Mice and Rat update

Submitted: Thursday, Jul 28, 2011 at 18:37

ThreadID: 87837 Views:2389 Replies:6 FollowUps:3

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Member - DW Lennox Head(NSW)

Can any one please update the mice and rat populations in the Boulia, Birdsville and Windorah districts?

Hopefully, they are diminishing from those areas as I have not noticed any recent reports.

Cheers
DW

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Reply By: Member - Heather MG NSW - Thursday, Jul 28, 2011 at 18:46

Thursday, Jul 28, 2011 at 18:46

Hi DW,

We were in Boulia and Windorah districts within the past week or so and didn't see any mice. There were a few big native rats around at dark but we didn't have any problems with them in our van.

We stayed in the bush camp on the river at Boulia behind the racecourse, and on the bank of Cooper Creek near Windorah. Thousands of birds in Cooper Crk. and plenty of yellowbelly in the river at Boulia.

Didn't go to Birdsville as we came via Bedourie to Windorah, so can't help you there.

Cheers,

Heather

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Follow Up By: kaffoor - Thursday, Jul 28, 2011 at 19:55

Thursday, Jul 28, 2011 at 19:55

Just got back last night ,did the simpson to Birdsville ,lots of mice and rats
at prudi bore,no rats or mice as we went further into the desert and no
rats or mice in Birdsville ,camped at cooper creek there too no rats or nice
but lots of bird live just great to see that there is so much water all over.

FollowupID: 734879

Reply By: Mick O - Thursday, Jul 28, 2011 at 18:58

Thursday, Jul 28, 2011 at 18:58

I was camped on the Georgina near Boulia 10 days ago and there were a few native rats hopping about at night but nothing to worry you. The boys were in swags and had no issues.Birdsville and Innamincka, we saw none, mind you there were a lot of fat owls and birds of prey about lol.

Cheers Mick

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Reply By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Thursday, Jul 28, 2011 at 19:46

Thursday, Jul 28, 2011 at 19:46

Hi DW

There was a report in last weeks South Australian Sunday Mail that the rats were causing havoc for camper along the Birdsville Track and reported that Etadunna Station were catching 20 a day.

When I was speaking to Patsy Monday morning,I mentioned to here about the rat problem at Etadunna Station and her exact quote was "Who told you that lot of rubbish" as they still do not have any rats there. Patsy said that she was hearing of problems further up the track, but not at Etadunna and south of the Cooper Creek.

This then proves that you can not always believe what you read in some sources, when you know that what is reported is far from the truth.

We will be up in Birdsville and the Simpson in just over a weeks time, so I will be able to give a reliable report when we have internet access.

Cheers

Stephen

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Follow Up By: Mick O - Thursday, Jul 28, 2011 at 21:18

Thursday, Jul 28, 2011 at 21:18

Howdy Stephen. 20 a night, hardly an issue. I went through a mallee plague when living on an old farm property between Ouyen and Patchewollock. We had the octagonal traps with 8 entry ports. We'd set 10 or more of those a night and quite a few of them twice. You had to be quick or they'd eat the victims right out of the trap on you. It was bloody shocking.

Trust you and Fiona will enjoy the trip. It's just amazing out that way at present. Busting to get back to the Cooper. Nothing in the way of mice/rats to be seen there or around Birdsville.

Cheers Mick

''We knew from the experience of well-known travelers that the
trip would doubtless be attended with much hardship.''
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Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Thursday, Jul 28, 2011 at 21:29

Thursday, Jul 28, 2011 at 21:29

Hi Mick

Like I have said to Min, we have travelled every possible track that the Simpson has to offer, and each time we head back there, we always tell ourselves that will be the last time.......

Last year on our way home from the Anne Beadell via the Simpson, we were so impressed with all the water in Eyre Creek and the water around Big Red that we commented on..if only we had the kayak with us.

Seeing my mind is always looking for something different, we will cancel the Innamincka leg of the trip and head out in the Simpson for a few days, not for the four wheel driving, been there done that, but for the Kayaking.

We are only going as far out as Eyre Creek, then heading up to Annandale for digital photos. Its been about 6 years since we were up there and then the large lagoon was as dry as, so we are hoping for some great kayaking there and around Big Red. I have never heard of anyone doing that, so it may be another first..

Cheers

Stephen

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Reply By: sheps - Thursday, Jul 28, 2011 at 20:14

Thursday, Jul 28, 2011 at 20:14

Can't help you with that area DW, but we camped at Willandra Station, near Hillston NSW a few nights ago and the mice are in plaque proportions there; tiny little things they are.
I thought I had bogged up all the holes in the lux tub after fitting the canopy, but they found a way in and raided every thing that was grain based in our supplies.
We sat around the campfire with our pants tucked into our socks to stop them running up our bear legs. SWMBO retired early as a result, but one got in the camper when I followed later....she wasn't impressed.
Cheers,
Sheps

AnswerID: 461183

Reply By: Member - Min (NSW) - Thursday, Jul 28, 2011 at 21:50

Thursday, Jul 28, 2011 at 21:50

Hi DW,

We have been around those places over the last two weeks or so, except Boulia.

We saw no rats or mice at Birdsville although the cv park manager told me that rats had been seen in the park.

In Windorah we camped in the cv park because we wanted power for heating and two rats entered our camper during the night. The next mornning we were talking to people on the Cooper there and they said they had seen lots of huge ones but none had got into their camp.

There were plenty of mice on the Cooper at Innamincka and the Birdsville Track including the south side of the Creek but none caused any problem. They are quite interesting because I noticed two different kinds, one looked like house mice but the other was lighter coloured and had a long tail with a fluffy couple of inches at the end. The ferry men said that the south side was far better for camping because there were rats on the north side.

Have fun.

Min

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