jessonml
12-21-2008, 04:58 PM
So I was over at my Nana's house shoveling her driveway when I get a panicked call from my girlfriend at my house. "There is something in the cupboard she exclaimed!" Calmly I told her yaya I'll be there in 10 minutes it's probably a rat or mouse in the attic.
After a conversation on the way home explaining to her that everything was going to be ok, (she has an insane fear of rats). I come in give her a hug and get her to go downstairs once she points me in the direction of the noise.
So sure enough I open my liquor cabinet door, above the stove vent cupboard and this big black rat is staring me down. It actually made me jump.
Its just sitting there looking at me so I close the door. Scratched my head for a second and grabbed a big tupperware bucket and a piece of kindling to steer it into the tupperware under the cupboard. Well after a few attempts the thing just kept running behind the vent pipe or to the other side and I was worried it was going to jump past me and get into the house so I closed the doors and pondered for a second.
I opened the door again and the thing was looking at me... thats when I got a TERRIFIC idea. A PELLET RIFLE! Yea Ill just let it sit there and shoot it and it will just die right away cuz I'll hit it in the head YEA! GREAT IDEA. IM SO SMART! So into the garage I go and grab the air rifle and put on some ski goggles incase I get a riccochet.
I load up and open the cupboard door with the big tupperware below incase it goes for it IT WILL LAND RIGHT IN THE TUPPERWARE WOW IVE THOUGHT OF EVERYTHING!
So I line up over top of fridge as a rest on a slight angle again thinking about riccochet. Ive got its head right in my iron sights. I take a deep breath and on the exhale I touch off WAM! I know I hit it but it takes off clearing right over the tupperware and landing on my kitchen floor. I try to steer it with the air rifle but it makes it behind the stove.
I give it a couple minutes to die and pull the stove away from the wall. NOTHING!
Damn its got away somewhere.
So I look for blood and find its trail. Up the wall a little ways then a smear back down. I got it good. Then I see the tracks... little rat prints in blood accross the floor. IM ON TO IT. Across the living room and under the couch. Im tracking this little trophy well. IT CAN'T BE FAR I GOT IT IN GOOD!
Its almost over I can tell its close it but no its not under the couch!
I move it right out of the way and thats when I see it right by the subwoofer. I creep towards my kill and its up again and running. A quick pursuit and I chase it downstairs.. good thing I closed the door or it would be in the same room as my terrified girlfriend. Ive got it trapped and grab my gumboot and give it a wallop! Scoop it into a baking tray and quickly run up and throw it outside. I grabbed the air rifle again and as it was trying to limp away I popped one into the boiler room using the doorway as a rest and down it went! I checked out the first pellets wound and it was a little low right through the shoulder. A through and through!
Once I had it loaded up into my dump trailer and covered with snow I had to investigate why it hadn't dropped on the first shot. Sure enough I found the projectile in the cupboard and there was no bullet expansion! I should have researched on HBC before I tried to take down such a creature with an inadequate bullet! I should have got a Barnes or Hornady. Stupid me but at least I learned about following blood trails and keeping your cool not to overlook anything. I think that without HBC this prize would have got away.
So thanks everyone for creating such a resourceful community!
My only regret is messing up the face so bad with the follow up shot because I should have sent it off to the taxi for a full mount. How much would that have cost? Any one know of a good rat taxi in the LML?
All in all the job is done and my girlfriend can rest easier knowing she has such a well educated hunter in the house. Now I can explain why I spend so much time on here, you never know when you need to use the knowledge that HBC gives you!
Sorry no pics I forgot my camera. Oh yea and it was taken in region 2.
Merry Christmas Everyone! Have a safe and happy holiday!
Matt
After a conversation on the way home explaining to her that everything was going to be ok, (she has an insane fear of rats). I come in give her a hug and get her to go downstairs once she points me in the direction of the noise.
So sure enough I open my liquor cabinet door, above the stove vent cupboard and this big black rat is staring me down. It actually made me jump.
Its just sitting there looking at me so I close the door. Scratched my head for a second and grabbed a big tupperware bucket and a piece of kindling to steer it into the tupperware under the cupboard. Well after a few attempts the thing just kept running behind the vent pipe or to the other side and I was worried it was going to jump past me and get into the house so I closed the doors and pondered for a second.
I opened the door again and the thing was looking at me... thats when I got a TERRIFIC idea. A PELLET RIFLE! Yea Ill just let it sit there and shoot it and it will just die right away cuz I'll hit it in the head YEA! GREAT IDEA. IM SO SMART! So into the garage I go and grab the air rifle and put on some ski goggles incase I get a riccochet.
I load up and open the cupboard door with the big tupperware below incase it goes for it IT WILL LAND RIGHT IN THE TUPPERWARE WOW IVE THOUGHT OF EVERYTHING!
So I line up over top of fridge as a rest on a slight angle again thinking about riccochet. Ive got its head right in my iron sights. I take a deep breath and on the exhale I touch off WAM! I know I hit it but it takes off clearing right over the tupperware and landing on my kitchen floor. I try to steer it with the air rifle but it makes it behind the stove.
I give it a couple minutes to die and pull the stove away from the wall. NOTHING!
Damn its got away somewhere.
So I look for blood and find its trail. Up the wall a little ways then a smear back down. I got it good. Then I see the tracks... little rat prints in blood accross the floor. IM ON TO IT. Across the living room and under the couch. Im tracking this little trophy well. IT CAN'T BE FAR I GOT IT IN GOOD!
Its almost over I can tell its close it but no its not under the couch!
I move it right out of the way and thats when I see it right by the subwoofer. I creep towards my kill and its up again and running. A quick pursuit and I chase it downstairs.. good thing I closed the door or it would be in the same room as my terrified girlfriend. Ive got it trapped and grab my gumboot and give it a wallop! Scoop it into a baking tray and quickly run up and throw it outside. I grabbed the air rifle again and as it was trying to limp away I popped one into the boiler room using the doorway as a rest and down it went! I checked out the first pellets wound and it was a little low right through the shoulder. A through and through!
Once I had it loaded up into my dump trailer and covered with snow I had to investigate why it hadn't dropped on the first shot. Sure enough I found the projectile in the cupboard and there was no bullet expansion! I should have researched on HBC before I tried to take down such a creature with an inadequate bullet! I should have got a Barnes or Hornady. Stupid me but at least I learned about following blood trails and keeping your cool not to overlook anything. I think that without HBC this prize would have got away.
So thanks everyone for creating such a resourceful community!
My only regret is messing up the face so bad with the follow up shot because I should have sent it off to the taxi for a full mount. How much would that have cost? Any one know of a good rat taxi in the LML?
All in all the job is done and my girlfriend can rest easier knowing she has such a well educated hunter in the house. Now I can explain why I spend so much time on here, you never know when you need to use the knowledge that HBC gives you!
Sorry no pics I forgot my camera. Oh yea and it was taken in region 2.
Merry Christmas Everyone! Have a safe and happy holiday!
Matt