Yard Varmint Safari

[Melvin Eades]

The weather around here this summer has been different with all the rains we've been getting. My yard is as green as it would be in the Springtime and the moles are going nuts in my yard. Those little varmints are the worst I can ever remember.

I have had one working out toward the back of my yard for the last couple days. Tonight when I got home from work, I went out and mashed down all of it's runs and then went in the house till just about sunset. They usually start getting active around this time. I loaded up my Remington Nylon 66 and headed for the back yard to go on safari.

The little buggers can feel you walking so you've got to stalk them very carefully ( picture Elmer Fudd here). I sneaked around the corner of the shed and did a little recon before I got to close to the feeding area. I had to be careful, it might be a trophy size mole and I didn't want to blow it.

I saw a small fresh mound that wasn't there earlier so I started my stalk. I went one slow step at a time and put each foot down ever so lightly and kept watching the mound. When I got about 10' away I saw the dirt moving. I stopped to see which way he was heading then realized he was burrowing down.

I stalked even closer, keeping the sun to my back, the wind in my face and got to within 2' and waited, not making a move. About 5-6 minutes went by when the mole started pushing more dirt up. I lined up the sights on the Remmy and cut loose in a spiral, criss cross pattern with 14 shots. I then immediately laid the gun down and started digging with my hands in case it was only wounded and was trying to escape into the depths of the earth.

I couldn't believe it! I didn't find the mole but I did find his tunnel going almost straight down. I guess I'm going to have to go back to the 12 ga. I ran and got a 5 gallon bucket of water thinking he can't out dig me in a new tunnel while I'm chasing it with water. I poured the water in and in a few seconds the water started bubbling and here came the mole. I pulled him out and put the finishing shot on the little feller.

It wasn't a trophy worth mounting, but it was a good management mole, one that needed removed from the herd.




I figure I just as well hunt them now, it's too early and too grown up in the fields around here for coyotes and I have to wait till Aug. 1 to start squirrel hunting. A hunter has to do what a hunter has to do in the hot summer days between seasons!

[acloco]

AWESOME!

Just wondering out loud....but you DO have a current fur bearer's hunting permit....correct?

[Melvin Eades]

acloco,

Matter of fact, I do, but I'm having a hard time finding a stretcher for the hide.

You do know mole hunting is very dangerous? Remember the movie "Tremors".

[Hotshot]

Keep after them M.E.
You'll get that trophy buck someday

[JD11]

Personally, I prefer a more flamboyant stalk and hunt. My daughter had to give us her funny looking wide as he was long fluffy blue-eyed Himalayan cat, and early one morning I was out and saw the mole movement at the forward end of his just- under-the-ground tunnel. I'm thinking, this ain't gonn'a work, but I'm giv'in it a try. The cat was near me and was a laid-back low energy version so he'd stay where you put him for a while. I tippy-toed over to the tunnel, him under one arm and shovel in the other hand. I set him squatting just ahead of the tunnel end facing it, I stepped back, took a quick dig and flip with the shovel, by some miracle contact was made and the mole went about 3 feet up and the cat caught him in mid-air. Gives all new meaning to teamwork. If I'd caught it on film I'd probably be rich now.

[kenyonh]

I've had great success with these lawn insurgents by shoving a garden hose in a fresh tunnel. They surface pretty fast. First lesson learned though was DO NOT shoot the wet mole-in the now muddy lawn with a 12ga. loaded with turkey magnums. Your wife will NOT be impressed by your prouness or the crater you just made next to the rose bushes! I learn. Now I use the same flush out and lay my charged/loaded potato gun. They crawl right in and I send them to my neighbors yard 2 blocks away.

[Melvin Eades]

kenyonh,

Now that would have to be down right funny to see one shot out of a potato gun. You need to video the next one for us.

I got another one of the little dirt maggots last weekend. I mashed down the runs and then would look out once in a while to see if there was any activity. Sure enough, I stalked it but it had quit working. I mashed the runs down again and checked about half hour later and it was tunneling down and making a mound. I filled a 5 gallon bucket up with water and opened the mound, poured some water in and saw the water moving so I poured more in and here came the little feller. I grabbed him and sent him to that big green yard in the sky. It only took about a gallon of water on this one.

[kenyonh]

Water is the way to go. Just remember shotguns NOT! So far I'm pretty good because I've grub treated the lawn so heavily. But if there is one in th yard, I will equally treat the forum. I have tinkered with many back yard ballistics ideas. Some of which will attract more than desired attention from the ATF! But I think a quickie velocity test on a mole would be ok. Especially since I have a neighbor that still thinks it is the fourth of July.