Coypu Hunter 486 Posted January 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 Yeah, they'll keep coming back if you have water on your property. Good fun sniping 'em with a .22LR, though! Get yourself a cheap Eastern European 22LR, they're accurate with good subsonic ammo out to 100 yards or so. Or use an air rifle, like everyone around here does, just don't tell anyone... oops... Quote Link to post
Waz 4,274 Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 I bought a 2nd hand Norinco .22 in the summer not seen a coypu since though. One coypu earth a fox has enlarged hopefully will find him in there this week with the frosts. 1 Quote Link to post
Rabid 1,936 Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 Are they only attracted to water, as they do seem to be a water based pest, if I don't have water on my land is it unlikely I would encounter them ? 1 Quote Link to post
treecreeper 1,136 Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 Are they only attracted to water, as they do seem to be a water based pest, if I don't have water on my land is it unlikely I would encounter them ? yes they burrow into dam walls and erode river banks hence why they are such a pest. 2 Quote Link to post
Coypu Hunter 486 Posted January 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 (edited) Yes, they're aquatic animals. They use flowing water to travel around (streams, rivers, even ditches) but breed on still water -- canals and ponds/lakes. If there's no water on your land, it's unlikely you'll ever see one, although they might use any ditches as pathways on the way to somewhere else. People and dogs have been bitten after wandering into ditches for whatever reason and getting too close to a cornered coypu. Since they have very sharp incisors but don't brush their teeth too often, the end result is normally a trip to A&E or the vet's. They do carry some nasty diseases. They are also extremely destructive, as Treecreeper says. A neighbour has a small pond where he used to raise exotic ducks. The coypus just kept on tunneling through the embankment around it and letting the water out, and eventually he just gave up. One year, we had mamma bear bring along five baby bears and take up residence on our lake. When the young can fend for themselves, the mother swans off, so we were left with five pups that were learning how to forage for themselves and also how to tunnel into the lake banks and create galleries. That's when the shooting started... Edited January 1, 2015 by Coypu Hunter 1 Quote Link to post
Rabid 1,936 Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 Thanks Coypu, your threads make interesting reading for me, the place I am looking at does not have any water unfortunatly, I really wanted either a pond or lake (not just for the coypu shooting) but they are mostly out of budget, so the plan is to start off small and keep looking for the perfect place. 1 Quote Link to post
Waz 4,274 Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 Rabid, im sure a farmer with a stream passing through will let you thin them out or a lake owner. Ive seen big oaks fall due to tunneling. + they can carry leptospirosis, which might be an angle for you to get permission from a leisure lake owner. What area are you looking in? 2 Quote Link to post
Rabid 1,936 Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 Rabid, im sure a farmer with a stream passing through will let you thin them out or a lake owner. Ive seen big oaks fall due to tunneling. + they can carry leptospirosis, which might be an angle for you to get permission from a leisure lake owner. What area are you looking in? I am looking at Brittany, from st Malo and westwards within one hour of the coast as not only the shooting, but I have my own boat and am an avid sea fisher as well, so quite a few points I need to consider, I am in discussion about a propert just outside huelgoat at present, but the owner seems very slow responding to anything, so I am still looking at other options. 1 Quote Link to post
Waz 4,274 Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 A good time to buy. Will pm you later a member of off here used to live not far from there. Had a couple of trips up there to visit. And he filled his boots with coypu 1 Quote Link to post
ftm 3,357 Posted January 2, 2015 Report Share Posted January 2, 2015 sounds like we need some over here! coypu breeding it is then lol sure i will find a breeding pair on fleabay 1 Quote Link to post
Rez 4,961 Posted January 2, 2015 Report Share Posted January 2, 2015 What the f**k is that?! Looks like you killed a beaver Never mind whats that where the feck have you been the last few days ,out on the p*ss :drink: and left your mates be hind with out a thought :cray: all the best bud have a good one :drinks: nice shooting coypu top class :toast: atvbmac :thumbs: I have mac. Bored of alcohol to be honest. As an edit, I'm now finishing off the mrs proseco as I type... Or tap as the case maybe. X 1 Quote Link to post
bigmac 97kt 13,812 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 What the f**k is that?! Looks like you killed a beaver Never mind whats that where the feck have you been the last few days ,out on the p*ss :drink: and left your mates be hind with out a thought :cray: all the best bud have a good one :drinks: nice shooting coypu top class :toast: atvbmac :thumbs: I have mac. Bored of alcohol to be honest. As an edit, I'm now finishing off the mrs proseco as I type... Or tap as the case maybe. X You have got to obey she who rules the roost :diablo: Or she may make you sell your guns Was going to go shooting on old years night but got a very abrupt NO YOUR NOT and did i take any notice did i feck SPENT THE NIGHT CUDDLED UP ON THE SETTEE WATCHING SH*T ON THE BOX atvbmac :thumbs: Quote Link to post
ftm 3,357 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 we only pretend to be the govenor of our homes -real men know who the boss is !lol-billy 1 Quote Link to post
Paulsand 0 Posted December 2, 2015 Report Share Posted December 2, 2015 I've bought a property late December 2014 in Brittany, it has a small lake and I've just discovered I have Coypu. I am out in France most of the time but will not move out full time until later in 2016 when I've sold my place in the UK. I want to get a .177 air rifle mainly for err..target practice....can I get one if I'm not out here full time? If I can where is the best place in Brittany to get one...or if not, what about buying one second hand? Quote Link to post
Rez 4,961 Posted December 3, 2015 Report Share Posted December 3, 2015 This is a well old post thats come back to haunt me... Jesus. Anyway. Going to see the Happy Mondays on Friday...... I apologies already. Sorry Paulsand. Off topic. But you've brought back some right old posts here. Quote Link to post
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