Shooting pouched rats with thermal optics looks like fun.
Air rifle technology keeps advancing and more people than ever are using these guns for harvesting small game and pest control. Outfitting one of these guns with thermal or night optics effectively makes a high-powered air rifle into a rat killing machine perfect for pest control.
This type of pest control is even more important when it comes to an invasive species like the Gambian pouched rat. Native to Africa, this species found its way to parts of Florida where it likes to hang out on small islands that are normally used as habitat by the state's many native species of sea birds.
Unfortunately, this also means the rats are a direct threat to the birds when they consume their eggs and kill their young. YouTuber deermeatfordinner decides to do his part by heading into the mangrove swamps with a thermal optic outfitted air rifle to take as many as he can.
Robert made a nice little dent in the rat population on that island. However, it seems much work needs to be done to fully combat the larger problem. Like many rodents, these rats mature fast, and they can have multiple litters of young in a year. These rats can grow upwards of three pounds in weight, so this is not a species one wants to see spread much further than the few islands it is isolated to right now.
Although, after watching this video, it may not be hard to convince others to join in efforts to make a dent in the population. Taking out those rodents looked like a lot of fun. Plus, you get to really test your shooting skills trying to thread the needle on those shots between all the branches and roots. If you live in Florida, a quality airgun is almost a must at this point. Because it can also be used on the invasive iguanas that are causing trouble for the sunshine state.
Excellent shooting Robert, and keep up the good work on keeping those native species safe from invading species!
For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels.
NEXT: THE AXIS DEER AND HOW THEY'RE IMPACTING PARTS OF THE UNITED STATES
WATCH
