RodN Posted March 15, 2015 Report Share Posted March 15, 2015 My first post as a new member of the forum..... Just had a ratting session of a lifetime last week. HW100T (.22 full length), Nite-Site Viper, on a Hawke Airmax 4-16 x50 I let loose 76 AA Fields between 6.30pm and 10.30pm72 rats killed2 shot twice (to finish them off)2 misses. (but those may have been accounted for with other shots)I have been spoiled! I have never had a night's shooting like this in over 50 years, and I doubt if I ever will again! Pig farm.... with a LOT of rats! My shooting zone from a fold up chair in front of the pig litter pens. Range between 16 and 22 yards, and with the HW100T propped on tripod sticks. Waited until it got dark, and then I didn't move position all evening!Rod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted March 15, 2015 Report Share Posted March 15, 2015 Welcome to the forum , a very good evenings work i would say , they certainly are looking well fed ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil w Posted March 15, 2015 Report Share Posted March 15, 2015 Well done, Rob some big rats there !!. Sure they will be many more for you to deal with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telf Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 good nights work indeed young man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete52 Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 Well done that man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Underdog Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 Chuffin heck, some introduction! :-). I use to do a pig unit, had some cracking crow days there too. Well done indeed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxy bingo Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 well done mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krwigan Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 What a blood y show off ..... Well done I used to shoot a pig farm same sort of bags. Why won't you get that kind of shooting again? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeon controller Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 Welcome to the forum, you've certainly made you mark, mega night brilliant result. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rim Fire Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 Great result well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike69 Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 Great result Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deny essex Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 wow good shooting and welcome , think you may be getting an new handle, AKA ratty rod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodN Posted March 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 What a blood y show off ..... Well done I used to shoot a pig farm same sort of bags. Why won't you get that kind of shooting again? It isn't my own permission unfortunately. I had an invitation to a permission that was 160 mile round trip from home. Although I could probably get to go there again. It was worth the trip. There were three of us there that evening, and between us, we accounted for 240 rats. Cheers Rod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krwigan Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 It isn't my own permission unfortunately. I had an invitation to a permission that was 160 mile round trip from home. Although I could probably get to go there again. It was worth the trip. There were three of us there that evening, and between us, we accounted for 240 rats. Cheers Rod Blinkin Nora! 240 rats in 4hrs between 3 of you. Definitely sounds worth the long trip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malkiserow Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 well done fella Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spandit Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 Great job! Can I ask, how do you dispose of that many rats? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodN Posted March 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 Great job! Can I ask, how do you dispose of that many rats? On the pig farm the farmer leaves some plastic feed bags handy. Normal mode is to then just pick up as many rats as can be found (I use a litter picker) and put them in the bags. He is happy to dispose of the bags the next day in his incinerator. On the other farms where I shoot, the farmers ask me to dump them in the slurry pit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshwizard Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 That's a good night , do you use some kind of hide/shelter I have found that any kind of movement even cocking the rifle has to be very careful or the scamper off even in the dark ,also was the lamp naked light or red filtered ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodN Posted March 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 That's a good night , do you use some kind of hide/shelter I have found that any kind of movement even cocking the rifle has to be very careful or the scamper off even in the dark ,also was the lamp naked light or red filtered ? No hide or shelter of any kind. Just a fold up comfy camping chair sat out in the open, about 15 yards from the nearest pig pen. Obviously, I just sat still and didn't go tramping around. Cocking the rifle was no problem (it is an HW100T so pretty quiet). Even the shot is just a "click" from the HW100T, with a correspunding "clunk" as the pellet hits. But that didn't scare the rats away. No lamps..... just an infra red Nite-Site Viper. There is a little glare back from the screen, and I removed the dark filter from the screen too, as that enabled me to turn the infra red down low to prolong the battery life of the unit. I do use a head torch (single low output red LED) to see what I am doing reloading the magazines, but that's all. I don't get on with white or even red lamps. I find that rats get pretty skittish if you light them up, most probably because of the moving shadows though, as they get used to a constant light from a security light in the garden when I pop them off there, but I still prefer infra red and apparent total darkness even in the garden. Cheers Rod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berettacocker Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 Job well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 Cracking night out. I would think with a bag of 240 rats as a result, you'll be getting asked back. A tentative hint at a bit of cash for fuel wouldn't go amiss perhaps? Unless you're not bothered of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentalmac Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 NIce post and write up and pics. Good rat shooting there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodN Posted March 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 Cracking night out. I would think with a bag of 240 rats as a result, you'll be getting asked back. A tentative hint at a bit of cash for fuel wouldn't go amiss perhaps? Unless you're not bothered of course. Apparently it is rats by night on that pig farm and huge numbers of crows by day! We saw loads of them at the spilled pig pellets in front of the pens when we arrived at sunset. Just have to figure out how best to approach those crows with no cover, but probably my 4x4 netted out will do the job. And... just to add further interest, the same farmer reports hundreds of rabbits with burrows under the hedgerows a few fields away and would like those dealt with also. With the sensitivity of (piglet) stock in close quarters it will always be a sub 12 ft lb air rifle shoot though. If I was closer to home, (instead of a 160 mile round trip), then I would be over there on a very regular basis with the guy who has the permission. In the meantime, I'll satisfy myself with what is basically mixed rough shooting on my local farm permissions. One of those has hundreds of crows too. Extremely wary crows! I can't get anywhere near close enough to them. They congregate out in the middle of a large open field, and scare when anything moves within 200 yards of them. But I am working on it. Cheers Rod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powler Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 (edited) Nice going on the rats Rod and welcome to the forums I'm no expert on decoying crows but would guess at trying a hide in the middle of the field with overhead cover on it and some decoys, i'm sure the guys on here can give you plenty of advice/ideas to try. MIck Edited March 16, 2015 by powler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 Great session, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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