Today I was looking for scrap wood in the carport to build by duck nesting boxes. I lifted some wood and what jumps out and runs for its life. The rat! This male rat has been living in the carport forever. I thought it was gone, but no it is still here. It was here before I even had my ducks. I know it is not eating the duck food, because that is stored tightly in metal bins inside of the building. I found its stash of Ponderosa pine seeds. I can identify this rat, since it does not longer have a tail. It must has seven lives. Really. Tail got bitten off by my dog 2 years ago, and it was a bloody mess. The cat has been chasing it around for a long while, but seems to be to scarred of killing it. My husband shot twice at it, and apparently missed each time. Ok, so today I emptied out the carport, cleaned out the mess, and put the stuff in off the ground. No hiding now. Don't want to put a trap out, because of the cat and chipmunks we have. Poisoning is also out of the question for the same reason. I have to think about something.
