Just an update, for those who wondered how my efforts to rid my yard of the neighbor's unwanted feral cats-and practice my marksmanship--via the use of my Airsoft pistol whenever the cats appear is going.
I can report that the cats have apparently all figured it out, now. They still come around somewhat, but as soon as I open my door, they all take off like greased lightning, running off so fast that I haven't been able to get an aimed shot off at one in over a week now. The last notable exception was a really stupid one that I scored FOUR hits on a couple of weeks back. First I caught it sitting static under my bird-feeder and I nailed it. It jumped and ran and stopped way back in my yard on top of a big flat rock. I aimed, fired, and hit it again. (Stupid cat...) This time it ran into a hedge that separates my yard from my neighbor's. But I could still see the cat in the bushes so I aimed and fired a third time, and scored a third hit. It leapt out of the bush and made a bee-line for my neighbor's back deck, and when it got there, it stopped, and turned to look as me as if it was just daring me to fire on it again. Challenge accepted, I took aim and hit it for the fourth time in less than thirty seconds. This time it ran around the far corner of their house and I haven't seen it since.
But the other cats--all six thousand of them (rough estimate)--now refuse to loiter in my yard or stand still for so much as a second once my door opens. Call it a victory for my birds and squirrels, but my target practice is falling off rapidly. Those cats made great targets while they lasted but now I've got no targets to shoot at.
Maybe I can find some way to bait them back...
NOTE TO THE ANIMAL LOVERS: It's just AIRSOFT. It doesn't really hurt them, so spare me the outraged hate-mail.
Time to get out the camo's, the ones that make you look like a porch.
ReplyDeleteOr how's about I send you some pigeons from my backyard? They remember an air soft pellet strike for about 30 minutes but then they're back. (My over-the-fence neighbor is beginning to wonder about all the little green balls in his yard.)
LOL- but...but... Isn't that called shooting over bait??? :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat is airsoft? I think I'd like to use it on the subway on my commute! I'm a cat person, but I think you're completely within your right to keep unwanted critters of any kind out of your yard--though I'm glad you're not hurting them. :)
ReplyDeleteUm, didn't have anything more powerful available? :):):)
ReplyDeleteI used to shoot cats with an Airsoft gun, too, back in Iowa. :)
ReplyDelete