Anyone ever target rats with old school red light tactics?

hunt0168

hunt0168

Well-known member
I've been asked by one of my farms if I would be interested in targeting a bit of a rat problem. About the best I can do for them is to try with my break barrel pellet rifle and red lights. not sure how rodents react to red lights to be honest other than I know their eyes shine! Lol... Figure I'll try to use my old school tactics on the little guys and see what happens. Just not sure if they're as reactive to a sudden change in light intensity like canines? Going to try my thermal scanner and switch to a red shooting light and see how it goes. If that boogers them I'll go older school and try my red headlamp and look for eyes and slowly bring on the shooting light!

I've got a couple hours before I'm headed there so hurry up with the tips and tactics! Lol...
 
My Dad used to take me to the dump outside of town to shoot rats with our .22 rifles when I was a kid. We would park, let things settle down, step out, and shine the light just low enough to catch the rats' eyes. The shooter laid the crosshairs on the rat and squeezed off a .22 Short hollowpoint. After a few shots, the rats would get wise and hide. We would wait until we could hear them shuffling around again, and then we would repeat. Good times for a kid!
 
Thanks for the input fellas.

Well it’ll be inside a barn and I’m not going to go rimfire indoors for one. I’m also not mounting my NV setup on a springer airgun because they’re known to tear up optics not designed for them. I’ve got nothing to lose but a little time here so I’m going to trudge forth with my original plan and see what happens.

Maybe I’ll get super lucky and get a hero pic with a quad like jmeddy! If I zoom way in it’ll look impressive for sure! 😂 I’m sure not planning on a Jeremy style pic though! I’m somewhat of a realist!
 
bohunr said:
maybe get a plug in flood light with a stand and change the bulb to a red one
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I’m kinda thinking that may be the best “lighted” system, bohunr. I suspect the sudden introduction of the light for shooting is going to send them packing. Apparently they’re colorblind to the red spectrum, but I think I will have a better chance if there’s a slight red illumination to begin with. It’ll be a learning trip this evening. I know myself pretty well, so if I see targets Of opportunity that don’t work out I’ll be looking at my bank account and figuring what I’m going to invest in for another reason to pull triggers! 😐
 
GC said:
My Dad used to take me to the dump outside of town to shoot rats with our .22 rifles when I was a kid. We would park, let things settle down, step out, and shine the light just low enough to catch the rats' eyes. The shooter laid the crosshairs on the rat and squeezed off a .22 Short hollowpoint. After a few shots, the rats would get wise and hide. We would wait until we could hear them shuffling around again, and then we would repeat. Good times for a kid!
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Did the same well into my 20's when the shut down the dump and covered it up--what a hoot that was.
 
hunt0168 said:
Thanks for the input fellas.

Well it’ll be inside a barn and I’m not going to go rimfire indoors for one. I’m also not mounting my NV setup on a springer airgun because they’re known to tear up optics not designed for them. I’ve got nothing to lose but a little time here so I’m going to trudge forth with my original plan and see what happens.

Maybe I’ll get super lucky and get a hero pic with a quad like jmeddy! If I zoom way in it’ll look impressive for sure! 😂 I’m sure not planning on a Jeremy style pic though! I’m somewhat of a realist!
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You won't get real tired draggin multiples across the barn floor Bob :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:
 
jmeddy said:
You won't get real tired draggin multiples across the barn floor Bob :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:
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I gotta tell you, Mike… those little guys are just as frustrating as coyotes! Maybe more so! They sure didn’t hang out in the open. They used every bit of anything for cover, and there was a lot of “anything” lying around! If there was any airflow going through the place I bet they would’ve circled to get the wind! I managed to get one shot off and missed.

I saw a lot with thermal scanner. Sudden blast of light would send them packing. Changed tactics by leaving shooting light on and pointed towards activity. It kind of worked but they would just run the edges from one hunk of cover to the next. Tried outside the barn and this place is a mess. More of the same. Just junk and old equipment everywhere.

I told the woman that I didn’t shoot because of all the stuff around the barn. She said “There isn’t anything around the barn to worry about, just shoot!” Lol… I swear farmers are a different breed.
 
wildcat18 said:
what about low end NV with a decent light. Sounds like fun.
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I told the owner that I was probably going to setup a 22 with NV just for this but she really needs to clean the place up if she want me to be even mildly effective.

A little back story on the place. Sheep farm. Small operation of about 40-50 sheep. Older couple (70’s) are owners. Husband does all the farm work and his wife raises chickens and sells eggs and spins wool or whatever you call it. Husband passed away in June. Wife got rid of half the sheep to keep things going. Fox kills 3 of her chickens and she calls for my services knowing I’m their coyote guy. I get there to talk and she mentions this rat issue. I agree to attempt irradiation efforts because hell yeah that sounds fun! Went in blind, not knowing about all the clutter as I’m always out in the fields and pasture areas.

She has been trying to tackle all of the neglected stuff her husband left behind. Knowing her situation I told her to call me if there’s anything she thinks I could help with. Lets just say I am mow more than the coyote guy. Dead sheep removal. Fence repair guy. More than likely now I’ll be a clean up guy too! Lol… The things I do for hunting grounds!
 
hunt0168 said:
I told the owner that I was probably going to setup a 22 with NV just for this but she really needs to clean the place up if she want me to be even mildly effective.

A little back story on the place. Sheep farm. Small operation of about 40-50 sheep. Older couple (70’s) are owners. Husband does all the farm work and his wife raises chickens and sells eggs and spins wool or whatever you call it. Husband passed away in June. Wife got rid of half the sheep to keep things going. Fox kills 3 of her chickens and she calls for my services knowing I’m their coyote guy. I get there to talk and she mentions this rat issue. I agree to attempt irradiation efforts because hell yeah that sounds fun! Went in blind, not knowing about all the clutter as I’m always out in the fields and pasture areas.

She has been trying to tackle all of the neglected stuff her husband left behind. Knowing her situation I told her to call me if there’s anything she thinks I could help with. Lets just say I am mow more than the coyote guy. Dead sheep removal. Fence repair guy. More than likely now I’ll be a clean up guy too! Lol… The things I do for hunting grounds!
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Be not weary in well doing, for in due season ye shall reap if you faint not!
I think the widow most likely needs a friend right now and is probably feeling overwhelmed by the needs of the property. God is well aware of our activities and rewards those who diligently serve Him by serving others.🥰
 
I do what I can. She’s a sweetheart for sure. Today’s text from her was a heartfelt thank you for removing a sheep from the pasture that had died and disposing of it. Followed closely with…

”Do you think we can check the property lines and refresh posted signs at some point? I found a roll of new signs that Tom had.”

My reply was simply “Yes. Let me know when you would like to do it.”
 
My first run at rats was with my Gamo swarm with a Wraith on it. Shooting from a pickup window the break was a pain. I didn't want to wreck the Wraith so I purchased a pcp. Liberty Nova. It's been fun pulling up in the dark and shooting 20-50 rats. I'm outside confinement hog barns, shooting around compost piles. I think the rats see the IR light. I have been thinking about subsonic 22 ammo and a suppressor, less maintenance than the pcp rifle.
 
jmeddy said:
Hey Bob, you think about birdshot in the 22. Would have to be close though.
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I hadn’t Mike. The only time I ever played with 22 shotshells was as a kid thinking I would ground swipe flocks of starlings and really pile them up. Shot at a flock at about 10 yards from my grandparent’s garage window and they all flew away. Further testing showed I may have taken one out if at 10 feet. Big Maybe!

I do recall reading an article (Sports Afield or F&S maybe?) when I was a kid about 22 shotshells and their uselessness. Basically the author said the rifled barrel opens up the minuscule pattern very rapidly, just as you would expect. He went on to mention a company that was somehow modifying 22 barrels to smoothbore that greatly improved the patterning. Can’t remember how exactly. Sleeving maybe?
 
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