Really the snap traps only work if you put them in a “tunnel” that the rats use (illegal to put Fenn traps anywhere else I think) but Fenn traps are very effective properly deployed. Much the same applies to poison & live traps and once you’ve caught one in a live trap the others will tend to avoid it, plus you have the problem of killing them.
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Fox-1 by Pete Smith, on Flickr
Fox-2 by Pete Smith, on Flickr
Fox-4 by Pete Smith, on Flickr
She looks in good condition, a little food might encourage her more, if that's what you want to doWell the little one turned up last night, technically this morning as it was 0130. I was sat in my driveway about 15ft max from her & have never ever needed to shoot at 16000 iso... so the noise is something I'll need to look into.. LOL
She followed our dog walk again & was waiting at the end of my drive after I put the dogs in the house.
Fox-5 by Pete Smith, on Flickr
Fox-6 by Pete Smith, on Flickr
She obviously likes youSorry for the thread hijack !!!
Tonight she was waiting for me for the night time break. My 2 dogs are still a little curious of her ... but she keeps a respectful 10ft behind us as we walk around the block - LOL.
Ill break out the 85mm 1.4 for tomorrow - if she turns up ....
so far 14 out of 16 nights she has followed us...
They would have to catch her first ... they are very wily, always one step ahead of the Badgers in my garden.
Watching ... hopefully!
.so embarasing. I can't even get to nine pm without me face in me dinner. 
I seriously don't like them !!! I'd get eaten see vid above^^^^^^^^^^^^^ they will visit scent of food I guess and of course the wet this time of year moves them ............you be putting them sox outside those trousers my lad. Don't want the buggers in there do ya !!
At least he's not limping, which is probably a good sign. Hey, perhaps that rat was a martial arts expert?Well more rat activity than Foxes and Badgers last night grrr!
I stopped the spread of food completely and just put it in the bowl, but of course that didn't deter them at all.
They seemed to come from around the blackberry bush, so the gardener is here now removing it back to the roots until next year.
What was of more concern was the state of the dog Fox later during the night.
He appears and chases a rat but then returns later in the night looking decidedly weird, his tail seems to have been stripped and he's lost fur to a section of his back, I was very worried for his wellbeing until I saw him shake himself at the end of the clip.
I do hope that he hasn't done anything serious, I can only suspect a run in with a vehicle.
Fox-24 by Pete Smith, on Flickr
Fox-16 by Pete Smith, on Flickr
Fox-15 by Pete Smith, on Flickr
Fox-22 by Pete Smith, on Flickr
Fox-30 by Pete Smith, on Flickr
Fox-36 by Pete Smith, on Flickr
Fox-38 by Pete Smith, on Flickr
Fox-43 by Pete Smith, on Flickr
Not often you see that! The rat doesn’t sound very happy
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Some years ago I was outside of a door on a callout near the old mortuary in the centre of Bristol (Lakota Club) when I heard a 'squeak' and saw the biggest rat I have ever seen being chased straight toward me by a ginger tom!Not often you see that! The rat doesn’t sound very happy
I know cats are very effective rat catchers though I suspect they are mostly young ones, cats don’t seem to have big enough jaws to quickly kill a large rat, as in this case. Rufus, my late terrier, used to just grab them across the body briefly and then just drop them and they were dead, no shaking etc like most seem to do, great technique. Not that we went ratting, just the odd ones he came across,
I think the old 'farm ratters' used to have Jack Russell terriers and few rats remained.
People still do ratting but not I think in large enough numbers to be effective, I guess the introduction of Warfarin etc made it easier. In any case that only really works round farm buildings, grain stores etc, and of course the numbers still build up. I know of an old stone farm house (no longer a farm proper) where the rats got plenty of attention from terriers, cats, traps (not poison) but they were still numerous enough in the hollows in the walls to destroy all the wiring. It’s where my Fell Terrier Rufus was bred & born
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Best not to set it again.Having seen the rats last week and the cat getting one, I decided to put a rat trap under the hedge where they moved to and blocked access to the trap with large stones. Checked a few mornings after with no result, then went out one morning and found the large stones pulled out and no sign of the trap ... horror, was it on a Badger's nose or paw!
Checked the video and glad to see there were no casualties other than what appeared to be a Wood Mouse, the Badger had turfed it out and abandoned it on the lawn and a Fox later picked it up by the mouse and carried it off ... nicked my rat trap!
Went out this morning and saw the trap on the lawn, the video showed that the Fox brought it back again at 1am, minus the mouse!
Indeed, never trust a BadgerBest not to set it again.
The fox obviously wants you to set it againHaving seen the rats last week and the cat getting one, I decided to put a rat trap under the hedge where they moved to and blocked access to the trap with large stones. Checked a few mornings after with no result, then went out one morning and found the large stones pulled out and no sign of the trap ... horror, was it on a Badger's nose or paw!
Checked the video and glad to see there were no casualties other than what appeared to be a Wood Mouse, the Badger had turfed it out and abandoned it on the lawn and a Fox later picked it up by the mouse and carried it off ... nicked my rat trap!
Went out this morning and saw the trap on the lawn, the video showed that the Fox brought it back again at 1am, minus the mouse!
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We're just inquisitive, that's all.Indeed, never trust a Badger
One of the youngsters is very edgy normally, jumping at every sound ... looks like her companion gave her confidence
Fox Flash-2 by Pete Smith, on Flickr
Fox Flash-5 by Pete Smith, on Flickr
Fox Flash-8 by Pete Smith, on Flickr
