Shadow Nutter Hunt

[longislandhunter]

Around 3:30 this afternoon I finally finished my chores in the yard so I decided to rush down to the squirrel woods and see if I could harvest a nutter or 2 in the final hour of legal shooting time.  For this hunt I decided to take a rifle that I haven't hunted with in a very long time and also a rifle that is very special to me.  I reached into the gun safe and pulled out the first adult air rifle I bought  almost 7 years ago when I first got into this addiction, my beloved .177 cal GAMO Shadow 1000.  The rifle is topped with a BSA 4x12x50 AO using a one piece BKL mount and from the first day I got this rifle it has been simply incredibly accurate.  Matter of fact it shoots so nicely that to this day I haven't touched a thing on it except of course to install the magic gold trigger.  This rifle has taken more starlings at the duck farm than I can even count, not to mention squirrels, pigeons and rabbits.  Since buying this S1K I have accumulated many rifles but this one holds a special place in my heart and always will.  Anyway, on to the hunt.

By the time I got to the woods I only had about 45 minutes of hunting time remaining so I loaded the S1K and got down to it.  I quickly made my way to a section of woods where I knew I stood the best chance of seeing squirrels.  Sure enough, it didn't take long to spot some movement.  2 squirrels were feeding on the ground about 40 yards ahead of me.  One of the nutters saw me and bolted in the opposite direction but the other nutter was to busy searching the forest floor for food and he hadn't noticed my approach. 

I slowly closed the distance between me and the nutter and finally got into a good shooting position 25 yards from him.  He was sitting on a low branch of a pine tree chewing his way into a nut.  I dialed the AO to the appropriate range, put the crosshairs on his eye and squeezed the gold trigger.  The S1K fired and the nutter fell over like a bowling pin and dropped from his perch.  He hit the ground and never even twitched a muscle.  The CPL had entered just below his left eye and exited on the other side of his head.  The S1K came through again 

Took a few pics before the light faded and slowly worked my way back to the truck.  Hope ya like the pics....







In this one you can see where the pellet hit just below the eye......




Jeff

[dk1677]

Nice shooting Jeff! and pictures!

[mr1000fps]

great shot....you are from long island???and also near a duck farm??? i grew up on long island and lived near carmans river...i used to hunt the duck farm there.....does this ring a bell, or are you near the other duck farm jurgilwiz---bad spelling

[longislandhunter]

I am indeed from Long Island and about 30  years ago me and a couple of buddies used to shoot at the duck farm on Carmans River all the time.  I used to reload 300 or 400 shells and we'd go through them all in a single day blasting starlings.  For the past couple of years I've been shooting at the Jurgielwicz duck farm in Moriches,, but sadly they closed up shop earlier this year and moved to Ohio. 

Jeff

[jonnnyboy]

Great hunt, Jeff.  It is so nice to be able to slip off for an hour or so to hunt.  Thats a great shot on that squirrel and rifle.  Its a sweet feeling when you are able to shoot a squirrel with one of the fav. rifles.

joe

[only1harry]

Nice shooting with the S1K Jeff!  I have not seen you hunt with that gun in a while.  It still has the "touch" like the ol'days.  Very nice shot placement and pics! 

[amb5500c]

I like the way you spread the love around to all of your guns. Keep them happy and they wont let you down.
Richard

[mr1000fps]

wow 30 years ago i was 10yrs old hunting that duck farm with my 760 pump master and a few other guns. i guess that was you shooting the starlings...wow small world...that farm was loaded with rats !!!we used to pack a lunch and spend all day there.....

nice nutter  jeff

[redone1992]

Nice shooting

[Atchman2]

Nothing like a nostalgia hunt! I feel the same way when I reach for my 40 year old Blue Streak or my first springer, ironically a Gamo as well.  I know we've been over this probably too much in the Hunting Gate, but Gamos, can be GREAT hunting guns! I know Ed slays them with his Gamo's (a 1250 and a Whisper) and I've take a ton of stuff with my "Black Gun" as well.  Accurate, light, and very easy to shoot with a GRT trigger, they are hard to beat.  Mine is my constant scouting companion because of the sling and the weight. 

Fine shooting on that nutter my friend!  That pellet didn't drop a quarter inch from your aim point at that distance-EXCELLENT! 

[longislandhunter]

Thanks guys, it felt good to bag a nutter with that rifle.  I agree with you Randy, the GAMO guns can be fantastic hunters.  I have a few of them in my collection, all of them the "older" style guns and they all shoot amazing.  I have the S1k that I hunted with in this post, I picked up 2 more S1K's when Walmart was selling them off for $60 bucks, I have an 890 that is awesome, a .177 and .22 CFX,  an English made .22 cal 1250 Royal and a very hard to find .22 caliber "Black Shadow" rifle that is a squirrel slayer extraordinaire.  I love all my older GAMO rifles, they are all excellent shooters and excellent hunters.  I have to make it a point to take them out of the safe more often    The synthetic stocked S1K's are a dream to hunt with since they are so light, you can carry them all day without ever feeling it. 



Jeff

[shadow]

It's great to see you pulling out your classic springers and getting some hunt time in with them buddy. Great shooting and pics. I've been out for night hunts and some day calling on the Yotes and Foxes but have basically left the nutters alone. It's been one of the slowest times around here for night critters and haven't spotted a Bandit or C-rat in almost a month. My bait pile is attracting several Yotes and Foxes along with cat's and Skunks. I got my hand on the fresh remains of a Deer harvest and the critters are loving it. I'm keeping tabs on the activity when I'm not out with the trail cam and focusing on letting the Predators get real cozy at the pile. Ed

[Atchman2]

Not to usurp this threat too much, but Ed my numbers of night critters is WAY down and it isn't because I'm shooting them! Not sure what has caused it except the lack of mast around my house may have them moving around more.  I've got all my fur care stuff ready to go too so I can get the hides ready for tanning and I haven't had a shot at a raccoon in at least a month.  

Good thing the deer here are just as hungry and honestly FAR easier to shoot.  

Okay back on the topic of Gamos, I keep kicking myself for not instantly buying one of those CFX refurbs that AGD had.  I'm sure one will turn up in the classified's eventually. Jeff, have you put me in your will yet and given me the power to pull the plug (if necessary)?  I'll take real good care of the collection.

Way to go again on the nutter! Pretty much my .177s have became my preferred guns for them.  I like the flat shooting and my .177s are super accurate, the Whisper and the RWS 36C are perfect!  Ed, I have a scope and mounts all ready for the RWS 320!  I'm sure I can harvest a few nutters with it!

You need to get in another hunt with the Gamo. I'm in Chicago and can't hunt so I need you to go hunting so I can hunt vicariously through your efforts.

(BTW; Love the BSA scope too! I have two of them and they have held up very well on my rifles. One of them is on the JET right now and it is taking the pounding, the other is on one of the other TF monsters a TF 87)

[1377x]

nice shooting!