I have not seen many squirrels around lately, and that is okay. As much as I do enjoy shooting them, it means that my time and efforts are paying off and the numbers are down. I've seen a couple here and there, but generally off in the distance and not near my property.
Today, I saw 3 squirrels, well probably two, because I think 1 and 3 were the same squirrel. Hard to tell. They all look alike to me.
It rained last night and early this morning, and it was cool out, maybe 48 or so. I was puttering around the garage, and to my surprise I saw a good sized nutter traveling along the fence top. I grabbed my rifle, padded seat (it was wet out there and I was trying to avoid cold, wet butt), and a small bag for the shooting table.
He was in the back corner of the fence behind a river birch. I was encouraged by that and hoped he would not see me coming out to greet him. Unfortunately, he saw me and did not waste any time getting the heck out of Dodge. Perhaps he and I have had an encounter before? As I watched this one make his way further and further into the maple grove and away from me and some lead, I grabbed my gear, shrugged, and headed back into the garage.
As I rounded the corner of the gate entrance, I spotted a squirrel foraging off the corner of my parking pad. Oh my, that's a gift. I did not look at her, and kept going into the garage nice and easy. Didn't matter. Busted. She hopped back into some heavy cover under the pines, but I was pretty sure she did not leave the area.
I grabbed my shooting sticks and my folding chair and set up a yard or two back in the garage so I had some cover and she could not see me. I kept an eye out on the area, and I spotted her again on the side of a larger pine, but I did not have a shot. I just kept looking and waited.
Finally, she drops down from the pine about 5 minutes later. She continues to forage in the area where I first saw her. I get her in the scope and wait for an opportunity. I generally like to wait until they get into some sort of feeding pattern, and take the shot as they sit back to munch on whatever they have found. She kept looking around, but wasn't really foraging. I was about to give a lip squeak when all of the sudden she just froze a perfect profile for me. Thank you.
Okay, I have her in the scope. It's only 20 yards so I'm dead on with the crosshairs. I hesitate. Is she going to move? Still frozen. Take the shot already. Maybe..now? I finally pull the trigger and as I do she ducks right on que.
Noooooo! The pellet slams into a backer board I have screwed into the lower portion of my neighbor's fence because I have a spinner there for some fun plinking. It whacks into the board with a smart crack, but unbelievably, she does not start. It's always so hard to tell how much noise a shot is making when you, as the shooter, hear nothing but the smack of the valve. I can only assume it was not too loud or she would have bolted.
She goes back to foraging around the area, I chamber another pellet, and this time wait for her to pick something up to feed on. She does. I aim. The lead goes.
POP! Eye squirt. The dance ensues. That takes care of that.
She was quartering towards me when I pulled the trigger. My aim point was actually at the brow above the eye, but at that range with this rifle, it really doesn't matter. DRT.
Regal XL + JSB 15.90 + Seated + tripod.
Exit after being cleaned up a bit.
How I found her..
Entry. Pretty noticeable eye squirt on impact.
Exit 2
Today, I saw 3 squirrels, well probably two, because I think 1 and 3 were the same squirrel. Hard to tell. They all look alike to me.
It rained last night and early this morning, and it was cool out, maybe 48 or so. I was puttering around the garage, and to my surprise I saw a good sized nutter traveling along the fence top. I grabbed my rifle, padded seat (it was wet out there and I was trying to avoid cold, wet butt), and a small bag for the shooting table.
He was in the back corner of the fence behind a river birch. I was encouraged by that and hoped he would not see me coming out to greet him. Unfortunately, he saw me and did not waste any time getting the heck out of Dodge. Perhaps he and I have had an encounter before? As I watched this one make his way further and further into the maple grove and away from me and some lead, I grabbed my gear, shrugged, and headed back into the garage.
As I rounded the corner of the gate entrance, I spotted a squirrel foraging off the corner of my parking pad. Oh my, that's a gift. I did not look at her, and kept going into the garage nice and easy. Didn't matter. Busted. She hopped back into some heavy cover under the pines, but I was pretty sure she did not leave the area.
I grabbed my shooting sticks and my folding chair and set up a yard or two back in the garage so I had some cover and she could not see me. I kept an eye out on the area, and I spotted her again on the side of a larger pine, but I did not have a shot. I just kept looking and waited.
Finally, she drops down from the pine about 5 minutes later. She continues to forage in the area where I first saw her. I get her in the scope and wait for an opportunity. I generally like to wait until they get into some sort of feeding pattern, and take the shot as they sit back to munch on whatever they have found. She kept looking around, but wasn't really foraging. I was about to give a lip squeak when all of the sudden she just froze a perfect profile for me. Thank you.
Okay, I have her in the scope. It's only 20 yards so I'm dead on with the crosshairs. I hesitate. Is she going to move? Still frozen. Take the shot already. Maybe..now? I finally pull the trigger and as I do she ducks right on que.
Noooooo! The pellet slams into a backer board I have screwed into the lower portion of my neighbor's fence because I have a spinner there for some fun plinking. It whacks into the board with a smart crack, but unbelievably, she does not start. It's always so hard to tell how much noise a shot is making when you, as the shooter, hear nothing but the smack of the valve. I can only assume it was not too loud or she would have bolted.
She goes back to foraging around the area, I chamber another pellet, and this time wait for her to pick something up to feed on. She does. I aim. The lead goes.
POP! Eye squirt. The dance ensues. That takes care of that.
She was quartering towards me when I pulled the trigger. My aim point was actually at the brow above the eye, but at that range with this rifle, it really doesn't matter. DRT.
Regal XL + JSB 15.90 + Seated + tripod.
Exit after being cleaned up a bit.
How I found her..
Entry. Pretty noticeable eye squirt on impact.
Exit 2
