Shooting Rats -- In Search of Perfection

Here in the Keys we feed squirrels, all types of "land" birds, and several types of wading birds. So, because of all the feed around, we have rats. I know that there are those who view squirrels as rats with nice fur coats, but there is a difference. Rats are destructive. I had them chew up the engine compartment of my Chevy Avalanche. It wasn't nice.

So, we kill rats.... or we TRY to kill them, anyway. Rats have very good survival skills.

My rats laugh at rat traps. The latest rat traps you buy in retail stores have big yellow plastic triggers. The triggers cause my rats great merriment. Sometimes the traps are triggered and the bait gone and sometimes the bait is simply gone and the trap is still set. We've tried peanut butter, dough balls, and chicken hearts as bait. Chicken hearts tied to the trigger with thread has had the most success -- although on a basis of traps set versus rats caught we're at about 2% overall.

So, we shoot them. I'd like to use .22 cal rounds with birdshot (so called "snake" rounds), but they'll a little loud and probably illegal. (No "firearms discharge" in the county.) We use .177 BB guns powered by CO2. Laser designators and flashlights are necessary for this nighttime sport. At night our yard looks like a scene from "The X-Files" with lasers and lights sweeping the trees.

This is our latest addition to the armory. Marlene is an avid shooter and I'm anxious to see if she can use the red dot sight. I like the "magazine" style loading. It makes it much easier to use pellets.

I wonder if this longer weapon wouldn't have been a better choice since it has better stability. However, most rat shooting is point and shoot without much time for careful aiming.

I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who has used a red dot sight. Can someone who needs reading glasses effectively use the red dot sight? Also, any other ideas for a better weapon? We'll report later.

(I'm thinking about a TV-monitored remotely controled rat trap. Kind of a roadside IED for the rat world.)