Tough Squirrels? (looooooooong)

I had a rare opportunity for my nack of the woods today. I'm sittin around with my concrete stock Gamo Shadow Sport when I notice something skittering along the powerline behind my house.

A fat grey squirrel with a hot pecan in his mouth!

Not exciting for many of you, but I live in Slaton where the tallest thing you'll see is a cotton stalk. I debate with myself as to whether or not I should and, well, you know how it goes.

It took sometime for him to pause long enough for me to draw a bead but when he did it was magic. I could see the cross hairs of my scope glue themselves to it's vital zone, I heard the report from the gun, I swear I could see the pellet intersect the squirrels path at the proper time in space, I heard the slap and the impact knocked the squirrel entirely off the line.

The most satisfying part of this whole ordeal is the sound of the rodent bouncing off of the ground and the little tiny whoosh of air from it's little tiny lungs.

I put the gun down and run to where I suspected the squirrel to have made it' final dismount and its not there. Huh?

I detect movement to my left and what do I see? A little fat squirrel running away from me.

I had set my gun down back at the porch and there was nothing to do but admonish myself for my poor performance, sportsmanship, ethical behavior, etc... etc...

I sat and watched the thing for a couple of minutes waiting for him to bleed out, before retrieving my equipment. He never moved from his position in the tree. When I returned with my "squirrel scalpel", he was gone.

I was sick to my stomach, I've been raised better. I'm sorry. Come on with your slings and arrows, I deserve it.

After giving myself what for over causing thid poor creature undue suffering, I broke out my trusty indian scout tracking badge and began looking for signs of a hit.

No blood, anywhere, not even in the tree where he sat for so long.

I heard squirrels were tough but this is rediculous. I know I hit him. I know I hit him hard enough t knock him off the powerline. I know from the pop, that I hit him in a largely hollow area of his body(lungs). Did I just knock the wind out of him? Is he p---ed at me? Is it possible that a squirrel could take a hit like that and motor fifty or so yards, pause, catch his breath and dissappear? Do I need to call rich or Charlie and get a new spring?

Will the gods of responsible airgun hunting ever forgive me?

[shadow]

Mike, sound's like maby you just knocked the wind out of the super squirrel, hopfully. No blood, not even after he hit the ground hmmm. How many yard's was your shot and what pellet were you using. With any luck this could have been a hit and run, you hit and he ran. Airgun GOD'S forgive, if not were all coming back as squirrel's in our second life YIKE'SSSS. I'd also keep a eyeball open for any squirrel hanging around that look's injured, and you know then what has to be done if he's in a bad way. Good luck, Ed

30 yds? 7.9 gr Crosman Premier Hollowpoints from Walmart. Getting good results with them so far. Shot a grackle from almost the same spot/same yardage and instant clean kill.

I know I'm comparing apples to potatoes but I assure you, no blood, anywhere from the squirrel.

I have been noticing that my gun isn't shooting as hard as it used to. I have been treating it like most of you guys do B-3s. I've been trying all kinds of shadetree tune-ups on it and I might have weakened the spring. Pretty sure I'll be sending Rich a little cash-ola fairly soon.

[shadow]

What type of pellet buddy.Ed

Sorry Ed, I edited my post for you.

[shadow]

Thank's, the HP's should be doing alright but might be time for a tuneup. You might want to try the Predator or Tomahawk pellet's for dem tree rat's if you haven't already, killer result's. Ed

[Big_Bill]

Hay Guys,

PLEASE NEVER SHOOT AT CAME ON POWER LINES, or any Utility lines!

Help protect our rights to hunt !

Even if you only nick a line, this can cause problems with the service

of your non-hunting neighbors. It increases the cost of everyones

services, and gives all of us hunters a BAD NAME.

I know how tempting it is to take that shot, but PLEASE DON'T.

Thank you,

Bill

Point taken. Thanks.

[Big_Bill]

Hay Mike,

I'm not picking on you alone, I know how many times I wanted to take a risky shot because I knew I could make it.

But I resisted, because I know I'm not that good all the time .

I thought that this would be a good time to post a hunter safety message.

I have a neighbor that works for a neclear power plant, and when he found out that I was a "HUNTER", he went wild on me ! He told me how many millions of dollars are spent a year, repairing lines, insulators and cables damaged by "HUNTERS", and how many man hours that were spent each year checking lines, gates, fences and signes.

I held myself together, and just listened to him, and when he was through. I explained to him that not every "HUNTER" was responsible for this damage, and that most "HUNTERS" were responsible people, and only a few bad apples, some not "HUNTERS", cause this damage. I explained to him how most shooting and hunting clubs make announcements telling there members of this problem, and ask them to spred the word to other shooters and hunters.

Well we get along better now. But he still asks me if we were still spreding the message ! That there is still alot of damage being done out there .

I was just asking that everyone of us be responsible "HUNTERS", what is done by a few, reflects on all of us.

Please keep posting your hunting experiences, we all like to read them !

Bill

Hey Bill, I didn't feel picked on at all. Maybe a little embarassed for being called out in front of the class but hey, you're right. The responsibility is everyone's and for those of us who lose our heads on occasion, we need to be admonished.

We need to help keep each other reponsible.

I for one do appreciate it.

[shadow]

Your not alone buddy, in my younger day's I took a few shot's at bird's on power line's, it's was my HOMER act hehe. All of us can take notice of what Bill said, thank's Bill. Ed

First of all I agree with everyone that shooting at or towards electrically related is a very bad idea.

As for the tough squirrels, you only hit yours once, Black Mamba and I both shot at the same squirrel one day.  

We were using Gamo Shadows, I was shooting hollow points and Black Mamba was shooting Prediter rounds.

The squirrel was located 20 feet up in an Oak tree sitting on a branch minding his own buisness. Since I had a
better view of the tree rat I shot first.  I hit him in the chest and watched him jump.  He jump so far that he missed
the branch on the way back down.  In this case down was going to be 20 feet to the ground.  On his way down
he hit another tree branch which to our amazement and I am sure to the squirrel's  also, that particular tree branch
was very dead.  Upon impact with the  branch the squirrel did its best to hang on but only cuased the branch to
finish breaking off of the tree.  Now tree branch and squirrel are falling to the ground.  After impact on the ground
the squirrel gets up and runs to the trunk of the nearest tree,  the one he just fell out of.

Batter up! Now on deck Black Mamba!

It took Black Mamba all of maybe 5 seconds to find the squirrel in his scope, aim, pull the trigger and let rip a Prediter round.
Thump!  The squirrel just got hit a second time within 30 seconds. It jumps up on to the tree and then jumps off the
tree and made a mad dash into the neighbors yard.

Black Mamba and I are now dumbfounded.  We can not beleive that the squirrel lived after all of that.  At this point
Black Mamba turns to me an says: "What the hell kind of @&#**@ ninja squirrels have you got around here".

My responce: "grey ones".

We later paced out the shots at 30 yards, a distance which we both have killed squirrels before with the Gamo's.

Your squirrel was an amature compared to my squirrels.

[longislandhunter]

Amazing how tenaciously those little buggers cling to life sometimes isn't it?  

Jeff

[shadow]

Can I take a wack at em, please hehe. Ed

Hey man,

thanks for a straight answer to a straight question...well I think so anyway. I just wanted to hear from others that this kind of thing can actually happen.

P.S. -Watch out for Big BIll. I think he's a cop. Or a Boy Scouts leader. Same difference.