View Single Post
Old 02-27-2011, 06:15 PM   #486 (permalink)
Cyruscosmo
EcoModding Lurker
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Seattle, Wa
Posts: 71
Thanks: 7
Thanked 31 Times in 26 Posts
ROUS Trap

They do exist!

An ROUS invaded our shop once long ago. It defeated numerous traps designed for the “Big Ones” leaving only a tuft of fur. In response to numerous thefts of lunch’s three boxes of Ritz crackers and a shoe, “not exactly clear about the shoe” but I am sure it was to show its displeasure at loosing the aforementioned tufts of fur to puny traps which clearly seemed to annoy it.

I was not happy at having one of my work shoes chewed so me being the imaginative soul I am and with a shop full of tools I built a “Trap”.

Not just any trap mind you, this one was solid steel and came in at close to 20 pounds when done. This trap was designed for an ROUS and was made from a 6X6X.025 chunk of square tubing 18 inches long. One end was closed by a 6X6X.025 plate fitted into slots with a locking mechanism so that the trip arm could be baited and the other end was fitted with a 6X6X.025 square plate that slid into a pair of milled slots. When the ROUS went for the bait “a generous helping of peanut butter held in place by a stainless steal screen” the trip arm pulled a pin from a spring loaded wheel which rotated to develop enough momentum to pop the trigger on the spring loaded sliding front door.

The first time we came to work and found the trap had been triggered the guy I work with decided to take a look at the culprit. He got an empty metal trashcan and up ended the trap over said trashcan and pulled the door open before I had a chance to explain something very important to him.

He was expecting to see a rather large “ish” rat drop into the trashcan and since I didn’t have time to explain that I did not build the trap to “kill” I took a step back. I was not sure what he was thinking till the ROUS dropped out of the trap hit the bottom of the trashcan with a thud and jumped straight up at his face. The surprise was well worth the time I took building the trap when a HUGE rat came back up out of the trashcan rebounded off his chest and ran off across the parking lot.

I laughed so hard a came pretty close to pissing myself and from the look on his face when that rat looked him in the eyes I am pretty sure he did.

From that point on he filled the trashcan with water and dropped the whole trap in “without opening it first”.
  Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Cyruscosmo For This Useful Post:
MPaulHolmes (02-27-2011)