Weapon - All
City hunt. Ferrets, terriers and rat hunters.
In the grimy, war-torn streets of 1930s and 1940s England — particularly in industrial cities like London, Manchester, and Liverpool — the rat catcher (sometimes called “rat hunter” or “rat man”) was not merely a pest controller, but a vital public health officer. Amid economic depression, overcrowded slums, bomb-damaged buildings, and wartime food rationing, rats thrived. Their numbers exploded, threatening food supplies, spreading disease (notably bubonic plague and leptospirosis), and gnawing through infrastructure. Rat catchers were thus essential frontline workers in the battle for urban hygiene and survival.
Why Ferrets?
Ferrets were the rat catcher’s secret weapon. Agile, slender, and fearless, ferrets could slip into burrows, sewers, cellars, and rubble where rats nested — places too narrow or dangerous for humans or dogs. Once inside, they would flush rats out into the open, where dogs or traps awaited. Ferrets didn’t always kill the rats themselves; their role was primarily to *drive* them out. They were trained to return to their handler or stay near the exit, often wearing small bells or collars for tracking. Their natural hunting instinct, combined with trainability, made them indispensable — especially in bombed-out Blitz sites where rats colonized the ruins.
Dog Breeds Used for Rat hunting.
Rat catchers relied heavily on terriers — small, tenacious, and bred for vermin control. The most common breeds included:
- Jack Russell Terrier – Agile, fearless, and tireless, ideal for chasing rats above and below ground.
- Fox Terrier (Smooth and Wire-haired) – Fast and sharp-eyed, used for flushing and killing.
- Bull Terrier (Miniature) – Strong-jawed and muscular, capable of dispatching larger rats quickly.
- Bedlington Terrier – Surprisingly fast and lethal, with a lamb-like appearance belying its ferocity.
- Lakeland Terrier & Border Terrier – Hardy breeds used in tougher urban and semi-rural environments.
These dogs worked in tandem with ferrets: while ferrets drove rats from hiding, the dogs would corner, catch, and kill them — often with astonishing speed. A good ratting dog could dispatch dozens of rats in a single outing.
Rat hunters Earnings and Working Conditions
Rat catchers were typically paid per rat — often a few pence each — or received a small weekly wage from municipal councils or private contracts. In the 1930s, earnings might range from £1 to £3 per week, depending on location and employer. During the war, some were employed directly by the Ministry of Health or local authorities, with slightly better pay and protective gear.
It was grueling, dangerous, and malodorous work. Rat catchers crawled through sewers, scaled bombed-out buildings, and risked bites, disease, and collapsing structures. Many wore heavy boots, leather gloves, and sometimes gas masks in particularly foul environments. Despite the risks, it was steady work — rats, after all, were recession- and war-proof.
Why Was It Important? Urban Hunting Defined
Rat catching was critical for three main reasons:
1. Public Health – Rats carried deadly diseases. Controlling their populations helped prevent epidemics.
2. Food Security – With rationing in place, every ounce of food mattered. Rats consumed and contaminated tons of food.
3. Morale & Infrastructure – Rats undermined morale and gnawed through electrical wires, wooden beams, and even gas lines — a serious fire and safety hazard.
This profession can rightly be called “urban hunter” — not for sport or sustenance, but for civic survival. Unlike rural hunting, it took place in alleyways, basements, tube stations, and rubble-strewn streets. The quarry was not deer or pheasant, but an intelligent, prolific, disease-ridden foe thriving in the shadows of civilization. The tools were not rifles but nets, traps, dogs, and ferrets — and the battleground was the city itself.
The Famous Photograph: Jim Fortey and Alf Greenwin at South Tottenham Station, September 1941.
One of the most iconic images of British wartime life was captured by photojournalist Bert Hardy in September 1941. The black-and-white photograph shows two London rat catchers — **Jim Fortey and Alf Greenwin** — standing proudly beside their tools of trade at South Tottenham Station.
They are dressed in worn work clothes: flat caps, heavy jackets, and sturdy boots. Between them are stacked wooden and wire cages containing alert, bright-eyed ferrets. At their feet sit two terriers — likely Jack Russells or similar — poised and ready. The men’s expressions are calm, almost stoic; they look like tradesmen who know the value of their grim work.
The setting is not rural or pastoral, but unmistakably urban, industrial, and war-torn. The image encapsulates the quiet heroism of civilian workers on the Home Front — not soldiers, but guardians of public health in a city under siege from both bombs and vermin.
Hardy’s composition is deliberate: the symmetry of the men, the cages, the waiting dogs — it’s almost a portrait of professionalism amid chaos. The photograph was published in *Picture Post*, Britain’s most popular photo magazine, and helped elevate the rat catcher from a shadowy figure to a symbol of resilience.
Rat Hunters Legacy
By the late 1940s, modern rodenticides, improved sanitation, and rebuilding efforts reduced the need for traditional rat catchers. The profession faded, replaced by pest control companies and poison baits. But in the 1930-40s, men like Fortey and Greenwin were unsung urban hunters — protecting cities not with guns or fire hoses, but with ferrets, terriers, and sheer grit.
Even the most humble professions can be heroic — and that sometimes, the fiercest battles are fought not on battlefields, but in basements, sewer, and railway stations, with a terrier at your heel and a ferret in your pocket.
https://m.uh.app/news/rat-hunter-dogs-ratters-during-the-first-world-war-terriers-were_KnziwKqDEe-Dsht7k2Ti7A
Quiet hunting in Russian Empire
In Russia, mushrooming is affectionately known as "тихая охота," or "quiet hunting"—a poetic term that reflects the serene, contemplative nature of the activity. Unlike conventional hunting, this pursuit involves no weapons or loud noises, only the soft rustle of leaves underfoot and the quiet excitement of discovering hidden treasures in the forest. Armed with a wicker basket and a keen eye, mushroom foragers venture into the woods during the damp, cool days of late summer and early autumn, when the mycelium thrives beneath the trees.
Quiet hunting has long held a special place in Russian culture, deeply rooted in both rural tradition and urban leisure. It is more than just a way to gather food—it's a cherished ritual that connects people with nature, family, and generations of folklore. Knowledge of edible mushrooms, passed down from grandparents to grandchildren, is considered a vital part of Russian heritage. The forest is seen not as a wild, untamed place, but as a generous provider, offering mushrooms, berries, and herbs to those who know how to respectfully harvest them.
This tradition was not limited to peasants or common folk; it also found favor among the Russian elite. Even members of the imperial family participated in quiet hunting as a form of recreation and communion with nature. A notable photograph from 1913 shows the four daughters of Tsar Nicholas II—Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia Romanov—engaged in a mushroom-picking excursion. Dressed in simple, practical clothing and wearing simple hats, the young grand duchesses can be seen bending over mossy logs and forest undergrowth, carefully selecting mushrooms and placing them in their baskets. The image captures a rare moment of informality and familial warmth within the otherwise formal and secluded life of the Romanovs.
The photograph, taken at the imperial family’s estate at Tsarskoye Selo, reflects the broader cultural significance of quiet hunting in pre-revolutionary Russia. It illustrates how this humble activity transcended social class, uniting peasants and aristocrats alike in a shared seasonal ritual. Even today, quiet hunting remains a widespread pastime across Russia and other Slavic countries, with families and friends spending weekends in the forest, continuing a tradition that blends sustenance, spirituality, and deep respect for the natural world.
Casey Smith — Predator Hunting Influencer & Blogger | West Texas Coyote & Hound Hunting
Casey Smith — West Texas predator hunter, hound handler and hunting Influencer/Blogger. Profile covers hunting methods (hound hunting, calling), preferred game, operating regions, notable trophies and typical weapons/gear.
Executive summary
Casey Smith is a West Texas–based predator hunter, hound handler and content creator who has built a public profile around competitive coyote calling, dog-driven predator hunting and multi-species fieldcraft. Raised on a large ranch in Midland County, Texas, he learned hunting and dog work from family mentors and has since become an active competitor and visible Influencer/Blogger in the Texas predator scene. His social feeds and filmed hunt footage document both competitive successes and practical field techniques.
Background & credentials
Born and raised on a ranch in Midland County, Texas, Casey started hunting coyotes as a youth and developed specialist skills in hound handling and coyote calling. He has a documented competitive record in Texas predator and coyote calling events and features frequently in regional predator-hunting content and community forums. His Instagram and video clips show active fieldwork and event participation, positioning him as a recognized voice within the regional predator community.
How he prefers to hunt
Casey’s operational approach centers on dog-driven and calling-based predator work:
- Hound hunting (cur dogs & hounds): primary tactic for tracking and cornering coyotes, feral hogs, raccoons and other predators. Dogs enable mobile, scent-led hunts across ranch country.
- Coyote calling (competitive and practical): both a competitive discipline and an operational tool — Casey uses electronic and mouth-calling techniques to draw predators into effective shot range.
- Spot-and-stalk / ambush when required: in open country or where dogs are not practical, he employs glassing and coordinated spot-and-stalk methods to close distance on target species.
These methods are documented in his filmed hunts and event footage and reflect the combined skill set of a handler and caller.
Preferred species and types of hunts
Casey’s content and competitive record emphasize a broad predator slate, including:
- Coyotes: lifetime focus and primary competitive category — his record includes numerous coyote-calling contest placements and team event results.
- Feral hogs and varmints: dog-mounted night and daytime operations for hog control and trophy hog captures.
- Small-game & nuisance species with dogs: raccoons, bobcats and river species when integrated into bowfishing/fieldwork segments.
- This diversified portfolio keeps year-round content and audience relevance across predator-control and sport hunting audiences.
Locations and terrain
Casey operates primarily across West Texas ranch country (Midland County and surrounding counties), a landscape characterized by flat to rolling ranchland, mesquite draws and agricultural edges — ideal for hound work and caller techniques. He also participates in statewide predator events and regional expos, which situates him within the broader Texas predator-hunting network. Event footage and regional contest results corroborate his active involvement in local circuits.
Notable trophies and achievements
Casey’s publicized achievements include multiple placements in predator and coyote contests and reported team wins in West Texas events. His on-camera successes — rapid draws, close-range predator takes and team event results — function as both social proof and instructional case studies for his followers. Examples of contest standings and event coverage are present in community posts and local event recaps.
Weapons, gear and technical profile
Typical equipment and armament used by Casey (as shown in posts and videos):
- Rifles: compact bolt-action and semi-automatic centerfire rifles in common predator calibers (e.g., .223/5.56, .243, .243/6.5 platforms) suitable for fast follow-up shots at variable ranges.
- Shotguns and slug systems: used for close work or when rules/terrain favor scatter/slug loads.
- Calling equipment: mouth calls, electronic callers and decoy systems for contest and practical calling.
- Hound & cur dog equipment: GPS collars, kennels, transport rigs and field-maintenance gear.
- Optics & night gear: quality binoculars, riflescopes, red-dot sights and, when legal/required, night-vision or thermal tools for nocturnal work.
His content regularly shows blend of practical field gear and sponsored product features typical of an active hunting Influencer.
Media presence and audience value
As an Influencer and Blogger, Casey converts technical fieldcraft into accessible content: instructional clips on calling techniques, hound handling tips, contest prep, and practical pest-control operations. His social channels—Instagram posts, short videos and community event coverage—deliver utility for both recreational hunters and commercial ranch managers seeking humane, effective predator control methods.
Conclusion
Casey Smith embodies the practitioner-to-publisher model: a lifetime of ranch-based hunting that translates into credible, actionable content for predator hunters. As a regional Influencer and Blogger his strengths are hound management, competitive calling, and operational adaptability across West Texas terrain. For editors and publishers, use targeted headings such as “Casey Smith — West Texas Coyote Hunting Influencer” and “Hound Hunting & Coyote Calling Techniques” to capture high-intent search queries. Follow his public channels for event recaps, how-to posts and filmed hunt examples.
Casey Smith Instagram (30,7k followers): @casey_msmith
