Well, in brief, there was a last minute change of plans - granddaughter with a virus -- so we are celebrating Thanksgiving in town, and then will be going up to the mountains tomorrow. I had been looking forward to a hunt in the woods, but decided to check out the back yard thru the upstairs bedroom window this morning, before my coffee. There were the usual resident cardinals at the feeder, and this guy lurking close by in the same tree. Hmmmm.
But I had left most of my hunters up in the mountain place last weekend, planning on being back this weekend. My only immediate choices at hand were the Walther LGR-U, the AR78A (both with target peep sights) and my HW30s. But what the heck, the shot isn't much over 10 yards. So I grabbed the Mike Melick tuned AR2078A and some Vogel Orange practice pellets and head back to the window. Well, the squirrel has, of course moved. So I sat down and waited.
A few minutes later I see his tail wagging thru the foliage, up higher in the tree. And it looks like I probably have a shot, though I am far less confident with the peep sights than a scope - but I can see most of the body, but not the head. So I took a shot. Thump! Got him, but he scampers up and disappears into some heavier foliage. Apparently not a kill shot. Darn. So it is hide and seek, waiting him out. But eventually, I pick up movement again and watch him until the makes the mistake of coming back around to my side of the tree (he never saw me the first time), and this time, I wait for a head shot. It was still morning and not a lot of light. I was surprised how hard it was to get a good sight picture with the peep sights. My old eyes are used to much better light when I target shoot. But I took my time and finally eased off the shot. Whack! God him again, but he didn't drop for a second or two -- then he turned loose and fell with a thud.
Great - first kill with the AR2078A deserves a picture - so I grab the air rifle and a camera and go for the trophy shot. But as soon as I take a couple of pictures, I hear this commotion on the screened porch. I had left the door open and one of the Cardinals that had been at the feeder apparently flew straight into the screen porch when the action started. Now, he is flapping about wildly and banging his head on the screen unable to find his way back out. I left the rifle on the ground, and taking the camera, ease into the screen porch and begin to talk to the little fellow in a soft voice as he and I ease toward the back corner of the screened porch. This guy is tired, though, and he eventually sits still enough for me to very slowly reach out and grab him with my left hand (camera still in my right hand).
OUCH! He may have been tired, but he still had something to say about being man-handled. So I quickly snapped this pic then carried him out. As I opened my hand slowly, he perched on my pinkie finger a moment, beak still clamped firmly into the flesh of my index finger, thought about the situation for a couple of seconds, then flew off. An interesting morning and a few nice pics.
