However that changed on Saturday when I went out to the chickens in the morning and I noticed a couple of new holes had appeared under the hedge near the fruit trees.
Certainly not there earlier in the week so fresh enough to be worth planning a bit of a stake out for that afternoon. I spent a bit of time checking zero and deciding exactly where to sit. Checked my aim points for that location and other points around the edge of the garden so if Ratty popped up on the hedge line I would be in business.
Next task was to set the England 6 Nations game to record as I was planning to be out from just before dusk and with the 5pm kickoff that was going to conflict!
Well we all know the expression about plans and how they never survive first contact? Sure enough the light slowly dropped and there was no sign of rodents. I had started out with the TDR but it had got to the point where really I needed to think about a swap to NV. So a quick trip indoors was needed to swap over to the S410. Not a problem, meant I could take care of other business at the same time.
But of course as I am in the kitchen putting layers back on, I do my automatic check out the window in case there is anything at/under the bird feeder and there is the little fellow, sniffing around.
Well not that little actually! 
OK which rifle to go with? I decided the light was still just about good enough for a normal scope (my preference over NV) so time to grab the TDR and then hope I can clear two vases of cut flowers off the windowsill and get the window open without spooking the rat…..Managed to do it though it did scamper half way back to the hedge before deciding the coast was clear and returning. Great. Ease the rifle out and look through the scope. Damn, it has steamed up with being brought in from the cold! So ease the rifle back in, wipe the glass clear and ease the rifle back out, the whole time hoping Mr Roland is not going to develop any kind of self preservation instincts!
Must be the dumbest rat out there as not only is it not scarpering, it is sat there scratching itself.
Big, fatal mistake. One Crosman Premier straight through the side of the head and it was removed from the gene pool. 
Encouraged I decided to go back to the original location with the NV gear and see what happened. So got myself settled in and waited. I could hear the odd rustle in the undergrowth but couldn’t tell if it was birds, mice, rats or just the wind. Nope there was definitely something off to my right – the other side of the garden from the holes I was meant to be watching. Doh! And then another rat pops out about 4 yards away and sprints across the garden and under the hedge.
OK time to abandon this location and see if it has also gone on to the feeder. But to get there means either walking down the gravel path through the hedge, or going round and trying for a shot through the side gate. I opted for the latter.Had to wait for about 5 minutes or so but then in the scope there was the shine of an eye and soon number two was sniffing around the corpse of its friend. Now the range was about the same as before but with the added complication of it having to be a free stander. And those are the shots on HFT course that always give me trouble! Not to worry I can do this, through the 6 inch hole in the gate that is half way between me and the target…
Lined up the shot, and was rewarded with that satisfying sound of pellet on rat skull.
Straight down, not even the helicopter tail routine. Upon investigation the impact had hit square on and actually dislodged an eyeball!At this point I reckoned it was time to pack up and go in while the going was good.
- rats_2.jpg (43 KiB) Viewed 4630 times
The original plan and location might not have worked but 2 down was a good final result. And of course I then had the England game to watch so that was another
. I still hate rats but fancy finding somewhere thats riddled with them 