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Miami Airgunner

Miami Airgunner

Member
Aug 26, 2022
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Miami, FL, United States of America
That's the noise heard deep in the Everglades this evening, amidst a backdrop of rain, as I took a short break from driving, stopped by a WMA and helped out with their Bufo toad problem.

The AEA HP SS Max .30 using predator polymags absolutely, not even joking, sounds like the report of a firearm when it hits the target. Damage assessment confirmed that the combo is highly effective for humane dispatch.

There is something absolutely surreal about the target making a noise WAY louder than the report of the airgun. Pretty darn neat really, but the first round genuinely did surprise me - 40 years of shooting and hunting, and I've never seen anything quite like that.
 
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Skydivingmiami said:
Got any pics of what is left of the toad?
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Probably should have taken one.

Generally the result was that it looked like an m80 had gone off inside it.

The impact tended to send them about 4-6".

Honestly so fun I don't know why no one is taking this up on the regular. Crazy target rich environment. Though, something with less energy is probably the way to go, the .30 is hilariously overkill. LOL
 
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markT said:
You mean you are slinging lead in the precious everglades? Shame on you. Now we know why all the climate change. DeSantis is totally responsible for this!
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Come on you know darn well climate change is caused by Santa Claus's reindeer, mainly that red nosed one (shinning his nose so bright is warming the north pole and melting the ice caps). Lol
 
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markT said:
You mean you are slinging lead in the precious everglades? Shame on you. Now we know why all the climate change. DeSantis is totally responsible for this!
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Funny enough, while I know you were joking, it did get me to thinking about the potential impact a bit, and I think the risk with lead is pretty much confined to consumption by birds - and - ain't a dang thing going to eat these Bufo toads - they're significantly more toxic than the lead will ever be.

I'd probably use that terrifically expensive H&N green pellet alternative if that wasn't the case, but after considering it, I feel pretty confident that this isn't going to be an issue. And, really, if I go out to do this, I'll bring a trashbag and gather them up, just in case some dummy critter does happen along and try to eat it. Would hate to accidentally poison someone's dog with one of these damn toads.

..

And, honestly, I'm like a big damn kid over here, still today I'm chuckling about that freaking pop... BOOM!.. So weird to have the report come primarily from the target. Spent too many years with springers. :)
 
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Hal4son said:
Exploding invasive toads? We need video!
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I think there's probably a decent income in a youtube channel doing this.

The damn things will sit there and let you set up a camera five feet away from them, then give you plenty of time to retreat back to 20 yards or so for a reasonably enjoyable shooting experience.

To say the least, the challenge isn't there, but they make fine exploding targets.
 
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OH! And in case anyone reads this and wants to give it a 'shot'... Be sure you're shooting the right critter.

First off, if they're the size of a dinner plate, you've got a Bufo. Nothing else down here gets anything LIKE that big.

Second, look for the ridges by the eyes, if they have them, that's NOT a bufo. Be careful to ID your intended species, and, I suppose, clean up the mess if ya can, so nothing eats the toxic pile of goop.

canetoad_southerntoad_comparison_lg.jpeg
 
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We get them pretty good sized in SW Florida. Typically we can shoot 50-150 in a couple of hours on the nearby golf courses after dark. Some folks use .177 handguns shooting about 3 FPE, but a .22 shot at 9-12 FPE is better at assuring a kill with one shot. Laser sights enable humane off hand shots from 5-10 yards away. With a bipod we sometimes get them 30 yards away when they are in an unreachable area. (For me, the sound from a hit at that distance is sort of a "splat"). Whenever possible we gather and bag the carcasses for the dumpster, otherwise the golfers playing the next morning might get mad.

toad weighing 1.1 lbs.JPG
 
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Miami Airgunner said:
...There is something absolutely surreal about the target making a noise WAY louder than the report of the aiairgun....
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That's the exact same thing I said when I put a .30 cal FX Hybrid Slug into a groundhog at 50 yards away! If it's that loud to me, and I'm 50 yards from impact, how loud is it to him? Oh, not very loud, because as soon as he starts to hear the sound, the slugs has blown his heart wide open!
 
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RScott said:
We get them pretty good sized in SW Florida. Typically we can shoot 50-150 in a couple of hours on the nearby golf courses after dark. Some folks use .177 handguns shooting about 3 FPE, but a .22 shot at 9-12 FPE is better at assuring a kill with one shot. Laser sights enable humane off hand shots from 5-10 yards away. With a bipod we sometimes get them 30 yards away when they are in an unreachable area. (For me, the sound from a hit at that distance is sort of a "splat"). Whenever possible we gather and bag the carcasses for the dumpster, otherwise the golfers playing the next morning might get mad.

View attachment 290293
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That's a fattie!

Yeah, the .30 AEA is just radically WAY too much gun. Not that there's any such thing really...
 
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