So a few days ago my family was out side together and we were enjoying a fire in the backyard. The neighbors were pulling into their back portion of the property and the usual waves and greetings were exchanged. Through a brief conversation they shared with us that they were having a rat problem that was starting to get out of hand under and around the chicken coop and between the neighbors coop just on the other side of the fence line they share. I took the opportunity to offer my pest eliminating (airgun shooting) services but I didn't really think that they would take me up on it. At that moment they seemed very accepting of the idea but I left it in their hands.
A couple of days later another fence line conversation was started by them with the intent to get me over there to help with the rats. We went over and I scoped it out and we decided that I would get started that night. I took some ranges from 3 different spots and went home and worked a range card based off those distances. I wasn't really sure where the rats would present themselves so I at least had three options to start with. The ranges were 12 yards, 5 yards and 6 feet.
That first night showed me that the rats travel in and out from under the coop in two main spots. One was off the backside that faces the fence line to the other neighbors coop. The other place was right in front just to the right of the entrance to the coop itself where the chickens go in and out. That entrance is inside of the pen area and it stays open for the chickens to go in and out of freely. Well, that also allows the rats to go in and out freely and feed on the chicken feed so that's why they have taken residence under the coop.... Warm, dry and we'll fed!
First night I took three shots on rats. Only one confirmed kill. I'm pretty sure that I hit all three but with the kicking and twitching they fell back into the tunnels under the coop. They only show them selves under the certain areas of the coop and don't stay outside except for going in and out of the coop or traveling between both properties (about 15'). The one confirmed kill was right by the chicken coop entrance. It makes for a head on shot.
The neighbors said to leave them there and that they would collect the rats and dispose of them. I had to leave quickly that first night and I returned later after running and errand. Upon arrival the one confirmed kill was gone. Neighbors said they didn't see it either. In that in between time something had taken care of that rat!
Second night out I set up at the entrance (6' shot distance). I had Sean with me (8 year old son). We popped two rats within a 15 minute outing and the activity died down. We also played hide and seek with the other neighbor since it think he heard one of the shots and next thing we knew we had flashlights shining our direction from the other side of the fence. We held our position without being detected and made our escape after the flashlight activity ceased.
It was like being a kid again and eluding detection. I alerted the position of the two rats to the coop owner (phone text). He didn't find them. Something is taking care of these things!
Third night out Christopher (13 year old Son) and I slipped through the fence and made our way to the coop. As soon as I tuned the red spotting light on there was a rat staring at me 6' away! POP! 1 down. With these things disappearing I decided to retrieve the body. It's a bit of a chore using two sticks working through barrier wire to work a soft rat body out but our two handed chop stick skills were honed on that first rat.
As soon as we had the first one out and was back in position a second set of eyes appeared. POP! 2 down. Fished it out with sticks and posed I by its mate.
Back in position again and a few minutes pass by and I see movement a little farther back in the tunnel. I get my sight picture (as best I can being only 6' away, on 4x power and parallax dialed down to 10 yards) and POP! 3 down. This one is smaller (young one) and flops around and falls down into one of the tunnels. We get down there and are able to see a breakthrough to and exposed tunnel and we fish that one out to rest by it mates.
Next up I get some visual evidence (pictures on my phone) and some pictures of the shooting area. I text the location of the deceased for the coop owner to find and dispose of the rats and we slip back across the fenceline into our home territory to boast of our great rat hunting expedition at the neighbors house.
I'm shooting a 177 cal FX Wildcat hitting around 16 fpe. Way more than needed but does the trick.
A couple of days later another fence line conversation was started by them with the intent to get me over there to help with the rats. We went over and I scoped it out and we decided that I would get started that night. I took some ranges from 3 different spots and went home and worked a range card based off those distances. I wasn't really sure where the rats would present themselves so I at least had three options to start with. The ranges were 12 yards, 5 yards and 6 feet.
That first night showed me that the rats travel in and out from under the coop in two main spots. One was off the backside that faces the fence line to the other neighbors coop. The other place was right in front just to the right of the entrance to the coop itself where the chickens go in and out. That entrance is inside of the pen area and it stays open for the chickens to go in and out of freely. Well, that also allows the rats to go in and out freely and feed on the chicken feed so that's why they have taken residence under the coop.... Warm, dry and we'll fed!
First night I took three shots on rats. Only one confirmed kill. I'm pretty sure that I hit all three but with the kicking and twitching they fell back into the tunnels under the coop. They only show them selves under the certain areas of the coop and don't stay outside except for going in and out of the coop or traveling between both properties (about 15'). The one confirmed kill was right by the chicken coop entrance. It makes for a head on shot.
The neighbors said to leave them there and that they would collect the rats and dispose of them. I had to leave quickly that first night and I returned later after running and errand. Upon arrival the one confirmed kill was gone. Neighbors said they didn't see it either. In that in between time something had taken care of that rat!
Second night out I set up at the entrance (6' shot distance). I had Sean with me (8 year old son). We popped two rats within a 15 minute outing and the activity died down. We also played hide and seek with the other neighbor since it think he heard one of the shots and next thing we knew we had flashlights shining our direction from the other side of the fence. We held our position without being detected and made our escape after the flashlight activity ceased.
It was like being a kid again and eluding detection. I alerted the position of the two rats to the coop owner (phone text). He didn't find them. Something is taking care of these things! Third night out Christopher (13 year old Son) and I slipped through the fence and made our way to the coop. As soon as I tuned the red spotting light on there was a rat staring at me 6' away! POP! 1 down. With these things disappearing I decided to retrieve the body. It's a bit of a chore using two sticks working through barrier wire to work a soft rat body out but our two handed chop stick skills were honed on that first rat.
As soon as we had the first one out and was back in position a second set of eyes appeared. POP! 2 down. Fished it out with sticks and posed I by its mate.
Back in position again and a few minutes pass by and I see movement a little farther back in the tunnel. I get my sight picture (as best I can being only 6' away, on 4x power and parallax dialed down to 10 yards) and POP! 3 down. This one is smaller (young one) and flops around and falls down into one of the tunnels. We get down there and are able to see a breakthrough to and exposed tunnel and we fish that one out to rest by it mates.
Next up I get some visual evidence (pictures on my phone) and some pictures of the shooting area. I text the location of the deceased for the coop owner to find and dispose of the rats and we slip back across the fenceline into our home territory to boast of our great rat hunting expedition at the neighbors house.
I'm shooting a 177 cal FX Wildcat hitting around 16 fpe. Way more than needed but does the trick.
ha ha!
