GTA
General Discussion To Gateway To Airguns => Hunting Gate => : only1harry March 06, 2010, 11:23:49 AM
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a big fox shows up at 6:30pm as I was typing a reply on another post!
The Ding Donger went off because I had it on for the Starlings earlier and forgot to turn it off. I run upstairs and look out the window - pitch black. I turn the outddor lights on and quietly go back to the window. I see the biggest fox ever with a beautiful coat, eating the dry cat food! I look at my watch and it's only 6:33pm. Subconciously I reached for the Condor .25 and slowly put the window up. She stopped too look around and I moved out of the way. The light was blinding her I think. I looked back out after a few secs and she is still there eating. I try the window again and got it about 3/4 of the way up. I was able to squeeze the Condor through and I had the fox in my crosshairs at only 17yds out! What do I do? I waited a few secs as my heart was beating fast while I was trying to think of excuses to shoot the fox out of season :) "But officer it tried to eat my cat" or "it ate all my chickens" and thoughts like that were going through my mind, although I don't have any suitable facilities for chickens but I could have a few days before, no? :) Finally after I had her head on my sights for about 10-15secs or so that seemed like an eternity, a car starting coming up the street and she took off.
Why couldn't this happen a couple of weeks ago when fox was in season? Dang!! I had mixed feelings after I "let it go". I kind of felt regret I didn't squeeze the trigger but relief at the same time, because I am not sure a taxidermist would take my business with a fox 2-3 weeks past the season.
What would you guys have done? Squeeze the trigger or wait until next year? :) This fox was unusually large..like it was on steroids. Must have that bionic disease the Starlings have this year :)
BTW, I had been practicing some more with the Condor .25 today using JSB Kings 25.4gr. They are as accurate as hek - better than the Kodiaks. I had to turn the power wheel down and only fill to 2500psi to keep them sub-sonic. I filled the tank back up to 2500psi around 5:30pm, just an hour before the fox came and ran 5 shots through the Chrony. Here are the #'s: 1081, 1076, 1077, 1074, 1076. I love the consistency!! And that was about 66fpe btw with one of the lightest .25cal pellets. I think I 'm going to fill to 2300psi next and bring the PW down to 3-4 but I really love the consistency now at PW 7-8 (had it on 11 before and it was shooting >1,110fps @ 3k psi). I 'd like to start around 1,020-1030fps with the JSB's and then fill up again when they go down to the mid-900's. At 1070-1080 it sounds a little louder because it's very close to the speed of sound. When I shoot 31gr Kodiaks at 1,050fps and below the gun sounds pretty quiet. It's that magic line at around 1055-1060fps where the shroud starts protesting.. but it's worth ever penny. Without it, it 's pretty hard to tell the difference between a .22LR rimfire with standard to high-velocity bullets and a Condor.
Funny thing is I was shooting the Condor inside the room 11ft from the window today (through the window at a 30yd target), and the air out of the muzzle was blowing the heavy blinds all over the place from 11ft away. This gun is scary powerful. It gets 90fpe with 42gr EunJins but it's an air hog. It's not unusual for the pressure to be down to 1400psi from 3k after 40 shots.. and the dang thing still shoots 70-75fpe with the heavy EunJins and the air that low. I am thinking that equals to a seriously dead fox right now :)
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That figures doesn't it? Hope she comes back all year for ya Harry
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Harry, good on ya for showing enough restraint not to pull the trigger! That just means you have one comin once the season opens again. I had the same type of thing, but my moral test was with 2 big Ravens that had laid claim to the feeders in the front yard. I still don't think I would have shot them but the wife calling me by my full god given name kind of swayed me in the right direction. But they sure looked nice with the cross hairs centered on their big glossy black chest. It's getting really close to spring time here so my only targers will be the Sparrows and Starlings, I had a yard full of Eurasian Collared Doves today, but they got a free pass so they could start raising young in the very near future. I did see a Magpie with some nest building material in it's beak on Friday so the birds around here are getting ready to start making nests. I read in Jeffs post about the duck farm hunt where he had to pass on some muskrats because the season had just closed on them as well. Out here in my part of the country foxes and muskrats can be taken year round, but common sense says lay off them during breeding and baby taken care of season. I did have a chance at a skunk the other night, he was poken around the yard a little after midnight and Randy has been on me to take something witht the new B28 but again common sense said pass. I thought about taking the shot and telling my wife Randy pressured me into doing it, but he's far enough away no harm would have come to him, and I would have had to bear all of her un happines with the situation.
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They always show when the season is over bro hehe, critter hotline travels fast. Ed
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I'm proud of ya Harry :) I know how hard it was not to pull the trigger..... but you did the right thing buddy.....
Jeff
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Yeah I know I did the right thing by not shooting it, but I wanted one soooo bad!! hehehe.
It's ironic that I got the .25 Condors for Fox and Coyote and I only get an opportunity after the season is over. I saw the Coyote tracks in the backyard again the other night but it didn't go near the bait station. It walked about 20ft from it along the edge of the hill where my lawn (now covered with snow) ends, and where I used to have the bait station. I have learned to recognize the difference between fox and coyote tracks now.
I think I finally figured out why the increase of fox and yote presense. All the big dogs have died in the neighborhood. Only one that remains next door and is pretty small. It's about 20lbs at the most. A fox can probably beat it up and it would become lunch for a Coyote if one ever caught up with it. So all the big dogs we had are gone. Just 2yrs ago there was a Rotweiler, a big husky, and a good size Labarador. The owners never got another dog because their kids are in high school or College now and all grown up.
That's my theory why fox and coyote come through here now. I have always seen them as close as 1/2mi. from the house crossing the road, and now they are finally here but still as elusive as ever. This 6:30pm visit really took me by surprise. Probably because the wife and son are not home and I was downstairs on the computer so it was very quiet. I bet this was the fox's first day out of the den after the big snow storm (I got 32"!) and she was very hungry. Also about 1/2 the snow has melted already with the 40 and 50deg. weather we 've been having.
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Good idea to pass on the fox. I've been powerfully tempted (I'm thinking it is Satan at work) because there is even more coon and possum activity now that I've stopped shooting at them! THEN the guys have got me all moral about not shooting Coyotes and Groundhogs, because they are raising youngsters.......
Right now I'm in HOT PURSUIT of a powder burner. Not sure if I could hold off if something bounded into my sights when I finally get it!
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When are you guys gonna learn, Those critters read the Hunting Mags... hehe
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Sorry Harry, but at least you got to see a beautiful critter.
I think Gene's right, the critters know when !!!
I've been there myself and I've heard other hunters say the same opening day line, .. "Where'd they all go?". :D
Popped a Squirrel couple days before the end of the season thinking I'd thinned out the Gray gang - HA! Day after the close there were even more Grays out back.
Somehow they know !!!!
Paul.
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aww man, what a dis-apointment! i think you did the right thing with not shooting it, to risky when its out of season, but if it was me, he would be at the taxidermist right now! :p :o i would have just said he was getting to close to my dogs or cats lol
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wow great story harry. ive been there myself many times and ive taken the shot sometimes and other times i let them walk.....i feel much better after letting them walk then i do when i knock them down.....i think you did the right thing....Karma is on your side youve got a great surprise coming next season, so get the condor ready.....really enjoyed your story and makes me feel better that im not the on one that wants to kill everything i see.....