Favorite firearm and caliber for hunting Nutria

D

Doug63

Inactive
Any readers hunt nutria. If so, what’s your favorite firearm and caliber you use?

I personally like the 870 Wingmaster 12 gage using 1 1/4oz steel BBs, it simply cuts them down but they are range limited.

On the longer side I have been using my dad’s old Remingtion model 34 a 22Lr with peep sights, I would keep using this thing, it but the barrel’s frosted. I can just about group with in a dime at 10 yds. but watch out at 25yds, and you need a 3x3 bandaid to cover the group. Its seen better days. :barf:

New on the horizon is a CZ 452 or 453, not sure which model yet either the American or Vermint, but more importantly I have not decided on the caliber. What are your thoughts .17, .22Lr, or 22mag... for Nutria?
 
500 rounds at less than $10.00 (OK...that's bulk; I know)

or

50 rounds at less than $10.00

The classic .22lr will never be beat as the most fun and inexpensive cartridge to shoot. I bet the Velocitors would be a great rounds for your river rats.
 
Doug, I use a shot gun with #4 buck when I am shooting from a boat because it is usually rocking and hard to hit them rascals with a rifle.
when shooting from a steady base I use a .222 with a 45gr bullet.
When I ride the barrow pits on the 4wheeler i use the .222 to shoot um on the other side.
 
Do you have any good spots for Nutria from PDX south? I live in Corvallis and I'm looking for some varmint hunting now that I've got more time on my hands...gf moved out.
 
VWTim

I do not know of any place south of PDX. You might try talking with the ODFW or better yet Ducks Unlimited they are involved in quite a few wetland projects and they might know of some areas where Nutria are thieving.

I do not think wild life refuges will let you in to hunt but it won’t hurt to ask, the worst is they say no. I expect you will be knocking on some private land owners doors for permission to scout out their drainage ditches and ponds with the intent to hunt.
 
Only time I ever saw a nutria was at Lake Fork Texas. They are everywhere down there but they are protected,I think.
Are they good for eating or are they a pelt animal?
I would think that a good 22 mag, or maybe .17 would be suffecient to snuff one out.
Are they a pest or a game animal?:confused:
 
Nutrea!

I love to shoot Nutrea!

Large swamp in Green Co. Alabama late Feb. on sunny days we sometimes shot over 300 in an afternoon. That swamp has lots of my .223 cases in it.

More fun than prarie dogs because you have a lot more shots but not as much fun as prarie dogs because nutrea don't fly-up in the air and come apart like the dogs do. I guess they are too big. At least for an AR15. One in our party shot them with a 45-70. It was hard to tell what really happened to the nutrea when he hit them because it was more like a small mortar round impact than a shot.

I used one of several AR15s A service rifle config worked fine for most but sometimes I also used a varmit config AR for longer shots.

Used everything from 69 gr to 50gr varmit-type bullets.

Now I live in Kansas and suffer fron nutrea-withdrawl.:(
 
I use whatever I've got in the truck when I see one, usually a .22. Nutria are
bigtime pests, have no value what so ever as food or fur and compete for
resources that native species use. I like using my k-22 revolver or a .22
rifle. Nutria get big and you need to hit them right with a .22 or they'll just
keep swimming. Use whatever you want but kill every one you get the chance
to.
If you start seeing lots of nutria, you won't see any muskrats, after awhile.
The nutria just take over. They originally came up from South America, possibly
as stowaways on ships. They are considered an undesirable exotic and you
are doing our native species a big favor to kill them. Local land owners will
thank you, too.

Have fun.
 
I have heard that they taste ok-good. But I have never tryed one as I don't thing they are in my state. Try it, somethings just get a bad rep for no reason. Like dogfish no one will eat them as they look ugly, but they taste much better than catfish.
 
I've seen quite a few in our area (D/FW, TX). They look like beaver, at first glance, and are just about as big. I would think that a very accurate .22 WMRF would be perfect. For a little more reach without getting REALLY loud, I would go to the .22 Hornet. While I'm sure that most of 'em could be killed with a perfect .22 LR shot, some of the larger specimens look like they could use more kiling. (Alas, I've always been in urban areas like golf courses when I've seen them.)

Friends, please be cautious when shooting at these aquatic rodent pests when they're in the water; skips off the water are easy to cause, and can create a tragedy for people on the other side.
 
have no value what so ever as food or fur
Click to expand...
I read an article today in Field & Stream on "Lost Skills of Trout Fishing." It said Nutria hide (w/ fur) was a good material for tying streamers.

Of course, one Nutria is probably a lifetime supply, so what do you do with the other few hundred?
 
People used to raise nutria for the fur. It was used in making felt for hats (much like beaver used to be used) or for making low-end fur coats (like muskrat was used). Really nice pelt.
I have used a 22-250 and a 223 on nutria (can you say CHUNKY?). I know people who use their deer rifles on them. But I still prefer the 22 LR. Just pennies a shot, and a good head shot makes them just lay right down. If you do hit them in the body it has no discernible immediate effect, but a while later they die.
If you are looking for a place to hunt them, go over towards the coast and find a stream or a pond. You'll find nutria.
 
Nutria

I've never seen one, and I certainly didn't realize they have migrated up to the pacific northwest - wow - I thought they were limited to the wet far south (tx, la, etc.). DFA, they are a south american native species that has proven very successful in souther usa as an introduced species. Like a large muskrat or a beaver without the flat tail, they breed like rabbits, and are quite a nuisance in places like louisiana. Even here in oklahoma, you can shoot them year-round (like coyotes, feral hogs, & beavers) - so they are definitely considered a nuisance species. This describes their destructiveness as an introduced species:

http://www.lacoast.gov/watermarks/2000b-06/2nutria/index.htm
http://www.sgnis.org/kids/suspect_nick.html
http://www.southerner.net/v3n1_2002/nutria1.html
http://cse.pdx.edu/wetlands/nwnutria.dir/nutr_072998.html

BUT....

have no value what so ever as food or fur
Click to expand...

http://www.nutria.com/site14.php
 
He he- yeah, shame about that dude missing.

If you look at the picture on the CNN story, that particular volcano overlooks officer cadet school- its the armys biggest training area. We were out in the field and the Exercise was stopped as someone pointed out that we were on the point of getting some hot magma in our firing pits...that was an exciting exercise!
 
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