Hunting prey in trees

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SKULLANDCROSSBONES65

New member
G'day. I was visiting a friend at his Station on Saturday. He has lots fruit ruined and wants the culprits shot. I had 4 shots with his .22 and twice hit small branches. I'm not used to shooting at such a steep angle and was wondering if there were any tips I should know of?
He had a young fellow shoot about 200 of the pests in one day just prior to Christmas.
 
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Uncle Buck

New member
I have to ask, are those pest the parrots we hear so much about? I wish you folks could trap'em and ship'em, you would make a fortune selling them here in the states.

The only thing I could recommend is practice shooting at that type of angle, unless you can move further back. Is there anyway you can support the gun, using a stick?

Kneeling on the ground, support the rifle with a "y" stick should give you a little more precision, but again, practice is going to come into play.
 
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Osageshooter

New member
Interesting problem. Would a small shotgun like a 4-10 ruin too much fruit? It would be more expensive than a 22. A pellet gun would likely work, but you would have the same issue with aiming. I shoot squirrels at that angle with my scoped 22 and don't have too much of a problem. Maybe you could shoot at a spot on a high angle target and see where that 22 hits.

I am no expert, but my understanding is that dealing effectively with birds in orchards is a problem that is hard to solve with an individual and a firearm. Best solution is a crack-shot 12 year old that would love to spend all day every day out there. Would have been heaven for me. In fact, it still would be if it weren't for that job thing I have.
 
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hogdogs

Staff In Memoriam
To further explain what waterman said...
Just keep in mind that you need not compensate for bullet drop hardly at all for upwards or downwards shots. Gravity isn't such a factor for extreme angles.
Brent
 
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Doyle

New member
What range is it sighted in for? My .22's are sighted in at about 30 yds. At that point, bullet drop is negligible so shooting angle at short ranges doesn't matter.
 
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SKULLANDCROSSBONES65

New member
G'day.
Yes a shot gun works. He told me he dropped 6 Bats with one shot, so that can reduce the cost per kill ratio. That same shot also took out a bird that was not on the hit list.
The high volume of these pests seems to have passed now.
 
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Art Eatman

Staff in Memoriam
Mostly with iron sights, different people have different sight pictures that they take as "right and proper". One guy might hold the front sight at six o'clock; the other centers the bead. That will have some effect when two different people use the same rifle. If it's sighted in for a six o'clock hold, the center-bead guy can easily miss.
 
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SKULLANDCROSSBONES65

New member
G'day. I think I might have an alternative. How do you think I might go if I got about a hundred yards out and used my .222, or even the .270?
 
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Major Dave (retired)

New member
Seems like 40 or 50 yards

with a .222 would be good. If the trees are only about 10 yards high, and the bats are about the size of a beer can?

How tall are the trees?

How big are the bats? Do they sit still, or flutter around while eating the fruit?

As for using a 105mm, I prefer something a bit larger, like an 8 inch (203 mm).
On the other hand, for close range, in Vietnam, we used the "behive" round in the 105 mm. Contained about 1,000 steel darts. Would strip a tree of all its leaves at 50 yards, though. Not good for bats in fruit trees, I would guess.
 
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tachunter

New member
I wouldn't shoot any kind of rifle in an upward angle into a tree if there are houses or people within a mile. Pull out the shotgun. Best would be a simple 4-10.
 
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knoxville

New member
this is easy get a dang shot gun preferably 8 shot and go to shooting come back the next day and do it again that or buy yourself a fake owl and they'll head to the neighbors
 
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hogdogs

Staff In Memoriam
The owl trick may not mean much if there are no owls in Australia.

I am guessing that these guys are doing eradication work on LARGE ranches. I am also guessing they are aware of where the nearest folks live beyond these huge places.

Shotguns may not be very suitable as they are trying to protect fruit... lead pellets in fruit will likely drop the value a bit:rolleyes:
Brent
 
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Noonan

New member
I would use a .410 with a full choke. Any fruit ruined would be much less fruit than the varmint would eat in a year. Benefits outweigh the costs by a long shot.
 
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SKULLANDCROSSBONES65

New member
G'day, sorry for not replying earlier, computer problems again.

with a .222 would be good. If the trees are only about 10 yards high, and the bats are about the size of a beer can?

How tall are the trees?

How big are the bats? Do they sit still, or flutter around while eating the fruit?
Click to expand...

There are a variety of trees, many are not even fruit trees. The larger ones could get to 20 meters high and about 8 to 10 meters in diameter.
Think of them as a small to medium size rat with wings. During the day they hang from branches and wrap their wings around their body. At dusk they can be seen by the thousands in large swarms.

I wouldn't shoot any kind of rifle in an upward angle into a tree if there are houses or people within a mile.
Click to expand...

A couple of houses in one direction about 4 Miles in a straight line. Town is about 12 miles in a straight line a little further to the south. His property boundary is about 30 miles to the north and 10 miles to the east from his home.

A rifle of most any caliber at an elevated angle can go miles, very dangerous unless your in the "outback"
Click to expand...

Very dangerous regardless of location. The risk of hitting people is reduced by location

I am guessing that these guys are doing eradication work on LARGE ranches. I am also guessing they are aware of where the nearest folks live beyond these huge places.

Shotguns may not be very suitable as they are trying to protect fruit... lead pellets in fruit will likely drop the value a bit
Click to expand...

It is a Beef property, the only fruit grown is for private consumption.

The biggest danger would be hitting somebody that was trespassing. Followed by an odd car on the only road ( fine weather access, gravel) that runs through the property.
The next road that runs in that direction is only 60 miles away, but it is bitumen.
 
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FALacy

Moderator
Go out at night with some number 9 shot in a 12 gauge and flock shoot them when they're traveling in those packs of thousands.
 
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