Some ratting.

[Britsmoothy]

Local farm yard is infested with rats, not having a 410 any more left me with only one other option....the versatile muzzleloader!
I loaded the .58" with just 9/16oz of shot on a few OS cards.
Worked a treat taking rats to 25yds or so.


Poor picture sorry.

Taken 14 so far. It is a fiddle loading in the dark and an assistant with the flash light would be better etc. Making a few cartridges would help a lot with the loading!

Brits :thumbsup:

 

[trent/OH]

Take good measurements. The NMLRA Longhunter Society may be receptive to a new species in it's listings.

 

[gunmaker43]

Get yourself one a those battery lights on a headband, we use 'em to lay out dekes before full dawn...Tom

 

[coloradoclyde]

Tastes like chicken :rotf:

 

[Patocazador]

They can't taste much different than squirrels. :hmm:

 

[Wes/Tex]

Tastes like chicken :rotf:

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com...XvB5B64UZISyh3lxjej2QD4Y8203O7IikUzhDCPqAD32w

 

[coloradoclyde]

They got dog problems down on the general reenacting discussions forum.....hand them the menu :rotf:

 

[Britsmoothy]

Tastes like chicken :rotf:

Bet the local Chinese 'll :thumbsup: buy ' m.

 

[satx78247]

You don't have a suitably hungry cat or a terrier???
(Fwiw, our old "Satin" kept the barn/corn-crib pretty well "rodent free" and was often seen napping in the sun, looking quite well-fed & pleased with himself.)

yours, satx

 

[Vaino]

Rat stew is especially good and the tails are a gourmet's delight. That's what I've heard.....no first hand knowledge. But protein is protein irrespective of the source? The Chinese are a very wise people...do they know something that we don't? Besides....on the long ocean voyages years ago aboard sailing ships, what do you think was the main course?

A close cousin of the rat is their aquatic relative the muskrat. Muskrat carcasses after skinning were shipped to New York from Minnesota and were served in the best of restaurants.....many people ordered the gourmet delight "Midwestern Swamp Rabbit" and raved about it.....Fred

 

[satx78247]

Relatively to eating rats & other rodents: Squirrels are just rats with furry tails & a press agent.
(CHUCKLE)

yours, satx

 

[Patocazador]

I have eaten beaver loins. It's amazing that a 50 lb. animal could have backstraps that small. It tasted exactly like deer.

In Central America they have a large rodent with stripes called a "paca". They are reputed to be a gourmet's delight.

 

[Robert Egler]

Not quite sure of the scale, but I'd say that's a big rat! I have pet rats from time to time and even the well-tended domestic rats I've had weren't that big, and that's a lot bigger than the wild rats I see around here. :hatsoff:

 

[Britsmoothy]

Not quite sure of the scale, but I'd say that's a big rat! I have pet rats from time to time and even the well-tended domestic rats I've had weren't that big, and that's a lot bigger than the wild rats I see around here. :hatsoff:

Don't be fooled by the camera lens Sir, the rat is closest to the lens!

B :thumbsup:

 

[cynthialee]

so you are using shot in a rifle?
Seems to be working for you well enough.

 

[Spikebuck]

Brits: Now that sounds like fun! When I was a kid we used to go to the local dump and plink rats with the .22. Great fun and practice for squirrel hunting!

Fred: I've trapped a lot of muskrats and I'd say that's one animal I'd probably have to be on my death bed from starvation before I'd eat. The meat stinks, and if you've ever gotten one with those large boils on them and it pops while skinning....oh man...I can handle some pretty rancid smells, but that's one of the worst gagging smells ever! Nope...can't see eating muskrats. :td: :nono: :barf:

 

[Vaino]

Now you done went and spoiled my appetite.

Caught a lot of 'rats running 2 traplines in the St. Louis River.....also some mink and beaver sets. Trapped from 1944-1948.

I just heard that muskrat carcasses were shipped to New York....personally, never ate one.....Fred

 

[satx78247]

And you wondered WHY they are called "MUSK-rats"???

yours, satx

 

[Britsmoothy]

so you are using shot in a rifle?
Seems to be working for you well enough.

no Cynth...it is a smoothbore version.

B.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Meanwhile back in the trenches, all you need is a terrier and few hours away from Boche shelling...
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-btAoOyl4...s1600/rat-hunter-WWI-france-trenches-1916.jpg