RATS

[clouser 0]

Hi everyone,brand new member with a rat problem.I live in the sticks and back on to farmland and seem to be being invaded by rats,there is signs of them everywhere,runs,droppings they have even chewed through and dug under the wooden fences either side of me.I think i have tracked em down to my neighbors rockery and they seem to be using my garden as a through road to my other neighbors guineapig and rabbit hutches.I havent seen any as yet and i understand they mainly come out at night,i have a HW77 MK1 with a Deerfield 4x12x50 and would like to know what i could add to this to make it a useable low light/night hunting outfit and any advice on rat shooting.Looking forward to reading your words of wisdom.

[hiho 5]

you could try a light/lamp to get them you want need a big one unless you plan on getting rabbits in the future

[spike25blue 55]

you could try a light/lamp to get them you want need a big one unless you plan on getting rabbits in the future

 

 

you can just get something like this will do the trick mate.

 

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LAMPING-LIGHT-KIT-Ai...A1%7C240%3A1318

[ghillies 209]

even simpler, see what the guinipigs/rabbits are eating, get a bag of the same and put out a pile in the middle of the runs, leave a few nights to a week, but... rig up an outdoor light you can leave on.. they'll get used to it soon enough, not to bright though, just bright enought to see the pile through your scope.. failing that rig up any old torch with wat ever krypton bulb, with rechargeables and leave it on the pile for a few nights...(or a big capacity lead acid battery, charge in the day leave on by night...

 

 

ooo..forgot.. set your gun up to the distance your used to zero'ing.. then find where the first zero occurs (the preverbial zero'd at 30 on at 10 yards, 10 being the first one) an drop the bait around there from where ever you sit.

Edited November 4, 2008 by ghillies

[BBB 7]

dont use solid food for bait . rat's will usually grab a bit of what is being offered and scarper offering little time for a telling shot. use chicken or ox tail soup. put some along the rat run's. sit nearby quietly then plug em as the turn up. i have also heated the soup up in the past to get the steam aroma going and i have seen rat's come running over to it like the bisto kid's when they get a sniff and with the soup they have to stop still to lap it up .plenty of time to get a steady bead on em and put a slug through it's nappa you also dont need to wait till it's dark to shoot em . i have shot hundreds in day time using soup.. remove any rat's you kill straight away. as they dont like having a meal with one of there mates laid there with it fockin brain's blown out.. having said that though i once shot a large doe rat killing it stone dead. i was just about to get up and move it when a see a young un come out and over to it. i shot that aswell. i left em both were they fell and within the next ten minutes shot another 6 young un's. i reckon the doe was the mother and the young's wanted to be with her.. so i obliged..

[ghillies 209]

hmmm got some of that...looks like i'm going to eat some soup now

[BBB 7]

well it's good enough for the rat's..

[ghillies 209]

burp....

[clouser 0]

dont use solid food for bait . rat's will usually grab a bit of what is being offered and scarper offering little time for a telling shot. use chicken or ox tail soup. put some along the rat run's. sit nearby quietly then plug em as the turn up. i have also heated the soup up in the past to get the steam aroma going and i have seen rat's come running over to it like the bisto kid's when they get a sniff and with the soup they have to stop still to lap it up .plenty of time to get a steady bead on em and put a slug through it's nappa you also dont need to wait till it's dark to shoot em . i have shot hundreds in day time using soup.. remove any rat's you kill straight away. as they dont like having a meal with one of there mates laid there with it fockin brain's blown out.. having said that though i once shot a large doe rat killing it stone dead. i was just about to get up and move it when a see a young un come out and over to it. i shot that aswell. i left em both were they fell and within the next ten minutes shot another 6 young un's. i reckon the doe was the mother and the young's wanted to be with her.. so i obliged..

[clouser 0]

Thanks for all the advice,i shall let you know how i get on.

[jamie g 17]

a logun lamp will be fine for ratting. i would get the deben mini pro with dimmer. find there runs and bait out a bit of cat or dog food. smear it so they cant run away with it. they have to sit there and eat then.

 

then shoot them

[ghillies 209]

if theres a main 'moterway' put a house brick or rock right in the middle of it and watch intently.. beleive it or not they see best at dusk and dawn when the UV lights highest (they see in the blue spectrum best) when they literaly run into the brick (after dark) being as inquisatively blind as bats as they are they fumble about investigateing what hit them lol...plenty time to take a shot.(if your watching).

Edited November 5, 2008 by ghillies

[cameraman 1]

put a fenn trap or springer in the run instead of the brick covered of course much more fun than the brick although i like the brick idea lol

[ghillies 209]

heres a big help, some rats sudenly drop flat down on the ground, they can disapear in daytime till you realise, but, if you've shot one and it flats down...smack it's head with another pellet, it awaits to aquaint it's self with you..teeth first lol...just need you to get close enough.