GTA
General Discussion To Gateway To Airguns => Hunting Gate => : only1harry May 22, 2010, 09:40:17 AM
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I slept late today recovering from another very long 65hr work week and was lounging around the house not doing much of anything but checking the yard for my favorite summer quarry :)
It was around 3pm when I was contemplating going outside to spend the 2hrs it takes to cut the grass. I decided to take one last look out the windows in search of my ground dwelling friends who have not visited me this Spring yet except for one 3 weeks ago. I quickly looked at the shed area and proceeded to the next window facing the back, when I thought something looked a little different so I went back for another look. After letting my eyes get used to the grass around the tool shed for a few secs, I made out a "frozen" G-hog's head and eyes barely sticking out of the middle hole under the shed. The left side of the shed facing the house has 3 holes. I froze as it seemed like it was looking up straight at me. Then the neighbor's kids came out some 40yds from the other side of the shed, and the G-hog moved its head to that direction away from me. I backed off the window fast and got the Talon Tunes Condor .25 ready and loaded with a 25.4gr JSB.
Now the biggest task was to put the window up without giving away my position or scaring the G-hog. I peaked through the window again and it was on the lawn eating the clovers and the grass when the neighbor came out again to call the kids back inside to get a snack. The G-hog ran under the shed and I took that opportunity to open the window quickly. I setup my trusty shooting pillow on the sill and waited with the Condor for the chuck to come out 22yds out with the mag @ 12x. Not 2min. went by when it stuck its entire head out again but this time from the hole farther out and started looking around. After about another minute it inched out a little more but then put its head and body down to the ground like it might have seen me and was trying to keep a low profile. It was laying there flat on the ground at the burrow entrance completely still for another 30-40secs so I put the crosshairs between its left eye and ear (closer to ear) and squeezed.
Immediately I heard a loud "THUMP" and through the scope I saw blood pouring fast out of its ear as the G-hog layed there motionless. I knew I did not aim directly at the ear, but then 2secs later blood started slowly coming out of another spot about 3/4" to the left of the ear where the pellet had struck and where I was aiming. I was relieved that my shot was not 3/4-1" off, and that the G-hog did not even move or attempt to back up or down the hole after being shot. It laid completely still and died instantly which is always the intended outcome.
I put my shoes on and went downstairts to collect the G-hog and take a couple of pics. I opened the side door leading to the driveway and WHAT do I see? Another much bigger, dark, almost black Groundhog runs over to the dead one from the trees in the back. He saw me open the door but he still finished his run to his girlfriend, put his head down to smell her, and then ran back to the bushes and trees on the small hill in the back of the house. I was very pleased to see him but I was a little disappointed that I had shot another female G-hog. Oh well. These 2 were clearly a couple and had moved in to make babies. It looks like I keep interrupting their plans to reproduce. Anyone else (normal) would want that, but I want them to have offspring so I have plenty of them around to shoot so it doesn't get boring.. hehehe 8)
The woodchuck was 9lbs and was taken with a .25 JSB King traveling at 1,050-1,060fps with the powerwheel dialed down and a low pressure fill. This tuned Condor is so accurate and powerful, I can't seem to put it down :)
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How did he let you sneak up on him and drop red paint on em??
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Clean head shot nice shooting
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Great shot right in the sweetspot brother. You took out his woman but I bet he'll take over her den giving you another chance at a G-hog. Super pic's Harry. Ed
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Very nice shooting Harry! yes great pictures!
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Great shooting with the rifle and camera.
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Thanks fellow airgun hunters :)
Redroush:
I was just waiting around the corner of the shed and jumped on it when it came around. I managed to to put some red paint on its head like you said. The G-hog is really sleeping in the pics because I knocked it uncouncious when I landed on it :)
Actually most of us in the GTA use red nail polish. Red paint is the old way :p 8)
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Very nice harry condors are real powerful and that shot shows it for sure .
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Dang Harry, in one ear and out da other one...:) Great shot buddy.
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Nice looking rig and good shooting.
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Awesome shot. Once again a great G-hog story. Keep um coming.
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Nice shot Harry !!! I know what you mean about the accuracy and power of the Condors.......Awesome.
Great story and pic's.
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Good shot Harry.
Remember, take it slow on the Chucks .. I don't have any spares of yours here if you run out of them there !!!!! :D
Paul.
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Very nice shooting! I'm probably going to have to wait here until the folks do some grass cutting. Most of the pastures are already waist high from the rains. Might be good though for sneaking up on them and spraying red paint. What is your technique? :D
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I don't know how I missed your post Harry...... excellent shooting and pics buddy... good job :)
See, I told ya they'd move back in :)
Jeff
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Thanks guys. That was a much awaited opportunity :)
Randy,
just make lots of noise to confuse them and they 'll freeze up. Then jump on top of them and watch out for their teeth that can chew through a cement foundation. The impact usually renders them uncouncious at which time you can proceed with the red paint but I don't recommend it. We found that nail polish works best. Certain individuals whose names I won't mention purchase them wholesale in large containers :)
Paul:
How about we try something similar we did with the Gray squirrels that were driven to extinction by lead in my neighborhood?
I will try to catch a male and female and send them to you for breeding purposes. I will also send you drawings of a G-hog burrow so you can prepare their living quarters before they arrive. This way you just throw them down the hole and they will feel at home and not try to relocate. You can send me a few per year as they breed because I know you have a lot more will-power than me and can refrain from shoothing their brains out :) Sounds like a plan? hehehe 8)
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only1harry - 5/23/2010 10:44 AM
Paul:
How about we try something similar we did with the Gray squirrels that were driven to extinction by lead in my neighborhood?
I will try to catch a male and female and send them to you for breeding purposes. I will also send you drawings of a G-hog burrow so you can prepare their living quarters before they arrive. This way you just throw them down the hole and they will feel at home and not try to relocate. You can send me a few per year as they breed because I know you have a lot more will-power than me and can refrain from shoothing their brains out :) Sounds like a plan? hehehe 8)
Well.... Grays are not a problem but....
Since I haven't been able to find a farm that doesn't already have someone who's layed claim to hunting Chucks on it, I'm not sure I have the "will-power" you think I have !!! What I know is that I do have more "pellet-power" with that Trail XL and I can't wait to try it out on something bigger than Starlings !!!! :D
Paul.
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great shooting harry!
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Only1harry and Paul, I just want to get on your mailing list. Maybe I can send a postage paid box your way.
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Thanks Jake.
Wade,
Put some goodies in the box and send it to me. I will then send the box to Paul :)
I got almost nothing left to shoot here. I have only seen 1 squirrel since winter and he was down the street. I doubt I 'll be hunting squirrels in the winter any more. G-hogs used to be abundant and all over the place, but not anymore.
I have shot 130-140 furry critters in my backyard in the last 3yrs. The well has run dry. If it were last year and you wanted some shipped to you, I would have asked you, male or female, what color and how big? This year I coudn't even send you a picture of one :0
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only1harry - 5/23/2010 11:20 PM
Thanks Jake.
Wade,
................. This year I coudn't even send you a picture of one :0
The pixs at the begining of this post will do very nicely !!!! :D :D
Paul
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nice shooting
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Paul, that was metaphorically speaking :)
If you 'd like a pic, all you have to do is right click with your mouse on any of them here, and select "save image as" or 'save as' depending on what OS you are running. They are not copyrighted so feel free :)