Confessions of a killer

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Alaskajohn

Alaskajohn

Bugged out
Neighbor
HCL Supporter
Joined
Oct 2, 2020
Messages
2,922
Location
Alaska
I guess this best fits in the trapping section out of respect for a little shrew that bested me all weekend.

He was a crafty, sneaky little shrew that bested me all weekend. This little Alaskan shrew was about half the size of your typical mouse. He first showed up last Thursday and the wife asked me to put out the sonic devices that typically drive them out of the house. No need to kill it if we can encourage him outdoors. I told the wife I will give him until Friday to find a new home. I thought he was gone, but the little bugger showed himself Saturday morning.

I set out 4 traps with cheese before we went out for our chores. We expected to find the guy squashed in one of the traps, but he stole the bait from all four. No problem, so this time I did a better job of placing several bits of cheese in several locations around and under the paddles. This was the last of our sliced cheese, so I did this very strategically and carefully on the four traps. We set them out and headed back outside for the afternoon chores. When we came back in that evening and same thing when we came back. I’ve been had. He was getting fat on my accord stealing all my bait.

Typically peanut butter is the bait of choice, since it sticks to the pedal, but we don’t eat it typically so that wasn’t a choice. I repeated the prices this time using ham, sticking it carefully through the holes in the paddle, and set them out before heading to bed. In the morning, same thing. I knew I was now dealing with a special shrew. He was a real pro. I asked the wife to thing of something that sticks, and she thought honey. So we applied that and went out Sunday for our chores. When we came in for lunch, nothing he didn’t touch any of it.

We knew he loved cheese, so I took some more ham and used tape to tap the ham to the pedal with a little bit of ham hanging out from the edges. That did the trick, but the little bugger managed to eat the edges of the ham off of one of the traps before meeting his demise. I actually felt bad for the little bugger because he was such a crafty little devil. I didn’t want to waste such a special critter, so I put his body on a pedestal outside the window and a raven was the benefactor of this smart little guy. I don‘t know how much you know about ravens but they are smarter than most humans. With the raven feasting on this special shrew, I m@y have just created a new monster.

I have nothing but respect for the little shrew who bested me for about half a week. I confess I did feel a little guilty for my deeds.

Here is to a really special shrew! 🐁. 🍺
 
LOL I am so pleased to hear other people also have crafty little critters. I had a mouse problem late fall, and boy were they clever little things. Just like your shrew, my mice would steal the peanut butter from under the paddle, on top of it, behind it!! They eventually would get greedy and two would try at once and that would set off the trap. Since I never use poison I encourage (not that they need encouragement) the dogs to assist in dealing with the mouse problem. They won't eat them just catch.
Then I donate all the unfortunate mice back to the forest as dinner for something else.
 
Rebecca said:
LOL I am so pleased to hear other people also have crafty little critters. I had a mouse problem late fall, and boy were they clever little things. Just like your shrew, my mice would steal the peanut butter from under the paddle, on top of it, behind it!! They eventually would get greedy and two would try at once and that would set off the trap. Since I never use poison I encourage (not that they need encouragement) the dogs to assist in dealing with the mouse problem. They won't eat them just catch.
Then I donate all the unfortunate mice back to the forest as dinner for something else.
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LOL!!! My 18 month old beagle found the whole thing humerus. When the shrew would scurry about, he would simply look and point out to us where he was at. He prided himself in tracking him around showing us all the places he went when we didn’t see him. He knew what we were doing with the traps and stayed away from the traps and kept his eye on him. We have exposed him to what traps are, so he knows.

My previous dog about the same size as our beagle tried to kill and eat everything from shrews, snow shoe hares, lynx, coyotes and moose. Not a good thing for a dog to chase moose and bears but he did take on larger coyotes and lynx. Fortunately he knew not to chase bears. We have purposely taught the beagle not to chase, but to track. He is doing a great job at this which makes us rest easier when we are outside.
 
Agreed. I did feel guilty since he was craftier than a wolverine, but with all the crap in the world today, I thought a short, funny but true little story would take our mind off of this for a brief moment.
 
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Rodents led to the bubonic plague, they have no business in the house. Typically those sonic devices do the trick. He must have been deaf or some mutant. I will sleep better tonight. The dog has finished pointing, so I think the deed is done.
 
Alaskajohn said:
Rodents led to the bubonic plague, they have no business in the house. Typically those sonic devices do the trick. He must have been deaf or some mutant. I will sleep better tonight. The dog has finished pointing, so I think the deed is done.
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I've found the sonic devices to be almost completely ineffective. If the mouse gets real close they act screwy, but if they're across the room they don't even notice the sound...
 
Alaskajohn said:
... with all the crap in the world today, I thought a short, funny but true little story would take our mind off of this for a brief moment.
Click to expand...
Loved it!
And the thread title totally "baited" me in!
lmao.gif
 
Meerkat said:
Well at least they do it for survival only. So I kill them with kindness, quick.
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At half the size of a mouse, a mouse trap killed him quick. We were eating dinner and right behind us, WHAP. It was instantly over. I’d be fortunate to go that quick.
 
This is the exact model that did the trick, but he beat it like 17 times before he made the fatal mistake due to my far superior intelligence. 😏.

I think I need to find the previous generation mouse traps as I’ve never had any problems. Shrews are small and perhaps not as clumsy.

1610427615720.jpeg
 
If you‘ve not seen a shrew, here is what the little bugger looked like. About the size of my thumb.

1610427884896.jpeg
 
We named ours Russel as he would rustle around in the kitchen all night. He had a habit of getting into, and out of, a wine carafe, until the night I left some water in the bottom. Not enough to drown him quickly but if I had sleep a little later he'd not have made it. I took him outside and dumped him on the ground with a stiff warning not to return. He had avoided all other traps and had endeared himself to us by being so crafty.
 
Caribou said:
We named ours Russel as he would rustle around in the kitchen all night. He had a habit of getting into, and out of, a wine carafe, until the night I left some water in the bottom. Not enough to drown him quickly but if I had sleep a little later he'd not have made it. I took him outside and dumped him on the ground with a stiff warning not to return. He had avoided all other traps and had endeared himself to us by being so crafty.
Click to expand...

We did try unsuccessfully to catch him, but the beagle helped it get away each time. Its like he wanted it to stay so he could track it around the house.
 
Odd how each time I post what I think is a throw away thread but it gets traction. I’ve had fun with it.

Again, all for a special little shrew that almost outsmarted me. 🐁🍺
 
Most of the time, people welcome some light hearted distraction and chance for a laugh.

In times like these, even more so.

During the toughest times of my life, I have always tried to be someone who could see the funny side of most things.

Others who I have worked with, have said that is one of the things about me they liked the most.

I am proud of that.
 
I had to drive home from work once because the cats had a mouse and were playing with it. My wife was standing on a chair and the cats were having fun. I grabbed the mouse that was still alive and took him outside. As soon as I let him go the feral cat shot out from under the shed and killed him instantly.
 
I just was watching a video about DIY mouse, vole, and rat poison. It's as easy as equal parts flower and baking soda mix in a little sugar and add just enough water to be able to roll in small balls. They will carry the balls to there nest area and since they can't fart or burp the baking soda will expand there stomach till it bursts killing them.

I would try it if I had mice. Even if a bird of prey eats the dead mouse the baking soda is done fizzing and safe to eat.

They also used equal parts flour and plaster of Paris with some sugar repeat above instructions. They eat it, the plaster sets up causing a blockage and they die. Not as safe for scavengers though.

DIY SHTF poison I guess. Lol
 
BadgerLandHunter said:
I just was watching a video about DIY mouse, vole, and rat poison. It's as easy as equal parts flower and baking soda mix in a little sugar and add just enough water to be able to roll in small balls. They will carry the balls to there nest area and since they can't fart or burp the baking soda will expand there stomach till it bursts killing them.

I would try it if I had mice. Even if a bird of prey eats the dead mouse the baking soda is done fizzing and safe to eat.

They also used equal parts flour and plaster of Paris with some sugar repeat above instructions. They eat it, the plaster sets up causing a blockage and they die. Not as safe for scavengers though.

DIY SHTF poison I guess. Lol
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Yes but the smell of a rotting mouse can be hard to locate.

The Princess purchased an electric mouse trap that electrocuted them. That worked to about $25/mouse.

I purchased a gross of old school snap traps. I'm still reusing my first dozen or so. Some of them have nailed 15 or so critters. I purchased a bunch thinking they would be a good barter item.

Willing to trade a good mouse trap and the world will beat a path to your door.

I use maple syrup to get the trigger sticky and then smash whatever treat I have around onto the trigger. Chocolate chip cookies have worked well but chocolate brownies are performing rather well with only having to bait the trap once and scored 3 mice.

My mice are looking for 2 things. Food and water. The Princess has so much of the house filled that catching them going for food is an exercise in futility. But water is only available at the kitchen sink.

So I generally have at least one trap set in the corner behind the sink. I also habitually scan the surrounding counter for mouse-signs.

In our house I make claim to the title "Great White Mouse Hunter". I nabbed 15 one year. This year only 3 so far.

I recently quipped to The Princess that I should start collecting heads and hot gluing them to a wall mount. She was not pleased.

I don't tend toward killing things but mice and hornets/yellow jackets that threaten me and mine that is another story.


On that note let me share this video have watched repeatedly.



Revenge of the Electric Weenie.

Ben
 
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