OK new country wisdom: carry a bolt-action .22 rifle with you wherever you go in the country, with CB shorts in your pocket.

I don't know what it is about .22 "shorts," as they're called, but they are terribly effective on nasty rattlesnakes. I shot a .44-caliber flintlock rifle not too long ago, and I can't help but feel that a .22 rifle firing shorts is like a scaled-down version. That bullet with that little pop of powder sure drops dramatically, but what it hits it hits with distinct finality. Deal sealed.

It's the stroke of midnight just now, and I can report that I just killed a very large rattlesnake at the ranch gate about a half-hour ago with .22 shorts. Two shots. Very glad I had the rifle. If I can dig the thing out of the brush tomorrow morning, I'll skin it, but before I do, I'll take a photo to include here.

And yes, they still sell CB shorts. Go pick some up. If you live in town and have pesky possums to deal with, that's just the thing. No one will ever hear you shooting your .22 rifle, and the possum will be dead meat. You can even do your practice shooting in your backyard under the un-American noses of your homeowners' association nazis.

Cheerio!
Ben