tinman13kup
Well-Known Member
Ever have one of those days where things don't go as you wanted, but turn out beyond expectation and leaves you grinnin?
I spotted a varmint swimming in my pond last fall, but didn't get to find out what or do anything about it. I knew it had burrowed into the end of an island I have, but I didn't know if it was a beaver or muskrat. A few days ago, I noticed a bunch of sticks and grass wedged into my dock, along with a second one swimming around. I was hoping for dagget and norbert, but I finally got sight of the tail early today. Muskrat
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The wife, the dogs and myself went back there around noon to walk around. The jack russell, who normally would be all over something like a hole or the smell of a varmint, was oblivious to all of it. The big male mastiff wouldn't care if it came up and kissed him as he waded into the water. The hippo female mastiff is the one who suffered. I told the wife I would have to deal with it before it turned the bank into swiss cheese, or worse, the dam. Turns out, it had already undercut the dock posts at the bank. The female collapsed the dirt bridge over the hole and she went to her belly under the dock. She is easily over 200lbs, and she refuses to help you accomplish anything. I got her out, told the wife what it was, and she knew what I had to do.
I waited a few hours and headed back over the hill with a Smith 22A and a Rem 700 in 30-06. I got to the top and could see through a clearing it was at the front edge of the island. I had the crosshairs on it, but didn't want to shoot it there because I didn't want to leave it in the water, and my boat is OOC since my brother shot it during deer season with a 44. Yeah, he sunk it.
I watched the rat slip back into the water and disappear. That gave me the opportunity to get closer to the pond and see the whole thing. I got in front of a big brushpile about 40yds from the pond. I just sat on my hind end and waited. I put the rifle down and had the pistol when he came up at the island, swimming towards me. Cool! I figured I'd let him get as close to me as possible before shooting, but about 5yds from the bank it turned and started getting behind brush. I shot, but just over it's head. It dove and came back up a few yards away. I shot again, through the brush, but hit right behind it. Crap!! 50+ yds with the pistol wasn't working. I put the pistol down and grabbed the rifle. I saw the water rippling at the far side of the island (70yds or so) and scoped him coming down the side. By now, I didn't care how I had to fish him out, even if it meant getting the waders out. It stopped and I let the rifle barkgun). Through the scope, all I saw was the water explode around him, throwing the rat several feet in the air and onto the island Hot diggity! I don't need to do anything with the thing on the island, because.........I also have a vulture nest 100yds up the hill from the pond, and she always brings friends to clean up after me
Now, about that 2nd one I saw swimming........
I spotted a varmint swimming in my pond last fall, but didn't get to find out what or do anything about it. I knew it had burrowed into the end of an island I have, but I didn't know if it was a beaver or muskrat. A few days ago, I noticed a bunch of sticks and grass wedged into my dock, along with a second one swimming around. I was hoping for dagget and norbert, but I finally got sight of the tail early today. Muskrat
. The wife, the dogs and myself went back there around noon to walk around. The jack russell, who normally would be all over something like a hole or the smell of a varmint, was oblivious to all of it. The big male mastiff wouldn't care if it came up and kissed him as he waded into the water. The hippo female mastiff is the one who suffered. I told the wife I would have to deal with it before it turned the bank into swiss cheese, or worse, the dam. Turns out, it had already undercut the dock posts at the bank. The female collapsed the dirt bridge over the hole and she went to her belly under the dock. She is easily over 200lbs, and she refuses to help you accomplish anything. I got her out, told the wife what it was, and she knew what I had to do.
I waited a few hours and headed back over the hill with a Smith 22A and a Rem 700 in 30-06. I got to the top and could see through a clearing it was at the front edge of the island. I had the crosshairs on it, but didn't want to shoot it there because I didn't want to leave it in the water, and my boat is OOC since my brother shot it during deer season with a 44. Yeah, he sunk it.
I watched the rat slip back into the water and disappear. That gave me the opportunity to get closer to the pond and see the whole thing. I got in front of a big brushpile about 40yds from the pond. I just sat on my hind end and waited. I put the rifle down and had the pistol when he came up at the island, swimming towards me. Cool! I figured I'd let him get as close to me as possible before shooting, but about 5yds from the bank it turned and started getting behind brush. I shot, but just over it's head. It dove and came back up a few yards away. I shot again, through the brush, but hit right behind it. Crap!! 50+ yds with the pistol wasn't working. I put the pistol down and grabbed the rifle. I saw the water rippling at the far side of the island (70yds or so) and scoped him coming down the side. By now, I didn't care how I had to fish him out, even if it meant getting the waders out. It stopped and I let the rifle barkgun). Through the scope, all I saw was the water explode around him, throwing the rat several feet in the air and onto the island
Hot diggity! I don't need to do anything with the thing on the island, because.........I also have a vulture nest 100yds up the hill from the pond, and she always brings friends to clean up after meNow, about that 2nd one I saw swimming........
