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Varmint hunting is very useful, especially to ranchers
and farmers. I am active in the conservation of game and the environment here on our family run Arabian horse ranch, as our
livestock depend and thrive upon safe and healthy field and fodder, and the overall population of game in the area benefits
from controlled management as well (Aside from Woodchucks, Deer are also a Varmint species to us, and we procure damage permits
to control their numbers).
My feelings regarding varmint hunting however go beyond simple utilitarianism: There is much more to hunting than
meets the eye. Hunting, Varmint hunting in particular, is not a merely a sport, it is so much more an *experience* and way
of life.
Hunting is not just killing, for the kill is only the culmination and climax of the hunt. There is the anticipation
of the hunt, which encourages critical thinking. You know that the days to come will end with a lifetime of memories, and
so you begin to prepare. This is the anticipation of the hunt several days or weeks or months in advance.
There is
the planning of strategy and equipment, from months before to the night before. There is the early arising and travel to the
ideal location. You might anticipate the promise of a gorgeous frosty dawn, or in summer the cool quiet and peace before the
heat of the day and the awakening noises of the world around you. There are *easier* ways to enjoy the morning sunrise or
the cool approach of evening, but few are more favorable.
For me, there is little hunting more enjoyable than Varmint
hunting, and of the Varmint species, Woodchucks and Crows predominate my attention. All varmint species can be tricky to hunt
(I almost exclusively hunt them with accurized T/C Pistols and Rifles) and so all the more enjoyable is a successful hunt
:)
My favorite T/C for dispatching such game is going to be an accurized Contender pistol, whether it is my Bellm
22mag 14" rechamber, my 9mm 15" custom shop barrel, etc, and most are going to be using rifle scopes, Harris bipods and freefloated
forends.
Lately I have enjoyed pushing the envelope of range and performance using rimfires, and am even working
on a 22short 14" match chamber project which I will use in noise sensative areas uof the ranch, using CCI CBs and Eley Rapid
Fire match 22short ammo on rabbit sized and smaller varmints (ever here of a Nutria? We have those in Virginia as well ;)
Experience tells me this particular choice will be both quiet and also very accurate and effective out to 50 yards,
and in a setup similar to my Bellm Rechamber, very fun to shoot! (Mike is going to do the work on this barrel for me)Whatever
your choice of shooting tool, the 'job' of Varmint control can be so much more than a chore, and in fact become a life-long
pastime :)
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