lamping for rats

beezer · Member Joined: Aug 22, 2005 Posts: 75

Its 10 oclock and black as your hat outside. I can see my hen house from the kitchen window and there are rats underneath.With the window open I can shoot them with the air rifle and lamp. I've had 2 this evening allready but there's still one but as soon as I get the light on him he duck's back under. I'll have him before I log off I bet. THe house is only about 15-20 y'ds away.

515034s10ring · Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2005 4:07 pm Post subject: Re: lamping for rats

Use a stronger light maybe??? Very Happy

shrpshtrjoe · Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2005 4:08 pm Post subject: Re: lamping for rats

Sounds like fun, Bust one for me beezer Shooting

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

Down at my parents cabin at night we do the flashlight / lamp thing for bats that live in the outside eaves with a bb gun. On a good night you can shoot 10 or so but usually its just a couple. I hate those things.

-DallanC

Vince · Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2005 7:46 am Post subject: Re: lamping for rats

Spotlighting rats...great fun. My daughter and her husband used to manage a dairy farm. Would go down to the dairy at night and do the same. A nice strong torch (Big Jim or similar), a .22 rifle with BB caps and my S&W Mod 586 loaded with shotshells I loaded up (9 shot). If you want to entice the rats out, put down a couple of baits out in the open .... they are suckers for peanut paste, can't resist it. Happy hunting.

Cheers, Vince

beezer · Member Joined: Aug 22, 2005 Posts: 75

When we were kids we would go fishing and when it fell dusk and the bats came out we would wave the rods vigerously in the air ,this confused the bats and they'd fly into the rods.

sniper · Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 7:14 pm Post subject: Re: lamping for rats

beezer wrote:

... but as soon as I get the light on him he duck's back under.

Did ya get him, Beezer? Would a different color of light work? Some guys say that red or green light will not disturb animals like a white light will. Maybe red or green cellophane over the flashlight lens?

Hmmmmm....this definitely needs more study; all in the interest of science, of course. Smile

I used to go rat shooting in a landscape nursery's barns when I was a kid. The owner's son and I loaded up with rat shot. Boy , they were fast! the only thing John shot was the First Aid kit at about 10 yards! Like I said, fast! We never could figure what that rat was doing on the first aid kit.

popgun · Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 7:37 pm Post subject: Re: lamping for rats

Nothing like a good rat shoot. A friend raised pigs and the rats always showed up at feeding time under the concret pads that they had tunneled under.

Now, we found that the light did spook them for a short time but they would get used to the light after a few minutes and start moving around to feed again.

You might try keeping the light on and see if it works for you. You might try a household spotlight. Plug it in and aim it toward the hen house every night.

beezer · Member Joined: Aug 22, 2005 Posts: 75

I'v never used bb caps. can I use them in b/a 22 l'r? what's the range for a small rodent ie rat young bunny?. cos I'm getting a bit old for pumping up the P C P after every few shots.

Vince · Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2006 8:10 am Post subject: Re: lamping for rats

beezer wrote:

I'v never used bb caps. can I use them in b/a 22 l'r? what's the range for a small rodent ie rat young bunny?. cos I'm getting a bit old for pumping up the P C P after every few shots.

I am assuming that the BB caps that you get over there are the same as the ones we have here in Aussie. They are a very short case, about a quarter inch long, loaded with a lead BB size ball. I used them all the time in my bolt action Krico with no problems. They are very quiet. I would guess at the maximum effective range to be similar to a high power air rifle. I used to use them over about 20 yards or so.

Another round I have used successfully on cats is the ZZ Long. It is reasonably quiet but has much higher power and longer range. Make sure you have an effective backstop when using them.

I would try them both at the range to see exactly what they are like and if they are suitable for you needs.

Cheers, Vince

beezer · Member Joined: Aug 22, 2005 Posts: 75

Noise isn't a problem as I have a good sound modderator on my 22. I was wondering if they will cycle in a magazine. 1/4" is a bit fiddly to load into the breech one at a time.I'm thinking of useing the 22 round the buildings for rats if the caps are less likely to do damage.