Fighter Jets Deployed For An Ancient Mission
Shooting Times & Country|December 13,2017

Rats have long been regarded as a pest and there is no better way to clear them from a farm than with a pack of terriers, says Matt Cross

Matt Cross
Fighter Jets  Deployed For An Ancient Mission

The first rats came fizzing out before anyone was ready. Even Jay, the very model of lurcher sharpness, was taken by surprise as the rodents fled their burrows and made for safety. The terriers, tied to a gate post outside, burst into a frantic chorus of yelps and whines as their quarry ran past, making for the sanctuary of the drystone wall.

It takes a lot to catch the Tweed Valley Rat Pack by surprise. Over the past few years they have built up a reputation as southern Scotland’s foremost ratting outfit and, watching them at work, you can see why. On an icy November morning we were tackling the rats on a mixed farm in the Scottish Borders. Moray, a Penicuik man with the powerful build of a Borders rugby player, was accompanied by the lean and wiry Ed, whose long hair and shark’s tooth earring gave him the air of a pirate. Both were dressed in fleeces and hats embroidered with the pack’s logo. With their smart gear, professional manner and growing Twitter presence, they are the modern face of an old business.

Rats used to be part of daily life for most people. Modern rodenticides, better sewers, concrete and steel have pushed the rat further and further from most of our lives. The adage that “you are never more than 6ft from a rat” has long been debunked and at no time since the brown rat arrived on our shores have we been more distant from them.

As it has been pushed out of our homes, the rat has also been pushed out of our culture. As a child I was given an elderly Guinness Book of Records, which included “the world’s fastest ratting dog”. It seems to have been Jacko, a bull terrier, that fought in the 19th century London rat pits.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة December 13,2017 من Shooting Times & Country.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة December 13,2017 من Shooting Times & Country.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من SHOOTING TIMES & COUNTRY مشاهدة الكل
United we stand
Shooting Times & Country

United we stand

Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors

time-read
5 mins  |
August 02, 2023
Serious matters
Shooting Times & Country

Serious matters

An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning

time-read
3 mins  |
August 02, 2023
They're not always as easy as they seem
Shooting Times & Country

They're not always as easy as they seem

While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort

time-read
5 mins  |
August 02, 2023
Debutant gundogs
Shooting Times & Country

Debutant gundogs

There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting

time-read
4 mins  |
August 02, 2023
When the going gets rough
Shooting Times & Country

When the going gets rough

Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique

time-read
5 mins  |
August 02, 2023
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
Shooting Times & Country

The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition

In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make

time-read
4 mins  |
August 02, 2023
A step too far?
Shooting Times & Country

A step too far?

Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work

time-read
6 mins  |
August 02, 2023
Two bucks before breakfast
Shooting Times & Country

Two bucks before breakfast

A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem

time-read
6 mins  |
August 02, 2023
Stalking Diary
Shooting Times & Country

Stalking Diary

Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill

time-read
2 mins  |
August 02, 2023
Gamekeeper
Shooting Times & Country

Gamekeeper

Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside

time-read
3 mins  |
August 02, 2023