Your article brings back memories of me and my cousins shooting rats and ground hogs in my grandfather’s corn field. We use BB guns .177 pellet guns, and .22 rifles with shorts. Those rats even jumped off the corn stalks when hit!!
Here in the Klamath Basin shooting of “rats” is considered a spring ritual. The rats, Belding Ground Squirrels, wreck havoc on the farmer’s alfalfa fields.
Tim
I had a family of rats move into the back corner our backyard one winter under a poolside deck. We had a bird feeder also which was closer to the house which I am sure they got into at night. They also liked the berries from our yo-pon shrub which they ate early in the morning.
Rats are evidently near sighted because if I saw one sitting up munching berries in the morning I could sneak out our patio door and rest my pellet gun on on our patio table without disturbing them.
The distance was about 45 feet and I did not let any get back to the family and tell the others what was going on. There are indeed good jumpers. I got 7 over a period of about 2 weeks before they were gone
Tim, don’t “we call them, sage rats”.
Actually that’s little inside joke between my buddy and me:rolleyes::rolleyes:.
Duckster - Most of the guys I know just call them squeaks because of the noise they make. Back in Utah they called them Potguts.
Tim
Nice trip down memory lane JC. That and Lady Fisher’s use of the word “doozy” brought back some great memories. (Some of you “geezers” or is it “old geezers”, may remember a TV show called Hazel where the word was used continuously).
Shooting rats at the local dump was a recurring activity for me. And jump they did!
Rick
Hit 'em with a 223 and they don’t jump at all.
Rick - Do you know where that term “doozy” came from? It was from a Duesenberg car ad! That goes back a wee bit…:shock:
I shoot rats around here all the time. I use my blowgun, or slingshot.
It is a blast, and does a public service as well.
Here’s how to ruin a rats day:
Adios, Sniffles!
My sometimes rat-hunting companions:
Bruno
…and Stormy.
Take me home, Country Roads—
Thanks for the memories of my youth JC. Your article brought a flood of pleasant recollections from my memory banks. Kids and their BB guns.
Larry 
—sagefisher—
When I was a youngster, we used to have rat killin’s (ala Jerry Clower!) all the time out at the corn crib next to the barn. We used BB guns, .22 rifles, and our homemade blowguns. Like JC, we also used to shoot rats at a dump; not the city dump, but at a dump a distillery used to have behind the plant on the banks of the Ohio River near Owensboro, KY. We also used to fish the river in the vicinity of the discharge of the distillery. Way back then, the distillery used to pump their used mash into the river, attracting nearly every catfish, buffalo, carp and gizzard shad in that part of the river. I once caught a 39 pound bigmouth buffalo there on cooked macaroni! That was years ago, well before I was made aware of any type of fishing other than baitfishing. Thanks for the trip down memory lane, JC!
Hi fellow rat shooters.
I too recycle rats with my 22.
YES…
Recycle is what happens.
Never wasted a rat yet.
Have you,
ever noticed their, that is a rat’s whiskers.
I clip them off
and Recycle them into the Worlds best tails on my dun type dry flies.
The fur,
also recycled
this is removed while the rat is in a deep sleep.
and reused…
no,
recycled into a fantastic dubbing material for wet and nymphs.
Most ratus ratus creatures
the fur is in three colours on each strand, mainly and this fur wets up so fast you will be amazed, which as you would know aids sinking of the dubbed fly.
ps, my wife thinks I am a bit strange as do my kids,
then I think,
whats wrong with them,
they know nothing about recycling,
at all.
pps, how many of you recyclers out their of Mr Ratus have been wasting your fresh rats ?
Kind regards,
UB
UUUGGG…OK that puts me in the 223 camp…nothing left to recycle…so I don’t have to feel guilty:p:p:p.
Heritage Angler,
I did know that the term doozy was a reference to the Dusenberg, only because my parents told me. The “doozy” was a bit before my time. But I had forgotten that little fact, thanks for the reminder.
Rick
I used to shoot them at night with a flash light and revolver–always made sure I taped up the cuff of my pants. They might find my leg to run up. Had to watch out for the cats also hunting rats. Didnt want to shoot themand spoil their fun. BILL
Well before my time also - I saw it on the History Channel!
As far as hunting rats: My best friend has a large farm here, and we sometimes have to do a little rodent recycling. I recycle them directly into the atmosphere - I use a Weatherby 300 Magnum. If you look carefully after the shot, you can see a fine red mist for a split second. 
Best rat shot (or any shot) I ever saw was from a moving auto (35mph no less than 25 mph).
The entire story will have to wait till the shooter is retired. $50.00 bucks is $50.00 was the quote. As the driver stated what the… The reply was “pay me sucker”.
Does bring back memories. We had open dumps in my youth and the rats there would grow as big as cats. One evening I took a buddy who had never been to shoot rats and when he saw that a rat kept walking after being hit with a .22, he headed for the car. What a great way to spend some time.
Good morning all ratus recyclers.
All this thread is bringing a huge smile to my face 
"I use a Weatherby 300 Magnum. If you look carefully after the shot, you can see a fine red mist for a split second. "
Laughing here.
you should be able to hear it over there !
I’ve a 300winny, I have THOUGHT of doing the recycling with that and came to the conclusion, you did, and whats left !!!
I considered loading up some 130grain hollow points, then let them fly at over 3400f/s but the ratus would be gone !
Did someone say cats ?
Do you know cat fur and whiskers are all magical fly tying materials, even after they have talked to a 243… never thought of the 300winny and cats …yet till now :rolleyes:
Recyclers united.
Kindest regards,
UB
ps, I also sell tanned cat skins for fly tying.
Careful Barry - my cat is armed and dangerous!
