View Full Version : Mice???
David@whiteblaze
10-16-2009, 22:54
Okay, I don't know exactly where to post this, so mods... if you see somewhere better... be my guest to move it.:D Alright, I am planning a '13 NOBO (if you hadnt collected that already...) and i was wondering if anyone knew what the size of the average "mouse" is in the shelters... "They" (i dont know who exactly...) make plastic mousetraps that weigh probably an ounce and are only open either 3/4" (for mice) or about 1 1/2" (for rats) I dotnt think carrying one of these would be unfeasible, and I dont know what size they are... mice, rats, squirrels... just wondering. (and no, i am not attempting to irradicate all mice within 1 mile of the shelter... just any that think my pack looks edible...:D
There are no such things as mice in shelters. It's just an urban legend perpetuated by flat earthers who think there should be no shelters.
Trailweaver
10-16-2009, 23:46
You couldn't take in enough traps to keep the mice away from your pack. There were enough mice at the last shelter I was at to literally take the shelter off. I stayed in my tent, but the mice got to my pack, and it was hung on the bear cables. (I lost food and there were mouse droppings in plastic baggies where my food had been. . . it was not a dream or a mistake.) They were all around my tent during the night scratching and squeeking, too. Other campers had noted it in the shelter register, but I thought they were kidding - they weren't.
johnnybgood
10-16-2009, 23:53
Forget the traps. Don't sleep in shelters.
Problem solved.
Graywolf
10-16-2009, 23:54
FYI,, All mice on the Georgia section are Special Stealth Mice.. They get special training from Camp Murrel over by Hawk Mountain.. That is where they do their training..So you can't see them and you can't hear them.. But as you set up.. AND set your traps,, they will be watching you... AND laughing at you, and once you are a sleep.... They will invade.... Their invasions are planned..... Leave the traps at home... they will be useless to these invaderss....
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!
Oh, good luck on your hike...:D
Graywolf
I think you've gathered by now, traps will be useless, except to give you the feeling of gaining some revenge. Better to just learn to live with the mice if you stay at/near the shelters.
Dances with Mice
10-17-2009, 12:15
Mice are bear larvae. Fact.
i was wondering if anyone knew what the size of the average "mouse" is in the shelters...
Well, David, they don't call them deer mice for nothing. I've haven't seen any as big as a deer yet, but I've seen some big enough to carry off a pack.;) Be careful where you put your stuff.
Wise Old Owl
10-17-2009, 12:43
:Dhttp://www.discoveringalabama.org/discovery/images/image-1147874748.jpg
Hikers like to kill mice because it somehow satisfies a need to be cruel to small animals. Otherwise it serves no useful purpose.
Panzer
kayak karl
10-17-2009, 13:51
FYI,, All mice on the Georgia section are Special Stealth Mice.. They get special training from Camp Murrel over by Hawk Mountain.. That is where they do their training..So you can't see them and you can't hear them.. But as you set up.. AND set your traps,, they will be watching you... AND laughing at you, and once you are a sleep.... They will invade.... Their invasions are planned..... Leave the traps at home... they will be useless to these invaderss....
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!
Oh, good luck on your hike...:D
Graywolf
on the nite of 1/1/09 the mice at hawk mountian shelter ate my food, holes in my longjohnns and ate a hole in the crotch of my never worn rain pants. they were sending a message. i was in my hammock, but pack was in shelter. they are definitly special forces mice. others were there, but they didn't touch SGT. Rocks stuff :-?
Blue Jay
10-17-2009, 17:22
they are definitly special forces mice. others were there, but they didn't touch SGT. Rocks stuff :-?
Now that you mention it, mice do seem to leave vet equipment alone. Very strange, how do they know which hikers are wennies?
Graywolf
10-18-2009, 00:55
Actually I was thinking ( yes, me) and came to a conclusion that mice ARE needed at the shelters.. After all the hikers packup and leave, they leave behind a certain amount of trash and food crumbs... This gives the mice something to clean while the hikers are gone... thanks of them as natures shelter caretakers..:D
Graywolf
David@whiteblaze
10-18-2009, 08:12
Mice are bear larvae. Fact.
Oh, my bad. I thought they were squirrel larvae.:rolleyes:
kayak karl
10-18-2009, 08:52
Now that you mention it, mice do seem to leave vet equipment alone. Very strange, how do they know which hikers are wennies?
Wennie :mad: LOL , but i was the only one in a group of 7 that was on the trail for my first time. maybe its the funk that keeps them away.
MintakaCat
10-18-2009, 20:27
One trick I've seen is from a hiker I knew sometime back. He carried a ziplock bag with about a dozen real smelly moth balls. He would put one in each pocket of his pack and would put the rest in his bear bag and leave the ziplock bag open.
The mice never touched his stuff. The next day he would collect his moth balls and seal them in a bag and hike out. The only drawback was that his pack smelled link my grandmother's closet.
Blissful
10-19-2009, 10:33
Wow I couldn't take the smell of moth balls.
Just hang your food. Problem solved...except for GA bears.
Okay, I don't know exactly where to post this, so mods... if you see somewhere better... be my guest to move it.:D Alright, I am planning a '13 NOBO (if you hadnt collected that already...) and i was wondering if anyone knew what the size of the average "mouse" is in the shelters... "They" (i dont know who exactly...) make plastic mousetraps that weigh probably an ounce and are only open either 3/4" (for mice) or about 1 1/2" (for rats) I dotnt think carrying one of these would be unfeasible, and I dont know what size they are... mice, rats, squirrels... just wondering. (and no, i am not attempting to irradicate all mice within 1 mile of the shelter... just any that think my pack looks edible...:D
The trap for 3/4" traps mice will work just fine. You will need to have 30-40 of these traps with you when you get to Maine. You will also need several of the larger ones for the red squirrels. We caught 24 mice in one evening in Maine and the group the night before caught over 30 from the same shelter. We used the bucket/peanut butter and water method.
Good luck if you decide to take this mission.
P.S. My plan for mice is to hike 1 day behind you.
Rambler1
10-19-2009, 11:16
really.....mice.....really......come on.....put your pants on. There are bigger things to worry about than mice.
ShelterLeopard
10-19-2009, 11:22
Okay, I don't know exactly where to post this, so mods... if you see somewhere better... be my guest to move it.:D Alright, I am planning a '13 NOBO (if you hadnt collected that already...) and i was wondering if anyone knew what the size of the average "mouse" is in the shelters... "They" (i dont know who exactly...) make plastic mousetraps that weigh probably an ounce and are only open either 3/4" (for mice) or about 1 1/2" (for rats) I dotnt think carrying one of these would be unfeasible, and I dont know what size they are... mice, rats, squirrels... just wondering. (and no, i am not attempting to irradicate all mice within 1 mile of the shelter... just any that think my pack looks edible...:D
A- most shelters don't have too many mice, especially if a lot of people are sleeping there.
B- when there are mice, there are a LOT (I've come to find), and you will be emptying that trap every five minutes.
C- You really need to worry about chipmunks. (They like to hide in your boots, so you may want to give 'em a shake before shoving your foot in- it was very funny actually, last time I made the mistake of not checking, I picked up my boot, and this ball of fur comes flying out, straight at my head.)
I think you've gathered by now, traps will be useless, except to give you the feeling of gaining some revenge. Better to just learn to live with the mice if you stay at/near the shelters.
They will crawl over their dead brethren to get to your food. If your food is outside, they will rummage around in your pack just to whiff the air. They will crap in your Sierra cup (does anyone carry one of those anymore?) if you forget to invert it, or in your spoon, or play King of The Hill on your ass if you sleep in the shelter.
"Revenge." Great observation. If you take traps, you will be kept awake not only by mice, but by the sounds of your own revenge.
There are better things to plan for in arranging a throughhike -- like knowing where all the AYCE are. Go for that.
Forget the traps, you will soon find them to be worthless weight in your pack.
The best thing to do if you must stay in the shelters is hang all of your food, and leave all of the pockets on your pack open. Many shelters have mouse ropes that have a dubious usefulness. As previously mentioned, shelter mice are extremely adept and well trained, and those ropes may not protect your food. If you are really worried about loosing a bit of food, hang a proper bear bag and rest easy. To save your pack from getting chewed on, leave all of the zippers open so that mice can easily access any part of your pack. If you leave a zipper closed, and a mouse decides it wants in, it will chew a hole. They do like to use pack towels and TP as nesting material, but I never found mine chewed up.
Learn to live with the mice, they really aren't that bad.
A- most shelters don't have too many mice, especially if a lot of people are sleeping there.
B- when there are mice, there are a LOT (I've come to find), and you will be emptying that trap every five minutes.
C- You really need to worry about chipmunks. (They like to hide in your boots, so you may want to give 'em a shake before shoving your foot in- it was very funny actually, last time I made the mistake of not checking, I picked up my boot, and this ball of fur comes flying out, straight at my head.)
I only have anecdotal evidence to rely on, but I'd say the more frequently used shelters are the ones with more mice. :D
Darwin again
10-19-2009, 15:44
Hantavirus.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hanta/hps/noframes/symptoms.htm
Another good reason not to stay in shelters.:D
slowandlow
10-19-2009, 15:57
:Dhttp://www.discoveringalabama.org/discovery/images/image-1147874748.jpg
Some shelters come pre-equipped with these!
Either hang your pack, or keep your pack totally open so if mice want to get in there they will not have to chew holes in your pack to get in. Definitely hang your food and other "smelly" stuff away from your campsite. If you do this they shouldn't be coming around you when you're sleeping.
Relax. They're kinda cute anyway.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=7196&stc=1&d=1256082859
Wise Old Owl
10-20-2009, 20:10
Hikers like to kill mice because it somehow satisfies a need to be cruel to small animals. Otherwise it serves no useful purpose.
Panzer
Hell I have personally seen uniformed folk at shelters beat a non venomous snake to death with a stick.... go figure...
Wise Old Owl
10-20-2009, 20:13
A- most shelters don't have too many mice, especially if a lot of people are sleeping there.
B- when there are mice, there are a LOT (I've come to find), and you will be emptying that trap every five minutes.
C- You really need to worry about chipmunks. (They like to hide in your boots, so you may want to give 'em a shake before shoving your foot in- it was very funny actually, last time I made the mistake of not checking, I picked up my boot, and this ball of fur comes flying out, straight at my head.)
that would have mad a good viral video on U tube!
ShelterLeopard
10-21-2009, 11:21
I know! If only someone had been standing there with a cell! I was the only one in the shelter (all the thrus wanted to get to DWG and get a shower, so I had the whole shelter to myself- kinda like sleeping in a king sized bed). I was watching the chipmunk all night before bed- someone had left swedish fish in the fire pit, and he kept taking them somewhere- at least he wasn't storing them in my shoes for winter. Would've been sticky...
David@whiteblaze
10-21-2009, 11:42
you know, a fire pit really is a lousy cache point...
ShelterLeopard
10-21-2009, 12:00
you know, a fire pit really is a lousy cache point...
He was taking them out of the fire pit. Some human left a bag there, and he'd go and grab three, stuff them in his mouth and run and hide them somewhere. I wonder if his mother knows he plans to eat nothing but swedish fish throughout the winter...
David@whiteblaze
10-21-2009, 12:14
zi was talking about the human who cached them there.
JoeHiker
10-21-2009, 12:16
Regarding the uselessness of mousetraps:
When I tried to hike the Long trail a few years ago, some friends joined me for one day's worth of hiking. I was waiting in Johnson VT for them and realized they might not be too fond of the mice in shelters (as I wasn't either). So I picked up 4 mousetraps and some peanut butter. Later that night in the shelter I set the traps and fell asleep. They very quickly wer full and my poor friends were up all night. If I just had not had the traps in the first place, all would have been well.
So later on in the hike I was at Duck Brook Shelter (I think that's the one -- just north of Jonesville) and I still had the mousetraps. I saw a mouse when I showed up so I decided I was gonna get rid of every mouse in the shelter. I kept laying down the traps and they kept getting filled with mice. I would throw out the mouse and keep going.
In the end I was up all night and completely exhausted. I killed more mice than I can count and there were still more coming.
That was the last time I ever slept in a shelter.
ShelterLeopard
10-21-2009, 12:26
Maybe if you hadn't had tons of peanut butter everyone, there wouldn't have been so many mice.
David@whiteblaze
10-21-2009, 12:32
you know, maybe we should force the ATC to provide a bucket in every shelter so we could do the whole peanut butter ala drowned mice.
JoeHiker
10-21-2009, 17:47
Maybe if you hadn't had tons of peanut butter everyone, there wouldn't have been so many mice.
On the other hand, maybe the peanut butter did not cause the mice to come into existence.
JoeHiker
10-21-2009, 17:47
On the other hand, maybe the peanut butter did not cause the mice to come into existence.
Should ahve been a smiley face in that reply
really.....mice.....really......come on.....put your pants on. There are bigger things to worry about than mice.that's what i'm talkin' about!:cool:
David@whiteblaze
10-21-2009, 18:25
you know, maybe we should force the ATC to provide a bucket in every shelter so we could do the whole peanut butter ala drowned mice.
correction: peanut butter ala pedestal with a side of drowned mice;)
Dances with Mice
10-21-2009, 20:34
really.....mice.....really......come on.....put your pants on. There are bigger things to worry about than mice.Yeah. Both chipmunks and flying squirrels are bigger than mice.
Roaches would be worse, a lot worse. Thank god they are only mice.
Panzer
Wise Old Owl
10-22-2009, 03:10
Actually I saw a roach (German) run vertically up a boy scout within seconds of him leaning against a tree. Before I could say anything it went from his socks to his shirt and was into his hair before I pulled it off his head.
Frick Frack
10-22-2009, 08:23
on the nite of 1/1/09 the mice at hawk mountian shelter ate my food, holes in my longjohnns and ate a hole in the crotch of my never worn rain pants. they were sending a message. i was in my hammock, but pack was in shelter. they are definitly special forces mice. others were there, but they didn't touch SGT. Rocks stuff :-?
On the night of 10/29/06 (our wedding night and 1st night of our honeymoon) a mouse at the Hawk Mt. shelter ate the fabric flowers off my wife's tobaggon while she slept. She woke up and there was a hole where the flowers used to be!
On our thru-hike we found the mice to be quiet when we were at a shelter with a dog.
Frick Frack
10-22-2009, 08:26
Yeah. Both chipmunks and flying squirrels are bigger than mice.
Yeah, chipmunks are sometimes worse than mice. One night we had the food in the tent (I know, bad idea, but there was NOWHERE to hang it) and a chipmunk started his way through the side of the tent so i put the food between us and he dug a tunnel under the tent to the food. Damn crafty little fellow....
sheepdog
10-22-2009, 08:48
On the night of 10/29/06 (our wedding night and 1st night of our honeymoon) a mouse at the Hawk Mt. shelter ate the fabric flowers off my wife's tobaggon while she slept. She woke up and there was a hole where the flowers used to be!
On our thru-hike we found the mice to be quiet when we were at a shelter with a dog.
kind of the mouse version of catching the bouquet????
David@whiteblaze
10-22-2009, 09:58
idiot question... whats a tobbaggon, and if its a sled, why were there fabric flowers on it?
ShelterLeopard
10-22-2009, 11:25
Should ahve been a smiley face in that reply
Or a winking face ;)
ShelterLeopard
10-22-2009, 11:27
idiot question... whats a tobbaggon, and if its a sled, why were there fabric flowers on it?
Maybe because they just got married!
Farr Away
10-22-2009, 11:33
idiot question... whats a tobbaggon, and if its a sled, why were there fabric flowers on it?
Probably talking about a hat.
David@whiteblaze
10-22-2009, 14:52
oh. i call that:http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:uRM8PJ-6l12MyM:http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/needlework/Spool-Knitting/images/Toboggan-Cap-17.jpg (http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/needlework/Spool-Knitting/images/Toboggan-Cap-17.jpg&imgrefurl=http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/needlework/Spool-Knitting/Toboggan-Cap.html&usg=__Q0YyZUO8Gvw5N4B7RXH08tyuomc=&h=409&w=457&sz=24&hl=en&start=2&um=1&tbnid=uRM8PJ-6l12MyM:&tbnh=115&tbnw=128&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtoboggan%2Bcap%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom. microsoft:en-us%26um%3D1) a beanie (please dont show up mega-sized, please dont show up mega-sized, please dont...
David@whiteblaze
10-22-2009, 14:52
Yay! it didnt show up mega-sized.