I hate rats, but they are hard to shoot!

They just don't stay still for long. By the time I get an alert on my phone they are long gone. They only show up 1 or 2 times a week.

I would think some bait station to hold them ( didn't see any?). I can't bait the farm as too much feed is everywhere . I did try an old PB jar once , they sniffed & moved on quickly! I would put some sort of bird seed out and watch what happens.
 
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I smear peanut butter on my bait stations platform and the rats have to stay and eat it there, they cannot run off with it like a piece of corn. Some will take a quick small bite and run off then return and repeat that action but then they get tired of that 👍. But most stay and eat....I also use a wireless doorcam and get alerts.
 
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I also use a wireless doorcam and get alerts.


I am usually organized, but the last time I asked for a link to these electronic rat alert systems — I did not record it right away — and now I can't find the post.... 🤦🏻‍♂️

Would you have some suggestions and links?

Thank you. 😊

Matthias
 
I am usually organized, but the last time I asked for a link to these electronic rat alert systems — I did not record it right away — and now I can't find the post.... 🤦🏻‍♂️

Would you have some suggestions and links?

Thank you. 😊

Matthias

Matthias! Sorry if I didn't see a post about a link, my bad. Here is the one I am using but there are many to choose from off of amazon. I also rubber band it to a metal rod close to the peanut butter, works like a charm, just make sure not to cover the IR light with the rubber band when doing so.
 
Most CCTV cameras have motion detection, the problem is they will sense every little motion most often, so imperative to not have a too wide field of view.
top down view preferred as then nothing in the background.
Modern CCTV cameras also have AI and so if turned on will only alert to human or vehicle shaped motion, but sadly no rat profiles in those.

The Dahua camera on my parked car dont care for cats most birds and whatever little critters, but two magpies nesting in a tree in the back yard, they always come up as human movement detected.

At my friends place we also have one of his CCTV cameras on the place where we bait for mice and rats, but the motion detection are his two rottweilers and of course ourself too, the playback screen are right behind / above his PC monitor.
 
Most CCTV cameras have motion detection, the problem is they will sense every little motion most often, so imperative to not have a too wide field of view.
top down view preferred as then nothing in the background.
Modern CCTV cameras also have AI and so if turned on will only alert to human or vehicle shaped motion, but sadly no rat profiles in those.

The Dahua camera on my parked car dont care for cats most birds and whatever little critters, but two magpies nesting in a tree in the back yard, they always come up as human movement detected.

At my friends place we also have one of his CCTV cameras on the place where we bait for mice and rats, but the motion detection are his two rottweilers and of course ourself too, the playback screen are right behind / above his PC monitor.
Try the Amcrest WiFi 4MP camera on Amazon. You can connect to it directly. Hook up 12 VDC power,and a SDcard for play back. They pick up motion from most smaller creatures.
 
On rats, I found that head-shots are hard to pull off consistently when they flank you (at least for me), and also found that body shots are very effective. If they look at you or away, head-shots are effective. Bait is the way to go, as mentioned by the beautiful & smart people above. I have good luck with corn, but rats will sometimes grab corn and run off with them. Nut butter hasn't worked for me. I see most rats at dusk, but I have also seen them in middle of the day or at 4am.

On squirrels, the other type of rat, I only do head-shots.
 
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Mice smaller target, but still doable at 25 M
Nice shot! What scope & rifle did you use? It looks like IR footage.

Mice, at times, move faster than my eyes can track them. They tend to use the same paths, though, and with patience you will find that they settle down at or near bait. They are also curious, and may (or may not :)) reappear 10-15 minutes later if you miss. I only see them out and about at night but they can be conditioned to (led) light. Pretty much any body shot is effective.
 
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It is the cheap Oneleaf NV500 scope, recording in 4K though this cheap version using a older Sony Starvis sensor, but did not want to pay more for the Starvis 2 equipped model as i will only be shooting in plenty of light or in no light using the accompanying IR light torch.
This is using the 4X lens ( 50 mm ) i am waiting for a bigger magnification lens ( replaceable ) as digital zoom even into a 4K image get bad after a couple of clicks, this is not bad if you are hunting larger pray.
And as i generally shoot after as small as possible things like holes from a .177 shot or flies, well then for that this as it is right now is not suited, past 25 - 30 M/ though using splatter targets if you hit those you can see impacts further out.
But a mouse or even larger rat that is just fine, sadly we have to bait for them so we do not see them further out at our range, but i am always dialed in for 25 - 55 and 75 M on saved presets in the scope.
In these shots i am using my Epic airguns Two in the .177 we not hunting license carrying Danes are tied to.

Here compare mouse to rat ( Size )

 
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