Baiting rats in yard

[Robbusher 1,563]

Terrier always shows plenty of interest in yard at work so thought I’d have a hour or so with lads bsa 177 and tin of sweetcorn  shot six only dropped two on spot others made it back through metal fence saw plenty running about as put bait in few areas defo gonna have to have a late one with lad on night up there and see what we can knock off 

[mushroom 12,878]

Try peanut butter and put it down for a few nights without shooting. Get a .410 and blast them one night. You'll get more

[philpot 4,971]

The food you are putting down is easily picked up so the rats can run off with it. As mushroom said, try peanut butter but I find like humans, it is a love or hate product but if it works, brilliant. Nutella is good and so is cat food liquidised with a bit of cooking oil and honey can be good as well but the main thing is to put a food down that they cannot run away with.

An air rifle is by far the best tool for the job, I have over the past few years been shooting hundreds and hundreds of rats each year with the air rifle and NV kit, great sport.

Phil

[j j m 6,536]

totally agree with you phil mate,if they can pick food up there away with it I smear it in a brick while there trying to get it off I take them out

[Deker 3,478]

I believe that's an Airsporter, cracking guns if you have them on song, but you need consistency/accuracy with shooting, and rats can be tough.

Good luck!

Edited April 10, 2019 by Deker

[Robbusher 1,563]

Got it about 3 months ago for my lad bought  a new spring for it bumped power up abit . Old man got one for his webley.22 sure he said they were called ox springs been knocking a couple off every time we go with air guns 

[Nicepix 5,650]

When I'm shooting rats in the neighbour's garden I throw a handful of micro pellets, the same as used by anglers. These pellets are highly nutritious and very smelly. They disappear into the grass and the rats have to root around to look for them. In the past when shooting in barns I've hung a bit of bacon up just out of their reach. This causes them to sit up quite still whilst they are trying to figure out where the smell is coming from. Gives me plenty of time to line the sights up.

[The one 8,467]

As said try anything you can liquidised  or else they just grab it and run . and you thought about prebaiting it for a couple of days till there used to it them shoot there  

[PLEDGEY 495]

Rats run with the bait coz they don't like being out in the open. Rats ain't daft, they know cats, owls and other predators are about and they can't see very well so they 'grab an' run'. I find if you put down some wooden pallets with something over the top, old bits of wood, sacks, whatever, they'll feel more safe and they'll sit and eat. You have to leave the pallets there for a while for them to get really comfortable as rats are 'neophobic' which makes them highly suspicious of anything new.

[LuckOrJudgement 437]

Shooting rats with Airguns is great sport. When I'm asked to deal with rats in a garden as a pest control job, it's now my method of first resort.

Find a good spot, make meself comfortable and pick em off. Just as absorbing as angling, and way better for wildlife than laying down poison.

[Rimfireboy! 1,463]

Good shooting Rob. 

 

Instead of sweetcorn, try lead pellets. They’ll be more accurate and carry energy better down range

[Robbusher 1,563]

Finally got round to bringing lad up to have a go at rats in yard brought tinned sardines in oil mushed up into a soup so they can’t run off with bait tonight hopefully he can whack a few 

[Jonjon79 13,358]

Good luck to him mate

 

It's always good to see the young 'uns keen

[Robbusher 1,563]

Came to yard with lad again ten minutes here 1 nil to him

[pepper 45 55]

there seems to be more rats about this year for some reason.