First Hunt Of The Year

[Pellethuntr]

This was the first dedicated airgun hunt that I have been on in over a year. I shoot a hundreds of pests around the farm every year but life has been busy and I haven't been able to make it into the woods with an airgun in quite a long time.

I topped off the Discovery and my little 48ci bottle with my compressor and I took off down the trail around 2pm. A little late in the day but with the sun shining and the temperatures up to around 25 degrees I figured something would be moving. I went about a half mile before seeing any life other than a few birds in the thick bushes. A movement down in the ditch to my left caught my eye immediately. It was a good size opossum making it's way to a log that headed up the hill away from me. We saw each other at the same moment and we both froze. He was only about 10 yards so I snapped a couple quick pictures of him. He got a pass today, we have chickens and other animals on the farm that he would bother if he had the chance but the high fencing and roosters has kept everything but a few bold hawks out.

I continued on another 30-40 yards and heard the tell tale sounds of squirrel nails on tree bark. A couple of grey squirrels were chasing from stump to stump on the tall oak trees that line the sides of the trail. A well places shot and one of them came tumbling down. I was nearing the end of the trail and decided to turn around and try some thicker areas. I walked the edge of a pine lot and was able to get two red squirrels pretty quickly. I then turned my attention to a clump of thicket across the woods that tends to hold lots of life during the winter. This area is at the back of the farm and it used to be used as a dump site many years before I moved in. There were a LOT of red squirrels running all over the under brush but I was only able to score one and they all retreated at the sounds of the shot (I need to make a new moderator for this gun).

From there I took a walk down to the creek to see what the water level was like. Pretty wild ice formations from last week when we went from single digits to 50's and then back to single digits in three days time. I didn't come across any more targets but I did cut a number of fox and coyote tracks. It's good to see they are back up on their feet now that the snow has receded. I am an avid predator hunter and had a rough season so far this year. 30+ inches of snow for weeks puts everything on lock down.

I called it a day after spending three hours trudging through the snow. I have spent the last couple of weeks making modification to my Disco (Custom 3D printed forearm and DIY AR stock adapter) and it was nice to get it out in the field to stretch it's legs a little.

[Raider03]

Impressive updates in the Disco. Great hunt results! What's your favorite squirrel recipe?

[Bicycleman]

Brian, that is a fine way to start the year.  Congratulations!

[Pellethuntr]

Impressive updates in the Disco.

Thank you! I might be bringing the forearm to the market relatively soon.

What's your favorite squirrel recipe?

I don't usually eat them. As stated above I am an avid predator hunter and I usually use them as bait.

[Blowpipe Sam]

Good writing.  I enjoyed it a lot.  Good luck and keep them coming!

[dk1677]

Nice haul Brian!

[DLP]

Nice hunt. I seen a possum come out of my barn the other day. I have a couple deer carcasses that the crows been picking at about 90 yards from the deck. I usually pick one off it every couple days. Possum made a mistake and was taking his last dinner on the bait pile.

[Pellethuntr]

Nice haul Brian!

If you are the Disco Dave I am thinking of I believe we live very close to each other?

[Pellethuntr]

Nice hunt. I seen a possum come out of my barn the other day. I have a couple deer carcasses that the crows been picking at about 90 yards from the deck. I usually pick one off it every couple days. Possum made a mistake and was taking his last dinner on the bait pile.

I usually give them a pass, I have had numerous encounters like the one today. They seem to have very little going for them. It was too afraid or maybe knew it was too slow to run away so it slowly slid down behind the log and hid. Honestly I feel bad shooting them unless they are getting into trouble around the farm. Not much challenge to hunt them.

[ranchibi]

Brian, beautiful walk, hunt, photos and shooting! You have some nice land to hunt on. Very nice custom mods on your Disco.

[Pellethuntr]

Brian, beautiful walk, hunt, photos and shooting! You have some nice land to hunt on. Very nice custom mods on your Disco.

Thank you, I am blessed to have access to a lot of private land as well as public land within a half hour of my house. Western NY can be a sportsman paradise!

I appreciate the compliment on my Disco, this poor gun has been through a lot. I got it shortly after they came out, had to be 10+ years ago. Back then I was going to college preparing to start my career as a machinist. I had a very small Sherline mill/lathe combo that taught me a lot but left a lot to be desired. I made a lot of parts and did a lot of "mods" to this gun. Most of them were unsuccessful hack jobs and some of them left damage that is still there. These days it's a modest 885fps average over 15 shots with 14.3 CP's. More than enough to do the job I need it to. It is a tool and it gets used like one most days. No safe queens here. This gun will spend 200+ days a year in my garage shop and probably shoot a couple tins of pellets at live targets in 2022. I am constantly looking for ways to make it better at it's job.

[only1harry]

Great shooting Brian and nice story and pics!

[Tater]

Great hunt and write-up Brian.

[dk1677]

Over in the Mohawk valley Brian

[Wayne52]

Great shooting on those reds Brian !!!

[Pellethuntr]

Over in the Mohawk valley Brian

There must be another Disco Dave, unless you moved?

There used to be a guy right near me in Dansville.

[ranchibi]

Brian, beautiful walk, hunt, photos and shooting! You have some nice land to hunt on. Very nice custom mods on your Disco.

Thank you, I am blessed to have access to a lot of private land as well as public land within a half hour of my house. Western NY can be a sportsman paradise!

I appreciate the compliment on my Disco, this poor gun has been through a lot. I got it shortly after they came out, had to be 10+ years ago. Back then I was going to college preparing to start my career as a machinist. I had a very small Sherline mill/lathe combo that taught me a lot but left a lot to be desired. I made a lot of parts and did a lot of "mods" to this gun. Most of them were unsuccessful hack jobs and some of them left damage that is still there. These days it's a modest 885fps average over 15 shots with 14.3 CP's. More than enough to do the job I need it to. It is a tool and it gets used like one most days. No safe queens here. This gun will spend 200+ days a year in my garage shop and probably shoot a couple tins of pellets at live targets in 2022. I am constantly looking for ways to make it better at it's job.

You're welcome! I have an appreciation for those that have the skills to be able to machine custom parts for their own guns as I do not have tihose skills! The satisfaction of completing a project like that and then being able to shoot it must be rewarding.

[Pellethuntr]

You're welcome! I have an appreciation for those that have the skills to be able to machine custom parts for their own guns as I do not have those skills! The satisfaction of completing a project like that and then being able to shoot it must be rewarding.

It is rewarding and it can be addicting. My friends all joke that I don't own anything that is "stock". They are right, everything I own has been modified by me in some way. 

[DIAMOND]

Fun walk and 4 squirrels down. Personally, I would have taken the opossum. They can make livestock sick as they pee on hay.

[Pellethuntr]

Fun walk and 4 squirrels down. Personally, I would have taken the opossum. They can make livestock sick as they pee on hay.

Just did a quick Google search on that and found out about EPM and how it can effect horses. I had never heard of it before but it is caused by a protozoa (parasite) that is found in the possums feces (not urine). As far as livestock goes it only effects horses. It may effect cats and dogs as well but the research is inconclusive from what I read.

My hay is stored securely and I don't worry about an animal that size getting in it. But having already put one of our horses down due to an unexpected and incurable illness in the last year and having neighbors with horses that do not take as good of care of feed and hay as I do I will not be passing them in the future.