Night Time Duck Farm Hunt

[longislandhunter]

I didn't get to do any shooting at the duck farm today, was to busy doing yard work, so  after dinner I decided to do a night hunt at the farm.  I grabbed the Daisy 1000, which has a laser/light combo mounted on the scope, a cannister of tomahawks  and headed for the farm.  This rifle is definitely a "harsh" firing rifle as you all know, but it's one the hardest hitting .177's in my air gun arsenal and it shoots those tomahawks with one ragged hole groups, so that's why I have it set up as my nite hunting gun.  

Got to the farm just in time to see a couple of feral cats run for cover inside one of the barns, but they were way to quick for me to get any shots so I kept working my way down towards the woods and stream that runs the length of the farm.  Lately the raccoons have been dining well on the ducks and my plan was to slowly still hunt the edge of the woods and hopefully catch a coon or two coming out of cover to grab a duck.  

I saw plenty of coon tracks, and a couple of fresh duck carcasses torn apart and half eaten on the edge of the woods, but didn't see any coons.  I did flush out a red fox, but he was to fast and I watched him disappear into the darkness.   I made two slow sweeps of the farm  but other than the feral cats, which never gave me a shot, I didn't see any coons or anymore foxes.  What I did see was a nice sized rabbit about 20 yards away having a late dinner at one of the grain  feeders.  Ahah, a target :)    

The xenon light mounted on the scope gave more than enough light to get a good sight picture.  I put the crosshairs between his ear and eye and pulled the trigger.  Felt the rifle shudder then heard that beautiful  THWAP sound as the tomahawk slammed home.  The bunny did a 2 foot high flip in the air, hit the ground, quivered for a second then layed still.  The tomahawk flew true and struck him right where the crosshairs had been.  

Picked up my trophy (which will be tomorrows lunch) and worked my way slowly back towards my truck.  I flushed another rabbit on the way back and had an easy shot at him,  but he was in a grassy field eating grass and wasn't stealing any duck feed so he was safe.  

When I got home I had my daughter take a few pics of me and my "trophy".      

Jeff

[shadow]

Once again buddy you've got some dinner, fantastic shot Jeff and the night hunting is a blast. I was never able to get Mr. Fox up here, I think he moved on,  his den has been dorment since late fall. Anyway, look's like the bunnies are really moving around in your neck of the wood's and that is some fine pic's and if that baby take's down the game, she's as good as gold in my book. Ed

[patton123]

Bravo,  Bravo  another great story along with great pics.  Let me tell you something Jeff,  I have to admit I get excited when I see" Duck Farm Hunt." LOL  Now answer this....Would you or Could you  have taken the fox with The Big The Bad......  Powerline????

[longislandhunter]

Hey Eric,

Yeah, I have no doubt my  powerline  would take that fox out no problem.  I would only take the shot if the distance was close and I had a clear head shot, but with those conditions being present I know the powerline would take him out in a second.  I've taken large woodchucks with my other .177 guns and my powerline hits much harder than any of those rifles.  

For all it's "harshness" I really love my Daisy 1000 because it's just such a hard slamming rifle.  :)

Jeff

[Big_Bill]

Hay Jeff,

Great account of your night hunt, I have only seen two foxes in my many years in the field. They are the smartest, fastest,and most cunning prey I know of. It shows your skill as a stalker to even see one !

We don't have many rabbits here as my cats love raw rabbit patty, hehe...he, and they keep them moving ! I wouldn't think of telling a fellow hunter what to shoot, but those feral cats eat a lot of mice and rats,and they eat grain by the ton, just a thought ;-) My Tom cat has a feral girlfriend, and I feed her outside, two weeks ago she brought down a squirrel for her dinner, that squirrel never saw her until she had him. That was the first squirrel that I have seen taken by a cat, and I have had cats that really tried hard ! Now she's one he'll of a hunter !

I too look forward to your hunting accounts Jeff, and I think you might consider trying to sell some to a hunting magazine ? It would be great to see you in bigger print, and making some airgun money at the same time ! Some day we may see your memoirs in print !

But as always buddy, great account, great photos., and great trophy !

[longislandhunter]

Thanks Bill,,,,,  that fox was a beautiful sight even though he was running the other way.  I think my on next night hunt I'll bring my portable blind, set it up near some fresh killed ducks and wait it out.  The farm is pretty much as close as the foxes and raccoons will ever get to predator heaven.  Each pen holds approx. 5000 ducks, there are 8 or 9 pens and the stream and woods border all the pens.  The ducks are "free range" grown, spending their entire lives out in the open pens under open skies and there is a man made stream of fresh water that runs through the center all the pens.  Each pen is sectioned off  by 2 - 3  foot high wire mesh fencing, which the foxes and raccoons easily jump over. The ducks can waddle away but they really can't get away from the coons or foxes.  I've seen raccoons simply walk into the bunch of ducks, reach out and grab one by the neck, then turn around and drag it back to the underbrush near the stream and enjoy his feast.

The natural stream and adjacent woods that border the farm provide the predators a perfect concealed approach.  The ducks don't see em until they step over the wire fencing into the pens, and then it's to late.  As for the feral cats, you are correct,,, they do eat a lot of mice and rats and hence do serve a purpose.  The problems arises however  in that the ducks are so easily available that the cats attack the ducks on frequent basis.  Last night I watched as one jumped on a duck that was twice the size of the cat and literally ripped the ducks stomach open until the intestines spilled out.  With the duck mortally wounded the cat then began to feed.    It was really a tragic sight, but that's nature I guess.  

Jeff

[Big_Bill]

Sorry Jeff, I have always had cats, and have never seen them go after game that big. I have mallard ducks in my back pond, and have watched my well fed cats stalk them, but even when they were good enough to get right up to one, they would just smell them. He'll I had a good old tom that would clime trees and talk to baby birds, for real. He ounce stalked a dove for over an hour, got his nose right up under him before the dove realized it, the bird exploded into flight, as if a bomb went off, I still laugh about that. :)

So, as I always say, You do what ya have to do ! If I saw that, I would take the critter out too.

Good shootin to you, and keep your pellets dry ! hehe...he

[longislandhunter]

Hey Bill,

Certainly no need to apologize, if I did the math and calculated the cost to the farmer comparing the amount of grain the rodents eat as compared to losing some ducks to the cats I would be willing to bet the rodents cost him more money, but just the sight of what they do to do ducks kinda gets to me.  However,,,,, it's probably a moot point anyway cause those feisty feral cats are the most skiddish animals I've ever seen.  I see em alot, but they are alway WAY WAY off in the distance and they never let you get close so I doubt I'll ever get a good shot at one anyway.    

As for your dove story,,,, I'm still laughing picturing the expression on the cats face when the bird exploded into flight :)

Jeff

[Big_Bill]

Ya Jeff,

Tommy was my last tom cat, he lived a good 23 years. The only things he hunted to kill were rabbits, and he loved to eat them !

Muffin was my wife's cat, one afternoon she was hunting a chipmunk, waiting off to the side of his hole, when he suddenly ran out of his hole, Muffin swiped at him with her razor sharp claws, the chipmunk jumped straight up in the air and ended up landing on muffin's back. Well Muffin starts spinning round and round, and bucking like a bronco for about a minute or so, with that chipmunk riding high on her back. This all happened as the wife and I sat on our back porch just watching and laughing uncontrollably. Well the chipmunk flipped off, and Muffin made about two more turns before she could stop, buy then the chippi was long gone, and when she realized that the chippi was gone, she just started licking off as if that was all her plan in the first place.

My wife gave me he'll because I never have a camera when something like that happens. So I explained to her that I would never be able to livemy life, if all I did was to carry around a camera, just to capture a moment in some other life. Besides, she has two cameras of her own, and never takes them out of there cases, but she had to have them ! But I'm the one that's supposed to carry a camera around on my neck, day and night !

My apology is for not knowing all facts before opening my big mouth !

[dw33]

Nice shooting.  Seems like you have a great spot there.  Always enjoy your hunting stories, and the pics.

[Rixtrix]

Good job, Jeff.

Ric G

.

Did you do anything to your Daisy/winchester Trigger? I have one and It seems like its about 9lbs to pull the trigger, It shoots very accurate if I can keep it on target while I pull the trigger.

[longislandhunter]

Nope, trigger is just like it was out of the box.  I kinda developed a feel for it but it took me awhile to get used to it.  I know there are some things that can be done to the trigger to make it better but I never bothered.

Jeff