Brown Rats

Waiting for Brown Rats to show themselves can often mean a long and cold wait so take something to sit on and wear warm clothing.
Use baits with a strong aroma or flavour. I find that flake chocolate draws them in and they can't carry it away. Apples are also favoured by Rats, use Apples whole (can't be carried away) crush small amounts to create an aroma. Try cat food such as the tins with peel top lids (do not leave the tin on the ground). Basically Rats prefer anything that is fresh in preference to old and rotten .
Brown Rats have keen hearing, smell, taste, and touch, but poor vision, and they are also colour blind. The adults are nocturnal and like to explore, but they are cautious and shy away from newly introduced objects .Young Rats will often venture out to find food during daylight hours.
Stay motionless as rats will bolt at the first signs of movement, so it is essential that the rifle is pointing almost directly at the place you expect the Rats to emerge.
Place any bait along regular 'runs' and in such a position that the rat has to expose all of its body to get at it. Generally about one or two feet from any rat hole - this way any rats hit but not killed cleanly will not be able to get to cover before you take another shot

Do not handle dead Rats, use a shovel or stick to remove them.

Diseases carried by Brown rats:

Salmonella..carried by all rodents.

Trichinosis..Pork roundworm. Initially the worm lodges in the intestines, but the larvae may invade the muscles to form cysts that are often resistant to drug treatment.

Rat Bite Fever...Murine Typhus spread by lice on the animal, they die of it, but not before they have passed it on.

Hantavirus.. Pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a deadly disease transmitted by infected rodents through urine, droppings, or saliva. Humans can contract the disease when they breathe in aerosolized virus. Although rare, HPS is potentially deadly. Rodent control in and around the home remains the primary strategy for preventing hantavirus infection.

Weils Disease...Leptospiral Jaundice(Leptospirosis). Symptoms are flu like, with a severe persistent headache and if you think you have been in an area where there are rats, then you should seek immediate medical advice. Affects the liver and kidneys.Needs early treatment.

A healthy wild rabbit on the left and an infected pet rabbit on the right.

The disease myxomatosis in rabbits is caused by a virus. The virus is a type of pox virus which grows best in the skin of rabbits.The very first signs we can see are puffy, fluid swellings around the head and face. 'sleepy eyes' are a classic sign along with swollen lips, tiny swellings on the insides of the ear and puffy swellings around the anus and genitalia. Within a day or so, these swellings can become so severe as to cause blindness and there may become some distortion around the face, mouth, ears and nose.
A major insect parasite which transmits the disease in this country is the rabbit flea. Although this has never been proved, there is strong circumstantial evidence that mosquitoes transmit Myxomatosis in the United Kingdom. Myxomatosis virus can remain alive in the blood of fleas for many months and it is probably by over wintering of fleas in rabbit burrows the disease is transmitted from year to year.
As the mosquito or flea bites the rabbit a small amount of the live virus is placed in the skin of the rabbit as the insect sucks blood. Within a few days the virus is transmitted to a local lymph node and then passes into the blood of the rabbit which enables it to be moved around to several sites. The virus mainly multiples in the skin around the eyes, the nose, the face, the soft skin inside the ears and also the skin around the anus and genitals of the rabbit.
The incubation period varies slightly from one animal to another but can be as short as five days and as long as fourteen days. Some animals may survive for weeks or months after infection but, in general, if the infection is severe in a susceptible rabbit, death occurs within twelve days.
Within a short space of time, affected rabbits become blind because of the swelling around the eyes and for this reason feeding and drinking is often difficult. However, one can sometimes see wild rabbits suffering from Myxomatosis quietly grazing. Of course, at this stage many rabbits become prey to animals such as foxes and other predators. Other rabbits may well become injured or killed on roads but the common cause of death is a secondary lung infection which often occurs around day eight after the initial incubation of the disease.
Not all affected rabbits die. Although recovery is rare in the wild (probably less than 10% of wild rabbits eventually recover from myxomatosis).
It is easy to spot infected rabbits as they will stay out in the open in daylight, apparently grazing happily, the real reason they are in the open is that they are blind and are having difficulty breathing as their lungs slowly fill with liquid.
Look for the closed and weeping eyes.
I approach them quietly from downwind and despatch them with a well placed head shot.
As a matter of course I despatch all 'Myxi' infected rabbits that I find , I bag them up and remove them from the field.

General info:

Feral Pigeons
Often referred to as the 'flying rat' these scruffy individuals look more like oily rags than birds, congregating on or around public buildings fowling ledges and the ground below (causing a slip hazard). The build up of debris from roosting Pigeons can cause blockage of guttering and drainpipes plus damage to roof top machinery.
Feral pigeons are believed to have descended from domesticated strains of the Rock Dove and it continues to interbreed with racing pigeons and pigeons from bird fanciers' lofts, typically they produce four or more clutches of two eggs per year. They build their nests from any materials they can find (including plastic) on ledges / inside derelict buildings and on emergency stairways.
Feral Pigeons can carry several species of mites which can cause severe irritation of the skin. Numerous secondary insects are found infesting the droppings. Because of all the bacteria, fungal agents and ectoparasites found in pigeon droppings they can be considered a health hazard.
Pigeons do not migrate, their natural instinct is to stay near their birth site. Their presence in and around public places, factories, restaurants/cafes, farms, docks and hospitals make them the No1 (#1) urban pest !
An air rifle is ideal for despatching this urban and rural pest !
Do Not Feed Feral Pigeons


Rabbits
The UK Rabbit population is now estimated to be about 37.5 million pre-breeding animals. A female rabbit can produce around 20 offspring each year, which are known as kittens. As a result the rabbit is now the most commonly seen mammal in Britain. When the population peaks in summer there can be as many as 300 million!
In their present numbers rabbits can be a serious pest to farmers by causing reduced crop yields, damage to trees and young saplings and erosion of ground around their warrens. Consequently, in the interests of crop and environment protection, they provide much sporting opportunity, and are taken by a variety of methods.
On the positive side, rabbits grazing on downlands can form an essential habitat for butterflies and other insects.
Rabbits can grow to approximately 45cms in length and are the largest air rifle quarry. Airgunners can take large numbers of rabbits when using stealth tactics.

got some new land

2 mins after getting out of the van this is what we had. Not bad hey and the rest of the shoot was great as well as we totaled 23 ferals in just 35 mins. My rifle is the one with the black sling and the parker hale modulator. (HW80K)

The new air gun law

The Law

The law makes no distinction between air rifles and more powerful guns for which you need a licence – they are all classed as firearms. This means that any offence you commit can carry a very heavy penalty – and there are at least 38 different offences. Following this code will help you to keep on the right side of the law, but, if you have any doubt, seek advice from BASC or your local police firearms licensing department.

Who can shoot

18 years*:
If you are 18 years or older there are no restrictions on buying an air rifle and ammunition, and you can use it where you have permission to shoot.
14 – 17 years*:
You can:

borrow an air rifle and ammunition ,use an air rifle, without supervision, on private premises where you have permission
You cannot:
buy or hire an air rifle, or ammunition, or receive them as a gift. Your air rifle and ammunition must be bought and looked after by someone over 18 – normally your parent, guardian or some other responsible adult.
have an air rifle in a public place unless you are supervised by somebody aged 21 or over, and you have a reasonable excuse to do so (for example, while on the way to a shooting ground).

Under 14 years

you can:
use an air rifle under supervision on private premises with permission from the occupier – normally the owner or tenant. The person who supervises you must be at least 21 years old.
You cannot:
buy, hire or receive an air rifle or its ammunition as a gift, or shoot, without adult supervision.
Parents or guardians who buy an air rifle for use by someone under 14 must exercise control over it at all times, even in the home or garden.
It is illegal to sell an air rifle or ammunition to a person under 18 years of age.
* These age limits apply from the introduction of the Violent Crime Reduction Act which is expected to come into force in October 2007.

Where you can shoot

Always ensure that you are authorised by the landowner or person with the sporting rights to shoot where you intend to, and that you know precisely where the boundaries are. Get permission in writing, if possible, to remove any doubt.
Whenever you are in a public place you should carry the rifle in a gun cover and always ensure that it is unloaded and not cocked.

Trespassing

Going on to private land, or water where you do not have permission, is trespassing, and if you are carrying an air rifle it becomes armed trespass. Whether the gun is loaded or not, or whether you are carrying pellets, is irrelevant – armed trespass is a serious criminal offence carrying heavy penalties.
Only shoot where you have the permission of the landowner or tenant.

Firing pellets beyond your boundary

It is an offence to fire an air rifle pellet beyond the land where you have permission to shoot, unless the occupier of the neighbouring land has also given you permission. Where someone under 14 is shooting, both the young person and the supervising adult can be prosecuted.
It is also against the law, in England and Wales, to fire an air rifle within 50 feet (15 meters) of the centre of a highway if this results in someone being injured, interrupted or endangered. These offences could be committed, for example, when someone is shooting in their garden close to a road and the pellets ricochet onto the highway.
It is an offence in Scotland to discharge any gun in a culpable or reckless manner. This means shooting without caring about the safety of others.
What you can shoot

Target shooting

There are numerous clubs catering for this growing sport, throughout the UK, and they can offer great help and shooting opportunities to both the novice and the experienced shooter alike. If you want to practise on your own premises make sure that you have an effective backstop. Soft earth or chipboard is ideal, but don’t use any hard, polished surface because it is likely to cause a dangerous ricochet or could cause the pellet to rebound and hit the shooter.
Remember that you can be prosecuted if any pellet goes beyond your land, whether it is directly fired or an accidental ricochet.

Principal quarry for air rifles

BIRDS: crows, rooks, jackdaws, magpies, jays, woodpigeon, collared doves, feral pigeons.
MAMMALS: brown rats, grey squirrels, stoats, mink and rabbits

Live quarry shooting

Many people shoot live quarry, either on their own land or where they have permission. The species which you can shoot are limited by the law and by the effective power of an air rifle.
All birds are protected, and although there are seasons when you can legally shoot game, and some wildfowl, these are generally not suitable quarry for air rifles. However, as long as you are complying with firearms law, you can shoot certain pest species. These are covered by open general licences which, in simple terms, mean you can shoot the birds provided you have the landowner’s permission and provided you are doing it for one of the reasons allowed by the licence.
These reasons are:
to protect crops
to protect game and wildlife
to protect public health or safety

Those species covered by the licences, for which air rifles are suitable, include:

crows,

rooks,

jackdaws,

magpies,

jays,

woodpigeon,

collared doves,

feral pigeons.

Sparrows and starlings are no longer on the general licences for England. Therefore you cannot shoot them in England, although they can still be shot in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. For full details on general licences please visit the DEFRA home pages.

You can shoot mammal pests at any time provided you have the landowner’s permission. Air rifles are suitable for: brown rats, grey squirrels, stoats, mink and rabbits.
Respect for the quarry

Always shoot well within your capabilities. Practise on targets, never on live quarry, to establish the maximum range at which you and your rifle can consistently hit the point of aim that will ensure a clean kill; this is usually the head, and normally has a maximum diameter of about three centimetres (an inch and a quarter). Practise regularly to improve your shooting and stalking skills.
Make sure you know where the kill zone is for each species that you are going to hunt. For mammals the side-on head shot is the preferred target. For birds, head shots are effective but difficult because the target area is very small and rarely holds still. Shots to the breast or body cavity give a bigger target area but remember that dense feathers or a crop full of grain will limit the pellet’s effectiveness. The area under the wing is a good place to aim for.
You must zero your rifle and sights (check their correct alignment) before starting any hunt; usually a riflescope will come with instructions on how to do this, otherwise there are many books which explain the principles.
It is your responsibility to be able to recognise your quarry and know when and where you may shoot it. Never shoot unless you have positively identified your quarry.
Wounded quarry
Always despatch wounded quarry quickly to minimise suffering, either with a second shot or a sharp blow to the base of the skull. Be particularly careful when dispatching wounded rodents – they can bite and scratch with a risk of serious infection. DO NOT TOUCH RATS. They may carry fatal diseases, so you should lift them with a fork or shovel.
Suitable air rifles for hunting
Always ensure that your air rifle is powerful enough to achieve a clean kill of your chosen quarry and do not attempt a shot of more than 30 metres. The ideal power level is just over 11 ft lb (15J). For an air rifle that is more powerful than 12 ft lb, (16.25J) you must have a firearm certificate.
Never shoot at partially obscured quarry or shoot at quarry which could escape into cover before it can be retrieved. For example, do not shoot rabbits which are less than two metres from their burrow.
Certain types of air rifle are more suitable for hunting than others. Avoid those air rifles which take excessive time to charge, load and fire. Repeating air rifles give an immediate second shot which is always an advantage. All air rifles must be well maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. If in doubt - consult your local dealer.
Choose pellets which are designed for hunting. These will produce a cleaner kill than those which are intended for target shooting. Check every pellet before loading to ensure that it is not damaged or deformed.