Has anyone ever been cat hunting?

I've always found barn cats to be handy around a yard for keeping rats and mice away, they only become a nuisance if their own population is not kept in check and they aren't neutered/spayed, but if they are will help to cut down the amount of stray toms wandering into the yard. I understand that when it gets out of hand it has to be dealt with..but at the same time prevention would have been the best method...