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In a back yard for control of vermin - rats.
Back yard is fenced.
In the city limits.
Air pistol - like this one: http://goo.gl/ZmQCM1

( Personally I dont' think this is the weapon of choice for this mission, Norway rats are tough.
But that is what is available today. )

I know the other adage, what the City doesn't know, won't hurt it.

Reason for use: back yard chickens need protecting.
So, deployment of rat killing dogs are not currently in the discussion.
And the use of poison is completely off the table.





Beaverton Code: http://www.codepublishing.com/or/beaverton/

5.08.225 Discharging a Weapon. sm-share-en.gif
A. No person shall intentionally discharge a firearm into or across a public place or while located in a public place.

B. No person shall intentionally discharge a pellet gun, BB gun, bow and arrow, sling shot, or other similar weapon that expels a projectile by means other than by the action of smokeless powder.

C. This section shall not prohibit the discharge of a firearm or a weapon that expels a projectile by means other than by the action of smokeless powder while at a reasonably safe and regularly operated firing range.

D. This section does not prohibit the discharge of a replica firearm displayed in accordance with the replica firearms ordinance or the discharge of a weapon that expels a projectile by means other than by the action of smokeless powder, so long as the projectile expelled upon discharge is one of the following:
 
I have shot bb guns in the back yard (Se Portland) since 1999. Not once did I ever have a problem. If a cop comes strolling in your backyard while you are shooting, then you might have a problem, but really it is not going to happen. I know we all just want to cover our butts, however, cops really don't care as long as nobody is calling them on you.

Legally, BB guns are considered firearms according to the city and it is illegal to fire in city limits. But hell, when I had ducks I would off them with my ruger 10/22 and a CB short; I lived on a 1/4 acre lot with neighbors on all sides.

The only time I really pissed off the cops was when we were young and dumb and lit off fire crackers. Those were just as loud as a 9mm.

Happy hunting!
 
It is against the law - many municipalities have similar laws.

Break the law and get caught, and expect to do the time, including possibly a fine and or losing firearms ownership rights - depending on the law you break and whether it is a misdemeanor or felony, etc.

In practice, it all depends on who sees you doing it, if anybody does at all. Can your neighbors or others see you shooting? Will they care? Not everybody knows an air pistol from a firearm. To some people a gun is a gun and they don't like them.

Have you tried traps?
 
I know a guy who mixed Plaster of Paris with grain and left it out for the rats - they all died of constipation the next couple days.

Here in Aloha I'm entitled to blast basically any animal that comes into the yard that "harasses, attacks, or destroys" my livestock: egg hens. So I feel for ya, but I loves me a suppressed .22 rifle.

The most amazing thing is putting a CB cap through a suppressor on a Mk III pistol - it literally just goes "click" and that's it. I think a "super colibri" might have enough starch to deal with rats, but I never had the opportunity.
 
A bit off the topic, but say a mad dog comes into your Beaverton yard and attacks your tiny dog and you shoot that dog to stop the attack. Wonder how Beaverton would handle that? Sorry about your tiny dog but you broke our law and you're going to jail.
 
A bit off the topic, but say a mad dog comes into your Beaverton yard and attacks your tiny dog and you shoot that dog to stop the attack. Wonder how Beaverton would handle that? Sorry about your tiny dog but you broke our law and you're going to jail.


I'd shoot the dog and get a good lawyer
 
A bit off the topic, but say a mad dog comes into your Beaverton yard and attacks your tiny dog and you shoot that dog to stop the attack. Wonder how Beaverton would handle that? Sorry about your tiny dog but you broke our law and you're going to jail.

Class A misdemeanor or a Class C felony if committed in front of a minor.

167.320. Animal abuse in the first degree

(1) A person commits the crime of animal abuse in the first degree if, except as otherwise authorized by law, the person intentionally, knowingly or recklessly:

(a) Causes serious physical injury to an animal; or

(b) Cruelly causes the death of an animal.

(2) Any practice of good animal husbandry is not a violation of this section.

(3) Animal abuse in the first degree is a Class A misdemeanor.

Protecting a pet or a non-livestock animal is not authorized by law.
 
I live in West Linn. West Linn has a law prohibiting shooting air rifles or BB guns in the city limits.
That said, we use either a pellet rifle or pistol to dispatch rats. Works well and the neighbors don't mind.
 
Class A misdemeanor or a Class C felony if committed in front of a minor.

167.320. Animal abuse in the first degree

(1) A person commits the crime of animal abuse in the first degree if, except as otherwise authorized by law, the person intentionally, knowingly or recklessly:

(a) Causes serious physical injury to an animal; or

(b) Cruelly causes the death of an animal.

(2) Any practice of good animal husbandry is not a violation of this section.

(3) Animal abuse in the first degree is a Class A misdemeanor.

Protecting a pet or a non-livestock animal is not authorized by law.

F the law in this case!

I'll take possible jail time to protect my family (including pets) from all threats.

It's a weak man that is persuaded by a law to inaction.
 
F the law in this case!

I'll take possible jail time to protect my family (including pets) from all threats.

It's a weak man that is persuaded by a law to inaction.

It is hard to protect/provide for your family if you are behind bars all while providing Bubba with a new butt buddy. The law is bull bubblegum but, no dog is worth my freedom.

It is a smart man that does what is needed in order to protect their loved ones. In this case, a smart man would pick up their dog and walk away; then shoot the dog once it bites your leg.
 
In this case, a smart man would pick up their dog and walk away; then shoot the dog once it bites your leg.

So would the smart man stand by and watch his family pet be killed by a pit bull if he was unable to pull his pet from the iron jaw grip of the attacker? This has happened many times and the smaller dog usually dies at the scene or soon after.
What is it was your child being attacked?

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2014/11/recent_pit_bull_attacks_in_por.html
 
So would the smart man stand by and watch his family pet be killed by a pit bull if he was unable to pull his pet from the iron jaw grip of the attacker? This has happened many times and the smaller dog usually dies at the scene or soon after.
What is it was your child being attacked?

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2014/11/recent_pit_bull_attacks_in_por.html

Yes, in my opinion, it is better to lose your dog than it is to go to jail. In Oregon we live in a gun hating, animal adoring society. Winning this case would not be an easy task.

If you think it is smarter to go to trial concerning your life and the well being of your family for the life of a dog, then we simply have a different definition of smart.

Do not get me wrong, I would not idly stand by as my dog gets murdered, I simply would not immediately pull out my gun and off the other dog. Now if that other dog bit me or decided to go after a human family member, you better believe that it would be shot until it stopped moving.
 
Know you neighbors. I have one crazy old lady living behind me and I do not doubt that she would call the police if she saw me shooting a bb gun.
 
Justifiably shooting an attacking animal is one thing, but rats vs chicken eggs is another.

As for traps, the chickens are stupid, they keep trying. The ducks are a little big to fit.


In any case
The neighbor to one side is commercial, the other is probably cool - has dogs the one behind is a crazy person - have no-trespassing signs posted.
Plus side is the fence.


My current hurdle is to get 'approval' for an air rifle that will run a 22 cal pellet at at least 1050 ft/sec.
 
So would the smart man stand by and watch his family pet be killed by a pit bull

Please do not attack a specific breed with your hypothetical. There is no reason for it, and many breeds of dog get called out for being a problem when it is the specific dog, or more likely the owner, that is the problem rather then the breed.
 
Bait is the best bet in any case.

If you have rats living in your walls, you've got a bigger problem than you know. Around here there are plenty of porches for rats, skunks, and 'coons to den under, and the only in-house rodent problem is mice. For them you use anticoagulants like Coumadin, because it makes the critters dry out and not rot. I like the idea of leaving the rats dead in a non-toxic state for whatever comes along to clean them up, thus the plaster-filled-grain.

But shooting them? No way is that going to eliminate them - they breed too fast. Maybe they'd be smart enough to move out if enough of them died, but you're never going to take out the last breeding pair that way.
 

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