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Bit of target practice

divebuddy

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Had a quick practice today at 30 yards in the garden.
IMG_20200502_153203.jpg
Must have twitched on a couple but not too bad.
 
That's the only drawback where I live...National Trust and National Park land, absolutely verboten garden/local shooting. (did manage a crafty execution on ratty, but that was pistol out the back door)...:D
 
When I was a kid about a thousand years ago we used to go ratting at the local tip, no guns the weapon of choice was an 8 foot garden cane sharpened to a point at one end then the sharp end splintered with a hammer. The dogs would dig the rats out and we would spear the rats if the dogs didn't get them first. It's so much nicer these days sticking a .22 in their heads
 
When I was a kid about a thousand years ago we used to go ratting at the local tip, no guns the weapon of choice was an 8 foot garden cane sharpened to a point at one end then the sharp end splintered with a hammer. The dogs would dig the rats out and we would spear the rats if the dogs didn't get them first. It's so much nicer these days sticking a .22 in their heads
I think I personally prefer the airgun pellet. These days it's also important to consider public perception when hunting or doing pest control.
I'm really lucky because I have a bit of land of my own which is surrounded by my permissions totalling a beat close to 50 acres that I can shoot over. Only small game, rabbits, squirrels, pigeons and pheasants.
 
Rats are intelligent creatures and the one I shot had developed the trick of coming from the woods at the bottom of my garden, and ambushing any song birds which landed to eat bird food which had fallen from the feeders hanging in the garden. The remains of a Blue Tit gave the game away, so I watched and saw a near miss on another bird., which sealed Ratty's fate. It seems that this was individual behaviour to that particular Rat, as happily I've seen nothing since.

When I lived in Sussex I would very occasionally shoot a Rabbit or Pheasant and eat them. I did shoot pigeons often, but that really was pest control.
I don't kill for "Sport" or any animal or bird that I will not eat...for which the locals Squirrels are probably very grateful...:lol:
 
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I think I personally prefer the airgun pellet. These days it's also important to consider public perception when hunting or doing pest control.
I'm really lucky because I have a bit of land of my own which is surrounded by my permissions totalling a beat close to 50 acres that I can shoot over. Only small game, rabbits, squirrels, pigeons and pheasants.
I also prefer the pellet these days, have you ever tried getting a pigeon (flying rat) with a pointed bamboo cane
 
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The cats and dogs get the bits that we can't eat. The cat food gets run through a coarse cut industrial mincer, bones and all. I tend to eat only the breast (perhaps roast as a crown) from pheasant or pigeon. The dogs love nice fresh squirrel while we all love rabbit. I love wild boar or venison when I can get it but there is none to be had in our area.
 
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