GTA
All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => Hunting Gate => Topic started by: only1harry on February 25, 2016, 05:25:03 PM
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After giving the squirrels a pass last season in 2014-15 to hopefully allow them to recover their numbers somewhat, I wasn't sure if I should go after them this season seeing how I could only spot one every couple of weeks. Last week however I saw 2 Grey's at the same time chasing each other, and saw a 3d one coming down the road from the opposite side. If I can see 3 at once, there must be a few more out there, so I put out some black oiled sunflower seeds. Only birds came the first few days, but finally a squirrel made an appearance yesterday. I got set up but by the time I was ready he was finished and took off. Another 2 seconds and I would have had a shot.
I have been lazy about replacing the battery in the ding donger so I 've been looking out the window every 30min. or when I can while I am working. Today around 9:30am I checked the window and saw a Grey eating the sunflower seeds. I went downstairs where I had the window and blinds cracked open and the Disco .22 ready about 11ft from the window. He was quartering away from me for a while, but after what seemed like forever he turned and faced me giving me a perfect "between the eyes" shot. I waited a bit until he picked up another seed, and squeezed the Disco's trigger after I placed the crosshairs between its eyes. The JSB 18.1gr hit the mark and the squirrel dropped. It then did a short death dance and I could see through the scope the area turning red all around him. He expired a few feet away from the seeds and near my 25yd target. MV was 785-790fps with the power adjuster turned all the way down, and distance 25 yards.
Less than an hour later a crow came to visit! I looked out the window and saw a crow grabbing some of the wet crackers (it has been raining for a couple of days). I ducked and went downstairs to the Disco very very quietly. My heart was racing a mile a minute! It had been a couple of years since I had a crow in my sights and crows get me very excited because they are very challenging :) As I put the crosshairs on her I remembered crow hunting in NY is Friday through Monday and today is Thursday! :( But after a few secs I said forget it I am getting this crow! When am I going to get this chance again? :) But the moment I put the crosshairs back on her she took off and has not returned yet. You can imagine I am checking the windows every 10min. to see if she came back or brought friends, hehehe :) It looked like she was a lone crow and didn't feel comfortable without her buddies looking out for her from the tree tops.
Anyway here are a couple of the squirrel pics. The shot could not have been more precise between the eyes. This Disco is a tack driver with the Leapers 3-9x50 scope.
Harry
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Good Shooting Harry
Cheers
Jay
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Nice way go start the year!
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Way to go Harry.
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Nice shot Harry! Got 2 today myself ( the lab is back in gear ;) )
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once again a disco scores...great shooting.
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It's great to see out there harvesting some small game brother. ;D Great shooting and pic. Ed
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Thanks guys!
Dave, I could have shot a 2nd squirrel too but I gave it a pass. I want to try to see how many different ones are visiting the feeder, plus I didn't want to scare any crows away that might be hanging around or give away my position ;) I came very close to shooting a crow right after I got the squirrel, and didn't want to shoot anything but a crow after that. I also gave a HOSP a break. It's the crows I am really after ;D
Harry
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tie the squirrel carcass down in the morning and they come to it.they love gut piles or dead coons.
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What pellets my disco all of the sudden decided to shoot bad worse than my springers.
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For a while, Harry, I thought you had given up on hunting completely. But I see you have not lost your touch. 8)
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Wyatt, I use JSB 18.1gr. They are very accurate in most Disco's.
Mike, I almost thought that too :) Nah, I got a few Groundhogs over the summer, but the squirrels are just not around like they used to be. I took almost 200 of them in past years and put a hurting in their population, so I decided to let them recover a little. I used to get 120 to 150 Starlings every winter and post them (loved those 2-fers! hehe), but the wife has been giving me &^^& about leaving the windows open where I shoot from, and the high heating bills, so I cut back on those too. We 've been having a mild winter this year, but unfortunately Starlings only come in when it gets very cold. I 'll try to get a few yellow beaks before the winter is over. I just have to remember to get some cat food!
Harry
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Yes the starlings had it easy, I have only seen one with a flock of robins last week when there was snow and the temp was around 10, they came in to a apple tree and I was just about to get a shot when a loud truck scared them all off.
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Nice shot Harry!
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Thanks Tom. Dave, yes the Starlings have disappeared this winter. It probably has to do with the weird weather and the many 50-60 deg. days we 've had. They might be mating which they normally don't do until March. I too have seen them in the front lawn once, and they have not come in for the cat food I put out in January a couple of days until I ran out, but it was only the 40's. It needs to be in the 20's for the yellow beaks to land on my lawn and visit the bait pile, or there must be snow on the ground which I haven't had much of as it always melts the next day.
Harry
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Nice shooting Brother Man
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Thanks you brother Velente :)