Rat Surprise...the Good Kind

[RemyBolt 420]

Well before even loading a .22 into my RatCatcher, I managed to bag a bunny (currently in the freezer) so today is at least a semi successful hunting day.

 

But night had fallen and it was time to get ratting.

 

Unfortunately my hodgepodge battery organisation...or lack of organisation set it up for a less than perfect session (forgot to even take a normal torch with me) but I soldiered on.

 

Got the Ratty ready to go, starting with the bottom egg belt. First shot was way high! Second shot was compensated for, and found it's mark. First rat was more like a large mouse. Not worth celebrating, but a start.

 

That egg belt ended up with a total of 6 confirmed hits and 4 rats lay dead on the belt. Then up to the top belt. Just 2 on there. But I must confess to a naughty shot. A rat was hiding Iits head behind an egg. Yeah, you know what I did. Pellet straight through the egg and the rats head. It was brilliant to see the egg explode and the rat drop dead. Felt like a Hollywood movie kill.

 

Then into the chicken area to "The Cage". This is my favourite place to shoot if your scope is holding perfect zero. But mine wasn't spot on. However, I was pulling out good shots, so was happy to post up. At first I posted by the entrance door and took a couple of shots.

 

The next few minutes saw me back outside changing batteries. Really need to just charge the lot and do an uber session. Sorry, I ecbole.

 

Once back inside I post up against the top of the egg belt roof and point directly at the slat floor to catch a rat climbing up the outside of the cage. Trigger pull, and he's dead, twitching on the floor....and then dropped between the slats. Damn.

 

I then go back out to check down the belt and get another couple of rats on the bottom belt.

 

Then back to the door to shhot the cage. To my horror I cannot see a rat there. I can only see a massive tail. Temptation gets the better and I dump a shot through the back end to where I estimated the heart and lungs would be. As if the Jedi master himself (Moxy) had aided my pellet, the rat drops. Only, I'm not sure if it is a rat.

 

When it hit the floor (the top of the cage is about 6.5 feet tall) the impaxt of the rat on thr floor was like a small dog falling that distance. I genuinely felt the vibration of the impact through the floor!

 

I spring over with my phone fully expecting to see a cat or something.

 

But it was just a hefter of a rat lay next to another earlier conquest.

 

[moxy 617]

You will get there one day my old padwar

 

Nice shooting and an good write up again mate.

 

Keep em coming

[Lloyd57 98]

Nice shooting and good write up Remmy,

[ratbuster 808]

Nice write up Remmy, thanks for sharing, but I wouldn't put my rifle on that messy floor with them rats so near, cross contamination...... (always nice a bit of rat urine on your face... ) I know the cheekpiece is resting on your shoe !

[The one 8,524]

Aye nice read and glad your getting a few

[RemyBolt 420]

Nice write up Remmy, thanks for sharing, but I wouldn't put my rifle on that messy floor with them rats so near, cross contamination...... (always nice a bit of rat urine on your face... ) I know the cheekpiece is resting on your shoe !

I also help out down the farm now and again so am quite used to being minging dirty. Once I went straight into a load of chicken poo water nearly knee deep. Thought I was in a different chicken house/shed/barn. Think I wrote up about that on here. However, my Ratty is only used for NV now, so nothing touches my cheek on this gun....thank goodness! Anyway, as I'm sure most guys on here know, the rats are more at risk of catching some random disease off me! haha

[j j m 6,567]

Well done bud

[mark williams 7,563]

Shooting RB , and nice write up.

 

atb

[treecreeper 1,136]

nice shooting bud, cant beat rat bashing.

[Rimfireboy! 1,463]

Well done fella.

[random 659]

Nice bit of rat bashing there,I know lads who do some in the chicken sheds and say its usually a good nights shooting,albeit a bit dirty but rough with the smooth hey?

[RemyBolt 420]

Nice bit of rat bashing there,I know lads who do some in the chicken sheds and say its usually a good nights shooting,albeit a bit dirty but rough with the smooth hey?

Stinks like fermenting chicken poo! But to be fair, I associate that smell so much with good shooting that I actually have fond memories kick in when I smell it. Also, I work at the farm when they're low on staff, so the ammonia has burned out half my sense of smell.