GTA
All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => Hunting Gate => Topic started by: JohnnyPDX on December 31, 2020, 08:52:18 AM
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1) They seem to have adapted to MY waking schedule and are not coming around to a peanut butter bait station after I wake up. The doorbell cam shows them up until 30 minutes before I wake up. The house is blacked out and I walk quietly and only use a red-screened flashlight when absolutely necessary. DON'T MOVE THE FURNITURE! ;) ;) ;)
2) They eat in a very tidy / organized way. I make a patch, circular outlined layer, of peanut butter in the middle of a paper plate and they remove the PB with their paws leaving an EXACTLY straight line at the edge of where they ate.
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One trick with PB is to make it runny by mixing it with vegetable oil, keeps them there longer and bait last longer.
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One trick with PB is to make it runny by mixing it with vegetable oil, keeps them there longer and bait last longer.
I Like it, and will start doing that, and also microwave chocolate chips into it. I am waiting on rats right now. Still have 1.5+ hours of dark.
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start checking around your house. sounds like they installed a motion sensor to indicate your whereabouts. ;)
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start checking around your house. sounds like they installed a motion sensor to indicate your whereabouts. ;)
That's perfect. I needed a laugh, Thanks.
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They are vulpine creatures, these rats.
Been hunting them I was in the 5th-6th grade, so I am familiar with their tactics.
Yes, avoid rearranging their surroundings, as they would notice it.
My favorite bait is rice mixed with sardines or fish (they have an overpowering smell, yes, which is Nirvana for their nostrils ;D
I put the amalgam in a plastic bag, perforate it, then tie/peg it.
Plastic will create a very audible rustle, and rice, being numerous, takes time to be consumed grain by grain.
They will be busy tearing apart that plastic bag, I tell you ;D
It's New Year, so give them something special in lieu of the boring peanut butter, sir, lol!
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They are vulpine creatures, these rats.
Been hunting them I was in the 5th-6th grade, so I am familiar with their tactics.
Yes, avoid rearranging their surroundings, as they would notice it.
My favorite bait is rice mixed with sardines or fish (they have an overpowering smell, yes, which is Nirvana for their nostrils ;D
I put the amalgam in a plastic bag, perforate it, then tie/peg it.
Plastic will create a very audible rustle, and rice, being numerous, takes time to be consumed grain by grain.
They will be busy tearing apart that plastic bag, I tell you ;D
It's New Year, so give them something special in lieu of the boring peanut butter, sir, lol!
Dang Dude. I am so glad I posted or I wouldn't have known about your recipe.
Can I use can packed sardines like at Dollar Tree? what is the approx. volume ratio of rice to fishy things?
Thank You! This ratting has become quite an obsession.
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Seems there good reason to make a buffet plate using your 'formula' and peanut butter, arranged nicely of course. They have rights too :D :D :D
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Well, there is no magic to the mixture, Mr. Johnny.
You can innovate by using shredded bread instead of rice.
I go for sardines in tomato sauce, the one sans spice.
Shredded fish works equally as well.
I used this method when I used to sleep in the office in the Philippines; my quarters being on the 2nd floor overlooking the work area.
I would tie it up, the plastic containing goodies, around one of the chair’s pegs and wait for the alarm bell, aka the rustle.
It’s fun watching watching a rat with its nape imbedded with a blowgun dart 😝
Oftentimes I would be in deep slumber, only to wake up with the plastic bag empty, lol!
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I'll try the Dollar Tree sardines with some uncooked rice.
Thanks and hopefully this buffet will yield another video.
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Astute observations on those rats Johnny as they do adjust to what happens around them! Richard has been hunting rats longer than most of us and has great intel on how to lure them in! He used to use a blowgun to get them! Amazing!
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Astute observations on those rats Johnny as they do adjust to what happens around them! Richard has been hunting rats longer than most of us and has great intel on how to lure them in! He used to use a blowgun to get them! Amazing!
I substituted smoked oysters to the rice (too lazy to deal with Dollar Tree yesterday) then bagged, poked, and staked the bag in front of the doorbell cam, like usual. Upset their normal eating area with the bag as they are neophobic. i will refine this!
Really need rotten herring, sardine... fishy stuff... that smells like under the refrigerator in a seafood store that doesn't meet health codes. STENCH
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Think I'll go catch a carp at the pond and let it get ripe then freeze the ripeness in portioned bags. Keeping stink intentionally goes against my grain but gotta do what is necessary for rat kill videos!
I want to get one of those trophies some of you guys post pics of.
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You’ll get them Johnny, just a matter of time! Rat activity slows in the colder months...get a couple warm days and out they come!
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You’ll get them Johnny, just a matter of time! Rat activity slows in the colder months...get a couple warm days and out they come!
Yes I am believer. The rats eat the PB 4 nights per week but I am conked out, usually, at midnight etc... This morning got a cat on the camera and I think the fireworks ruined this hunt.
Are you ratting much?
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I hate rats so much I will hardly even open a rat thread. I had a problem with them years ago and learned to respect them even though I don't like to think about them. They are like any other creature and have personalities and strengths and weaknesses along with favorite foods. I had one that would turn up its nose on PB and cheese. I tried other things (forgot) and eventually got it since it couldn't resist fresh fruit. Many of them would just curl up and expire once dispatched and a few super rats would fight to their last dying breath. Made me feel bad but they had to go.
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I hate rats so much I will hardly even open a rat thread. o.
I get it because I feel the same about snakes. Shoot 'em all and let God sort it out.
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I’ve had similar experiences in the past with our rats. They quickly learn patterns of when their comrades die and what noises were heard when said deaths occurred.
I ended up learning a bunch about the little guys.
What I remember:
Their vision is poor at best, blurry after ~4-6’ depending on genetics and mostly they see black and white with subtle hues of color. This is why they prefer to have runs (straight lines they can travel down quickly) on fence lines or buildings.
Their other senses make up for such poor vision, hearing and smell especially. Hearing is the main way they detect threats and smell is a big form of communication for them. Their urine is used for communication, kinda like how we pass information about food, safety, and mating.
When they feel seriously threatened, they may wait as long as an hr to even move from a hiding spot to run away.
I’ve used cheap cornmeal for years to entice the Norway Rats in our area, corn being a staple of their diet for a couple of centuries now, it works pretty well. I feed them regularly at dusk at a bait station setup on our fence, it has one very small entrance at the top and the food is down low on the other side, making a truly fast escape hard for them. They have to sit for a while to get full because the meal is so small, but they will only do so if they feel comfortable.
I try and wait until I see lots of drippings and urine at the bait station before I start killing, since this means they are comfortable in the space and won’t spook as easily.
Y’all’s experiences may differ, but in my neighborhood these guys are very cautious and pretty darn smart.
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At the dairy I will bait certain areas with the feed on the premises. Oftentimes I don’t hunt those areas right away. I let them get comfortable with the bounty. I’ve done it both ways... and it doesn’t matter. They are sneaky, wary, ever moving rats. Which makes the kills that much more satisfying. I also bait the nooks and crannies where they feel concealed. Have shot many that way. I love shooting rats because they are so wary, you earn those kills.
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Austin you're absolutely right on the urine, they will follow the yellow brick road and prefer straight lines. Seems like we've all learned a bunch about these nasty little creatures. Good shooting...
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At the dairy I will bait certain areas with the feed on the premises. Oftentimes I don’t hunt those areas right away. I let them get comfortable with the bounty. I’ve done it both ways... and it doesn’t matter. They are sneaky, wary, ever moving rats. Which makes the kills that much more satisfying. I also bait the nooks and crannies where they feel concealed. Have shot many that way. I love shooting rats because they are so wary, you earn those kills.
They do like corn. I've seen rats about as big as cats on a grain dock. Steady easy diet with no real predators.
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These are indeed cautious. The doorbell cam alert system videos them for 10 seconds at a time an they are skittish and looking around in all of those snippets. They always look to our home's backdoor. I have finally mastered FULL BLACKOUT and it pays well.
Funny thing is they hide right next to the camera under a makeshift firewood and cedar shingle 'shed' for the camera. HaHa, I have two cameras and can have them looking at each other. I was doing my impression of a drug dealer with two phones, one for each camera, but settled on one phone with the best wifi and bluetooth connectivity. I am not OCD about this, I think.
I love these discussions!
The kills, and especially a video kill, are earned.
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Interesting thread.
It sounds like hearing is the biggest way they catch on to people about to drop the Leaden Fist of God on them...
Now this might be a stupid idea, but Since you guys are investing in technology to help, how about a white noise generator near the bait area? Get the rats used to a constant white noise and they may have a harder time noticing any small sounds that let them know you are opening a window or door.
It also occurs to me light glare could be used to keep them visible but you hidden. If they could get conditioned / used to the presence of a small bright light / bare bible shining towards the trap at all times they might not be able to see past the light.
Never hunted rats so maybe not useful suggestions
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Interesting thread.
It sounds like hearing is the biggest way they catch on to people about to drop the Leaden Fist of God on them...
Now this might be a stupid idea, but Since you guys are investing in technology to help, how about a white noise generator near the bait area? Get the rats used to a constant white noise and they may have a harder time noticing any small sounds that let them know you are opening a window or door.
Sound and movement... they are very wary. Around the dairy they don’t alert much at the sounds of the cows or equipment. Barking dogs? Farm workers? Definitely. Rats have spoiled me for other forms of pesting. They are my preferred prey.
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Interesting thread.
It sounds like hearing is the biggest way they catch on to people about to drop the Leaden Fist of God on them...
Now this might be a stupid idea, but Since you guys are investing in technology to help, how about a white noise generator near the bait area? Get the rats used to a constant white noise and they may have a harder time noticing any small sounds that let them know you are opening a window or door.
It also occurs to me light glare could be used to keep them visible but you hidden. If they could get conditioned / used to the presence of a small bright light / bare bible shining towards the trap at all times they might not be able to see past the light.
Never hunted rats so maybe not useful suggestions
Cool Dude, those are awesome ideas. The white noise and light in the eyes... it seems a tad Clockwork Orange or something. I like it.
Their hearing is what puts the kaibosh on it, always. It's amazing hearing.
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Interesting thread.
It sounds like hearing is the biggest way they catch on to people about to drop the Leaden Fist of God on them...
Now this might be a stupid idea, but Since you guys are investing in technology to help, how about a white noise generator near the bait area? Get the rats used to a constant white noise and they may have a harder time noticing any small sounds that let them know you are opening a window or door.
Sound and movement... they are very wary. Around the dairy they don’t alert much at the sounds of the cows or equipment. Barking dogs? Farm workers? Definitely. Rats have spoiled me for other forms of pesting. They are my preferred prey.
It requires a lot of focus to get them and focus is good for me.
I have a dairy permission as well as ground squirrel but it's a disgusting dairy, honestly. I've shot at three different dairies and they are not all alike. The fun part of dairies is they are 24/7 and I can get there at 3am and no one even blinks. I shoot at a dairy on the Oregon Coast before salmon fishing trips that usually start at 5:30am.
Another dairy I had permission to years ago was SO CLEAN and you wanted eat ice cream afterwards. The coastal dairy makes you not want dairy for a month, at least.
Last night was bust because I added a different bait AND massive fireworks. Tomorrow.
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Interesting thread.
It sounds like hearing is the biggest way they catch on to people about to drop the Leaden Fist of God on them...
Now this might be a stupid idea, but Since you guys are investing in technology to help, how about a white noise generator near the bait area? Get the rats used to a constant white noise and they may have a harder time noticing any small sounds that let them know you are opening a window or door.
It also occurs to me light glare could be used to keep them visible but you hidden. If they could get conditioned / used to the presence of a small bright light / bare bible shining towards the trap at all times they might not be able to see past the light.
Never hunted rats so maybe not useful suggestions
I like the idea of a white noise generator, that could work well if the rats were able to get used to it. I’m sure they get used to lights eventually.
I honestly haven’t invested too much tech into this, more knowledge than anything. I got a lot of stuff from sites that are actually for people who own rats as pets ::)
I wonder what those people would think if they knew the information the provide for their favorite pets was used to kill the cousins of said pets ;D