I have a Beeman R1 that I frequently use to eliminate chipmunks around our house. They tend to burrow around our foundation and retaining wall, which causes me some concern. My wife (being the non-violent person she is) prefers to trap them, take the cage to town and let them loose in the city park. I'm up on her this year about 17 to three.
I also shoot rabbits with it on occasion but just to protect my garden. Very tasty (the rabbits I mean).
I have also used it on squirrels getting into our (her) bird feeders - not quite as tasty as rabbits to me any more, although I grew up on a fairly steady diet of fried squirrel.
Last night I was in bed early (about 10:30) and my wife woke me up asking me to get my air rifle and 'scare away' a racoon that was getting into the bird feeders. She had tried to scare it away but it wouldn't budge.
After wiping the sleep out of my eyes and grabbing the R1 and a few Beeman Silver Jets I walked into the kitchen, opened the sliding glass door and there it was. It was about 20 feet away, on the side rail of our second floor deck, just glaring at me.
With a steady hand, a few deep breaths, and a careful squeeze of the trigger I 'scared it away' and went back to bed. The wife was happy and I had a good nights sleep.
The next morning I walked out onto the patio underneath the deck and there it was - spread eagled on its back, it hadn't even moved.
Yet another one shot kill by the great white hunter, showing the vast superiority of man and technology against the wilds.
