No successful hunts in this post, but hopefully a good read.
Last night, I was sitting in the back room on my computer, and keeping my peripheral vision open for nighttime varmints by the feeder. Someone's been digging up the yard in that area, and I think it's either raccoons or skunks or both.
I caught some motion, and looked over to see a skunk. I told my son, who grabbed the binoculars to watch the scene unfold from the safety of the house.
I grabbed the HPA Hammerli 850, went out the side door and drew a bead on him. It was pretty dark and I didn't have great view on him. I checked that my focus was right, and when I got back on target, he wasn't there. I caught him going across the yard, rather faster than I'm used to seeing skunks move. I think the young 'uns are faster. I missed my shot messing around with the scope.
Several hours later in the evening, I picked up some movement in the same area, and the neighbor's cat, also black & white, was sitting there, just as happy as could be. Looking around, just sitting there. It made me wonder: was I seeing it right, earlier? Did I almost shoot the neighbor's cat?!
This morning, I talked to my son again, who had a much better view through the binocs. He said there was no doubt it was a skunk, and it had lifted its tail and he was afraid it would spray me. I was 15 yards away, Phew. (can they spray 15 yards away?)
Now don't get me wrong. That cat is not going to make it anyway. Some coyote or fox or car is going to get it for sure, and probably before the summer's out. I've heard cats are tough, and they are bloody fast too, especially when scared. Even with a heart/lung shot, it would easily make it home next door, where it would die from the pellet wound. But I don't need to be the one to do him in.
I've been having mouse problems: they're in my attic and in the basement walls and in the garage. I've been trapping them in the garage, and just throwing the bodies out under the bird feeder, figuring it would get the nighttime pests to a safe spot for the firing squad. Turns out maybe it has been the CAT that has been cleaning up the mice! Has he been bringing home the mice, making the neighbor lady proud of his hunting prowess, when he was just picking up the bodies from my yard? :-D
'hope he doesn't get any that the poison got. I'll have to throw those in the garbage.
Side note: peanut butter on a mouse trap works MUCH better than cheese; it doesn't mold as fast.
I'm probably inadvertently feeding them in the yard with the spilled bird seed, so I'll probably need to keep trapping them indefinitely. It's hard to get the ecosystem just right, isn't it?
Last night, I was sitting in the back room on my computer, and keeping my peripheral vision open for nighttime varmints by the feeder. Someone's been digging up the yard in that area, and I think it's either raccoons or skunks or both.
I caught some motion, and looked over to see a skunk. I told my son, who grabbed the binoculars to watch the scene unfold from the safety of the house.
I grabbed the HPA Hammerli 850, went out the side door and drew a bead on him. It was pretty dark and I didn't have great view on him. I checked that my focus was right, and when I got back on target, he wasn't there. I caught him going across the yard, rather faster than I'm used to seeing skunks move. I think the young 'uns are faster. I missed my shot messing around with the scope.
Several hours later in the evening, I picked up some movement in the same area, and the neighbor's cat, also black & white, was sitting there, just as happy as could be. Looking around, just sitting there. It made me wonder: was I seeing it right, earlier? Did I almost shoot the neighbor's cat?!
This morning, I talked to my son again, who had a much better view through the binocs. He said there was no doubt it was a skunk, and it had lifted its tail and he was afraid it would spray me. I was 15 yards away, Phew. (can they spray 15 yards away?)
Now don't get me wrong. That cat is not going to make it anyway. Some coyote or fox or car is going to get it for sure, and probably before the summer's out. I've heard cats are tough, and they are bloody fast too, especially when scared. Even with a heart/lung shot, it would easily make it home next door, where it would die from the pellet wound. But I don't need to be the one to do him in.
I've been having mouse problems: they're in my attic and in the basement walls and in the garage. I've been trapping them in the garage, and just throwing the bodies out under the bird feeder, figuring it would get the nighttime pests to a safe spot for the firing squad. Turns out maybe it has been the CAT that has been cleaning up the mice! Has he been bringing home the mice, making the neighbor lady proud of his hunting prowess, when he was just picking up the bodies from my yard? :-D
'hope he doesn't get any that the poison got. I'll have to throw those in the garbage.
Side note: peanut butter on a mouse trap works MUCH better than cheese; it doesn't mold as fast.
I'm probably inadvertently feeding them in the yard with the spilled bird seed, so I'll probably need to keep trapping them indefinitely. It's hard to get the ecosystem just right, isn't it?
