A day out ratting

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nokinidea said:
I wish more effort was put in by US to PREVENT that niche from occurring then we wouldn't actually have to go battering rats over the head with shovels...
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well for the most part the rats go after the feed both where it is stored and when its actually put out, storing grain away from the rats can be done but there isnt really anyway to stop rats coming along and eating it when its been put out for the cows.
 
nokinidea said:
if this was not explicitly asked for by the landowner then you ARE just doing it for kicks. Which I think is pretty sick.
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Here we go again with the "you're not allowed to enjoy what you do" rubbish. Once again, the land owner not only requires this (so does the law) but it's part of my mate's JOB DESCRIPTION. How much clearer can I be?

The rats have moved into a niche in the world that has allowed them to breed well.
I wish more effort was put in by US to PREVENT that niche from occurring then we wouldn't actually have to go battering rats over the head with shovels...
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Battering them with shovels = fail. Let the dogs do it for the win. As for preventing the 'niche'... you mean like ceasing agriculture? Great move.
 
Are there any precautions needed when going ratting, could a dog catch a disease from a rat for example by having it in its mouth?
 
To be quite honest rats don't bother me, but it does to my five jack russells. I don't use them for anything but pets. It was just unfortunate that rat was about when patch was.

We do have a beautiful king Fisher that visits our very large pond to feed eveyday, and rats are a danger to their nests which are at ground level.
 
nokinidea said:
Those are really crappy excuses you know...

However I live on a farm and fully understand pest control is required, however if this was not explicitly asked for by the landowner then you ARE just doing it for kicks. Which I think is pretty sick.

The rats have moved into a niche in the world that has allowed them to breed well.
I wish more effort was put in by US to PREVENT that niche from occurring then we wouldn't actually have to go battering rats over the head with shovels...
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What's a bad excuse? Are you denying the dogs are having fun and getting exercise, or that the OP is having fun hunting ? If the OP and his dogs got their fun then at least the rats were good for something.
 
Rainmaker said:
Here we go again with the "you're not allowed to enjoy what you do" rubbish. Once again, the land owner not only requires this (so does the law) but it's part of my mate's JOB DESCRIPTION. How much clearer can I be?
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Here we go again indeed, fair enough if he was asked to do it for pest control as part of HIS JOB...

If however he was sat there at home on a Sunday afternoon and thought, I know I'll just take the dogs out to rip some animals to bits for a bit of fun and enjoyment then yea, damn right that's wrong.. That is not having fun you sick puppy. :p


Rainmaker said:
Battering them with shovels = fail. Let the dogs do it for the win. As for preventing the 'niche'... you mean like ceasing agriculture? Great move.
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Who said anything about ceasing agriculture, there are ways and means of sealing the grain store from vermin and ways of making the food troughs inaccessible to them as well, I know, I've done it...
Take away the food source and you don't have to kill anything...
Or do I need a shovel to make that sink in :D
 
Lydzor said:
Are there any precautions needed when going ratting, could a dog catch a disease from a rat for example by having it in its mouth?
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Yeah rats carry all sorts of nasty diseases, not least of which is leptospirosis. Getting your pup vaccinated, and then regular ratting trips with good wound hygiene is the way to go. Not to mention regular worming. The more they're exposed to it the more resilient they become.

Generally rat bitten terriers (or lurchers) get a small swelling at the bite site which goes away in a day or so. Very (very) rarely the dog will contract an illness. Early treatment with antibiotics saves the day. I've never had it happen to me/mine though.
 
Rich1988 said:
well for the most part the rats go after the feed both where it is stored and when its actually put out, storing grain away from the rats can be done but there isnt really anyway to stop rats coming along and eating it when its been put out for the cows.
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Yes they do indeed go after the stored grain but it's much more satisfying keeping the little buggers out than it is battering them to death because they got in !

You don't just pour it on the ground you know!
 
nokinidea said:
Here we go again indeed, fair enough if he was asked to do it for pest control as part of HIS JOB...

If however he was sat there at home on a Sunday afternoon and thought, I know I'll just take the dogs out to rip some animals to bits for a bit of fun and enjoyment then yea, damn right that's wrong.. That is not having fun you sick puppy. :p
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So if he gets paid it's OK, but the occasions we do the same thing in the same places just because we enjoy doing the job and don't mind if it's for free, we're sick/wrong? Does not compute.

Who said anything about ceasing agriculture, there are ways and means of sealing the grain store from vermin and ways of making the food troughs inaccessible to them as well, I know, I've done it...
Take away the food source and you don't have to kill anything...
Or do I need a shovel to make that sink in :D
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You talked of removing the 'niche' created for rats. I'm not referring to grain silos, I'm talking about the millions of acres we have growing oats, barley, wheat, rye, sweetcorn and god knows what - right there in the field. How do you store that way from the rats while it's still growing? LOL
 
w3bbo said:
I think the words fun and challenge come into it somewhere. I personally don't think there is any harm in ratting but let's not distort the real reasons why people do it. On occasion it may well be vermin control but more often than not it isn't.
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Yes, it is pretty clear the "fun" aspect is fairly high up on the list of reasons why these guys did this today, I mean look at the smile on the face of the bloke in th last picture.
 
Bubo said:
Yes, it is pretty clear the "fun" aspect is fairly high up on the list of reasons why these guys did this today, I mean look at the smile on the face of the bloke in th last picture.
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haha :D To be fair it was more a satisfied smugness than anything :p
 
Rainmaker said:
So if he gets paid it's OK, but the occasions we do the same thing in the same places just because we enjoy doing the job and don't mind if it's for free, we're sick/wrong? Does not compute.
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You are mixing the issue of NEED over ENJOYMENT, as I said, if it was NEEDED, regardless of pay then yes that is acceptable, however, going out to do it "just because" it's something you like to do is NOT..


Rainmaker said:
You talked of removing the 'niche' created for rats. I'm not referring to grain silos, I'm talking about the millions of acres we have growing oats, barley, wheat, rye, sweetcorn and god knows what - right there in the field. How do you store that way from the rats while it's still growing? LOL
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You don't, you use your job to control the pests in the manner which you have depicted in the photos you've posted.

What I am trying to get at is that it should not be classed or confused with something that is "fun to do".
Which brings me squarely back to where I originally commented on Scuzi's reasons for doing it...

1. It's good exercise for the dogs and it is primarily what they were bred for. It's also good training for them.
(REMOVED the one valid statement)
3. It's a good day out for us. Certainly beats browsing the internet.
4. It's awesome fun!
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Totally ****ing wrong.

then you butted in and took it in a different direction :p
 
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To sum this all up then, there are those who enjoy killing things and those who do not enjoy killing things, and never the twain shall meet.
 
nokinidea, it's ALWAYS needed. I just happen to enjoy it and make no excuses for it. I love working my dogs, and find great satisfaction in rearing them, training them and working them whether for pay or sport. Whether it's vermin just getting killed, or game being harvested for the table.

I'd much rather spend the day in the country with the dogs and take my own dinner, than pay Tesco for a polystyrene box wrapped in cellophane so I can pretend my dinner didn't used to moo/baa/oink and didn't need shooting/stabbing to reach my plate. Om nom nom :D
 
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