Last Monday I was enjoing a cup of coffee and the first day of vacation. The weather was cool (45 degrees or so) but clear with a bit of a breeze. I was on my back deck watching the birds at my feeders through my binos when I noticed some movement in the brush.
The binos are 10x40 Ziess and did a great job of penetrating the brush. I was astounded. I've seen these critters before but never dreamed a small band (herd?) would appear in central South Carolina especially in my yard. Mentally I reviewed what little I knew about them. They are gregarious, usually very shy and have in fact killed more Europeans than almost any other animal. Nothing in Africa or India ever dreamed of racking up the body count these animals have.
After a few minutes I slid out of my chair and crawled into the house. Time to select an appropriate weapon.
In the old days, many a young warrior tested his mettle hunting and killing these beasts. However, I'm a modern sort of guy and decided that my "mettle" was throughly tested. No spears or other non-chemically powered weapons for me. I looked over the contents of my gun safe and selected a push feed Ruger in stainless steel. I have the rifle topped with a Leupold 2.5x8 and the combonation of low powered scope and accurate rifle looked fine.
I selected a box of solids and drove to the range. Before I left the house, I carefully measured the probable engagement ranges and selected a happy medium. Mounting a Harris bipod on the rifle and getting the rifle zeroed in was fairly quick. I was almost ready for the next days activities.
The thought of a back-up gun started with a 12 guage and buckshot but ended up being another Ruger. The nod went to a SS DA Ruger Revolver with a 4 inch barrel. I've shot this revolver extensively and know where it hits. The reliability of a wheel gun would serve me well if things got ugly.
The rifle and bipod combination stood guard next to the back door that night. The revolver went in a holster and belt rig. I planned on taking more ammo than needed - about twenty rounds or so. Sleep came easy but I wished the morning would hurry up.
I woke a bit late and dressed in a hurry. Wool pants, my Cabela's windstopper jacket and a good set of boots were selected. I sucked down a cup of coffee and slid the back door open.
Crawling out on to my deck, I set the rifle up with the muzzle poking between the slats. There was no other place although the close set slats would limit my horizontal movement. I had to make the first shot count or be faced with stalking a wounded critter in thick terrain.
The previous day I had established that there were some young in the group. I was hoping for a male, but, regardless, any that appeared would be hammered. About eight or so, the first one meandered out of the brush and started grazing.
The range was just a bit beyond my zero distance. I decided to take this one. The cross hairs firmed up just below the back bone and the crisp two stage trigger seemed to drop the hammer of it's own accord.
The animal pitched forward and did not move. The sound of the shot faded and I rapidly but quietly chambered another round. Watching the carcass, I wondered if another one would appear. I've noticed over the years that animals don't always associate a single shot with danger. This bunch had almost certainly never been hunted before or I would have heard about it. Soon my patience was again rewarded and target number two came forth.
This shot was more challenging. Intead of the meandering of the first, this one came out trotting. It knew something was wrong, but curiosity propelled it forward. It was close enough that leading was not needed. The crosshairs again found the shoulder and the rifle cracked. Another body dropped into the grass and all was well in my world.
Calling my Lab to go with me, I took the rifle and checked both critters out. Neither were trophy grade, but a clean kill is always the goal. The bullets went where they were aimed and I had good penetration. Both were hit in the shoulder and the exit wounds looked good. There were more where these two came from..
Next installment - how to bait the common Brown RAT using your bird feeder...
Hope you enjoyed my rat killing. True story BTW. Both Rugers were .22s and the solids were CB Longs. The common rat was a vector for bubonic plague and did indeed kill more Europeans than anything else. And there are still some in my brush pile!
Giz
[This message has been edited by Gizmo99 (edited November 04, 2000).]
[This message has been edited by Gizmo99 (edited November 04, 2000).]