Varmint hunting

Varmint hunting is the practice of hunting vermin, generally small mammals targeted as a means of pest control, rather than for food. Varminter may refer to a varmint hunter, or describe hunting equipment either specifically designed for, or suitable for varmint hunting, such as a varmint rifle. Varmint hunters may hunt to exterminate a nuisance animal from their own property, to collect a bounty offered by another landowner or the government, or for amusement.

Targets of varmint hunting

A contemporary woodcut of varmint hunters shooting passenger pigeons, a varmint species that was known to damage crops.

The term varmint is a US colloquial term for vermin, though it refers more specifically to mammal or bird pests, including:[1]

Products

Main article: Varmint rifle

Characteristics

Since varmint hunting is a form of pest control, and minimally regulated by law, the definition of what constitutes a varminter model tends to vary by regional pests. The definitive varmints are ground burrowing animals such as groundhogs and prairie dogs. These animals are small and difficult to approach closely, and hunting them requires a long range, highly accurate rifle. Because of this, models labeled Varminter will generally fit the following characteristics:

Examples

Ruger No. 1 Varmint rifle in .223 Remington with heavy barrel, bipod rest, large telescopic sight, and "dope" sheet on the stock for windage

See also

References

  1. Ovington, Ray (1965). The Compact Book of Small Game and Varmints. New York: J. Lowell Pratt & Company.
  2. Bushmaster AR-15 Archived October 29, 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Remington 700 SPS Varmint Archived July 17, 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Savage Model 12 Varminter
  5. "Sierra Bullets – Varminter Bullets". sierrabullets.com. Sierra Bullets. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
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