Rats population staying strong

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Most all of the pellets rats, or any other smallish creature are shot with pass all the way through the animal even at low velocities.
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^^^^^This! However having a field full of lead pellets eventually could be another problem. A much slower problem because lead is relatively inert unless encounters acid but having hundreds of pellets all over where food is grown and rain slowly absorb and get into ground water is a long term concern. IF the farmer has chickens in that area then then the problem will surface extremely quickly because they like to eat little pellets thinking they are Little Rock’s to aid digestion and their super strong stomach acid will dissolve the lead extremely fast. 
 
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@shomer. Thanks, they were a lot more out in the open in December when we first started shooting there. The number seems smaller but I was only there once a week or twice a month for up to three hours per session.

@Twinkees. My HW100 shoots the 16gr at 870fps, 27ft.lb so most if not all are pass thru.

@qball. I agree with the pellets in the ground could be a problem. Poisoning is the other option, but that too is not a safe method. It is a hard decision to make but if these rats are left along then the consequences are much worst than the contamination of some lead. I will continue to shoot them for as long as the farmer allows me to do so.

thanks all for watching.
 
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Thanks again for sharing @max115 .

Not to sidetrack max115's post, but what a about use of lead-free pellets in situations like this, i.e. farmland. Any cons besides them pellets currently costing arm and leg? Just thought poisoning def is not an option; and lead will be picked up by the chickens... why not lead-free pellets.

Being that lead-free has been forced on us out here in the 'people's republic of California' (at least in the powder burning/hunting world for now), I've been slowly loading up on those pellets. Hopefully they'll get relatively less expensive down the road as it mass produced more, who knows. Haven't hunt anything with yet, but shoots fine out if my AG rifles and pistol.
 
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For conversation (and not to sound like some greenpeace mofo) ... wondering if digesting all those lead pellets will eventually have effects on the coyotes or are they smart enough more or less spit them out, lol. 



Thanks again for sharing @max115 .

Not to sidetrack max115's post, but what a about use of lead-free pellets in situations like this, i.e. farmland. Any cons besides them pellets currently costing arm and leg? Just thought poisoning def is not an option; and lead will be picked up by the chickens... why not lead-free pellets.
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Ingesting lead is far more lethal for birds than mammals. The lead gets ground up in the birds crop while large lead particles will pass through a mammals digestive tract with less detrimental affect.
 
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Lead free pellets have come a long way and don’t cost an arm and leg anymore. The down side is they are lighter so lose energy faster but I actually see that as huge plus in environment where safety is a big concern. I have switched to lead free pellets when shooting house sparrows in my yard, even with much shinier finish I still can’t find 80% of them after the shot. 


As part of preserving your permission there i would tell the farmer that you use lead free pellets where possible especially around feeds where the rats are. If I were the farmer I would appreciate your extra steps to preserve my livelihood. At the end of the day that why you are there, if the farmer found his animals ingesting lead pellets then you might not be shooting there anymore. 
 
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@fdales17. Thanks, and ya they got well fed for sure.

@qball. He is aware of the lead pellets and he has no issue with it. This is a pheasant farm where he uses them as live targets for hunters when they are in season. They are kept indoor and they haven't been released into the netted area where I shoot in the "laneway" section only. The rest of the target area are on the outside perimeter of the three barns on the property. And when the birds are outside in the Summer time, that section will be closed for shooting, so the lead contamination factor is minor. But thank you for the advice.

@Ezana4CE. Glad you enjoyed it. 
 
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