Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Wildlife Management weapon of choice for pond critter removal

The frags may bounce. It depends (ha!) greatly on the angle at which you are shooting and the distance to your target. Every bullet fired is on an arc when it leaves the gun. Some are flatter trajectories than others, but nonetheless on an arc. Gravity is a mother.

Ballistic tips fragment, but travel more accurately than HP's. That's why I use them on longer targets.

This:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i-Eht5-JSQ

We cannot deer hunt with real rifles in Indiana, which is a good thing based on my experience with hunters on neighboring properties. Indiana did approve pistol cartridge rifles a couple years ago and I definately prefer by 44-mag bolt-action Ruger over my single-shot H&R bull barrel 12-gauge (it will gather dust now). The Hornaday Lever Evolution ammo with the plastic tips sure tightened up the group at 100 yards. I do not preditor hunt, although I've taken out a few yotes, so I have not invested in a varmint gun. I just use my 22. I was told that .17 HMR was less likely to bounce on water due to fragmentation (and that fragmnets lose energy real quick). Not that their 100% safe, just less risk of traveling very far after the bounce.

highflyer, good eyes. The cartridge started life as a .338 Lapua, but it's wildcatted. Powder capacity increased by about 10%, shoulder angle steeper, body angle reduced, and necked down to 7mm. 175g SMK @ 3475 fps. 200g Wildcat bullet @ 3250-3300 fps.

Maybe a bit overkill for 'yotes, but one farm that we'll be hunting on is 3,000 acres. If my buddies miss, hopefully the 'yote will stop running while it's still in sight.

Tony, I heard that the greys are easier to skin too. There aren't any greys around here, but go 30 miles East and there's reds, greys and the melanistic phase of the greys. (black)

Quote from Essup: There aren't any greys around here, but go 30 miles East and there's reds, greys and the melanistic phase of the greys. (black)

Does anyone have white ones? Two towns I am familiar with brag that they are the "home of the white squirrel". Olney Illinois and Marrionville MO. I've also seen them in Flora Illinois, up the road from Olney.

Esshup, I'm drooling! Have you been able to shoot it at or beyond 1000 yards? What's your best MOA on it? Hows the recoil with that brake?

The recoil on the rifle is like my 6# .243 shooting 85g Barnes TSX bullets in excess of 3300 fps. It's easy to see the trace thru the scope. Muffs are required tho.

When I picked up the gun from the 'smith, we went out and shot a bit. 2nd shot out of the gun hit the 6" dia rock, (first one was a tad right - misjudged the wind). I asked him how far the rock was and he said a bit over 1100 yds. He guarantees 1/2 MOA out to 1K, but said that the gun would shoot 1/4 MOA past that if I did my part. It's not based on a "factory" rifle.

Those towns are the only ones I have heard talk about their white squirrels(albino grays). I have seen a couple white squirrels here in the east, but just that a couple. There are areas with some black squirrels(mellanistic grays), mostly in New England but scattered elsewhere.

We have a federally endangered subspecies of the fox squirrel called the Delmarva fox squirrel. It lives on the Delmarva peninsula around the Chesapeake Bay. It's about the same size as the western fox squirrels but is a solid steel gray. Down where my in-laws live in NC, they have the southern subspecies of fox squirrel. They come in 3 color phases. The most common, a gray color phase with a "black mask", an all black phase with usually a white nose and ears and the least common color phase, less than 5% is the brown color phase which is brownish orange with a black mask and white edging. However, there is a lot of variation among those phases.

I've killed a lot of the western fox squirrels in PA as they have spread from the Midwest into the east. I've seen the Delmarva fox squirrel while sika deer hunting, but don't wanna go shooting an endangered species. I am hoping to do some hunting around my in-laws for the fox squirrels there. Trying to get all the different color phases and species mounted over the years. They make interesting wall art, even if my wife disagrees.

More trophies headed for the basement.

Travis, I had the same thought, getting the different color phases all together. I had a Grey, Fox and Black in the freezer, and was looking for a Red when I called a few Taxidermists. I ended up tossing them out after I found out that the mount that I was going to put together would run me $1,400.00 ($350/squirrel).

Excellent ballistics there, esshup. Nice gun. I assume you are doing the reloading?

Don't worry about the overkill. I shoot crows with a 7mm Rem. Mag.

Don't forget one of these..... they show up from time to time!

Purple tree rat !

You guys are too much.

Growing up on the farm, my mother chased the bears away from the orchard and berry patches that surrounded our house, banging on a 10-inch cast iron skillet (which I still use) with a wooden spoon, as she hollered at them in Finnish -- "go away you stupid bears!" (mene pois hölmö karhuja!) They'd leave.

It also reminds me of where I worked back in the late 1970s. We had a guy who wanted to learn taxidermy. He wanted us to pick up any fresh roadkill we spotted on the way to work so he could have something to practice on. If the roadkill was beyond the crockpot stage, I gave it to him!

In all my years in the wilderness, the most serious thing I've ever been threatened with has been people. I have a respect for poisonous snakes, and a few have become two-piece snakes. I've never worried about the other critters that live where I've lived. I've never carried a gun in fear. I carry one, now and then, when intentionally planning on killing something -- like during hunting season, or to "dispatch" the 'coon that has been raiding the chicken coop.

I've been robbed on a Philippine Jeepnee. I've been shot at in North Africa. I had a travel partner stabbed in Bahrain. I've been strip searched in Italy and New York City. All this happened well before 9-11. Since then, I've lost more pocket knives and Leatherman's than I can count, as I forget them on my travels. This has all happened by humans.

I'm not worried about the critters around my pond. Most are considered friends. Some, we invite in for dinner!

Ken you're not alone, as I don't carry a firearm also, unless I am specifically hunting or targeting something. When I am walking in the woods, or fishing, I never carry a weapon. I've never felt threatened, or needed to defend myself against any of Indiana's resident wildlife population. Perhaps I am just fortunate.

If I decide that I need to dispatch a muskrat or two, then I make that the reason for taking a rifle down to the ponds. I refuse to carry one with me while I'm fishing on the chance that I might see a muskrat, as I have noticed that not only am I less likely to see the "critter", but my fishing suffers also because I'm too busy watching the pond's surface, rather than my line.

It serves my purpose far better to make either a dedicated fishing trip, or critter removal trip, rather than combine the two. I get better results that way.

As far as your mother chasing the bears away by banging on a skillet, she sounds like a woman with an ample supply of intestinal fortitude, and I admire her for it. My own Grandmother was much the same way.

I hear you Ken. Not much trouble with the natural residents as they are too smart to cross a human.

However a couple years ago we drained a lake to renovate. I was in the pond bottom rotenoning the last pools when up ride 6 ATVs with 16 total people. They came 5 miles over a pipeline crossing fences (knocking them down and made a turn into our lake. They had scoped the place out in hopes of a lot of mud fun for them until they saw me. They started making trouble and would not leave (threatening me and driving close at high speed (suspect drugs and drink were involved)). One reached in his bag for a 22 pistol. By the time he reached in the bag I moved the concealed old Mossberg 500 black tactical to the ready position. At that point the talking stopped and the leaving began. Later that day the sheriff called and ask as several other neighbors called his office to complain about their fences. Seems some of the perps were out of state visitors with priors and warrants and the sheriff picked them up. Needless to say they have not been back. Like the Scouts say – be prepared !

AS POSTED BY EWEST -- One reached in his bag for a 22 pistol. By the time he reached in the bag I moved the concealed old Mossberg 500 black tactical to the ready position. At that point the talking stopped and the leaving began. Later that day the sheriff called and ask as several other neighbors called his office to complain about their fences. Seems some of the perps were out of state visitors with priors and warrants and the sheriff picked them up. Needless to say they have not been back. Like the Scouts say – be prepared !



I LOVE IT WHEN A PLAN COMES TOGETHER!

We've faced similar happenings quite a number of times over the years. Usually, I confront them with my "mongo" bat and a smile. Sometimes I greet them with my 12-guage.

A few years back, a family from Baltimore bought 5 acres adjacent to our property. They have a huge 5th-wheel trailer that holds a heck of a lot of ATVs. Their friends bring additional trailers loaded with ATVs. They come out here to ride.

They seemed to think that the powerline right-of-way on my property was public land. We've had more than a few confrontations.

As "mature" as I am, it was only a few years ago when I first shot a 12-guage shotgun at dusk, or in dark conditions. Wow! What a great orange display.

A couple of 4-wheelers from the group, discussed above, were on my dam. Maybe it was out of respect when they heard me. Just before I pulled the trigger they both gave me a respectful middle-finger salute. After the shot, they rode back onto their property, into the sunset.

I don't know if it was these same crazies, but a few years back, a number of horses in a neighbor's field across from their property were "paint balled" hundreds of times by people on a number 4-wheelers before being chased off. Nobody was ever caught or indicted. It took a lot of cleaning to get the horses back to their normal colors.

I'd still not rather shoot anyone, but . . .

I am definitely a fan of the ole 12 gauge. I've seen more than one person pee themselves after having it pointed at them. I have also seen what 00 buck shot will do to a person. It's not pretty!

I hope I never have to point a gun at someone.

A firearm is just a tool, not many tools can get the job done by just displaying it properly.
If more responsible people carried, crime could be reduced significantly.

I like that AP.

It is a life altering event for both.

I agree. Like any tool, you have to know how to use it and be willing to use it before it can be effective.

You and me both, JKB. I have strong personal beliefs when it comes to the use of firearms for self defense, as I hope most people would, and I go to great pains to try and ensure that I am never placed in the position of having to use one to defend myself. I would reach for a cell phone a thousand times before choosing to pick up a firearm. I realize that there are instances where split second decisions have to be made, but I believe that the vast majority of situations encountered by civilians require only a phone call.

On the other hand, I was raised to only brandish or employ a firearm in self defense when I was 100% ready to kill whomever was on the other end.

The part that scares me the most, is that someone who is not aware of my philosophy might someday test my convictions, not knowing how strongly I feel in this regard. If the situation ever came to the point where I needed to pick up a gun to get my point across to someone, then very bad things are only seconds away from happening. That's exactly why I don't carry one, as it seems nowadays that displaying a weapon doesn't mean much to some people, it's done to casually. Society doesn't take it as seriously as they should. It's still very serious to me.

I mean no disrespect to anyone, these are just my personal beliefs. I am very much a supporter of the right to bear arms, and always will be. Please remove this post if it is regarded as too controversial, as it is not my intention to argue, or even debate. Just stating my opinion.

Here in NYS (excluding NYC area) my pistol permit requires that I only carry conceled, this can reduce the possibility of me being a visible target but increase the odds of requiring deadly force by not being a visible detterent.

Some states allow open carry which has the obvious advantages and disadvantages, but as long as permit requirements are strong enough to weed out most of the nut jobs (criminals are gonna carry anyway),no system will ever be perfect but the right to bear arms is a basic safeguard for personal freedom.
Just my 2 cents, no disagreement intended.