Joel-
I wondered about them being aggressive. The other day I was mowing the field when I saw one headed for the shore near me. I turned the tractor aroung and headed straight at him (he was still in the water). I stopped he stopped I move toward him he moves toward me. I move the bucket on the front of the tractor so that it makes a loud noise as it hits the stops and he all does is stick his head up higher. This goes on until we are about 4 foot apart. I then decide that I should go back to mowing and leave this nasty thing alone until better armed. I am amazed how fast they can move on the ground, I am not sure I could outrun one.

Yes they are fast and I know that I could not outrun one. Thank you that they don't have claws.

Wow, these Nutria sound like damn fine fun, although the cottonmouth snakes could put a spanner in the works.

Don't know if you are allowed to "spotlight" in the US, but it is a good way to grab a critters attention at night. Rabbits stand and won't move much at all in a spotlight so I'm wondrering if these nutria would do the same....make 'em easier (and cheaper in the long run) to shoot.

Feral eradication can be a great fun sport, and most importantly, you aren't doing any harm to the native fauna...if anything you are helping it.

I know that some say that spotlighting isn't very sporting, but when you are trying to eradicate a pest I don't see that it makes any difference....in fact I rather like the idea of the M79 loaded with 40mm HE grenades. A fowling piece is ok...but I reckon a punt gun would be better....the term overkill doesn't exist in my vocabulary (well not where pests are concerned).

Seriously though, had a mate here in Australia many years ago who used to take a short barrel single shot .22 out with 6 .22 rimfire shorts and come back with 6 head shot rabbits. From the way you have described these critters maybe this is an idea you could pursue....damn cheap to shoot and no noise to speak of, and a real challenge.

Snakes.....got shed loads of them here in Australia. The cottonmouth sounds a bit like our Tiger snake or Taipan. Both of these nasty buggers will have a go just for the fun of it, and they are ranked as the most poison snakes in the world. Know people that say the only good snake is a dead snake....don't like killing them myself though.

Good hunting and do everything you can to help eradicate this pest....we have a similar problem here in Australia with the Cane Toad...one very ugly toad that is responsible for a lot of destruction of native animals.

Vince

Just a quick update, 5 more serpents became fertilizer for the newly tilled soil for the soybeans. Seems like the Nutria have holed up during the day now that the temp is up in the high 80s and the 90s during the day. I'll have to start going out at night when I get the chance, time to put the spotlight on the rifle now so I can see.

If you're putting a spotlight on, better make sure it's got an infra-red filter on it to cut through the smoke! :) Being able to see should be a first!