Hawks, referred to as “Chicken Hawks” were killed out of the area in the early 1900s, which caused an explosion in the rat population. A rat-killing contest was held in Erath County during April of 1921. $50 dollars was offered for the most rat tails collected in bundles of ten. The winner was a young man from Huckabay with 6, 800 rat tails. Stephenville Tribune