A couple of hours around the yard

[Acuspell 329]

The recent cold weather and all the wet has driven many rats in from the fields and hedges in search of dry shelter. We have a stack of barley loose on the floor, it is a magnet for them and partridges and pigeons.....I spent a couple of hours ambushing the twitchy nosed ones with the Huntsman as per Noddingdogs advice. Arriving just before dimpsy so I could get into position before they surfaced from the warrens and get loaded (I need that double mag PDQ). No special ammo for rats, just FTTs that I use for everything. A .20 cal pellet hitting a rat is like us being hit with a 500 Nitro express so I think there is plenty of stopping power without worrying about shape of projectile.

 

My first vantage point was at the top of the pile of barley. This is like a natural high seat with a clear view of the corner of the wall where there is a pop hole, the next door cubicle shed (empty of stock) and the midden pile of horse cleanings which fills the silage clamp and has been thoroughly burrowed into - well, it is relatively dry and certainly warm with the biological digestion going on. All those little microbes working overtime to eat their way through the poo and straw, creating heat. From my lie up to the silage clamp is 25 yards to the front and 30 yards to the middle of the pile. The far corner is 35 yards. On the front edge of the barley there is a pile of old cubicle partitions and other associated scrap, this is used as cover by some rats, but I can see it with a clear arc of fire, so my position is actually is pretty strategic. The barley alos gives a good, stable position - I am lying atop a massive bean bag! Except, for the shots into the buildings, where I have to kneel for freedom of movement and to see over the wall or front edge of the barley.

 

 

Within a matter of minutes of me climbing the barley heap and settling in I heard the first squeaks as the rats started tocome to life. So as not to spook the ones in the buildings I scanned the shite heap first. My ancient tracer lamp has a dimmer fitted, so I can wind it up a bit for greater range. The red filter is a Harry Tate lash up,created out of the top of an aerosol can with a hole cut in the end, and some photographic red filter acetate taped over the hole. The can lid is a perfect push fit. It is a proper red filter too, I can't remember which Wratten number, but Lee Filters make gel sheets for the film industry and it is a bit of one of theirs.

As I panned across the pile of straw, and less pleasant material, I saw a scampering rodent. He stopped at the top of a small pile, just long enough for me to send him into eternity. Lying prone but able to swivel and move my elbows in the loose barley helped with the speed I was able to follow and acquire the target. It is always pleasing to start off well, it gives one confidence for the rest of the evening. I left him where he fell, to collect later.

 

I could hear scampering, the black polythene sheeting prevents even these small steps from being made quietly. I gave it a minute and then looked into the cubicle building, two pairs of beady eyes shone back at me from under the rolls of wire and a water trough. I couldn't get a shot off yet though, there was no clear path through the coils. A noise alerted me to another rat moving in the barley store. I flicked the light off, turned slowly and pointed roughly in the direction of where I expected the rat to be, in the corner where there is a pop hole. As i flicked the light on he was sat looking straight at me. I lined up between the two glowing rubies and put the cross hairs on his chest, to allow for the downhill shot, which is always going to go a bit high. I squeezed off and the rat jumped at the impact, then lay kicking on its side as the electricity coursed through it’s nervous system.

 

Even with the dimmed, red lamp the rats are wary, so after a couple more off the top of the barley, shooting across onto the midden pile, I decided a change of scenery was in order so I slid my way down the heap and very quietly crossed the yard to the stable. Between the machinery shed and the silage clamp with the muck heap in it there is a gap filled with blocks and scrap wood, it is a proper haven for the filthy blighters. They have buried under the concrete and are well dug in. I took up station on the corner of the building and waited, to let the disturbance of my movement settle. When I put the light on there was a big rat creeping carefully along under the manger. It was unaware of my presence and just slowly eased itself forward. When it was in a clear spot between some weeds, I let fly and bowled it over, it was only 10 paces away.

 

There then came a long lull in action or movement. This coincided with the fog coming down, making it difficult to see in the open yard, the red beam looked like a light sabre cutting through the air as each droplet of water vapour reflected the photons fired from the Tracer lamp. Looking through the scope was hopeless, it was like trying to see to drive in fog at night, but magnified it is worse. I had to go back in the buildings.

At the end of the cubicle shed there is a large, round, bale of barley straw, it makes a useful rest from which to shoot and provides total cover for my feet and body too. I leant over it and watched for rats coming out through the wall at the back or either side. There are warrens under the floor and in the walls, and it is these rats I was after.

 

 

The hole at the end faces directly at the bale and I got one as it poked its head out, it didn't know what hit it, just rolled over in the entrance. I had to collect that one straight away, so others could follow it, as it was blocking the entrance. Behind me I heard the sound of splashing, a rat was swimming across the puddle at the front of the muck heap. As I spun round I could see the ripples on the surface of the water and I started to pick up the front of the vee in the hairs. As the rat reached dry land he looked back - I was already nearly on him and a slight adjustment was all that was needed before he was added to the bag, freehand at 20 yards. I was as pleased with my recognition of the sound and my reactions as the actual shot. It was all just instinctive. After that, my stomach was thinking my throat had been cut, so I called it a night on a tally of 10, with 8 actually collected, my mechanical hand broke reaching into the rubbish to try and haul one out. It was added to the rubbish pile and the last two were left where they fell, out of the way.

 

[B.P.R 2,798]

thought they were a few pictures from 'enemy at the gates'

[moxy 617]

Good write up. Thanks for the read.

[Skot Ruthless Teale 1,701]

great write up mate. good shhoting.. i need to find some rats

 

some big rats there aswell!

merry xmas mate

 

SKoT

[Elliott 436]

Nice write up and good shooting

[nangell 50]

some fatty's there Acuspell ,nice shooting

[The one 8,494]

Nice write up and shooting rats is great fun

[Mawders 595]

Brilliant write up mate and a job well done!

[villaman 9,983]

Hi

Brilliant write up mate , enjoyed reading that post

[tomburras 2,730]

Thanks for the great write up, it was better than one from a magazine!

[ftm 3,357]

good write up mate good shooting and some big buggers in the pics -merry xmas -billy

[j j m 6,555]

Good write up enjoyed it mate

[Froudy 40]

Nice write up mate

[Grayling 56]

Good write up that, enjoyed reading it, productive night too, well done.

[Daz 7 563]

Knowing the Legend JD i expect a good write up and You did not Disappoint bud

Superb shooting and a Merry xmas to You and your Kin

 

atvb Daz 7.