This video dives into Australia’s rat plague head-on as I tackle two rural properties overrun with Black Rats (Rattus rattus). Using high-end thermal gear and a precision-tuned air rifle, I carry out professional pest control to protect poultry, stop disease spread, and reduce severe farm damage. If you’re interested in rat shooting, thermal hunting, or real-world vertebrate pest management, this video shows exactly how it’s done here in Australia. Rat Wars — and that’s exactly what this is. An ongoing battle to gain the upper hand on these introduced pests. Rats attack young poultry, spread disease, destroy feed supplies, and cost farmers thousands every year. In this video I visit two separate rural properties that are totally overrun. The farmers are at their wits’ end — and that’s when I’m called in. Trapping and baiting are usually the go-to methods for controlling rats in Australia, but sometimes they simply can’t keep up. When the numbers explode and the situation becomes unmanageable, professional vertebrate pest control becomes the only effective option. Using specialised equipment — a fully adjustable air rifle tuned to push a specific weighted pellet at 630–650fps — I’m able to deliver humane, precise headshots without damaging sheds or infrastructure. Combine that with a state-of-the-art 1280-resolution thermal scope, and you’ve got an incredibly effective tool for removing rats quickly and ethically. People often ask why anyone would spend $15K on gear to shoot rats. The answer is simple: this is my trade. These tools are used across all types of control work — invasive birds, pigeons, Indian Mynas, rabbits, hares — and reliability and accuracy are non-negotiable when providing a professional service. As the sun goes down, the rats emerge. First into the poultry pens, then down to the feeding areas. The Black Rat (Rattus rattus) is just as comfortable in the trees as it is on the ground, feeding and chasing one another through the branches. The real challenge of this job is shooting at distances as close as 3 metres, sometimes through layers of wire mesh or tiny gaps in tree lines. Ironically, it’s far harder than taking a 20–30m shot. In tight quarters like these, a dialled-down air rifle is the perfect tool. After over an hour on the first property and two hours on the second, a total of 113 rats were removed humanely — and two very grateful farmers could finally get a decent night’s sleep. Gear Used ▪︎ FX Impact M3 .22cal (600mm barrel) ▪︎ Vipertek suppressor ▪︎ Saber Tactical Arca Swiss rail ▪︎ JSB Hades pellets at 630fps ▪︎ HikMicro Stellar SQ60L thermal scope ▪︎ Magne-Tech mounts ▪︎ HikMicro Habrok HX60LS 4K Day/NightVision/Thermal binoculars ▪︎ Huntsman Optics Scree Runner HT32 carbon-fibre tripod — lightweight and perfect for this work If you’re chasing gear or expert advice, contact the team at Hunt The Night: Thanks for watching — and don’t forget to give that thumbs-up button a tickle 👌 Looking forward to your feedback in the comments. RJM #hunting #ratshooting #pestcontrol #thermalhunting #headshot