I had an eventful day today with a raccoon

[Nickelsig229]

First, as always, let me thank all of you for the support, information and guidance. It really does make a difference to a newcomer.

I was able to get a picture of the feeder my father pieced together. Don't laugh to hard. We made it out of scrap odds and ends we had laying around. It has a piece of T1-11 with a piece of 1/2 inch medium density fiber board in front of it. That is to stop pellets in case we miss or pass through the nut thieves while helping to suppress sound from impact. We are just getting started, and I didn't think the accuracy would be so fantastic, in retrospect I would just hang a feeder on the tree. There are houses behind ours, approximately 130 yards through a tree line so safety is always a great policy.

The feeder is hinged on top and was designed for peanuts. We made a large base for squirrels to stand on and reach up for peanuts. The plastic and rubber are to protect fiber board and top of feeder from sitting water. My father, as I've mentioned, is 65 and old school get it done no matter what mentality. He came up with an easel style of putting the feeder up against the tree while supporting the backstop. Not exactly common sense, but we're apparently not about that here. Eventually this will all be replaced with just a simple little feeder.

It has a ramp, about 3 feet with 1x strips nailed to it to serve as steps for squirrels to climb, which they do use. But mostly they climb the back side of the tree, then come down from the top hoping onto the back stop, then onto the top of the feeder, then onto the ledge. Where they begin there assault on the nuts. It's neat to watch them climb down head first.

We recently put a corn cob on a screw and it provides for more shot time. The squirrels often would come steal a nut then go bury it. I would have to shoot at them while trying to bury the nut, with the corn cob they sit and eat. We are switching to a nut, sunflower and corn feed which might keep them at the feeder longer.

You'll notice the feed port is chewed. That's because my dad is the typical stingy ginney (so am I) and put a door on the port to stop them from stealing at night or while we aren't out there. They chewed through the door and base of the feeder to get at the nuts. Now he uses a steel bracket.



Today I shot at a chipmunk for the first time. He was investigating some of the dropped peanut shells under the feeder. They are small and I'm considering re thinking my scopes zero for the 18 yards to the tree to make it easier. I ordered some medium height rings and I'm hoping they work with my scope, then I'll re-evaluate my zero. I wasn't able to eliminate him. Mom was happy as well as my cousins 3 year old boy who was using my spotting scope to watch him eat. Apparently chipmunks are too cute to kill, but she forgets that when they are eating the cantaloupe.

I did however catch my 11'th Nut thief. I would say 12th, but the dead squirrel got up and disappeared on me while eating lunch yesterday. He was dead for at least 5. but more like 8 minutes, then disappeared when I left for lunch. I learned my lesson about being stingy with pellets. I put a second shot into this one after he moved 3-4 yards from where I initially drilled him. I was going to put a third as well but at that point it was just spite from what happened the day before, so I didn't.



I spent a good 2 hours shooting at a dartboard target with my cousin and father, playing cricket. My 3 year old nephew is adorable, and he had to operate the spotting scope and tell us if we hit our score. He's young though, and when we asked if it was a good hit he would always answer "no" so we would have to walk to the target and verify. That was easier then fighting him for the spotting scope. We had a great time with the family hanging out with us. The older I get the more I appreciate things like this. 20 years ago I was so busy doing my own things that I couldn't be bothered with the family time. I wish I knew then what I know now.

And then the "event"

I don't have a door knocker set up yet. I don't know why I am stalling, they are so cheap there is no reason to stall. Anyway, my home made door knocker (aka Mom) gets up at 4 am to sip tea then start gardening as soon as day breaks. We tethered a squirrel carcass to the shed as bait and something was causing a stir. She woke me up and out I went, blurry eyed, grumpy and tired but I had told her to wake me at any sign, since she would be up. This is the second day we had this carcass out there and it was starting to stink.

I had a 500 lumen light with 2 layers of green gift basket plastic wrapped around it with an elastic band. I was messing around with it last night just to see the effects before buying a legitimate filter. I flashed the shed from about 28 yards away and saw mister Rack-a-coon (broken english). The light was enough to see him but my vision isn't so great. I took the wrap off and went with the powerful white light which lit up half the back yard. The raccoon looked into the light, directly at me without moving and I put a shot in him. I got him above the eye and below the ear. He wasn't dead though. I used jsb exact diabolo king extra heavy mkII .25 cal 33.95gr, instead of the predator polymag .26gr that although are accurate enough for me, I've lost confidence in their kill power. I started shooting at him as fast as I could cycle the bolt and took 4 more shots, not accurately. He was moving violently and I was just trying to hit body as fast as possible with my adrenaline rushing. I think I missed 2 of the 5 shots.

The picture is gross as I left it out there and went back to bed. By the time I took them it was already warm and sunny out. There are maggots in the dead squirrel carcass from being out there two days. I'm pretty sure this was the first shot, right in his head.



You can see some blood near his shoulder, pretty sure one of the follow up shots.



Size compared to the dead squirrel.



My father says we made a hat trick so far this year.

Squirrels, skunk, and raccoon. He says four aces would be if we can take out a possum, and royal straight flush would be all those with a chipmunk on top. Love my pop.

Thanks guys.

[ssbn617]

Paisan,
When you shoot them in the head they are dead. All that jumping around is just nerves. Remember the saying" like a chicken with its head cut off"?

[Tater]

Nice pics Tony.

[dk1677]

Nice shooting Tony! Whats the season there?

[Nickelsig229]

Nice shooting Tony! Whats the season there?

There is a hunting season for raccoons?

[Methuselah]

Nice shooting Tony.  Your dead 5 to 8 minute squirrel may have been carried off and eaten by another critter, such as a hawk, cat, or even mister Rack-a-coon 

[dk1677]

Please check your DEC

[Nickelsig229]

Please check your DEC

Not sure what DEC means?

[dk1677]

I guess its DEEP in CT - http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2700&q=573536&deepNav_GID=1633#FURBEARERS

[Nickelsig229]

Got it. I've read that 10 or so times over the past two weeks.

[JrSquirreler]

Great shooting!

[dk1677]

I see you can remove problem animals

[shadow]

That looks like a nice sized Bandit from the body size as well as those feet. I'm surprised the shot to the fusebox didn't put it down since from the pic it looks like it was in the kill zone. Ed

[nappyman]

Good going, your racking them pest up👍🏽

[wll2506]

What kind of speed you getting with your Marauder and those pellets ?

wll2506

[Nickelsig229]

What kind of speed you getting with your Marauder and those pellets ?

wll2506

I just got a chrony and haven't used it yet. Hoping to try it out when I install some different rings this week.

[CaptFappingtons]

Nice shooting! I guarantee that first shot to the dome was lights out for him. Nerves n stuff, you know how it goes