# RATS !



## Hunter

I'm in need of a little advice please? I live in the country side & I've started getting rats coming in everywere in my sheds & barnes.. Ivr shot mice befor but this ois my 1st time on shooting rats. I've been sat hours tonight watching them pop in and out of there tunnels waiting with my catapult ready to shoot them but these things are never still! They move soo quick by the time I'm ready to pull back back down there holes. Does anyone have any advice on how to catch them being still pplease?


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## Imperial

you can always set a trap for them. place a lil ball of dried dog food in the middle of your "kill" zone and when they pause for about 3 to 5 seconds to sniff it, BAM ! ! ! or you can just trap them in a cage and then drown them . your probally better off shooting them with a pointed pellet from an air rifle. you will be spending quite a few hours tracking them down, hope your ready.


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## SuperMonkeySlinger

Like Imperial said, Food, like cheese or peanut butter, works very well.. Just set it where you want to pop them!!! Or you could use a large pouch and fill it with pebbles and hit the rats while theyre moving! That would be fun..

SMS


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## Aussie Allan In Thailand

We have a similar problem here in Thailand.

My best solution is poison bait at the hole/tunnel entrance.

A. The poison will kill them.

B. They stay long enough to eat, an easy shot.

Although I use my air pistols, given my size and weight ammo is for much larger game.

Min 15 grams, to 20, and 25.

Although a glass marble would do the job if firing fast enough, pretty much any body shot is enough blunt force shock to either kill them, or disable them until you reach them with a hammer.

Cheers Allan


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## tnflipper52

Definately an air rifle. Human way to go, unless you are Dead Eye Dick with a slingshot. Room for error is there though. I've used .22 cb caps in bolt action. Just makes a little Pffff. Enough to thump a rat.


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## Hunter

I see what your saying about rifles but its much more fun with the catapults  I think ill try and get a live trap made up and just shoot em that way.. I put some tinned dog food out but they just shoot back away , I think ill get fully cammo'd up & just be ready


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## Imperial

this is what we should all strive for. . .


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## Hunter

Imperial said:


> this is what we should all strive for. . .


 what do you mean mate?


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## Aussie Allan In Thailand

Another possible fun method is the rabbit net traps, and some ferrets.

This would make for a captured rat, and an easy walk up shot, or hammer strike.

Or from a distance plenty of shot accuracy practice even after it is dead.

Cheers Allan (a slightly sick puppy definitely, but then I am brain injured as an Army Veteran, so I have an "excuse", which I regularly use to my advantage, even though you'd never guess from meeting me) grin.


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## Imperial

Hunter said:


> Imperial said:
> 
> 
> 
> this is what we should all strive for. . .
> 
> 
> 
> what do you mean mate?
Click to expand...

did you watch the video ?


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## Charles

You have to be very fast to take a rat. I fully agree that baiting them is a good way to go. Also, perching on an elevated platform of some kind can be very helpful to screen your presence.

http://slingshotforum.com/topic/16743-altoid-takes-rat/?hl=altoid

http://slingshotforum.com/topic/16767-big-momma-bites-an-altoid/?hl=altoid

You do have to be pretty fast to take a rat. Some practice may be in order. Select your stand, and put a golf wiffle ball or a ball of tin foil down where you anticipate the rat will be. Then practice taking shots at the ball. When you are consistent hitting the ball, start putting out your bait.

Of course everyone who suggests using an air rifle is right ... an air rifle will be more accurate at longer ranges than a slingshot. But the question is about how to take rats with a slingshot.

No matter what method you use, some rats are just going to be difficult to get. I use a combination of slingshot, traps, and poison. Since I am in an urban environment with some touchy neighbors, I cannot use an air rifle.

Cheers ..... Charles


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## AJhunt

that bill hayes vid is fake the rat is dead before he even shoots it its stiff as anythink my advice is to be fast and shoot instictive or you could find a place out of sight like a hide so you have more time


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## Imperial

charles, u make a lot of sense, but he did say he lives in the country and apparently hes got a bit of an infestation going on. thats why i suggested he use a air rifle, less learning curve than a slingshot.

in a whole other level (seperate from all posts) -i also didnt suggest poisoning, you may accidently poison your own animals through them eating either the rat bait or the poisoned rat itself.


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## Charles

AJhunt said:


> that bill hayes vid is fake the rat is dead before he even shoots it its stiff as anythink my advice is to be fast and shoot instictive or you could find a place out of sight like a hide so you have more time


Hmmmm ... not sure why you would make such a claim, perhaps other than personal animosity. The rat did not look particularly stiff to me in the video. And there is no doubt at all that Bill Hays could make that shot. In the threads I pointed to, the rats that I shot were certainly not dead when I shot.

Cheers ..... Charles


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## Charles

Imperial said:


> charles, u make a lot of sense, but he did say he lives in the country and apparently hes got a bit of an infestation going on. thats why i suggested he use a air rifle, less learning curve than a slingshot.
> 
> in a whole other level (seperate from all posts) -i also didnt suggest poisoning, you may accidently poison your own animals through them eating either the rat bait or the poisoned rat itself.


I agree with your points about using an air rifle where possible, and about the dangers of using poison. Certainly with poisons, one must be diligent about cleaning up the dead animals. A combination of methods is likely to be more effective than any single approach.

For a heavy infestation, a tip-up rat trap can be very effective. I have used a large, metal garbage can. Put a stick on a hinge on the side so that the end of the stick is about the middle of the garbage can, but the stick is slightly heavy on the other end causing it to naturally fold down the side of the can. Put the can close to a ledge or table where rats are known to go. Place one end of the balance stick on the ledge. Firmly attach some good, smelly bait on the end of the stick over the can. Rats will come to the ledge, and head out the balance stick to the bait. When their weight over balances the stick, they will be dumped into the can and just by gravity the stick will automatically reset for the next victim. I have used such a device to just about clean out an infestation in a barn on my farm. Of course you then have to kill the rats in the can, but with a smooth sided metal can, they cannot get away.

Cheers .... Charles


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## AJhunt

im not the only person who thinks the same i know loads of people that are not on the forum that says the same


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## Cjw

Get some cats


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## treefork

You have to lead them a little bit. :target:


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## ash

Finding ways to dispense with a rat I saw in the garden is how I ended up here after a YouTube adventure through DIY traps, ferrets, falconry, terrier, airguns, and finally slingshots.

I've tried and failed with a tip trap, barrel trap, tube trap, cat and a traditional snap trap, both stock and modified.


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## ash

Right now I have a trapdoor dungeon arrangement in testing and another tunnel trap to make.

I'll post some pics later .


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## SonoftheRepublic

Charles said:


> Imperial said:
> 
> 
> 
> charles, u make a lot of sense, but he did say he lives in the country and apparently hes got a bit of an infestation going on. thats why i suggested he use a air rifle, less learning curve than a slingshot.
> 
> in a whole other level (seperate from all posts) -i also didnt suggest poisoning, you may accidently poison your own animals through them eating either the rat bait or the poisoned rat itself.
> 
> 
> 
> I agree with your points about using an air rifle where possible, and about the dangers of using poison. Certainly with poisons, one must be diligent about cleaning up the dead animals. A combination of methods is likely to be more effective than any single approach.
> 
> For a heavy infestation, a tip-up rat trap can be very effective. I have used a large, metal garbage can. Put a stick on a hinge on the side so that the end of the stick is about the middle of the garbage can, but the stick is slightly heavy on the other end causing it to naturally fold down the side of the can. Put the can close to a ledge or table where rats are known to go. Place one end of the balance stick on the ledge. Firmly attach some good, smelly bait on the end of the stick over the can. Rats will come to the ledge, and head out the balance stick to the bait. When their weight over balances the stick, they will be dumped into the can and just by gravity the stick will automatically reset for the next victim. I have used such a device to just about clean out an infestation in a barn on my farm. Of course you then have to kill the rats in the can, but with a smooth sided metal can, they cannot get away.
> 
> Cheers .... Charles
Click to expand...

Wow! This is a great idea Charles. Your experience and wisdom is appreciated.


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## Charles

SonoftheRepublic said:


> Charles said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Imperial said:
> 
> 
> 
> charles, u make a lot of sense, but he did say he lives in the country and apparently hes got a bit of an infestation going on. thats why i suggested he use a air rifle, less learning curve than a slingshot.
> 
> in a whole other level (seperate from all posts) -i also didnt suggest poisoning, you may accidently poison your own animals through them eating either the rat bait or the poisoned rat itself.
> 
> 
> 
> I agree with your points about using an air rifle where possible, and about the dangers of using poison. Certainly with poisons, one must be diligent about cleaning up the dead animals. A combination of methods is likely to be more effective than any single approach.
> 
> For a heavy infestation, a tip-up rat trap can be very effective. I have used a large, metal garbage can. Put a stick on a hinge on the side so that the end of the stick is about the middle of the garbage can, but the stick is slightly heavy on the other end causing it to naturally fold down the side of the can. Put the can close to a ledge or table where rats are known to go. Place one end of the balance stick on the ledge. Firmly attach some good, smelly bait on the end of the stick over the can. Rats will come to the ledge, and head out the balance stick to the bait. When their weight over balances the stick, they will be dumped into the can and just by gravity the stick will automatically reset for the next victim. I have used such a device to just about clean out an infestation in a barn on my farm. Of course you then have to kill the rats in the can, but with a smooth sided metal can, they cannot get away.
> 
> Cheers .... Charles
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Wow! This is a great idea Charles. Your experience and wisdom is appreciated.
Click to expand...

Wish I could take credit for it, but it is not original with me. It is a very old idea and I suspect it has been around for several hundred years. Some accounts advocate putting water in the can so the rats will drown. But that seems more cruel to me than simply shooting them with a pellet gun ... shooting rats in a barrel, as it were.

Cheers ..... Charles


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## ash

Six inches or so of water in the bottom of the barrel is to stop them from jumping out. They can swim, but if they can't get a firm launch off the bottom they can't jump out. Rats can jump or climb out of a fairly tall dry barrel.

Another rat catching tip is to weather your traps. Leave them in place for a few days unbaited to let the rats get used to them. Then bait them, but don't set them. When the bait is being taken repeatedly, re-bait and set the traps. It might take a week or two. Check that mice, lizards or other animals aren't stealing the bait without setting the traps off. I think that's what my problem is.

Here's a barrel trap in action. It has a bottle smeared with peanut butter suspended across the middle: ( NB: contains trapping and hunting dog training with the caught rats)






Tip trap:






Figure 4 trap:






Also look up the Nooski trap. And squirrel launching  We don't have squirrels here, but I'm so damn tempted to make a rat launcher :lol:


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## Charles

I used to use snap traps for rats, but they do become trap wary after a short while. I found that by setting the trap and then covering it with some paper toweling, it became more effective. Essentially the rat could not see the trap but could still smell the bait ... peanut butter is good. It would start to dig around at the paper towel and in the process set off the trap.

Cheers ..... Charles


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## Bill Hays

AJhunt said:


> that bill hayes vid is fake the rat is dead before he even shoots it its stiff as anythink my advice is to be fast and shoot instictive or you could find a place out of sight like a hide so you have more time


Hold on there scooter... you really have no idea what you're talking about. I have over a dozen rat kills captured on video and only posted this one because it would be the least objectionable from an animal rights activist viewpoint. Most of the others it was either very difficult to see what was happening or the rat went into convulsions or squealed loudly before dying.

IF you had ANY idea of what you were talking about it's plain enough to see it was simply an instant kill directly through the ear canal, and when I brought the rat closer to the camera he had blood dripping out of his ear.... and if you had ANY idea how the body of ANY living being's vacular system works, you'd know that dead things, especially stiff dead things, do NOT bleed like that.

What you need to do is either post an apology, or go play with your little buddy John Webb... think about it... you can all sit sit together, knees touching... coming up with inane conspiracy theories on how it's possible for me or several others to do the shots and shooting we do... and well since you and your little buddy have problems doing those same shots... well then it MUST be faked.

People of this mindset really are pathetic.


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## Bill Hays

Now, what do I suggest if you're wanting to use a slingshot for rat control?

Don't use very powerful bands or big ammo. 7/16 steel is about a big as you should go.

Rats have a keen since of smell, so be careful of that aspect. Rats do not have good vision, so if you can hit them from a decent distance away... 20' plus, then you stand a pretty good chance of nailing them pretty easily. Just keeps all your movements slow and within your own sillouhette and you'll clear a mess of them before they catch on... BUT injure just one, and it's like they're psychic after that... you'll never get a good shot unless you bait them.


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## Jim Williams

Rats crave the same things as humans; salt, sugar and fat. They are incredibly cautious creatures, and may not go for bait laid out for a number of days until they deem it safe. The best bait I have ever used for them is a jar of chocolate spread heated in a pan of hot water until it becomes more like a liquid consistency, and then add some cooking oil to it. Stir it up and you have a bait that's easy to lay down in long thin strips, the rats aren't able to pick the bait up and run off so it will give you more time to get a shot off as they lick it up.

I have never hunted them with a slingshot though, an air rifle would always be my first choice for ratting.


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## August West

Me too. HAHAHAHA


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## Imperial

Bill Hays said:


> AJhunt said:
> 
> 
> 
> that bill hayes vid is fake the rat is dead before he even shoots it its stiff as anythink my advice is to be fast and shoot instictive or you could find a place out of sight like a hide so you have more time
> 
> 
> 
> Hold on there scooter... you really have no idea what you're talking about. I have over a dozen rat kills captured on video and only posted this one because it would be the least objectionable from an animal rights activist viewpoint. Most of the others it was either very difficult to see what was happening or the rat went into convulsions or squealed loudly before dying.
> 
> IF you had ANY idea of what you were talking about it's plain enough to see it was simply an instant kill directly through the ear canal, and when I brought the rat closer to the camera he had blood dripping out of his ear.... and if you had ANY idea how the body of ANY living being's vacular system works, you'd know that dead things, especially stiff dead things, do NOT bleed like that.
> 
> What you need to do is either post an apology, or go play with your little buddy John Webb... think about it... you can all sit sit together, knees touching... coming up with inane conspiracy theories on how it's possible for me or several others to do the shots and shooting we do... and well since you and your little buddy have problems doing those same shots... well then it MUST be faked.
> 
> People of this mindset really are pathetic.
Click to expand...


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## ash

My rat-sized snap trap with added barbs-of-doom and clothes-peg-of-certain-death took its first scalp last night. Not one of the rats I've seen around, but a big a$$ mouse. The clothes peg clipped onto the trigger makes the trap more sensitive and makes sure that smaller critters are in the kill zone. Worked first night out after a couple of weeks of false trips.

First of several, I hope.


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## Charles

Aye ... a truly evil engine .... :rofl:

Cheers .... Charles


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## ghost0311/8541

use a red or green light shoot from a dark spot you will get plenty of time to shoot


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## ghost0311/8541

use a red or green light shoot from a dark spot you will get plenty of time to shoot


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## AJhunt

Bill Hays said:


> AJhunt said:
> 
> 
> 
> that bill hayes vid is fake the rat is dead before he even shoots it its stiff as anythink my advice is to be fast and shoot instictive or you could find a place out of sight like a hide so you have more time
> 
> 
> 
> Hold on there scooter... you really have no idea what you're talking about. I have over a dozen rat kills captured on video and only posted this one because it would be the least objectionable from an animal rights activist viewpoint. Most of the others it was either very difficult to see what was happening or the rat went into convulsions or squealed loudly before dying.
> 
> IF you had ANY idea of what you were talking about it's plain enough to see it was simply an instant kill directly through the ear canal, and when I brought the rat closer to the camera he had blood dripping out of his ear.... and if you had ANY idea how the body of ANY living being's vacular system works, you'd know that dead things, especially stiff dead things, do NOT bleed like that.
> 
> What you need to do is either post an apology, or go play with your little buddy John Webb... think about it... you can all sit sit together, knees touching... coming up with inane conspiracy theories on how it's possible for me or several others to do the shots and shooting we do... and well since you and your little buddy have problems doing those same shots... well then it MUST be faked.
> 
> People of this mindset really are pathetic.
Click to expand...

lol goonie


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## Cjw

That's sad insulting one of the greatest slingshot shooters of our time. Whos done so much for our sport. That's class buddy all low class.


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## FWV2

If the rat was already dead the blood wouldnt still be dripping when bill brings it to the camera!!

Fwv2


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## FWV2

My apologies! for last post! I read through the posts and some how missed Bills second post!

I have No doubt that the rat was a live up to the point of impact of bills shot!!

Fwv2


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## AJhunt

helmets


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## Charles

The points have been made, guys. Please, let's not turn this into a flame war.

Cheers ...... Charles


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## ash

Updates to my own rat odyssey...

Still no rats, but I'm up to four mice and the cat caught the same one three times and kept losing it! :lol:

Twoof mine in the rat trap of doom and two in the dungeon trap. The dungeon trap is set up for rats, so one mouse isn't heavy enough to drop the trap door. Turns out that two mice will do it though 

It also turns out that if mice try and chew their way out of an MDF box they quickly die of formaldehyde poisoning.

I have a couple more free DIY designs to try out. I kinda hope there are still mice and rats there to catch :lol:


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## Charles

Good to hear you are keeping the vermin from spreading ... Now you just need some good rodent recipes!!!

Cheers ..... Charles


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## Imperial

the following gif was posted by The Warrior in the following thread http://slingshotforum.com/topic/21416-official-funny-pic-thread/?p=295529

i just found it a bit more appropriate for this this one, :rofl:


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## ash

I think that mouse is living in my garden :lol:

Two traps set off last night, but no culprits to be found.


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## Adirondack Kyle

Bill has posted many videos taking game, he has no reason to bullshit us,
People need to do their research before they open their mouths,

It seems you have some slick rats on your hands, I find the dollar store traps with peanut butter work well.


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## ash

Adirondack Kyle said:


> It seems you have some slick rats on your hands, I find the dollar store traps with peanut butter work well.


My rat seems to have disappeared altogether. Maybe the poison got him right at the start... Since then I have caught six mice and two lizards in the traps.


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## TNshooter

Another way to fix the empty, tripped trap problem is to press a little bread onto the trigger, then put your peanutbutter on that. Then they have to work on the bread to get the peanutbutter and will trip the trap every time.


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## ash

Good plan, TN. I tried wrapping the peanut butter with cotton, but it just got chewed off. Then I tried copper wire and the mice just licked it clean. The winning stragtegy so far has been to attach a thin plywood (1/32") square to the trigger that covers the whole area enclosed by the jaws of the trap. I then made a shroud of aluminium tape so that the only way to get the bait was to step on the plywood plate and set it off. Worked straight away with a cocky mouse who had been living it up all week.

I had the camera set up and a mirror on the floor, which let me see the trap from my office chair. The cheeky little b'stard would come out for a snack as soon as 30 seconds after I put the trap down and walked away. He'd also sneak out to the edge of the shadows to see where I was working before chowing down. Now he swims with Mr Hankie


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## TNshooter

Good one Ash! That's what it's all about. Building a better mouse trap : )


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## Bob at Draco

I was having some of the same problems you are having, with a mouse that was living in the cab of my welding truck. I super glued a kernal of corn to the trigger and got him.


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