A.M. March 20, 2012

This month is cruising!  And today I am cruising!  Lots to do and little time to do it.

Hitting Petersons property first thing this morning.  My plan is to get it “set” no matter how long it takes.  I have plenty of traps for the job and all day if need be.

Last year I set 81 traps over two days and that was an overkill for the area needing to be trapped.  I did manage to capture 35 rats in 3 days however.  And this is about all the time I have to trap it this year.

I think 60 traps should do it this year and in that arsenal I have two colony traps available.  I think there are places I can use those two traps out there and they lessen the total number of traps needed to capture the little critters, as each is capable of up to six rats p/day.  Not that they always catch that many, it’s just that six can fit inside each trap should they come thundering along the trail and pack into it.

The days goal also has me checking the traps I set yesterday at Doris’ and if there is enough daylight left, I’ll check all the traps on Club 41 and pull a few of the ones that have not captured any rats lately.

A hefty goal for one day.

Expected catch:  22 rats.

Bears Butt

P.M. Report

When I went to head out, I had a very low tire on the trailer…boooooo.  I puffed it up and waited 10 minutes and then checked the pressure….it was down 6 pounds!  BOOOOO!  So, I headed to Les Swab to have it fixed.

Arriving there they jumped right on it and pulled the tire.  Dunked it in a tank of water and held it down for about a minute.  Could not see any bubbles and therefore, put it back on the trailer and filled it with air (40 pounds).  No charge and out the door I went.

Arriving at Petersons about 10 a.m.  What a beautiful morning it was too.  A bit chilly and some thin ice on the water, but the makings of a great day.

There was quite a bit of rat sign and I went to setting traps as quickly as I usually do…slow…By the end of the line, which is a very long loop, I had set 54 traps and the sun was getting low in the sky.  I knew there would be no way I would get my traps checked on Club 41….oh well.

I worked my way back to Doris’ pond and ran into a ranch worker.  He said he had seen a rat in one of the ditches and he took me over and showed me the place.  I grabbed 7 traps off the toy and walked into the ditch.  It did not take long to find 5 bank holes, which I promptly covered with iron.

Then on to check the 16 traps I set yesterday.  I am always hoping to catch a rat in each trap, but reality says somewhere between 25 and 50 percent is usual and so it went.  I caught 7 rats.  BIG HAIRY LEGGED RATS I MIGHT ADD!!  I’m pretty sure one of them will stretch to 18 inches.  We will see tomorrow.

Needless to say, I did not leave Doris’ pond until nearly 5 p.m. and my butt was kicked.

Before leaving Doris’ I checked the air pressure in the tire…23 pounds…boooo.

Back home, I loaded the 7 rats into Bob’s fridge, right next to the milk and then backed the trailer into my garage and changed the tire.  I don’t have time to mess with not getting an early start tomorrow.  I decided to put the tire I took off the trailer on as a spare.  So I puffed it up to 40 pounds.  Then just because, I checked the tightness of the valve stem…I was able to turn it one full turn!  HMMMMMM.  Was that all there was wrong?  I hope so.  I will check it tomorrow before I leave.  But, even if it is low, I’m still heading out as early as I can.

So, my count was down, because I did not get over to Club 41 to check and pull some of those traps.  Life is touch sometimes.  The rats that I would have counted in todays catch will be there tomorrow for tomorrows count.  I expect a very large catch tomorrow.  I will dream well tonight.

Oh, Bob once again kicked my butt with rat catch…11 for him today!  He was a happy guy when he told me.  I am glad for him and for us, an 18 rat day is OK for us.  By the way, we are now 8 rats short of having 600!  And still three more days to trap.  Bob has four days left to trap and five if he wants.  Me?  I want to be done on Friday.

Bears Butt