QUICK QUESTION

[theobenmike 0]

I went ratting with a mate of mine on Thursday night at a local farm. There was a lot about as this farm has pigs, cows and at this time of year turkeys, so plenty of different food available. Using a lamp and air rifle we thinned a few out. However some were hit and their bodies not recovered. Am I right in thinking that if a rat is hit it will bleed to death as their blood doesn't clot?

 

Cheers Mike

[Big bald beautiful 1,231]

I went ratting with a mate of mine on Thursday night at a local farm. There was a lot about as this farm has pigs, cows and at this time of year turkeys, so plenty of different food available. Using a lamp and air rifle we thinned a few out. However some were hit and their bodies not recovered. Am I right in thinking that if a rat is hit it will bleed to death as their blood doesn't clot?

 

Cheers Mike

 

 

only ifs been eating warfarin

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

I nearly choked on my smoke at that question!

 

BBB's more or less right though. Warfarin, or any of the other more modern and powerful anticoagulant baits we use today.

 

Sounds of the situation there though, it's doubtfull much or any is being used.

[theobenmike 0]

Your right there ditch the farmer isn't using any poison AT ALL

 

His excuse is that he has a barn owl using one of his barns.

 

The place has got shit loads of rats about (no surprise).

 

We're going again soon with a NV scope on the air rifle

 

The trouble was with a lamp the feckers bolted and were difficult to shoot on the move with a scope, so off came the scope and we went back to the old fashioned way with open sights. Still hard to shoot on the move though. Don't know whether a 410 would be better on the job or whether it would do too much damage

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

.410? 2" cartridges of #7? Depend on the back drops, of course, but could be the way to go, mate. Hell, it'd be some sport, that's for sure!

 

Wouldn't be cheap sport, 'mind. That's the only thing!

[fish 148]

Your right there ditch the farmer isn't using any poison AT ALL

 

His excuse is that he has a barn owl using one of his barns.

 

The place has got shit loads of rats about (no surprise).

 

We're going again soon with a NV scope on the air rifle

 

The trouble was with a lamp the feckers bolted and were difficult to shoot on the move with a scope, so off came the scope and we went back to the old fashioned way with open sights. Still hard to shoot on the move though. Don't know whether a 410 would be better on the job or whether it would do too much damage

410 feed them up first with corn in piles flick the lamp on you can get 3 or 4 with 1 shot

[Matt 160]

I use a Deben scope mounted light with a dimmer on it. You can turn the power right down and they dont move (same with bunnies).

 

Wounded rats rarely survive long because their 'pals' eat them! I recently shot 15 rats which were all trying to pull a previous victim away to be comsumed. Great sport.

 

Its a very common mistake to use a lamp with too much power; its suprising how little light you need if you have a half decent scope. Once you know where they are turn the light right down and watch your bags go up.

 

If you are wounding lots I suggest you get some practice at targets, at night, wearing the same clothing you shoot in. Even rats dont deserve to be wounded due to incompetence.

[donky7 9]

does you use a filter on yer lamp... where i shoot at, they stop to allow you to say a quick prayer before THE END.

 

seriously,,,, the red filter gives you a good 5 sec window to choose where you want to shoot them...... head or body shot. as the visits progress they soon get used to it though...... but a month down the line... fresh rats are frequenting the place and they has no idea they are selected.

 

i've tried a few different colours on my logun... red seems to be there chosen one......... :moil:

[theobenmike 0]

Matt the Rat - Don't get me wrong nothing deserves to die a slow death, not even a rat. I'm not saying it's acceptable to wound them, just asking if the wounds heal or not. The ones where the bodies were not recovered had been shot and dropped in between pallets or behind big straw bales etc. Although some bodies were found the next day, some half eaten by other rats or possibly cats (which don't seem to be doing much rat catching)

Target practice isn't needed, the problem is shooting them on the move with an air rifle aint the easiest thing

 

Donky7 - We were using an old clulite with a red filter on it. The problem with it is that it has not got an adjustable power control, just full on so it's still too bright even with the red filter on.

 

Ditch Shitter and fish - Think it might be the Night Vision on the air rifle or .410 with a less powerful lamp and a fine shot, 2" #7's is that the smallest shot you can get for one

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Mike; Regards the .410 ammo, I'm pretty much just guessing, mate. I haven't owned a .410 for about thirty years now and only remember that one used to be able to get little 2" cartridges. I seem to remember they came in #6, so I'd imagine #7 would have also been available. Try asking someone like Baldie or Deker. They've got their finger on the pulse

 

Like I say though; Bloody pricey! They used to cost about as much as hulking great 12 bore cartridges - and god knows what They cost today!

[Deker 3,478]

Matt the Rat - Don't get me wrong nothing deserves to die a slow death, not even a rat. I'm not saying it's acceptable to wound them, just asking if the wounds heal or not. The ones where the bodies were not recovered had been shot and dropped in between pallets or behind big straw bales etc. Although some bodies were found the next day, some half eaten by other rats or possibly cats (which don't seem to be doing much rat catching)

Target practice isn't needed, the problem is shooting them on the move with an air rifle aint the easiest thing

 

Donky7 - We were using an old clulite with a red filter on it. The problem with it is that it has not got an adjustable power control, just full on so it's still too bright even with the red filter on.

 

Ditch Shitter and fish - Think it might be the Night Vision on the air rifle or .410 with a less powerful lamp and a fine shot, 2" #7's is that the smallest shot you can get for one

 

 

http://www.justcartridges.com/

I think you will struggle to get anything more than 7 in a 2" 410. I know 9's are available but I think probably only in 21/2" or 3". Shotgun cartridge prices seem to have gone through the roof in the last 2 or 3 years and the economies of scale means you have a very wide choice in 12g, and 410 are commonly more expensive than 12G

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

As regards rats and lights .We used to leave the farm lights on for a couple of days before hand [if the tight bugger will allow]and get the rats used to feeding under a light .feed them to an easy target spot and have a night with the aigun sat in a chair .nice .

[Guest rexdigger]

a farm i have permission on is teeming with rats all i use is a bsa superten with nv scope on what fun you can be 5 foot away from a rat and it hasnt got a clue we did 50 first night and 30 second night when i bought nv great fun

[Matt 160]

Sorry Mike, I misunderstood you. When I read:

However some were hit and their bodies not recovered. Am I right in thinking that if a rat is hit it will bleed to death as their blood doesn't clot?

I presumed you meant you were wounding alot. I did not mean too suggest that you were in anyway callous.

 

The point about practice is a serious one though. No matter how good a shot you think you are, the only way to maintain high standards of marksmanship is through practice. A very wise instructor once suggested to me that you should practice in as similar circumstances to the real thing as possible. It makes sense when you think about it; its no use practising in the garden in the middle of the day wearing a teashirt if you are going out lamping in a heavy coat.

 

I cannot recommend the dimmer type lights for this type of work strongly enough. Mine cost about fifty quid, and has paid for itself many times over. I think its a tracer mini (?).

 

Red filters are fine up to a point. Its the same as any other colour of light; once its associated with danger you will find that the quarry becomes 'lamp shy'. My method uses the least amount of light possible.

 

Having said all that, I've never tried NV (I'm too old and mean to shell out that much!)- I would think its good.

 

Keep on killing the little buggers anyway...

[Dowen Pest Control Solutions 0]

Night vision is the way to go you can stand in pitch dark and pop them off you will need a gen2 as i found gen1 crap for ratting i have got a digital night vision but havent been out ratting with it yet i will let you know regards Dowen.