With some squirrel taco left-overs still in the fridge, I managed to bag another one.
I walked by the dining room and noticed a new nutter in the neighborhood, foraging under the walnut tree. I made the S510 ready and went out onto the deck. I was a good 20 yards away, but as soon as he saw me, he high-tailed it to a tree, and ran 4 ft. up. Hmm. Why are they so afraid of people 20 yards away? Just last year, I took 45 of them from 10 yards away. Probably the Crosman pointed pellets I've found just under the skin on several previous nutters explain it. Someone else in my neighborhood is educating them.
I found a location that would let me thread the shot through the much nearer mulberry tree, and assumed the field target position on the deck.
He disappeared around behind the tree for a bit. I settled in behind the Hawke Vantage 4-12x50, set at 10X. I glassed the area and spotted the bushy tail. Followed that to his body, and notice he was now sitting atop the chain link fence. I estimated he was at about 25 or 30 yards now, which is zero for my trajectory. I lined up on his upper chest and touched it off *chik* It was a sunny day, with the sun in the right position; I saw the JSB 18 in flight. (@ ~705 fps) It arced up and hammered him, right at the peak of the trajectory. *POK* It had hit the mark.
He jumped up, and managed to somehow not fall off. Got ahold of the tree and ran up it with due haste.
I watched the tree for maybe a few minutes, half expecting to see him fall, even if I couldn't spot him. No dice. I knew the pellet had found its mark; it was time to let things play out inside his torso.
My brother and I then went for a walk in the woods for an hour and a half or so. Once home, I got myself a cup of tea and took a leisurely stroll around the fence line where this had occurred. I looked for several minutes, but couldn't find a body. Must've died up in a tree somewhere. :-( I had given up and was headed back in, when I spotted him at the base of the tree next to the one he had run up earlier. He was on the other side of fence, so I found a dead branch that had fallen off of that tree, and pushed him over to an area where I could pull him under.
I gave him the once-over, and found what I thought was the entrance wound in the left shoulder area. No exit. !? I got him inside for his photo shoot and felt around his opposite side, either for a blood mark or pellet lump. Sure enough, there was a pellet lump just outside his knee on the right side. Seems the pellet went through him diagonally. But without enough juice to burst through the skin. Fine!
Anyway, I'll let the annotated pix tell the rest of the story.
Finished squirrel taco left-overs tonight. It's supposed to get cold here again about Tuesday. Might be time for a Crock Pot full of squirrel chili!
I walked by the dining room and noticed a new nutter in the neighborhood, foraging under the walnut tree. I made the S510 ready and went out onto the deck. I was a good 20 yards away, but as soon as he saw me, he high-tailed it to a tree, and ran 4 ft. up. Hmm. Why are they so afraid of people 20 yards away? Just last year, I took 45 of them from 10 yards away. Probably the Crosman pointed pellets I've found just under the skin on several previous nutters explain it. Someone else in my neighborhood is educating them.
I found a location that would let me thread the shot through the much nearer mulberry tree, and assumed the field target position on the deck.
He disappeared around behind the tree for a bit. I settled in behind the Hawke Vantage 4-12x50, set at 10X. I glassed the area and spotted the bushy tail. Followed that to his body, and notice he was now sitting atop the chain link fence. I estimated he was at about 25 or 30 yards now, which is zero for my trajectory. I lined up on his upper chest and touched it off *chik* It was a sunny day, with the sun in the right position; I saw the JSB 18 in flight. (@ ~705 fps) It arced up and hammered him, right at the peak of the trajectory. *POK* It had hit the mark.
He jumped up, and managed to somehow not fall off. Got ahold of the tree and ran up it with due haste.
I watched the tree for maybe a few minutes, half expecting to see him fall, even if I couldn't spot him. No dice. I knew the pellet had found its mark; it was time to let things play out inside his torso.
My brother and I then went for a walk in the woods for an hour and a half or so. Once home, I got myself a cup of tea and took a leisurely stroll around the fence line where this had occurred. I looked for several minutes, but couldn't find a body. Must've died up in a tree somewhere. :-( I had given up and was headed back in, when I spotted him at the base of the tree next to the one he had run up earlier. He was on the other side of fence, so I found a dead branch that had fallen off of that tree, and pushed him over to an area where I could pull him under.
I gave him the once-over, and found what I thought was the entrance wound in the left shoulder area. No exit. !? I got him inside for his photo shoot and felt around his opposite side, either for a blood mark or pellet lump. Sure enough, there was a pellet lump just outside his knee on the right side. Seems the pellet went through him diagonally. But without enough juice to burst through the skin. Fine!
Anyway, I'll let the annotated pix tell the rest of the story.
Finished squirrel taco left-overs tonight. It's supposed to get cold here again about Tuesday. Might be time for a Crock Pot full of squirrel chili!
