Went to the range today

[frkelly74]

Reminds me of a raccoon safari I went on once. The part about the dear wife with her hands on her hips was just typical. Thank you for sharing. I need a range in the basement or some property someplace out of hearing of nosey neighbors.

[WRideout]

Back when I was in the TN Army National Guard, we had a number of "good 'ol country boys," in my unit. I don't qualify as such (I was born in California; don't judge me.) At that time, my family owned a dog that was one of the stupidest animals that ever lived. Lucy was half Catahoula hound, and half Airedale. She got none of the good qualities of either.

There was construction near our home that required clearing of woods . The resident rats had moved out of the clearing, and into the neighborhood where we lived. The rats soon began burrowing under the dog's house, where they lived a fine life-style, eating the dog's food and drinking the dog's water. Lucy paid them no mind at all. One morning, when I went in the back yard to check out the day in my pajamas, I saw rats scurrying around the dog house. Lucy was sleeping inside. I retrieved my air rifle, I think a Gamo sold by Beeman, and loaded it. When one rat leaned over the water dish, I got him clean with one shot.

At the next guard drill, I announced to my fellows, "Hey guys, I get five redneck points. I shot a rat in my pajamas yesterday." One of my comrades, who knows about these things asked, "what kind of weapon did you use?" I told him it was my precision air rifle. He told me, "That's minus points. You have to use a weapon that is loud enough to wake up the neighbors and arouse suspicion." I was crushed.

Wayne

[TNsailorman]

Great story Larry. My problem is that I now live in the so called country (actually suburbs of a small city) and I haven't seen a rat around here in some 15 or 20 years. We do have squirrels, dove, birds of all kinds, turkeys, deer, ground hogs, possums, and coons with an very rare black bear which will pass thru looking for food. But if I were to harm one of them, my wife would immediately revoke my PH license. In the winter we feed the deer, turkey, squirrels and any others that manage to find the corn we spread on the ground. Seleous, Capstick, Patterson, Lyell, Stigand and the boys will just have to go it alone without me I guess. james