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How to find RATS?

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ray1377

ray1377

Member
Jul 1, 2015
259
110
New Albany, Mississippi, United States
I've read a bunch of posts about ratting. I understand the airgun , light, and bait for the job but don't see much info on the "WHERE".
How do you go about locating them? What do you look for? Years ago I put out bait in front of a trail cam and the bait would be gone the next day but no rat or mice pics. Are they too small to even set a trail cam off? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Ray
 
ray1377 said:
I've read a bunch of posts about ratting. I understand the airgun , light, and bait for the job but don't see much info on the "WHERE".
How do you go about locating them? What do you look for? Years ago I put out bait in front of a trail cam and the bait would be gone the next day but no rat or mice pics. Are they too small to even set a trail cam off? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Ray
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When the population is large they get quite confident. You'll see them out and about during the day. In a yard, usually on the perimeter: up trees, under bushes, etc.

Once you start hunting them, they become a little more difficult to find.

I'm lazy and use a thermal scope.
 
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I’ve busted hellla rats with my Wyze brand Wi-Fi cam pointed at my food pile in my rat “kill zone”. The best baits results I’ve had have been with rice soaked in bacon grease … and grape nuts soaked in beef grease …they won’t run off with the bait and will have to feed at the pile .. Also a handheld thermal could definitely be helpful… th
 
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Berserkeley Mike said:
But seriously, there is usually a rat problem and then one goes ratting there: animal pens, farm, grainary, food court, city dump. Otherwise it is the usual signs of animals: dug or chewed holes, feces, paths or runs. If you don't have those then at most they are just tourist rats.
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"tourist rats" ???
 
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ray1377 said:
"tourist rats" ???
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Allen
 
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Chicken farms seem to be the best in rural areas without baiting! I was surprised at how few rats I found at dairy farms around me, but I guess that's good for the farmer. I find peanut butter to be the best as they have to stay at the spot to eat it! And NV with a thermal spotter is the rig to use without going full thermal (and a lot of dough).
 
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a farm around feeders or a dump for those fat slow ones ... a smaller infestation of roof rats is harder to deal with, theyre like greased lightening and can be seriously damaging to infrastructure, vehicles and everything else ... once you locate their obvious haunts you just got to stake them out, night vision is the only thimg that ever worked for me and it has to be stealthy, they know every sound of the area ...
 
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My chickens eat rats. Not full-grown rats, but they'll eat the young and underweight ones, plus mice. The process looks like a bit like a python eating a deer. They chase them down, and peck and claw at them until they go immobile, then gobble them down in one motion.
 
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dizzums said:
a farm around feeders or a dump for those fat slow ones ... a smaller infestation of roof rats is harder to deal with, theyre like greased lightening and can be seriously damaging to infrastructure, vehicles and everything else ... once you locate their obvious haunts you just got to stake them out, night vision is the only thimg that ever worked for me and it has to be stealthy, they know every sound of the area ...
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Like you, I deal with roof/fruit rats! They are like huge mice, quick and can climb just about most surfaces in a jiffy! They are also NOT COMMUNAL so they live in a small family structure and protect their area from other roof rats so no giant colonies of them unlike norway/sewer rats. I am lucky because behind my house is a major street so most of the rats are used to sounds and lights. I have a red LED flood light in my back yard and in tandem with a wireless doorcam, they don't have much of a chance, the really skittish ones might take a day or two longer to get acclimated but they always do to the free PB...😂👍
 
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Ranchibi said:
Like you, I deal with roof/fruit rats! They are like huge mice, quick and can climb just about most surfaces in a jiffy! They are also NOT COMMUNAL so they live in a small family structure and protect their area from other roof rats so no giant colonies of them unlike norway/sewer rats. I am lucky because behind my house is a major street so most of the rats are used to sounds and lights. I have a red LED flood light in my back yard and in tandem with a wireless doorcam, they don't have much of a chance, the really skittish ones might take a day or two longer to get acclimated but they always do to the free PB...😂👍
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I have a cheap homebuilt IR NV unit I plan to use. Shouldn't need a red light. Curious where you find a red led flood light for the whole back yard. How long does it take for them to show up with PB? Anybody have luck getting pictures of them on your bait with a game camera?

Thx
Ray
 
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ray1377 said:
I have a cheap homebuilt IR NV unit I plan to use. Shouldn't need a red light. Curious where you find a red led flood light for the whole back yard. How long does it take for them to show up with PB? Anybody have luck getting pictures of them on your bait with a game camera?

Thx
Ray
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Ray, I got my red LED floodlight at Home Depot, it is a 15 watt, probably get them from amazon too. Peanut butter has a strong scent so they know it's there 👍
 
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