yesterday's hunt

[wolverine]

left the house at 530 and arrived at 730.  a deer hunter was already in the woods so i kept my eyes open for him as not to disturb his area.  i like to hunt the ravines as i can sit high and watch a larger area than flat ground.  this particular area has a very dense canopy affording very little underbrush.  it's cold and overcast so i have my winter hunting jacket on.  i take up a position on the far side of the ravine and sit on the camo cushion while leaning up against the root ball of a fallen tree.  the wind was pushing the tree tops back and forth and it sounded as if a pod of whales was singing.  even the large oaks were swaying so i decide to keep my eyes on the ground.  not 20 minutes later and i spot 2 fox squirrels chasing each other on the forest floor.  my leupold range finder indicated the tree they were next to was 44 yards out and i estimate them to be 20* below my position.  i have a clear shot on 1 of them and lift the daystate regal and take aim, squeeze the trigger and watch as the pellet strikes the ground above him. they both scurry away and i dig into my backpack for my binos but they're not there.  i sit for a good while and start to drift off to sleep.  my head bobs and i awake.  i wait for my eyes to adjust before scanning the ground.  nothing.  then i notice the wind has subsided some and i check the tree in the area of the squirrels.  there is a horizontal branch with a reddish coloring.  i raise the rifle and see the fox next to a bunch of autumn leaves waiting to fall.  he has his back to me, but raises his head.  i steady the rifle on my knee and put the cross hairs on his head.  it lowers.  he's a good 10* up from me at 44 yards, i estimate the hold and take aim at his back just below the shoulders.  with hushed pop of the hades leaving the barrel and unmistakable sound of pellet hitting meat, his hind legs slip off the branch and he hangs with his front paws for seconds before falling to bottom of the ravine.  i wait another 20 or so minutes but nothing stirs so i hike down and collect my prize.  this is a heavy male. the pellet entered lower than i had estimated, but it stopped just under the skin at the front of his neck.   it goes on ice in the backpack and i move deeper into the woods to the next ravine.  after setting up, i quickly fall asleep.  i guess the 3 1/2 hours of sleep last night wasn't enough.  i don't wear a watch or carry a phone when i hunt so i have no way of knowing how long i was out, but the wind has stopped and the sun is heating the canopy.  it's warmed up so i remove the sleeves from the jacket and push them into the pack. my neck is sore and i rotate my head to loosen it up when i see a fox eating nuts at my 9 o'clock 14 yards away.  "dang", i've never shot the regal right handed.  (something i practice often with my brocock contour)  i  s l o w l y  turn the regal 180* and awkwardly  raise it to my cheek.  i can't get the eye relief correct, but she's in the crosshairs and i let it loose.  she goes down and the legs are kicking.  number 2 is on ice.  after several hours of trying different spots i head back to the truck for lunch and to put the squirrels in the cooler.  as i approach the parking lot i'm startled by a small fox squirrel on the roof of the jeep i parked next to.  after lunch the deer hunter appears and we chat.  he tells me he saw squirrels all around the trail and if i just walk it, i should pick up a few more.  i walk the trail and meet several hikers with loaded packs. we chat and they relate how they also saw many squirrels along the path.  the wind is howling at this point so i keep my eyes on the path as far ahead as i can see.  crossing a foot bridge i spot 1 just after it spots me and watch it disappear into the woods.  this happens no fewer than 14 times. (i stopped counting at 14)  finally i see one as it scurries away and this young one doesn't hide like the others.  she climbs a tree and peaks out to watch me.  that's all i needed and down she goes into the thick stuff.  the retrieval was not fun and  the nettles easily puncture the thin long sleeve t-shirt and my skin.  after walking for some time, i take up a position looking over another ravine and creek.  i spot movement along the creek below and see something large and black.  i grab the regal and glass the area.  a solid black coyote.  no mistaking that gate or tail.  i quickly bring out the squirrel and waive it around hoping to send it's sent down wind with mine own, but it keeps moving and is soon gone.  the sun is getting low and i have a good hour and a half hike back to the truck.  after stopping for fuel for both the truck and myself i return home at 930. with the squirrels processed and me showered i fall in bed at 1120 at which time the wife softly says..."you'll be 60 in a few months, your too old to be out so long, you're going to kill yourself."  i whisper back in her ear..."then i'm already dead."


i was able to retrieve 2 of the pellets.  the small female i took at 14 yards was a pass through.  the other female was at 12 yards and not much deformation to the pellet.  the large male at 44 yards with the pellet passing through a measured 4 3/4" of meat and internals also had no real deformation. 


pellet on the left is from the female.  pellet on the right is from the male.  i found it interesting the lack of expansion, especially on the 12 yard shot.  [size=78%] [/size]
[/size]
[/size]

[UCChris]

I see you're in IL. I am moving there soon and I was looking at the public land available to hunt. Doesn't look good! Nice shooting!

[buddyb]

That was a good day of hunting, Congratulations 

Buddyb

[wolverine]

I see you're in IL. I am moving there soon and I was looking at the public land available to hunt. Doesn't look good! Nice shooting!

it depends on where you reside.  not much to hunt up north in the way of airgunning, but down south there are plenty of places. not that there aren't woods up north, but most are private and the land owners are tired of  hunters from the city and burbs poaching or seeking permissions and leaving the area a mess with their garbage.  that info comes from me asking for permission to hunt squirrels with my air rifle the last couple of years. i live in a rural area and have many friends that farm for a living. 


the southern tip has the shawnee national forest.  illinois has some of the finest deer hunting in the midwest, but if you live up north, you have to travel to get to it.  after my hunt yesterday, i met a gentleman from michigan who was scouting for a deer hunting place.  he said everyone he knows from michigan comes to illinois to hunt deer.  of course, he also mentioned they hunt down south.

[dk1677]

Nice ones Carl!

[A.K.A. Tommy Boy]

Congratulations Carl !     Great Hunting Story !

Those three are really nice.

Happy Hunting !


Best Wishes - Tom

[ranchibi]

Carl, great hunt and nice shooting! You’re still young and able bodied for sure 😉👍.

[Traum]

Great post. I like the way you lay out the story. Good shooting.
 I'm new to harvesting squirrel. When I was a kid in the "city" I was able to pest control squirrel eating into the soffits and gutter board of the house. Anyway, now I'm learning to clean them. Got my first hades pellet kill, large male squirrel. Entered From shoulder down to end of rib cage diagonal shot and was able to retrieve pellet minimal deformation. pp700 25 yards at 19fpe. Was 5.4mm to 5.75mm so about 3% expansion. I'm thinking more power is needed to have them really open up.

May tune the taipan down and do a test during squirrel season with the hades.. Keep us posted with your results.

[ranchibi]

Great post. I like the way you lay out the story. Good shooting.
 I'm new to harvesting squirrel. When I was a kid in the "city" I was able to pest control squirrel eating into the soffits and gutter board of the house. Anyway, now I'm learning to clean them. Got my first hades pellet kill, large male squirrel. Entered From shoulder down to end of rib cage diagonal shot and was able to retrieve pellet minimal deformation. pp700 25 yards at 19fpe. Was 5.4mm to 5.75mm so about 3% expansion. I'm thinking more power is needed to have them really open up.

May tune the taipan down and do a test during squirrel season with the hades.. Keep us posted with your results.

Tim, if you hit a squirrel using a Hades in your Veteran Long...you won’t have much meat to harvest! LOL!

[Wayne52]

Great shooting Carl !!!

[35 shooter]

Nice hunt and good shooting! Really enjoyed reading about it.