Range Critters

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Once n a while, I see posts and photos of cool critters on AGN. My backyard range is a "tunnel" cut into very dense woods that is about 110 yards long by 30ish or so yards. It has 3 different lanes with targets at various distances and I have a lot of metal spinner targets. I mostly shoot metal since it can stay up year around and creates no mess and requires little maintenance. Since I install them using 1/4 inch steel tubing 4 feet long and driven about 18 inches into the ground, they stay above the weeds in summer and snow in winter.

I've kept this range cleaned up and in constant use since about 2011. Almost daily, I have critters that visit including, herds of deer, birds of all types, turkeys, squirrels, groundhogs, fox, raccoons, possum, birds of prey, lizards, skinks, snakes, but only 3 rabbits in all that time.

My favorite is this turtle who has been a repeat visitor over the years as frequently as weekly. Sometimes, I find him in my yard munching on plants but I mostly see him at various places out on my range. Almost like "where's Waldo," you never know where you'll spot him next. Pretty easy to spot as you're focused down range and see movement in your peripheral. I know you're saying to yourself; yeah right - they all kinda look alike how do you know it's the same one? Well, I'd recognize that carapace anywhere. They purportedly have unique patterns and markings along their backs. It's the same dude! I've taken numerous pics over the years and its trademark feature is the pattern at the top of his shell.

My range buddy is apparently called a woodlands box turtle.

 
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 Range critters is a good place for this-one of these walked out from around a building at 60 or so yards quite a few wks back. Paraded around while I was shooting 120 at some sheet metal-I was floored ,I'd shoot he'd look at me then the impact on target ,wandered over to the target while I was shooting it.I have like 5 houses across the highway that could of been watching us - so he lives,for now-I got the impression he was showing off,or a scout cause he was talking alot
 
Good looking turkey fz1. I also find in many cases that critters are attracted to the sound of pellet impacts. Guess they are curious. I have a squirrel that shows up (little runt gets a pass) every day and runs across the top of a fence exactly 8 feet from my shooting position while shooting up to and including .30 cal.

Once while fine tuning a zero against a dead tree, I was focused in at 20x at 48 yards. Got scope fine tuned to single hole. While looking thru the scope, it all went suddenly black and shaky. Freaked me out. I look up from scope with naked eye and there is a huge black snake that dropped in from a higher limb to get a close up look at the source of vibrations rattling his tree.
 
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So this little dude and sibling (twins) were hanging out with mom at my 82 yard target cleaning up my range. Good little workers.

They are eating at 82 yards, I am shooting over to the left of them at 98 yards target with my Wildcat 177 at 20 FPE. After 30 shots and hits on target at 98 yards, not even a flinch from the 2 fawns or doe. The doe did glance behind her at the 98 yard target where the tink, tink, tink, was coming from but kept on munching her salad. Does with fawns are generally hyper alert.