What animal dug this burrow?

[rod5591]

I finally caught something in one of the rat traps, but it wasn't what I expected. It was a beautiful red male cardinal, dead with a broken neck, and I feel pretty bad about it.
I stomped in the burrow of the mystery creature, and put flat rocks over it, and then stomped them into the soft ground as far as I could drive them. Don't know if it is gone or not. I will keep my eyes open.

 

[aart]

finally caught something in one of the rat traps, but it wasn't what I expected. It was a beautiful red male cardinal, dead with a broken neck, and I feel pretty bad about it.

Oh, that stinks!!
Not sure I've ever heard that one before, but it makes sense depending on bait used.
Putting a milk crate, or something, over snap traps keeps the un-targeted safer.

 

[rod5591]

I caught another bird in the rat trap, so I have removed all the traps. It was a wren and I have seen the birds mate hanging around nearby, looking for it no doubt. I am going to rethink using spring traps because I am a bird lover and feel bad that I inadvertently have killed two birds while trying to trap the critter who dug the burrow. I still have not seen the critter , however it has re-dug the burrow after I stomped it all down, caving it in. The entrance was moved a few inches from the pallet, which I removed, to under a large heavy paving stone. I have so many moles in this yard that I am suspecting this is what it might be, but I have no proof since I have never seen it.

 

[micstrachan]

Oh no! I’m so sorry for you and that awful experience. It really stinks.

 

[aart]

I caught another bird in the rat trap

Ack! Course I don't want those little birds around my chickens, but still.
When trapping un-targeted pests need to be protected by set up of trap....
...do you try covering snap trap to exclude little birdies?

 

[rod5591]

...do you try covering snap trap to exclude little birdies?

covering them how? I do not know this technique.

 

[aart]

covering them how? I do not know this technique.

Putting a milk crate, or something, over snap traps keeps the un-targeted safer.

Tho might not work for keeping tiny birds away.

What were you using for bait?

 

[rod5591]

Tho might not work for keeping tiny birds away.

What were you using for bait?

 

[rod5591]

For bait I used peanut butter

 

[rod5591]

It is more than a month later. It was raining and I walked out into the chicken yard to close up the coops for the evening. As I neared, I saw movement, and into focus came the biggest, fattest Norwegian brown rat as i have ever seen. It was so fat, it must have been a pregnant female. I immediately set out 3 snap traps baited with cheese and peanut butter. Come morning i will find out if I have reduced the local population of fat rodents by one or two....