in hand and landed at the bottom unsure of where exactly the rat had bolted to. We tried a few more holes but nothing even though the smoke was belching through them, so we moved to another farm along the road but this place was very clean and tidy and little signs of rats so he called his brother who has another farm and we went a look there, but it was much of the same except he had more cattle in the sheds and it looked a bit more promising but he wasnt willing to let the dog off in with the cows so we spent the next hour shooting pigeons with the air rifle in the barn, which was good craic! He then suggested we try another farm next to him which he assured me was infested with rats as the guys place is a midden, so we tried ringing him but no answer so we just drove over to check it out and see if he was about as we travelled down the farm road i was sure we had taken a wrong turning as my 4x4 was stuggling to get down it and i was sure no one could possibly live down a road like this but just as i was getting ready to turn around i spied a farm about 500 yrds away, so on we went now as i arrived at the house it wasnt any better, i was glad of the rubber boots on as the slurry was up to the rims almost of my boots and this was at the front door, and as i walked to the front door i looked around me and there was 3 rats just sitting at the byer entrance looking back at me, my mate wouldnt even get out of the car it was such a mess, so after chatting to the famer he said no probs lash at it so i had a quick look around with the dog and seen a further 5 rats running about but the light was fadeing by now and i kept loosing them and im sure there was a lot i never even seen, as it was dark by now we didnt bother with the smoker and just called it a day as the farmer said just come out anytime and not to even bother ringing just come out, and my mate who wouldnt leave the truck had been on the sauce lastnight and was starting to feel weasy with the smell of the place, but i dint want to leave as this was te sort of place i had been looking for, but they will keep until another time,. Unfortunately no rats taken for the day but i got a further 3 farms to rat on so it isnt all bad and the dog got a wee chase and did what she was meant to do and enjoyed just hunting about, so it will be back out to the same place next week with a few more dogs and hopefully a pile of dead rats, as me and the dog are still learing the ropes im sure we will get more sucsess in the future but it was good just being out and seeing the smoker flush a rat out and letting the dog have a bit of sport. Just a quick question fore those more in the know hoe long do you smoke a hole for before giving it up as empty? i was doing them for about 3-4 minutes and if nothing came out moving on is this long enough?? YIS THURSO JACK KEEP US POSTED MATE LET US NO HOW YA GET ON Quote Link to post
Guest Keeps Posted January 29, 2006 Report Share Posted January 29, 2006 From what Ive witnessed thurso jack, smokers are more effective at killing rats underground than they are at bolting them... Quote Link to post
IanB 0 Posted January 29, 2006 Report Share Posted January 29, 2006 Nice one mullet good to see the rat pack back in action Quote Link to post
Guest 1 man and hiz dog Posted January 29, 2006 Report Share Posted January 29, 2006 yea thurso jack i would advise you to get johnny d an the black an tans its a good dvd mate and g fun iv you do get it keep your eyes out for the little black an white russell, funny isnt the word good hunting mate jon Quote Link to post
thurso jack 3 Posted January 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2006 cheers for the advice folks ive got the dvd, but i lent it to my mate after only watching it once so ill get it back and study it, i did wonder why more rats didnt bolt, i suspected some may be dying under ground as the holes were well used. And when i put the smoker in i just put it full blast so i must have put it on too much as the one rat that did bolt, bolted at the start. I did wonder about digging them but as it was on a sileage pit i didnt like to as the farmer may have been unhappy, ill wait till ive been a few more times, but at the last farm it will be a real possibility as there is crap everywhere! :stinker: Quote Link to post
mouse 282 Posted January 31, 2006 Report Share Posted January 31, 2006 a lot of the time we just let the terriers mark then we just dig them out.lot of the time you find rats where you never expect them to be.crackin fun for terriers us and the kids Quote Link to post
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