At WAR with Nutria and Cottonmouths

Flint54

I have walked into a never ending WAR! One of the local Grainery owners that is also a member or our church has asked me for my help. He has a very large ammount of land that he plants @ 4 miles long and 2 miles wide. This parcel has miles of drainage and irrigation ditches that are filled with all sorts of critters. He has tasked me with assisting in the culling of the Nutria that infest this whole area and if a rattler or cottonmouth shows itself he would like for them to go by the wayside also. He had 4 workers bit last year working on tractors, combines etc. Anyway I think I've gotten myself into a pickle, I've been out 3 times so far and the score is 22 Nutria and 7 CMs. It sure sharpens the eye hand coordination as the larger ditches are only @ 6' wide and the critters don't show for very long at all in presenting a shot. But it sure beats putting holes in paper. I wonder if I'll be able to afford all this shooting??? Twisted Evil

grimel · Member Joined: Jan 28, 2005 Posts: 160

Call your state trappers assoc for help on how to trap nutria ($ for the hides).

You might want to consider a shotgun if the hides are crap (which they are this time of year). A LEE shotgun reloader is cheap. Unless you can find a cheap source of BB - 2 shells, imp-mod choke, and a good repeater (I wouldn't feel bad with a NEF/H&R except the recoil).

delboy

Have shotgun - will travel (Don't have any chess pieces though)!!

Gil Martin

I know it is a dirty job, but someone has to do it. What guns are you using? I suspect I would take a 16 or 20 gauge pump shotgun and a handgun. Better yet, I would assemble a few friends into a mobile fire team. All the best...
Gil

Knifeboy

I can see this post being a really fun one. Take a 22rimfire and that will really help out with the whole accuracy thing.
Good luck, I wish I was there to help.

Knifeboy

Flint54

Actually I am using my Savage 10FP in .223, a TC Contender in .35 Remington with 125 gr JHPs @ 2400fps. The shots are a bit far for completly positive stops with a shotgun and I just like the firearms I'm using. There is no doubt when the top of their head is hit with the .223 or the .35 and the CMs are just torn in two so they are positively out of the running! Twisted Evil

I also have my Glock .40 along for the ride. One of the first Nutria hit the top of the skull went up @ 50' like a frisbie and landed on the road, pure white I'm making it into a medallion for my possibles bag on the flap. Who says that there is no use for Nutria! Rolling Eyes

calsibley · Super Member Joined: Jan 28, 2005 Posts: 317

The nutria is a prime example of what happens when humans start messing with nature. They were imported from S. America some years ago to keep down the vegetation in some of the southern waterways. There were some imported into Oregon also for their fur, which proved almost worthless. Now both areas have a problem and it's spreading like wildfire. Apparently these critters have no natural enemies in the wild and pretty much live a life of leisure. As for cotton mouthed moccasins, forget it. I lived in an area of Virginia that was crawling with them. They can be nasty buggers, very hard to get rid of. We're relatively safe up here because of the brutal winters. I don't know if the nutria can hibernate or not. If so, we could also become infested with them. Snakes are rarely a problem, a few rattlers here and there, nothing alarming. I don't envy you guys your task. Let's hope some nutcase doesn't decide to import large numbers of scorpions and tarrantulas. We've had some problems with foreign fish species that are now in the Great Lakes but that's about it. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

grimel · Member Joined: Jan 28, 2005 Posts: 160

Kudzu, never forget the kudzu! Or the English Sparrow, or ....

Back to nutria, a couple of years ago 20/20 had an expose` on the New Orleans PD! Those murdering bastids were out with silenced 22's spotlighting nutria in the canals within the city limits!!!!!!! Even more dastardly, La was/is paying a $0.50 bounty on the poor nutria. Pickup loads of GUN TOTING REDNECKS were out at night spotlighting and SHOOTING nutria!!!!!!! The state was encouraging this wanton slaughter of a wild creature by GUN TOTING REDNECKS!!!!!! Shocked

Man a 35 Rem or 223 is just a tad overkill. Got to be something cheaper to shoot.

I think you'd be suprized what a load of BB's or #2 heavi-shot from a full choked 12ga would do at 20-30yds - it kills a coyote pretty dead. I'd expect lead #4's would be death to nutria (I know a 17 rem is waaaaaay overkill). Might be the perfect target for the 17HMR or 22mag.

What fun, nice weather and a near endless supply of rodents. Wish I had a couple of days to come help out!

Flint54

As far as cost, 1 round of either my .223 or .35 is more inexpensive than a round of 12ga as I don't reload any shotgun. Plus I enjoy using them and in using the Contender I stay in practice as I do 90% of my big game hunting with it. That and the kills are somewhat positive! Twisted Evil

grimel · Member Joined: Jan 28, 2005 Posts: 160

Ever thunked about a 357 max? I loved my 7-30W, but I sold it to buy a 223 for the grandson.

Flint54

Got one of them also, but don't have anything loaded for the lowley Nutria as yet. Only have 187gr Casp Performance WFNs and 180gr Nosler Partition Handgun bullets loaded. I will have to load up some 125s or 140s in the future. I have a plethora of calibers that I will be trying out in the future as I don't see the number of targets running out in the forseeable future! Rolling Eyes

grimel · Member Joined: Jan 28, 2005 Posts: 160

You do realize nutria is an oversized rodent and breeds accordingly?

About the only predators they would have in NA are gators, coyotes, bears, wolves, and cougars with the odd dog (feral or pet). IOW, they are pretty free to breed to massive populations.

Flint's hosting a shoot'm up! We crash at his place. BBQ on him (the Cajuns will eat nutria). If we talk real nice he might even spring for ammo!

Flint54

Sorry but I cannot host a Nutria eradication gathering. Being that the land is not mine I have to go with the wishes of the land owner. There may be the possibility though to take individules with me as their sponsor while I am in the field. I will pose this with him. The land is totally flat so care has to be taken to prevent any stray bullets due to the proximity of a freeway and the local population. You can add 5 more to the score. Anyone have access to an M-79 and ammo, got a co-worker that wants to try his .50 BMG but I told him that due to keeping shots 75yds and under to keep the bullets in the bank that we would be in the shrapnel fall out zone. Twisted Evil

Knifeboy

Hey flint,
Lets see some photos of these crazy critters called nutria. I dont think we have them here in AZ. If your buddie does end up hitting one with the .50 BMG will there be anyghing left to photograph for an amazing photo post. LOL Very Happy

Knifeboy

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

Arent Nutria the same thing as Muskrats? I am pretty sure thats correct... we have tons of them out here in Utah. They can be found in almost any slow moving current stream or pond.

I've shot alot with .22's and had a hoot... trapped alot when I was a kid (used pelts for fly tying materials). They are sneaky things and pretty fun to try and jumpshoot. IMO if I were in the situation of trying to rid an area of them I'd be using the new 17HMR, seems like a fun solution to the problem. If the area was really remote and noise isnt a problem maybe I'd bring along the old .22-250 although I'd worry more about bullets skipping.

As for the snakes... I hate snakes expecially the ones with fangs. For those I'd want my double barrel .410... and it would work well for close shots on the water rats as you peek over the river bank edge.

Man how would it be to have a problem of too many critters to shoot... I'd love it!

-DallanC