Gatehouse, whipe the blood off and PLEASE don't put a pop can in the photo!!!!!

[img] www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid35/pe94304e5aa92526845626f4a9bad2cbb/fd28dbfa.jpg.thumb.jpg [/img]



Let's see if these work...maybe I should have checked with Buell first to see if they are okay to post

ANOTHER bloody packrat has moved in to take it's place! This morning I get up and one of the rat traps is GONE! Just gone...nothing but pack rat shit around it. Hopefully the trap is attached to his nose!

Maybe this will work better...I'm still new at these picture things!

Man! Those suckers are huge!

I should add, the forensic quality of the photo is excellent. I could easily do a blood spatter trajectory with this.

[ 10-22-2002, 23:30: Message edited by: Aspen Hill Farm ]

As you may be able to see, the creatures fangs were huge..I wasn't taking any chances with this fella...

The bullet "shattered" the mid-section, causing great trauma to the internal organs.

The bait was placed on the firewood visible in the background, and then I waited until the noble quarry arrived.

The firewood was placed strategically so for two reasons- To act as a backstop for a "penetrating high velocity bullet," and to show the trophy in a more "natural" enviroment.

I generally follow the stictest rules of "fair chase" hunting, but in this case I bent the rules a bit. I used bait, and an artificial illuminating device "may" have been used...

I apologize profusely for the blood spatters...I took this pic several days ago, before I was aware we had appointed a Commisioner of Good Taste that has to give his seal of approval before pics may be posted.

Whoa now, watch the use of that word "shatter"!

Gatehouse

Thanks for the pictures, they saved my evening. The only thing that realy offends me is what I remember earlier in this topic that you should try to get him with beer, I think the 7up would have been more in my taste. I dont like people spoiling beer around

cchunter

Don't worry...I changed my mind about the beer,a nd tried tonic water instead. Apparently pack rats aren't as suseptible to carbonated beverages as mice...he drank a whole bunch and came back for more!

Ann
I know, I know..."Shatter" is a very, very, graphic word and is very self glorifying...I feel terrible...

Gatehouse,
Good job! I notice you went for the "center of mass" hold. A good choice. You certainly don't want to risk a wounding shot. You may have to get another though to have a hide suitable for taxidermy work. Regards, Bill.

Gatehouse,
Nice Shot!
Bill there is enough hide left for a full shoulder mount. I don't see the problem

Gatehouse:

What bullet was used? From the tissue damage present, I suspect it was a ballistic tip, or maybe even a MATCHKING. Did you recover the bullet? Please advise.

cwilson

Bill...

Nope- you don't want to take any chances on a marginal shot with one of these beasties...If he had charged, I would have been up the creek!

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to try for another for that mount...This bastard was only dead a few days and ne of his buddies has moved in. I've never seen him, but this one must be something else. I set out 2 regular stye, large rat traps for him. In the morning, there is only one trap!! I don't know if it got caught in his tail and he dragged it off???

It's geting cold now, and I think I'm going to have to wrap myself in a down sleeping bag if I want to hunt him at night from the "ground blind"

Cwilson
I used a ballistic tip. Apperantly they work rather well for purposes such as these!

Just to prove I don't hate ALL rodents, these ones are always welcome around my place. (Don't worry, it's a completely differetn pile of firewood!)

When I was 7 or 8 my grandma payed me .25 cents for each mouse,starling or gopher I killed. Pop bought me a new air rifle which did fair on starlings. I worked over an old gopher trap which became the lazy cats best friend. As for the mice, peanut butter wasnt working well. They stole it twice a day. I found a piece of bacon tied to the trip lever was deadly. It would catch several mice before it dried out. Rats Suck!

Well my big game hunt started with the invasion of my home in VA by two swamp rats! It was the season of 1990 Oh I remember like it was yesterday . It was a crisp fall morning that I awoke to the noise of chewing wood in my bedroom wall. Funny thing when I crack my eye open there was Jake my trusty bird dog looking at the wall as dogs do when they can smell something they want but can't see it!! Well he looks at me then at the wall and barks-looks at me scratches at the wall barks, looks at me! I said Jake what's up buddy? Then they start running inside the wall and squealing. Well I let Jake go nuts running back and fourth for awhile until he wakes up the little woman. She gets all upset and say's I need to do something!
Well not knowing the danger posed by the critter's in question I load up with the heavy artilary- my trusty .177 mag pellet gun an headed out to the field of battle in the crawl space. With my trusted lattern and hunting pellets. The first beast fell to a single shot to the head at 5'. I do believe it was the female. The male pose a different problem after seeing it's mate dieing a quick death it ran back to the safety of my wall space never presenting a clear shot !
After 2 Days the male had reaked havoc chewing holes in the wall getting into food and generally terrorizing the little woman. He was going to make me pay for killing his mate!!!
Well the male finally made the mistake of tring to venture into the living quarters while Jake was on guard and he ended the invasion like a great bird dog should. You just can't give these vermin any quarter or they will ruin you.