JonP666 11 Posted February 1, 2014 Report Share Posted February 1, 2014 Hi I have a new client / permission this weekend as a result of some other chaps failing miserably ! I got a call from a local farmer with a rat problem. He had been allowing two lads with air rifles to have free range of the farm and stables for a couple of months. They recently got themselves a night vision add-on (a NS I believe) and were out using it last week when they shot the control panel of a drier - mistaking the red neon indication light for a rat's eye. Unfortunately it is an oldish unit, and the spare controller PCB for the timer / humidity sensors are no longer available, so it is likely to cost him thousands to replace. (He uses the drier almost daily to condition the oats for the horses prior to milling.) The lads did not have insurance so it is likely this will end in tears. So three things come from this. Firstly always 'risk access' your shoot before you go any where near it with a gun. Do both day and night - it gives you the opportunity to find the best areas / runs as well as sort out the distances and back stops etc. Secondly - make sure you are insured to carry out whatever activity you are doing, whether paid or not. Remember some insurances are for recreational purposes - not for 'professionals', so be careful money doesn't change hands . . . . And finally, there are always people looking for responsible pest controllers - all you need to do to get additional permissions is to drop in to every farm within a 15 mile radius of where you live and chat to the farmer, leaving him a flyer with your contact details on. I take my gear to show, (boys toys are always of interest ;-) together with a folder containing my insurance details and permission letters from other farmers - they all know each other. And multiple permissions makes the requesting FAC air / centrefire so much easier ! Regards JonP 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Outlaw Pete 2,224 Posted February 1, 2014 Report Share Posted February 1, 2014 F**king Ouch!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bunnyman 68 Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 Hi JonP, it just shows, you really must identify your prey properly before taking the shot, i am lucky my rat shoots are amongst straw bales where the rats are living, i put out bait of bricks coated with peanut/chocolate spread on them at the base of the bales, leave these for several nights then set up using an ns200 and my hw100 with H&N hunter extreme .177 pellets these nail them to the spot. great fun atb brian Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rimmer 33 Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 good advice. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gloop 5 Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 If you cant see it clearly then don't shoot the bloody thing. I never ever take a shot unless I can clearly see the body and identify what species it is. Eye shine prove nothing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ray 185 Posted February 26, 2014 Report Share Posted February 26, 2014 I once stalked a pair of strange eyes in a ditch for over an hour. They just didn't look right and although they were moving a little bit they just didn't move enough, even when I got within 30 yards. Only at 20 yards did I realise it was a weird reflection off a microwave someone had dumped and they eye "movement" was due to weeds moving in the wind in front of it. Ironically after being so quite in order to get so close to the microwave without scaring it, I turned round to find a very puzzled looking fox standing in the open looking at me. I think he may have been stalking the microwave as well... 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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