Alas, we cannot all have the opportunity to bag innumerable elephants, pandas, platypodes, blue whales, etc – though I am sure we have all read all Teddy Roosevelt’s hunting books, etc but, here is an interesting book about a chap who satisfied his venality with the pursuit of rats, ‘Tales of a Rat-Hunting Man’ by Brian Plummer (He wrote many other fascinating books too, and was, like me a devotee of the Jack Russell terrier. Well done, Brian: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Plummer)
PS: ‘platypodes’ really is the plural of ‘platypus’.
This fascinating adventure story contains many riveting accounts of his pursuit of the wily rodent through the maggot factories and rubbish tips of England. Why he even (once) pursued his prey through the decomposing body of a circus elephant, which recalls my own adventures hunting foxes out of the carcass of a large beached whale on Anderson’s Inlet many years ago!
I note Roald Dahl ‘stole’ one of his excellent (Claud) bar stories about rat hunting from Brian. (http://www.roalddahlfans.com/shortstories/ratc.php) Lo, how the mighty are fallen!
Here is a review of this excellent tome: ‘After the initial shock of even considering a rat-catching professional, the title and content of this book are intriguing. The rat is “the unheralded game-animal of Great Britain,” so much so that its proponents are feared and reviled as not quite “right.” But from the time D. Brian Plummer received his first rat terrier at the age of 10, he dedicated himself to the sport of rat-catching using either dogs or ferrets. He actually enjoys killing rats and is pleased to share his techniques. Thank goodness for Plummer’s wit and charm, which make the experience of reading about such nasty creatures a delight.’
It is available here: http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Hunting-David-