Finally Got to Hunt Today

[longislandhunter]

I haven't been able to hunt lately due to some problems I'm having with a couple herniated discs but even though my back was killing me today I just had to get out of the house.  It was almost 3pm so I decided to drive down to my favorite squirrel woods, find a comfortable spot and spend the last hour and 1/2 of daylight waiting for a squirrel to hopefully come in range.  All the posts lately about the B-28's persuaded me to grab my .22 350   which was recently sighted dead on for predators.  Grabbed a film canister of predators and headed for the woods.  

After parking in my usual spot I grabbed my gear and headed into the woods.  I headed straight for a large group of huge pine trees, found a good hiding spot and sat down to wait.  My back was killing me and the temp. was a brisk 22 degrees but I was determined to get in some hunting so I just made myself as comfortable as I could and proceeded to get in tune with the woods.  

It didn't take long for the woods to get back to it's normal rhythm and I started hearing the sounds of critters searching through the dried leaves covering the forest floor.  One set of rustlings sounded like a squirrel searching for food and seemed to be slowly working towards my position so I got the rifle ready and peered into the underbrush for any signs of movement.  Sure enough after about 10 minutes I made out a good sized grey slowly working his way towards me while he pushed leaves about looking for food.  When he was 25 yards out he suddenly climbed up a pine tree and sat on the lowest branch offering me a perfect shot.  I placed the crosshairs on his head, took a breath, pulled the trigger with just a little to much enthusiasm and sent the predator on a collision course with the small branch just to the left of the squirrels head.  The branch exploded and the squirrel took of like he was on fire.  I watched him race through the trees until he was at least 60 yards away before losing sight of him in the tangle of trees.  Oh well, at least I got a shot.
My back was killing me from sitting on the ground and I was tempted to head back to the truck, but I figured I'd give it another 30 minutes or so before heading back.  

About 20 minutes passed and I suddenly heard the familiar sound of another squirrel on the ground working his way towards me.  I finally made out his tail in the underbrush.  He was 25 yards out and feeding on the ground just like the first one.  I couldn't get a shot as the underbrush was just to thick but the grey finally solved my problem for me.  Just like the first squirrel he climbed a large pine and took a clear sitting position on an exposed branch.  I went through the same routine as the first time except this time I made sure I didnt' jerk the  trigger.  The predator was away and slammed home with a loud "thwack" hitting the grey near his left eye.  He rolled off the branch and hit the ground with a loud thud.  He made one death roll and then laid still.  

I slowly got up from my hiding spot and retrieved my trophy.  The predator hit him directly in the head and there was blood on the trunk of the tree near the base as well as a really large spattering of blood on the leaves.  God I love those predator pellets  :)

Put the grey in my game pouch and limped back to the truck so I could head home and clean and photo my kill.  I probably shouldn't have gone today,,,, I"m paying for it now with increased pain,,, but it was worth it as it gave my spirits a good lift.   I snapped a couple of pics of the grey for my GTA buddies,,,, also thought I'd add  a pic of a flock of mourning doves at my feeders that I took yesterday----- to bad NY considers them songbirds cause they taste so good.  I have to admit they were tempting targets,,,,, but they all lived to make more little mourning doves.....

Jeff

[JOHNNY QUEST]

Nice report Jeff.. I'm sorry your still feelin down in the back...  I sometimes get a little excited and make a shot thats just not right on.  It's happened 3 times with my new long pistol now and it still hasn't drawn first blood.  You guy realy have it good with the places to hunt... I live smack dab in the middle of humanity and its 50 miles in any direction to woods.. and those woods are owned by someone that has posted signs...  Its a good 75 miles to the national forest in my area and i have to buy a 35.00 permit to hunt there....  I swear I'm gunna by me a piece of land.. 5 acres is all i need..  Feed them and they will come..
  Great report and nice pics of that grey...
 Randall

[shadow]

Real happy to see you get out there buddy and have a successful hunt.:) Sorry to hear that your back is still giving you trouble but hopefully the outdoors and fine harvest helped just a little.:) That is a BIG! GRAY!!!!!! buddy, the Predator performed flawlessly as always but only with your sharp shootin and fine baby helping it along. Rest up Jeff, you got a harvest in, we were missing em buddy and get back out when you can.:) Great pic's also and I got them ol doves flocking to my feeders too, I do like the call of them though but I like how they taste better hehehe. Ed

[longislandhunter]

Thanks guys,,,, it felt good just to be out in the woods again,, the grey was just a bonus.  

I'll get back to resting and taking it easy again,, but todays hunt has me itching to get back out there again.  Something just magical about sitting quietly in a blind and watching the woods around you come alive....  

Maybe next week I'll be able to get out for another quick hunt,,,, will have to see how the back feels....

Jeff

[Schmidty25]

nice job on the kill

[glyconny]

Jeff, sorry to hear your back is still giving you problems.  I've had the same problem and ended up getting surgery last year.  One of the best decisions I've made.  It's amazing how things hurt a little less when your outdoors.  Great writing and shooting as usual.

[only1harry]

Nice shot Jeff!  I see you picked the "lightest" gun in your arsenal with that back of yours :-)  I bet it's the heaviest gun you have after the 48, hehehe.  Nice to see the 350 in action again.  It's been a very long time!  The odds of a critter getting away after it's hit with a projectile from the 350 are slim to none :-)

I 'd recommend you use a hot compress on your back the next time.  Hope your back feels gets better soon!

[crazy4salmon]

Jeff I hope you heal up that sucks! Nice shooting as usual, and a good boost to the spirit. In eastern Washington we used to hunt mourning doves, and they are tasty. MMMMM DDDOOOVVVVE. Probably my favorite game bird to eat. Quail is a close second, third, and forth. Get well soon!!!!!

Dan L

[longislandhunter]

Thanks guys, even though the hunt aggravated my back it was worth it  :)

Yeah Harry,,, in retrospect your correct, I wasn't thinking about the weight factor when I took the 350 outa the safe,,, probably should've gone with a lighter gun, but I missed shooting her.  With that 4x16x50 scope on her she is just about the heaviest rifle I have, then again the 1250 might be close too.  

One of the lightest rifles I have is my .22 cal Black Shadow Supreme and man can that gun shoot.  Right now she's waiting for a new scope to be installed, which I may do this week, then she's gonna be ready to hunt again....

Thank you all for the "get well" thoughts,,,, I've been going through this with my back since 1988 when I first got hurt at work and periodically I get flare ups like this.  When I was younger the flare ups would subside much quicker but as the years have progressed it now takes me longer to recover.  It sucks but I always tell myself it could be worse,,, which it certainly could,,,, so I just have to be patient....

Again, thanks for the thoughts.....   :)

Jeff

[dave2288]

nice hunt, jeff!  hope you aren't feeling too badly right now...and i gotta tell ya, if it were me, i would be sitting next to a few dead doves, lol.

[gamo2hammerli]

I guess that scumbag first squirrel didn`t warn his buddies that you were prowling around!!!!  But then....maybe he`s thinking...get rid of some competition and leave more food for the rest of us.  Anyways....great shot on that 2nd nutter.  Sorry to hear about your back problems....get well soon.  Next time use a bb pistol...less weight to hump around.  ha ha

[JOHNNY QUEST]

Jeff,, have ya thought about a cheap recliner chair to put out there..   Ed could camo it and it would just be part of the woods...You'll probally have to run a few folks off every now and then, but at least you could hunt-n-rest.

[shadow]

I can see Jeff now ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ with a squirrel sitting on the back looking at him lol. Ed

[gunsup0331]

good hunt, keep knockin em dead!

[JOHNNY QUEST]

yep Ed...