My First Pesting Opportunity. Advice Needed

So a week ago I went to my first pesting job. Other than my back yard. This was for rats at night. 
What I leaned is know your hold overs and hold unders. Know your shooting distances. If you plan on sitting in one spot and shooting you could range shooting distances and make notes. You will learn a lot on your first night out. 
In my case I was a lot closer to the action than I anticipated. Today I just re zeroed my gun. Took notes of my hold over and unders. And I’ll be going back tomorrow night. 
Be safe. Know your surroundings. And all those other shooting safety disciplines
 
Get some motion sensors from Harbor freight. I bought three and all three are different codes so one sensor doesn't activate more than one receiver. When I am having problems with raccoons visiting our patio and causing havoc I simple set one out there on a cat litter can facing the sky. I put some peanut butter and a couple of marshmallows on top of the litter can. When bandit shows up the sensor wakes me and I put a pellet through his brain. By putting the sensor on the litter can facing up the stray cats won't set it off when walking by. If you need a little light you can always place one of the freebie lights from HF to aid in the shot.

This is good or put a trail camera up to see what time they are moving.

@Lancehenley1 and @profsrgary Great suggestions. I’d forgotten about trail cams! 
 
Gamecams are really nice. I have a few. Cellular cams are really nice for deer hunting. For an army of armadillos just a regular gamecam will work. And one of the ones I use is actually close to $10 cheaper than when I bought it last year. I'm actually thinking of getting another one because it's so cheap.

Uses 4 AA batteries and takes really nice pictures. As long as you just take pictures the batteries will last a long time. I use mine for video so I bought a solar panel/battery combo for it. You'll get time and date to make it easier to figure out their comings and goings.

https://www.amazon.com/Campark-Wildlife-Camera-12MP-Waterproof-Scouting/dp/B07XJTDW8C/ref=sr_1_11?dchild=1&keywords=campark&qid=1615241642&sr=8-11
 
Get some motion sensors from Harbor freight. I bought three and all three are different codes so one sensor doesn't activate more than one receiver. When I am having problems with raccoons visiting our patio and causing havoc I simple set one out there on a cat litter can facing the sky. I put some peanut butter and a couple of marshmallows on top of the litter can. When bandit shows up the sensor wakes me and I put a pellet through his brain. By putting the sensor on the litter can facing up the stray cats won't set it off when walking by. If you need a little light you can always place one of the freebie lights from HF to aid in the shot.

Interesting. Now I don’t intend to fall asleep while pesting, but I am curious. What type of system do you have that wakes you up? What are the sensors connected to? You mentioned a receiver, but I’m absolutely clueless about this set up. I’ll look it up on Harbor Freight’s site. This sounds perfect for my garden. May even try it around the chicken coup. 
 
@survivor45 That all sounds like great suggestions. Thank you. I’ve been working more with the Brocock as of late while I’d been working repairing and very minor mods on my Bulldog. I think I like my Hawke scope on the Brocock. Yesterday after about 35 rounds into 100+ I started getting a lot better feel for this combination at 25 yards. The groups look acceptable. I noticed that I did better after making a minor adjustment using reference points on the reticle and in conjunction with the adjustable power setting I’ve been using. Got some chrono numbers on a few shot strings too. So I can definitely relate to your advice about learning distance and holdovers. I can stand to improve, but I am improving little by little. Thanks for giving me more to consider in preparation. 
 
"Pesting?" Sounds so innocent doesn't it? Ever watch an animal twitch and struggle as it slowly dies with a misplaced shot?

Glorifying the killing of animals with words..

If I understand your post, you are wanting to kill animals that are deemed "pests." 

Have fun.


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Because severe damage of a foundation at a property that is currently in use is perfectly acceptable but birds taking shelter and pooping in an abandoned building, well, that just can't happen and then the killing is fun and justified.
 
"Pesting?" Sounds so innocent doesn't it? Ever watch an animal twitch and struggle as it slowly dies with a misplaced shot?

Glorifying the killing of animals with words..

If I understand your post, you are wanting to kill animals that are deemed "pests." 

Have fun.



Well you know Mark, killing pests ensures that the cows that make the milk your children drink live longer healthier lives. That translates to less $$$ per gallon of milk. Pesting ensures that the wheat used to make the bread you and your family eat contains less Pigeon poop. That translates to healthier food for you and your family. Pesting removes invasive species, like Iguana's for example, down in Florida. They don't eat as many indigenous species of birds eggs and that gives the local bird population a better chance to survive dealing with some species that some CLOWN who thought it would be a good idea to keep such pests AS PETS let loose when he decided he no longer wanted them.

IF I UNDERSTAND YOUR POST (and I am pretty sure I do) you came into the HUNTING section to TALK DOWN to another man BECAUSE YOU AREN'T REALLY ALL THERE when it comes to actually UNDERSTANDING the FOOD CHAIN ... BUT YOU ARE DAMN SURE JOHNNY ON THE SPOT to tell another man what is MORAL?

Does that about sum things up here MARK?
 
One thing that would be koooool...film it. And maybe the leprosy threat will make it more real life drama. Play with the editing and do some makeup work on your arm and make it look mid film like you got the disease. One second shooting, next half zombie, and then be like nope jk and here is how I actually killed it, then show yourself ninja attack and stab or cut or whatever ninjas do that animal to death. Then shoot it with an airgun in the head for good measure. Final shot of the film should be you eating soup. Bam, Academy Awards here we come

The Academy only accepts certain criteria now, so whoever is directing said animal killing video has to be historically or emotionally oppressed by armadillos. 

Again, hope that helps
 
A man has got to eat too.

I do.





So when I HUNT TO EAT I describe them as "my din-din" or "yummy."

I did.

In the jungle.

At night.

I "lamped" the amardillo with a candle(!) -- while my Peruvian friend caught it with his bare hands. What a crack, this guy, got some pretty bloody scratches on his arms, but he got it. Grins all around. 😊



That night I left the village to go back home.

But the motorcycle got a flat. Jungle nail. 🤦🏼‍♂️

So I had to stay another day.

And we had amardillo for lunch.



It was yummi. I got my tire fixed. And all is well. 😊





The OP wanted advice? Take a candle and cover your arms – in case your airgun breaks and you need to do it by hand.

Cheers! 😄

Matthias
 
A man has got to eat too.

I do.





So when I HUNT TO EAT I describe them as "my din-din" or "yummy."

I did.

In the jungle.

At night.

I "lamped" the amardillo with a candle(!) -- while my Peruvian friend caught it with his bare hands. What a crack, this guy, got some pretty bloody scratches on his arms, but he got it. Grins all around.
1f60a.svg




That night I left the village to go back home.

But the motorcycle got a flat. Jungle nail.
1f926-1f3fc-200d-2642-fe0f.svg


So I had to stay another day.

And we had amardillo for lunch.



It was yummi. I got my tire fixed. And all is well.
1f60a.svg






The OP wanted advice? Take a candle and cover your arms – in case your airgun breaks and you need to do it by hand.

Cheers!
1f604.svg


Matthias

Haha awesome
 
@JungleShooter That’s different. If you’re serious you sound pretty hardcore. Had to look them up and found info on the Andean Hairy Armadillo. Is this the one you’re referring to? Pulled this from Wikipedia 
78FC0938-4F7F-4C37-949F-8E225C06477C.1615309678.jpeg

Looks like they are mostly found in the southeastern corner of the country and cause the same type of damage as their northern cousins. Are armadillos a commonly eaten animal in rural parts of Peru?
 
Dave,

that episode, arguably my first hunting experience, was in the Amazon jungle region.... 



There are so many critters, it's simply amazing. 😊

And a lot of them get eaten by homo sapiens...! Alligators, turtles, snails, guinea pigs, monkeys, grubs (2" long), ants, certain types of "foxes" (what they are called here), iguanas, snakes, you name it...! 😄👍🏼 



Matthias
 
@JungleShooter That’s different. If you’re serious you sound pretty hardcore. Had to look them up and found info on the Andean Hairy Armadillo. Is this the one you’re referring to? Pulled this from Wikipedia 
78FC0938-4F7F-4C37-949F-8E225C06477C.1615309678.jpeg

Looks like they are mostly found in the southeastern corner of the country and cause the same type of damage as their northern cousins. Are armadillos a commonly eaten animal in rural parts of Peru?

People eat Armadillo in Texas and the Southwest desert area as well. They do carry leprosy but like all animals if you clean them carefully and cook them properly you are going to be just fine.

All the whining in the other thread about those pigeons being "dirty" and "diseased" is more of the same sort of hype. Those pigeons are grain fed, farm birds but even in the city they are fed peanuts and while they, like any other animal, carry diseases sometimes, if you clean them carefully and cook them properly you are going to be just fine. The shame on the pigeon video is that someone didn't put a couple of hundred pounds of pigeon breast in a freezer.

=)

Sounds like a fun night there Jungle Shooter. I spent some time in Chapare in the early 90's. Those jungles are awesome aren't they? 
 
@JungleShooter That’s different. If you’re serious you sound pretty hardcore. Had to look them up and found info on the Andean Hairy Armadillo. Is this the one you’re referring to? Pulled this from Wikipedia 
78FC0938-4F7F-4C37-949F-8E225C06477C.1615309678.jpeg

Looks like they are mostly found in the southeastern corner of the country and cause the same type of damage as their northern cousins. Are armadillos a commonly eaten animal in rural parts of Peru?

People eat Armadillo in Texas and the Southwest desert area as well.  They do carry leprosy but like all animals if you clean them carefully and cook them properly you are going to be just fine.

@Cornpone This is news to me. I haven’t encountered anyone that I can recall who’s shared that they tried it. I’ve heard of and seen people eating all types of animals. Have you tried armadillo meat? 
 
With permission from the property owner I’ve taken a few photos of the area I will be pesting. 
These are the older burrows that he pointed out I’d mentioned earlier in this thread. They’d also burrowed beneath a concrete slab an a/c unit rests upon
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Here’s the other side of the barn where I’ll be working from. Below are the two burrow openings I spotted
8AE42B93-D1CA-4949-9A1A-7D6B772AC84A.1615327361.jpeg


Since he hasn’t bush hogged the place I found good cover in the brush growing next to a shed. I’m thinking of setting up here.

C75919DA-2090-4BF5-849C-98984ADBAC19.1615327437.jpeg


That’s a view of the area outside the burrow openings from behind the brush. I’ll need to bring a rangefinder to get my ranges established. I have most of what I’ll be using for this task, but I’m making a list of things I’m getting from your suggestions so please keep them coming.

Below are pics of the damaged concrete area in and beneath the pig pen.

EC14D466-C920-4604-8DD9-557C39C053F3.1615327682.jpeg
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I hope the images help you all in better understanding and assisting me. Thanks again guys. 




 
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@JungleShooter That’s different. If you’re serious you sound pretty hardcore. Had to look them up and found info on the Andean Hairy Armadillo. Is this the one you’re referring to? Pulled this from Wikipedia 
78FC0938-4F7F-4C37-949F-8E225C06477C.1615309678.jpeg

Looks like they are mostly found in the southeastern corner of the country and cause the same type of damage as their northern cousins. Are armadillos a commonly eaten animal in rural parts of Peru?

People eat Armadillo in Texas and the Southwest desert area as well.  They do carry leprosy but like all animals if you clean them carefully and cook them properly you are going to be just fine.

@Cornpone This is news to me. I haven’t encountered anyone that I can recall who’s shared that they tried it. I’ve heard of and seen people eating all types of animals. Have you tried armadillo meat?

While I was stationed at Goodfellow AFB in San Angelo back in the early 80's there were still people around who hunted and ate Aramdillo. I never at any myself although I have handled them. You can literally run them down on foot if you can catch them far enough from their burrow. My black lab caught one in the back yard one night and it was something to see. She just kept trying to bite it and couldn't get a tooth into it deep enough to pick it off the ground.

You will be head shooting those so plan for keeping ranges under whatever distance you can hit a golf ball at every time.
 
@cornpone Had a similar experience with a dog chasing one down. When she got up on it the critter balled up and laid still. This confused the dog. She tried biting on it, played with it, and resorted to pouncing on it until its immobility caused her to lose interest. I haven’t seen an armadillo move fast. Never shot one either. This will be a learning experience. People eating them could be a thing, but I’d wager it ain’t common in ETX. I figure I’d have at least heard something about it from my grandparents’ or parents’ generation, but you never know.

Head shots would be ideal. Haven’t shot at any golf balls but I have used some NRA 10 meter 12 bull targets at 25 yards. I get decent groups on em with .25 JSB King Heavies, but moving 3D targets are obviously different than paper targets. I’ll keep y’all posted on the happenings of this venture in this thread.