Rats!

Once again the Desert is blooming and of course when it does the critters take advantage of the bounty. I have been fighting the Mice all spring. In fact my bucket traps have been supplying most of Jessie's ( Peregrine Falcon ) caloric intake. On those I used a roller, and it worked well for the Mice. The Rats however are too big to catch with that and I have had to enlarge and use other techniques for them. Some of the Bushy Tailed Wood Rats are up in the Grey Squirrel range when it comes to size.

In a normal year I can keep up with the Rat population with a couple of live traps. Of course then I have to kill them in such a way that they will be safe food for Jessie. No shooting allowed! Of course since they don't do all that well at holding still, the challenge is a bit more than I am capable of with any thing less than a shotgun. Josie the Brittney, has filled that niche quite well. She does have a tendency to  ( torture) play with her victims a bit however. The rats however are enough of a serious problem that they cannot be allowed in human habitation. The big ones ( Bushy Tailed Wood Rat ) has a scent gland that is guaranteed to stop up your sinuses in nothing flat, not to mention the damage to wiring and insulation. Any way- Trust me, you too would be just as ruthless if you had them over running your living area.

    
She likes to grab them by the tail and carry them to a safe spot to play with. Part of their escape mechanism is that the tail will come off the tail bone if not held really hard.

She is off, and away from any possible escape spots, at least until it bites her. Then all bets are off.

This is a supplement feed barrel for Cows. I have a board that is hinged so that if the Rats get out to where the apple is, it tips and they fall into the water below.

This is the nights catch. Two Bushy Tailed, one Desert Wood Rat, one Mouse.

Here is a short video. Password is -  owyheeflyer

https://vimeo.com/131104192