Varmint control with the BLR

[M. M. Wright]

My Grand Daughter, who lives with us, got a bob-tailed kitten a while back, little gray tom who sleeps in our garage. A couple of times he has been mauled by a huge black feral tom right in the garage. Oh yeah, big blacky sprays the garage heavily too. Yesterday I was up just after sunup and saw him sitting near a big brush pile, which I use for a back stop about 70 yards. Hurried to the safe, spun the dial and grabbed my old BLR because there was a loaded clip sitting on a shelf. Slap the clip in, lever in a round and take a rest on the garage door opening and squeeze. When I weighed the monster it was 22 pounds. Maybe now our little kitty can live in peace.
I know, those city dwellers who love cats will not understand the necessity of varmint control but I am just not going to let marauders such as this pester me if I can help it. Had to kill a 'possum last week, he was in a feed barrel that Grand Son had left open. Would like to have some chickens but 'coons and 'possums make it a short term deal out here.

[RIHMFIRE]

feral anything needs to be removed...good job

[rjohns94]

What caliber? Well done

[dennie]

Yes, good job. I cannot put up with cats that spray all over the house and garage. My roll-a-round toolbox was sprayed by stray cats and now has paint missing and rust all over the bottom of it. On occasion I smell cat spray in the barn, and find marks on the equipment. Good night kitty.
dennie

[Nath]

22lbs

N.

[Blackhawk]

What caliber? Well done

+1

[M. M. Wright]

.308 Win. I know, way too much but I couldn't remember where there were any 32-20s and that loaded clip was just so handy. Besides, that old beat up BLR is forever accurate and never changes zero. It's the first one I bought about 35 years ago. Most of the bluing was gone and I had to replace the butt stock as some previous owner had carried it in the floorboard of his pickup under the high-lift jack. Worn almost through at the wrist by the lifting tongue, you could see the shape of it. The barrel looks very worn too but still shoots real good. It wears a Redfield Jr. mount and a 2.5X Redfield with post reticle.

Yeah Nath, 22 lbs. He was huge! Makes me wonder how many birds, rabbits and squirrels he was eating.

[rjohns94]

Very kewl. Sounds like old reliable came through again.

[AJMD429]

I'd imagine shooting a feral cat with a 308 means it's already field-dressed and skinned when you find the remains...

[jeepnik]

Well, I'm a cat lover, and I also understand the problems with feral cats and dogs. Beyond the damage it was doing to your cat, ferals carry any number of diseases and parasites.

Down here by the ocean, there are hundreds of feral cats that people feed regularly. These same folks swear the cats are neutered/spayed, yet they keep managing to breed. In some areas, the feces and the urine smell are so bad I can't see how the feeders get near the place. The sad part is the local agencies that are supposed to control such things are so cowed by these folks that they just ignore the problem, rather than citing the "animal lovers" as they are supposed to do.

Believe me, as much as I love cats, I'd be down there controlling the population if given a chance. But, anything done to control that population would result is some pretty severe criminal penalties. Go figure.

[Blaine]

If it's wild, and destructive, it should be gone.....Out here in Lefty LaLa Land, you'd get more jail time for shooting something that's not a prescribed, and in season game species, than stealing a car.

[AJMD429]

Down here by the ocean, there are hundreds of feral cats that people feed regularly. These same folks swear the cats are neutered/spayed, yet they keep managing to breed. In some areas, the feces and the urine smell are so bad I can't see how the feeders get near the place. The sad part is the local agencies that are supposed to control such things are so cowed by these folks that they just ignore the problem, rather than citing the "animal lovers" as they are supposed to do.

Sounds like a good reason to have a 22 LR with a suppressor...

[jeepnik]

Down here by the ocean, there are hundreds of feral cats that people feed regularly. These same folks swear the cats are neutered/spayed, yet they keep managing to breed. In some areas, the feces and the urine smell are so bad I can't see how the feeders get near the place. The sad part is the local agencies that are supposed to control such things are so cowed by these folks that they just ignore the problem, rather than citing the "animal lovers" as they are supposed to do.

Sounds like a good reason to have a 22 LR with a suppressor...

That would work, but there are still just too many eyes around.

[Old Ironsights]

I have 2 cats... and I wholeheartedly support your action... if not the caliber. Should have been bigger.

[tman]

.308 WCF. BLR is a very underrated hunting arm. Light and fast handling for heavy game in the brush, with the accuraccy to reach out and touch an elk at 400 yards. I'll bet more than it's share of elephants have been POACHED the round. Almost model 94 Winchester handling qualities with a lot more punch and range.

[handirifle]

I have a cat and it's my favorite pet, by a long shot, but if another cat was tearing mine up, it's a done deal. As for the folks feedin them strays, hopefully they are the people that get bit when those strays come up with some nasty disease. Not hopin it happens, but if it does, they deserve it, not some innocent kid.

As for caliber, ya gotta use what ya got.

And for the la la land lefties, you'd get more jail time for shooting a feral cat, than killing an 8 month old fetus. What great leaders we have.

When I was a kid, one of my sisters had a cat, and got to where she never fed it, so it went feral. We lived in rural Ohio at the time, and of course it found a male. Soon we had about 10 kittens running around the far. One day my sister tries to pet one and get the livin stuff bit and scratched out of her. She had to go through rabies shots, and me and my older brother went cat hunting. My dad said, just kill all of them. Got 13 total. Not sure where the others came from, but know where they went.

[North Country Gal]

Recent studies have reaffirmed what most of us have known for a long time - cats are the number one predator on song birds, game birds and other small animals, especially rabbits.

When I grew up in Nebraska, back in the 60s, hunting pheasants and quail, our Game & Parks urged us to shoot feral cats on sight. We knew, then, it was a serious problem and it has only gotten worse, since.

I have nothing against cats. My sisters have cats, but those cats stay in the house full time. When I was living in Chicago, though, I knew people who actually fed and cared for feral cats. When I tried to explain why this was not a good idea, I hit a wall. They were not interested in wildlife, ecology or the well being of the environment. Of course, when I told these same folks that I was a shooter and a hunter, they fainted.

[gcburt]

.308 Win. ***snipped text*** old beat up BLR is forever accurate and never changes zero. ***snipped text***

Last Friday I finally zeroed my pre-81 scoped .308 BLR. Zeroed at 100 yds and then knocked over a "steel rabit" at 200 yds.

After finishing the .308 I started on my iron sighted .223 BLR. Started at 25 yds and then worked at 100 yds and now decided to scope the .223 BLR.

I am enjoying both guns.

While out shooting on Friday I got a chance to shoot my friends Marlin lever 410. I liked it - guess I'll be on the lookout for ANOTHER LEVER GUN!! (this forum is a bad influence on me).