Tonight I had a lot of time to think waiting for a possum to show up, and it wandered to the subject of rat hunting. I'm wonder if there is anyone in the U.S. that actually hunts rats at a dump anymore? I know folks still do it on farms, but I'd rather try my hand at something in a more open space first.
Rat hunting at the dump in the U.S.?
- Thread starter JDShapp
- Start date
Believe it or not Garbage is big business in my area . The dumps have high fences and take it serious . But occasionally you can find an old barn infested with rats that's can be fun . On our deer lease we used to pull a Big brush-like over some corn and the birds couldn't get to it . But at night the field mic and rats came out and we would set and shoot as an excuse to drink a cold beverage or maybe two
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Strange you should say that, but I'm willing to bet it is here too. Where I remember the dump being as a kid is now basically capped with earth and grown up with trees, and the dump entrance is now several miles down the road. Not to sure I'd like hiking up and down those massive hills in the old area even if it does look as nice as it does now.
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Same as Joe here in West Texas, Big money , Big gates and no way in and no smell.
Back in my city dump days when it stunk so bad you could not stand it , We kids I was maybe 15 to 17 years old would go spot lighting with 22 rim fire guns.
We killed , rats , wild cats, skunks , raccoons , possums, coyotes by the dozen ,
WE had fun but stunk real bad from hunting in that pit,
And we always got a flat tire. Always...
Even growing up in my 20 and 30s I could take you to pits 30 or 40 of them you could shoot in all day, Sight your 30-06 in at 100 to 200 yards, Some pits were even larger 1000 yards and bigger,,, Now every one is closed down tight as a drum.
I kind of feel sorry for the youth of the day,
To have lived 100 years ago would have been free, 200 years ago, Very hard but freedom that escapes my simple mind.
oops getting deep here, Where were we at? Yes Rat hunting,
MIke
Back in my city dump days when it stunk so bad you could not stand it , We kids I was maybe 15 to 17 years old would go spot lighting with 22 rim fire guns.
We killed , rats , wild cats, skunks , raccoons , possums, coyotes by the dozen ,
WE had fun but stunk real bad from hunting in that pit,
And we always got a flat tire. Always...
Even growing up in my 20 and 30s I could take you to pits 30 or 40 of them you could shoot in all day, Sight your 30-06 in at 100 to 200 yards, Some pits were even larger 1000 yards and bigger,,, Now every one is closed down tight as a drum.
I kind of feel sorry for the youth of the day,
To have lived 100 years ago would have been free, 200 years ago, Very hard but freedom that escapes my simple mind.
oops getting deep here, Where were we at? Yes Rat hunting,
MIke
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No shortage of rats here (packrats and hispid cotton rats). My problem is they are out when I value sleep more than the hunting experience. 25 years on night shift makes me really appreciate working for myself days now. If you suspect rats in the area a can of whole kernel corn will usually draw them in like a magnet. The hispid cotton rat also likes deer corn feeders and quail feeders.
Thurmond
Thurmond
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Nothing worse than seeing a fun area to hunt being off limits. I could always try asking at the vegetable/fruit market that operates down the road from the dump. They have some decent sized fields planted during the growing season that should be prime hunting for pests.
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When I was a teenager it sure was fun to go to the dump on a Sat or Sunday afternoon with some soda and sit on the tail gate of the truck and shoot rats. but that was before guns were "bad". People knew what was going on. We would use a .22 rim fire and a BB gun. BB's were for close up head shots. If we were able to do the same thing these days, after the first gun cracked the police would be called and we would surely get arrested. Oh how it would be nice to go back to the good "ole days".
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