GTA
All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => Hunting Gate => Topic started by: only1harry on January 02, 2022, 11:25:30 PM
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I got the Akela bullpup about 3 weeks ago, but I have not had a chance to shoot a squirrel, and the Starlings are not coming. Not cold enough for them yet. We 've had an unusually "warm" December. I almost shot a squirrel with the Akela a couple of days ago but another came in as I was bringing the crosshairs to its head and they started chasing each other and left my property.
The last 4 days 5 different possums have been visiting the bait I put out for the squirrels and Starlings between 9pm and 1am. One is huge (10+lbs) and the other 3 are normal/average size (7-9 pounds) with one being darker grey than the other 2. My wife says she saw a big "black" possum run across the driveway the other day and really spooked here, so there is at least 5 of them or more. She said she wants them gone because it's the 2nd time in a month one ran by very close to her. I have been giving them a pass for the last 6-7 years because they are supposed to be beneficial, but now a bunch of them have moved into the abandoned G-hog burrows on my property, and the wife also says they have to go.
So what better way to christen the Akela I thought.. but I do not plan on shooting all of them. Tonight the ding donger alerted me at 8:50pm, and as I had expected it was 1 of the possums at the bait site. I turned on the powerful flood light in the back and was glad to see it did not run away as they do sometimes before they get used to it. I grabbed the Akela, went downstairs to my shooting station that's 13-14 feet behind the window, and had a perfect view of the right side of its head through the 3.5" opening in the blinds. I waited until I controlled my breathing, and when it put its head down again to get another bite I placed the crosshairs between its eye & ear I squeezed. The JSB 18.1gr hit its skull with authority leaving the muzzle @ 885-890fps (31.5 FPE) and the possum dropped. It then did a ~15 sec. death dance and the Akela had its first kill. Distance was 24 yards (very close to my 25yd target).
I got on the scale with the possum and it weighed 7.8 pounds - average sized and naturally not the biggest I have taken. I will probably wait until the big one comes around and that will be it. I don't mind having a couple of possums around to eat grubs and ticks, but not a whole army of them.
Happy New Year to all!
Harry
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That's the way to get it done buddy. Great shootin with that new BB gun :)
Jeff
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Good shot on that possum! That Akela definitely has the power to get things done.
Luckily haven't had too many of those guys around my parts. They're around, just not in high numbers. Last one I got was with a Honda CX500, and not on purpose (Lol). Knowing they're somewhat beneficial, I usually give them a pass also.
Best wishes and happy hunting.
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That's the way to get it done buddy. Great shootin with that new BB gun :)
Jeff
Thanks Jeff. I am really liking the Akela so far. I have not removed the stock to play with the hammer spring adjuster yet, but by starting from a 3200 psi fill I discovered I can get 2 mags or 24 very consistent (same hole) shots with the dial at full power with an ES of only 8fps - between 882 and 890 fps. The velocity starts dropping with each shot only with the 3rd mag, or after ~2750 psi in the gun, hence why I fill to 3200 and refill every 2 mags until I have some time to tune it or cut a coil or 2 from the hammer spring like others are doing.
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Good shot on that possum! That Akela definitely has the power to get things done.
Luckily haven't had too many of those guys around my parts. They're around, just not in high numbers. Last one I got was with a Honda CX500, and not on purpose (Lol). Knowing they're somewhat beneficial, I usually give them a pass also.
Best wishes and happy hunting.
Thanks Zack. Yes, the Akela .22 (and .177) has plenty of power for backyard pests and then some. I got it because of its carbine length and because Crosman claimed 60 shots (unregulated). But apparently if you want 60 "consistent shots" with a reasonable/small extreme spread, the gun needs some simple modifications which I have not got around to it yet. It's showing a lot of promise though and people have gotten 80+ consistent power shots out of it.
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Harry! Happy New Year! Congratulations on getting the first blood for the Akela, great shot and I'm sure you are your wifes hero! I use a red flood light in my back yard and it doesn't faze the critters at all, even rats! Hope you anchor the big one and a bunch of starlings!
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Fantastic shooting on that possum Harry !!! a few years ago I seen a monster possum at the state land right at day break but it was old and very wise knowing that I was there it kept it's distance going about as fast as it could. I never spotted that monster again however as wise as it seemed to be I'd be willing to bet that its still around yet.
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Harry! Happy New Year! Congratulations on getting the first blood for the Akela, great shot and I'm sure you are your wifes hero! I use a red flood light in my back yard and it doesn't faze the critters at all, even rats! Hope you anchor the big one and a bunch of starlings!
Thanks Randall. I have been thinking of putting some kind of red film/paper over the light bulb. Did you buy a red flood light and where from? Is the target area still bright?
What I did a few years ago was reposition the flood light in the back so it is not pointed directly at the bait area and blind or scare the animals, and it has worked for the most part. I basically pointed it down more and hitting a spot about 6-7 yards short of the bait. The critters don't leave or run like they used to, but the area is still lit enough for me to see their head and the crosshairs without illuminating them. it's just not putting the bulk of the light or thousands of lumens directly on the critters, and it has worked out much better since.
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Nice shooting Harry!
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Harry! Happy New Year! Congratulations on getting the first blood for the Akela, great shot and I'm sure you are your wifes hero! I use a red flood light in my back yard and it doesn't faze the critters at all, even rats! Hope you anchor the big one and a bunch of starlings!
Thanks Randall. I have been thinking of putting some kind of red film/paper over the light bulb. Did you buy a red flood light and where from? Is the target area still bright?
What I did a few years ago was reposition the flood light in the back so it is not pointed directly at the bait area and blind or scare the animals, and it has worked for the most part. I basically pointed it down more and hitting a spot about 6-7 yards short of the bait. The critters don't leave or run like they used to, but the area is still lit enough for me to see their head and the crosshairs without illuminating them. it's just not putting the bulk of the light or thousands of lumens directly on the critters, and it has worked out much better since.
Harry, this is the bulb I use. I point it toward the area about the bait stations 10 o'clock if the flood is 12, mostly because that's as much rotation I have on my floods hinge! My station is only 11yds from light. You could point it directly at it if you want or can. Got mine @ Home Depot but amazon or Lowes or grocery store. And, yes, it illuminates the rats very clearly. What's funny is thei rats underbelly which is grayish glows a light orange! Possums glow like daytime with their white heads! LOL!
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Of all the pest animals I've shot in back yards, opossums taste the best.
They tend to poop as their muscles relax in death and it stinks to high heaven. Their meat doesn't smell great when cooking, but it is really delicious, kind of like lamb. I grilled a whole opossum once; they have enough fat in amongst the meat that they self-marinate them.
Eating ticks is beneficial, but digging in the lawn for grubs is not. Between them and the skunks, they were really tearing up my yard at the old house. (and I didn't have a tick problem anyway)
Next time you pop one, clean it out and throw it on the grill to roast it on low heat. Just season with salt and pepper. Yum!
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Harry! Happy New Year! Congratulations on getting the first blood for the Akela, great shot and I'm sure you are your wifes hero! I use a red flood light in my back yard and it doesn't faze the critters at all, even rats! Hope you anchor the big one and a bunch of starlings!
Thanks Randall. I have been thinking of putting some kind of red film/paper over the light bulb. Did you buy a red flood light and where from? Is the target area still bright?
What I did a few years ago was reposition the flood light in the back so it is not pointed directly at the bait area and blind or scare the animals, and it has worked for the most part. I basically pointed it down more and hitting a spot about 6-7 yards short of the bait. The critters don't leave or run like they used to, but the area is still lit enough for me to see their head and the crosshairs without illuminating them. it's just not putting the bulk of the light or thousands of lumens directly on the critters, and it has worked out much better since.
Harry, this is the bulb I use. I point it toward the area about the bait stations 10 o'clock if the flood is 12, mostly because that's as much rotation I have on my floods hinge! My station is only 11yds from light. You could point it directly at it if you want or can. Got mine @ Home Depot but amazon or Lowes or grocery store. And, yes, it illuminates the rats very clearly. What's funny is thei rats underbelly which is grayish glows a light orange! Possums glow like daytime with their white heads! LOL!
Thanks Randall. I hope 13W is enough to illuminate the area 23-24 yards out. My bait station is 19 yards straight back from the the left side of the house I shoot from, and I am 4.5 yards behind the window, so 23.5 yards usually for me.. The flood light is on other side of the house at roof level, so I calculate around the same distance 23-24yds. Today I am using 160W Phillips flood lights (they are actually 12+ years old) and it can literally blind you temporarily if you look straight at it. Ask me how I know :) That is why I have it pointed several yards short of the bait site and to the side, and never directly at it. This way the bait area gets a much softer/yellow light, and I can still see the night critters.
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Of all the pest animals I've shot in back yards, opossums taste the best.
They tend to poop as their muscles relax in death and it stinks to high heaven. Their meat doesn't smell great when cooking, but it is really delicious, kind of like lamb. I grilled a whole opossum once; they have enough fat in amongst the meat that they self-marinate them.
Eating ticks is beneficial, but digging in the lawn for grubs is not. Between them and the skunks, they were really tearing up my yard at the old house. (and I didn't have a tick problem anyway)
Next time you pop one, clean it out and throw it on the grill to roast it on low heat. Just season with salt and pepper. Yum!
Jeremy, the wife will kick me out of the house if I brought a possum inside, cleaned or not. She is the one that asked me to go after them this year, because they freak her out when she spotted them in our driveway a couple of times running by when she was going to her car and walking to the house. She already cut me off from the squirrels a few years back :(
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Harry! Happy New Year! Congratulations on getting the first blood for the Akela, great shot and I'm sure you are your wifes hero! I use a red flood light in my back yard and it doesn't faze the critters at all, even rats! Hope you anchor the big one and a bunch of starlings!
Thanks Randall. I have been thinking of putting some kind of red film/paper over the light bulb. Did you buy a red flood light and where from? Is the target area still bright?
What I did a few years ago was reposition the flood light in the back so it is not pointed directly at the bait area and blind or scare the animals, and it has worked for the most part. I basically pointed it down more and hitting a spot about 6-7 yards short of the bait. The critters don't leave or run like they used to, but the area is still lit enough for me to see their head and the crosshairs without illuminating them. it's just not putting the bulk of the light or thousands of lumens directly on the critters, and it has worked out much better since.
Harry, this is the bulb I use. I point it toward the area about the bait stations 10 o'clock if the flood is 12, mostly because that's as much rotation I have on my floods hinge! My station is only 11yds from light. You could point it directly at it if you want or can. Got mine @ Home Depot but amazon or Lowes or grocery store. And, yes, it illuminates the rats very clearly. What's funny is thei rats underbelly which is grayish glows a light orange! Possums glow like daytime with their white heads! LOL!
Thanks Randall. I hope 13W is enough to illuminate the area 23-24 yards out. My bait station is 19 yards straight back from the the left side of the house I shoot from, and I am 4.5 yards behind the window, so 23.5 yards usually for me.. The flood light is on other side of the house at roof level, so I calculate around the same distance 23-24yds. Today I am using 160W Phillips flood lights (they are actually 12+ years old) and it can literally blind you temporarily if you look straight at it. Ask me how I know :) That is why I have it pointed several yards short of the bait site and to the side, and never directly at it. This way the bait area gets a much softer/yellow light, and I can still see the night critters.
Harry, 13W should be plenty at that distance especially if your can point it almost directly to your station, plus the white heads of the big possums will GLOW! Bulb is inexpensive and bright being LED 👍.
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Thanks Randall. Will definitely get the red Phillips flood light. I think it's perfect for what I need. First I have to wait until this snow melts and I don't think it will any time soon looking at the temps for the next 10 days.s
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You're welcome Harry! You have time on your side! Stay warm and safe.