Todays trap setting went about as I planned.  Doris’ pond has been changed quite a lot since last year.  They had a big digger machine come in and dig out the pond and place the mud all around the edge.  Then they smoothed it out in order to plant grass.  The grass is scheduled to be planted this spring.  It really makes the pond area look nice…however, they destroyed all the rat hiding places.  My walk around the pond yielded no sign what so ever and the water is very deep.  The sets I was able to put in were all “blind” sets and baited with carrots.  I set two floats as well, each float has two traps on them.

I swagged in 7 foot hold traps plus the two floats.  Then grabbed up a bag of 20 conibears and headed down the ditch that carries the over flow out and across the flats.  No sign in the ditch either and no rat holes.  They had taken the digger down that ditch and cleaned it up as well.  It looks really nice, but no rats.

The ranch hand told me of another place that Doris owns just down the road that I needed to check out.  He said there was a small swamp with a lot of rat houses in it.  He also has 18 bulls in there, but he reassured me they would not bother me…I hate bulls.

After setting the pond I took the drive down where he told me and looked across with the binocs…sure enough there must be 50 rat houses in an area not much bigger than a square block.  Also, 18 bulls.  Did I tell you how much I dislike bulls?  It is going to be a “suck it up and go trapping” ordeal because that many houses means at least 100 rats.

Then back up the road toward home I came.  I stopped at what I call Big Spring to look the situation over.  My main concern was pulling off the highway.  I got out and surveyed the situation and decided I could bust through the bigger drift next to the road (left by the state plows) and slide down the hill to some semi shallow snow.  Getting out might be a little problem, but I decided what the heck and went for it.  No problem getting in.  I backed up and pulled forward several times, flattening out the snow and trying to get myself a run-way to get out when the time came.

Then on went the hip boots and off I went with a 20 trap bag of conibears on my back.  Down to the Big Spring and immediately started seeing sign.  I set 16 traps as I proceeded around the spring.  What I think has happened is that lower stretches of the spring water has been frozen and is just now starting to thaw, that forced the rats up in the warmer water of the spring and they are just now beginning to spread out and go down stream.

The snow is about 12 inches deep out there on the flat.  My toy can handle about 8 inches before it gets high centered.  We have another snow storm coming tonight and tomorrow and so the plow is still on the toy until the threat of snow is over, probably Friday.  By then I hope the snow out there melts down and allows me to be able to drive out and follow the flow away from Big Spring.  I will have Big Spring trapped out by then and it will be time to set more traps farther out.  I’m too old and out of shape to walk that far and so I’m really at the mercy of the snow melting gods to get me there.

Back at the truck the task of pulling out of where I was and back onto the highway was giving me some heart ache.  Where the rig was sitting was flat and only had about 6 inches of snow on it.  I had flattened out a pretty good area and by backing up as far as I could (before spinning out), would give me a pretty good running start to go on an angle through the big drift and back to the highway.  There would be no way I could go back out the way I had slid in.  My biggest concern was when I hit the big drift, would it cause the back end to slide to the right and hang me up at a 90 degree angle to the highway.  That would be an ugly sight.

When I was all ready to give it hell, I pushed the auto 4 wheel drive button in, moved the gear shift to “L” and gunned it…shoot it didn’t even spin a tire.  On the road and headed home without any issues what so ever.

So, with 9 sets at Doris’ and 16 at Big Spring we are off and running for the season.  I expect to catch 10 rats tomorrow.

It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t show you the bird I saw today:

Bears Butt

Feb. 19, 2013