For your amusement, instruction on how to hunt tree-killing voles in the Rocky Mountains.
Step one:
Stalk your prey.
I shot video of the stalking, but it’s tedious because she only moves an inch at a time. Plus, I had to zoom in from afar, and the movie quality was poor.
Step Two:
Dig. Snort. Repeat.
Do notice her filthy, but happy face when she looks up.
Step Three:
Observe trenches for any sign of movement.
Observe trenches for any sign of movement.
I don’t know. I’ve seen him with Gigi’s weasel toy. I think he might have more staying power than you think. ;o)
What’s really funny is to compare their technique to the coyotes I watch hunt out behind the house … Coyotes are MUCH better at it, faster too.
For all the effort, they only catch / kill / sometimes eat a few each per year. If we see them pull one out, a well-timed DROP IT works pretty well. Usually the damage is done, but at least we keep them from eating the yucky things … which can lead to days of tummy drama.
Funny, I was going to post a very similar series of photos of our R hunting rodents. However, he doesn’t get to obsessively watch his hunting grounds because we don’t have a fenced yard. I bet that he wouldn’t have the staying-power of a border collie!
Lola caught a vole in the backyard and played keep-away with it with Jonny while crunching into its skull. She ended up lying on her back and shaking the varmint from side to side while poor horrified Jonny tried to get it off her. Too bad I was out of town and missed the show.
LOL! My dog S was a dedicated master vole hunter, also – I can totally relate to these pics!
We’ve heard estimates of something like 500 per acre up here, which means we could have 1,500 of them.
Our neighbors are dropping chewing gum down the holes. It is supposed to eliminate them if they eat it w/o worries about poisons.
Last we heard Juicy Fruit wasn’t working, so they went to Bubblicious.
She also has major Popeye forearms from all the reaching and pulling. It’s pretty funny to see such a dainty girl with so much muscle power.
What fun! I hate those voles. I’m currently having a battle with one in the front yard, where he daily digs out his hole, and I daily fill it back in. I bet he’s laughing at me, in a vole sort of way.
The pictures and video are a hoot! Digging for voles…ewwwww! She does have muscular shoulders, though. And she gets lots of fun exercise this way. Too cute.