|
Post by Jason Aiken on May 15, 2023 21:26:31 GMT -5
I picked up one of these to help take care of backyard vermin (groundhogs and raccoons mostly) that are a terror on my garden. I was thinking about getting an actual .22 rifle, but saw that they made these pellet guns that are super silent, and still lethal to critters.
Evidently people mod and kit these things out. Not sure how far down the rabbit hole I would want to go, though.
|
|
|
Post by kemp on May 16, 2023 7:47:37 GMT -5
Where I grew up here in Aus we used to call them slug guns, but why even bother with that if you live in the US where you can easily purchase firearms like tennis rackets, I would just get some kind of semi automatic pistol, maybe a Colt or Smith & Wesson and use that to blow away the critters in my backyard .
|
|
|
Post by zarono on May 16, 2023 8:04:50 GMT -5
Where I grew up here in Aus we used to call them slug guns, but why even bother with that if you live in the US where you can easily purchase firearms like tennis rackets, I would just get some kind of semi automatic pistol, maybe a Colt or Smith & Wesson and use that to blow away the critters in my backyard . Depends on where you live, if you got neighbors within a 1000 yards or so not a good idea to be popping off live rounds where you have no backstop or might ricochet. Air gun is great option IMO, also cheap to shoot.
|
|
|
Air Guns
May 16, 2023 17:13:53 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Jason Aiken on May 16, 2023 17:13:53 GMT -5
Where I grew up here in Aus we used to call them slug guns, but why even bother with that if you live in the US where you can easily purchase firearms like tennis rackets, I would just get some kind of semi automatic pistol, maybe a Colt or Smith & Wesson and use that to blow away the critters in my backyard . Depends on where you live, if you got neighbors within a 1000 yards or so not a good idea to be popping off live rounds where you have no backstop or might ricochet. Air gun is great option IMO, also cheap to shoot. The lack of noise and relatively close proximity of my neighbors is what led me to buying an air gun Ober a conventional. 22. Sure, I could buy an actual rifle but I couldn't shoot it all hours of the day.
|
|
|
Post by kemp on May 16, 2023 22:47:03 GMT -5
Depends on where you live, if you got neighbors within a 1000 yards or so not a good idea to be popping off live rounds where you have no backstop or might ricochet. Air gun is great option IMO, also cheap to shoot. The lack of noise and relatively close proximity of my neighbors is what led me to buying an air gun Ober a conventional. 22. Sure, I could buy an actual rifle but I couldn't shoot it all hours of the day. I get you, my neighbours are close by, I love to bang away in my forge, but when I do get the time for it I avoid doing it too early in the morning out of courtesy, thankfully my closest neighbours are tradies, always grinding away on one project or another, power tools on, so no one is bothered by the noise.
|
|
|
Post by Jason Aiken on Jun 3, 2023 11:23:58 GMT -5
Got my first vermin with my airgun a few days ago. A raccoon, took two headshots to put down point black, but it was pretty clean and merciful. Trapped him and shot him through the open hole. They are demons for my garden, very good with their hands. They climb the cornstalks and snap the cobs right off. Need to do something to keep the population down or they will just keep breeding.
I caught an opossum in my trap today, but spared him as they eat tick larvae, and different types of slugs around the garden. When he was in the trap another raccoon came by my camera, so I'm going to try and get him tonight. Might even sit on my porch with the airgun.
Airguns seem to be damn good for pest control. You can basically shoot them any time without disturbing anyone. They are no toy, though, these pellets come out at serious velocity.
|
|
|
Post by kemp on Jun 4, 2023 3:33:49 GMT -5
Looks like you have it all under control Jason. Apart from my cat, the only other visitors that I get in my backyard are magpies and crows, but I don't mind them, any crusty bread, I just throw it to them and they eat it. No raccoons this side of the Pacific, but I know who to call if they invade my island continent
|
|
|
Post by darthgall on Jun 4, 2023 11:08:28 GMT -5
I'd be curious to hear airgun model, caliber, air source, etc., and if you'd recommend it or recommend somthing else now that you've been using it...
|
|
|
Air Guns
Jun 4, 2023 14:38:03 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Jason Aiken on Jun 4, 2023 14:38:03 GMT -5
|
|
|
Air Guns
Jun 4, 2023 14:48:45 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Jason Aiken on Jun 4, 2023 14:48:45 GMT -5
Looks like you have it all under control Jason. Apart from my cat, the only other visitors that I get in my backyard are magpies and crows, but I don't mind them, any crusty bread, I just throw it to them and they eat it. No raccoons this side of the Pacific, but I know who to call if they invade my island continent I've seen a few feral cats on my cameras at night. If I trap any of those I'd give them the same treatment as the opossum. Cats take care of mice and other little critters. And if they invade your island, exterminate them at all costs. Vermin with a capital V.
|
|
|
Post by kemp on Jun 5, 2023 7:53:40 GMT -5
Looks like you have it all under control Jason. Apart from my cat, the only other visitors that I get in my backyard are magpies and crows, but I don't mind them, any crusty bread, I just throw it to them and they eat it. No raccoons this side of the Pacific, but I know who to call if they invade my island continent I've seen a few feral cats on my cameras at night. If I trap any of those I'd give them the same treatment as the opossum. Cats take care of mice and other little critters. And if they invade your island, exterminate them at all costs. Vermin with a capital V. That's how I look at cats too, people I know either love or hate them, but mine caught a few mice and rats around the place, about the only real vermin around my property, and not too many at that anyway. I take it with your groundhog and raccoon pest problem that you live in a semi rural/rural setting. I respect that you grow your own crops, we used to grow corn back in the inner suburbs, but the place that I have moved to haven't tried that, might grow some tomatoes and potatoes.
|
|
|
Air Guns
Jun 5, 2023 11:43:54 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Jason Aiken on Jun 5, 2023 11:43:54 GMT -5
I've seen a few feral cats on my cameras at night. If I trap any of those I'd give them the same treatment as the opossum. Cats take care of mice and other little critters. And if they invade your island, exterminate them at all costs. Vermin with a capital V. That's how I look at cats too, people I know either love or hate them, but mine caught a few mice and rats around the place, about the only real vermin around my property, and not too many at that anyway. I take it with your groundhog and raccoon pest problem that you live in a semi rural/rural setting. I respect that you grow your own crops, we used to grow corn back in the inner suburbs, but the place that I have moved to haven't tried that, might grow some tomatoes and potatoes. Cool, regarding growing corn in the suburbs. I'm out in the country but for some reason the vermin still come to my garden despite us being surrounded by hundreds of acres of farmland. Yeah, give tomatoes and potatoes a try. Their leaves are toxic to most animals around here so you can plant them without a fence. Raccoon #3 fell today. I might have to get creative as to where I'm burying them. I'm running out of room behind the bushes out back.
|
|
|
Post by kemp on Jun 5, 2023 17:52:00 GMT -5
Cool, regarding growing corn in the suburbs. I'm out in the country but for some reason the vermin still come to my garden despite us being surrounded by hundreds of acres of farmland. Yeah, give tomatoes and potatoes a try. Their leaves are toxic to most animals around here so you can plant them without a fence. Raccoon #3 fell today. I might have to get creative as to where I'm burying them. I'm running out of room behind the bushes out back.
|
|
|
Air Guns
Jun 17, 2023 17:14:53 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Jason Aiken on Jun 17, 2023 17:14:53 GMT -5
Well, I'm up to 7 raccoons ushered off to Valhalla. I've trapped and released 5 possums, and 1 wild cat.
So far the air gun is holding up and still doing the job.
|
|
|
Post by kemp on Jun 18, 2023 23:09:53 GMT -5
Not too long and you will be hitting the double digit figures at the rate you are going
|
|