Non-toxic garden defense

[SandWatcher]

With spring coming up, I’d like to prepare some non-toxic shot loads to defend our garden against varmints. What options do I have for a steel-barreled musket? I know that I can always use bismuth, but it’s awfully expensive for this application.

 

[Flintandsteel]

Rock salt?

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

Rock salt, the legendary favorite, rarely survives the trip down the barrel. Are you looking for non-toxic, or non-lethal?

 

[Carbon 6]

Rock salt, the legendary favorite, rarely survives the trip down the barrel.

So true.

 

[William Sublette]

Regular bb gun Bb's?


Airsoft plastic bb's?

 

[Carbon 6]

The cheapest Non-toxic, effective option is steel shot.
Some people have an issue with that. I don't and I suspect they have not used it.

 

[Carbon 6]

Regular bb gun Bb's?


Airsoft plastic bb's?

One works, one doesn't

 

[Carbon 6]

If you can get close enough, popcorn will kill a thin skinned critter, but then if I can get that close I can usually club it with a shovel.

There's always Archery too.

 

[SandWatcher]

I like the idea of salt or popcorn! I even have a bunch of coarse solar salt on hand. I’d be shooting 4-gauge, so I can load a quarter pound of whatever. Would that be be enough to humanely kill a rabbit or weasel at 10 yards?
I can also get chopped copper wire pretty inexpensively. I’m not sure if anyone has ever used that for ammunition, but it would probably work. The downside is that it’s sharper and harder than bismuth, so encountering a stray fragment in your fresh garden veggies would be especially unpleasant.

 

[1950DAVE]

Lead poisoning has killed a couple of deer in my yard. One .54" chunk of lead=instant death. In season of course. The rest of the time they help themselves to what ever they like, bean and pea vines, pepper plants, green leafy crops, and the wife's flowers. Have found one deterrent that has generally good results though. One raw egg in a quart of water , spray on dry leaves. Renew after rain or heavy dew. Works best when a few days old, unrefrigerated. Good luck.
Dave

 

[Gun Tramp]

A weasel has no interest in your fresh garden veggies and eats insects. Why the need to kill one?

 

[Carbon 6]

Anyone got a surefire way to get rid of moles ?

 

[Carbon 6]

I like the idea of salt or popcorn! I even have a bunch of coarse solar salt on hand. I’d be shooting 4-gauge, so I can load a quarter pound of whatever. Would that be be enough to humanely kill a rabbit or weasel at 10 yards?
I can also get chopped copper wire pretty inexpensively. I’m not sure if anyone has ever used that for ammunition, but it would probably work. The downside is that it’s sharper and harder than bismuth, so encountering a stray fragment in your fresh garden veggies would be especially unpleasant.

Abandon the salt idea. and the chopped copper wire.
Steel shot works the best, it's 75% as effective as lead.
The problem is you said you were going to use a 4 gauge. I assume that's an antique. I would not think of using such a gun for said application.

 

[Pukka Bundook]

Mole traps, Carbon.

Can be made at home, or bought.

Weasels will kill rabbits and of course smaller stuff like mice, so best leave them alone. They are your friends.

Sandwatcher,
I'm a bit I the dark;
If you want to clobber a rabbit, it will be just as dead if you kill it with non-toxic or lead shot, so why worry about the difference?
Difference will be completely lost on the animal.
Actually, lead is no problem. By this I mean you can eat whatever you shoot with lead shot without any side effects.
If I wanted to use some shot for close range and was legally bound to non -toxic, I'd make some shot from pewter. (Old tankards)

Best,
R.

 

[Bon Sauvage]

Deleted: off smoothbore topic. PM sent.

 

[Carbon 6]

Mole traps, Carbon.

Can be made at home, or bought.

Made at home ?
I've tried store bought traps with little success.

Sandwatcher,
I'm a bit I the dark;
If you want to clobber a rabbit, it will be just as dead if you kill it with non-toxic or lead shot, so why worry about the difference?
Difference will be completely lost on the animal.
Actually, lead is no problem. By this I mean you can eat whatever you shoot with lead shot without any side effects.
If I wanted to use some shot for close range and was legally bound to non -toxic, I'd make some shot from pewter. (Old tankards)

Probably like me and doesn't want pounds of lead shot accumulating in his garden soil.

 

[ppg1949]

Anyone got a surefire way to get rid of moles ?

I'll give a couple of ways but not so sure what I'd call surefire. My mom would put sticks of Juicy Fruit gum in their tunnels or caster beans. She said they would eat the gum and become constipated and die. The caster beans or seeds poisoned them. Maybe it did or maybe not but her and her sister swore by it. I have just flooded the tunnels with a garden hose for about thirty minutes. Any moles we get, our dogs trench up their tunnels till the moles are found and dispatched. But then I have to fill in the trenches. From what I know, if you have moles you have good ground with plenty of worms and grubs. They can be a real nuisance, good luck.

 

[SandWatcher]

Abandon the salt idea. and the chopped copper wire.
Steel shot works the best, it's 75% as effective as lead.
The problem is you said you were going to use a 4 gauge. I assume that's an antique. I would not think of using such a gun for said application.

The barrel is modern, made by Ed Rayl (so, not an antique yet!). If I use steel shot, would I need to use a shot cup or paper cartridge to protect the barrel, or is it fine just to use traditional card/cushion/shot/card?

 

[SandWatcher]

A weasel has no interest in your fresh garden veggies and eats insects. Why the need to kill one?

I guess there’s another detail I forgot to mention, but the garden is accompanied by a yard of chickens and guinea fowl. Weasels and possums have been a major hazard for them. It’s another reason to avoid lead; it would be unhealthy for the birds to pick it up.

 

[ppg1949]

I’ve used uncooked rice. It is usually not lethal. But if birds eat to much of it they will die. That’s why they throw confetti on newlyweds now instead of rice.