This is how it looks this morning.
Quite the improvement.  Notice the poison box too.

Any updates?  Guess all the rats must be dead.

You should invest in a terrier to go ratting.

Any updates?  Guess all the rats must be dead.

You should invest in a terrier to go ratting.

They seem to be mostly gone although I still hear them every now and then.

Before my German Shepherd I had two Jack Russell Terriers.  They would've wreaked hell on the rats.

+4 very young rats.  Evidently there was a litter born pretty recently and they live under the sidewalk in my yard.  I saw one dart into a hole at the edge of the sidewalk. They are starting to venture out during the day.  Found 4 of them in the flower bed within about 30 minutes.   .22 cal pellet does a lot more damage to small rats than big ones.

376 total

no more rat hunts?

no more rat hunts?

Nope, rats all left once the trash got cleaned up. I didn't see or hear any for the last several months I lived there.  A couple months ago I moved to Washington state.  My wife retired and we wanted a large piece of property in the country.  Couldn't afford that in Hawaii.  We ended up with a large piece of forest with a ~1.5 acre clearing cut out of it - which is where the house is.  Our driveway is 3/4 mile long.  I'll try post some pics but I'm so far out in the boonies I have to have satellite internet now and the upload is god awful slow.

The critters causing me headaches now are moles and gophers.   Remember that ~1.5 acre clearing?  It's mostly grass that has to be mowed.  The moles/gophers are leaving large mounds of dirt all over that the riding mower hates.  Since they stay underground I can't shoot them.  I've tried car exhaust gassing them but that didn't work.  I'll have to see about traps.

Also noticed it's exactly one year since I last posted.

Here are some photos.  We actually had snow a couple weeks ago.  Right now it's about 30 degrees outside.

That stream bears salmon and it's on the property =)

Probably more appropriate to this forum, we have lots of wildlife for hunters.  Deer, bear, raccoons, squirrels, rabbits, Bald Eagles (don't shoot those!), coyotes, - these are just the ones that have been seen in the yard (previous owners said they've seen bears & coyotes - I've seen the others).

Probably more appropriate to this forum, we have lots of wildlife for hunters.  Deer, bear, raccoons, squirrels, rabbits, Bald Eagles (don't shoot those!), coyotes, - these are just the ones that have been seen in the yard (previous owners said they've seen bears & coyotes - I've seen the others).

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That is wonderful.
You gonna need a bigger gun.

You gonna need a bigger gun.

 

WOW! THat's a beautiful property! I wonder if I sell my home here can I afford to get something similar on the mainland?

Nope, rats all left once the trash got cleaned up. I didn't see or hear any for the last several months I lived there.  A couple months ago I moved to Washington state.  My wife retired and we wanted a large piece of property in the country.  Couldn't afford that in Hawaii.  We ended up with a large piece of forest with a ~1.5 acre clearing cut out of it - which is where the house is.  Our driveway is 3/4 mile long.  I'll try post some pics but I'm so far out in the boonies I have to have satellite internet now and the upload is god awful slow.

The critters causing me headaches now are moles and gophers.   Remember that ~1.5 acre clearing?  It's mostly grass that has to be mowed.  The moles/gophers are leaving large mounds of dirt all over that the riding mower hates.  Since they stay underground I can't shoot them.  I've tried car exhaust gassing them but that didn't work.  I'll have to see about traps.

Also noticed it's exactly one year since I last posted.

Get a cat and bury the poop into the mole holes. They hate that.

I grew up in Whatcom county and my neighbor got his shotgun confiscated by the Game Warden after he caught us shooting at birds in the back woods.

Doesn't look like trees are near your house which is good during a wind storm. Still, get a hefty generator. It could take weeks to get your power back when it knocks out the power poles.

WOW! THat's a beautiful property! I wonder if I sell my home here can I afford to get something similar on the mainland?

Thank you! I love living in forest area.

Yes, you could certainly buy a much larger place for half the cost of your Hawaii home.   Ours is 5 acres and was well under 350k.


7 miles from the big shopping centers. Feels super remote but actually isn't. 

Get a cat and bury the poop into the mole holes. They hate that.

I grew up in Whatcom county and my neighbor got his shotgun confiscated by the Game Warden after he caught us shooting at birds in the back woods.

Doesn't look like trees are near your house which is good during a wind storm. Still, get a hefty generator. It could take weeks to get your power back when it knocks out the power poles.

All good advice

I may have to try the cat poop lol.

There are a few trees that could reach the house if they feel over -a couple 130' fir trees come to mind.  Not going to chop them down though. Too beautiful.
There are several birch trees in the forest that fell over during the last wind storm.  No where near the house but falling trees is a danger for sure.

We have a 7Kw generator. Already used it when a tree feel across a power line nearby.

Thank you! I love living in forest area.

Yes, you could certainly buy a much larger place for half the cost of your Hawaii home.   Ours is 5 acres and was well under 350k.


7 miles from the big shopping centers. Feels super remote but actually isn't.

what area of Washington?

Here are some photos.  We actually had snow a couple weeks ago.  Right now it's about 30 degrees outside.

That stream bears salmon and it's on the property =)

Beautiful!!

All good advice

I may have to try the cat poop lol.

There are a few trees that could reach the house if they feel over -a couple 130' fir trees come to mind.  Not going to chop them down though. Too beautiful.
There are several birch trees in the forest that fell over during the last wind storm.  No where near the house but falling trees is a danger for sure.

We have a 7Kw generator. Already used it when a tree feel across a power line nearby.

Yep, get used to it. Whatcom County chopped off the nearby trees to about 10' for all nearby trees and didn't have power problems for at least ten years. Very expensive though...

Be sure to check your property insurance for what happens if they hit the house, especially if any of the 130' are on the neighbors property. Mom had a huge fight with the neighbor and the insurance company over that.

what area of Washington?

I'm guessing Belfair. Doesn't look Rentonish...

what area of Washington?

Kitsap Peninsula  between Bremerton and Gig Harbor.

Kitsap Peninsula  between Bremerton and Gig Harbor.

nice

Here are some photos.  We actually had snow a couple weeks ago.  Right now it's about 30 degrees outside.

That stream bears salmon and it's on the property =)

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In case you were wondering where Robbie went