Headed to the duck farm first thing this morning,,, after spending 3 days moving my daughter into her new apartment, which is 8 hours away at the other end of N.Y., I just had to get in some hunting.
Not a lot of birds there when I arrived. Only one section of the farm had any concentration of starlings and pigeons but there were a couple of farm hands working in that section so I really couldn't shoot safely there so I moved around quite a bit trying to find a location that might offer me some shots.
As I was walking towards one of the large barns I noticed a patch of brown near one of the large barn doors that I didn't remember ever seeing before and that looked out of place. I looked through the scope and sure enough it was a young woodchuck standing on the mound of a brand new burrow that he had apparently dug right at the base of the barns cement foundation.
There was a large pine tree between us, and he hadn't seen me yet, so I figured I'd keep the pine tree between us and see if I could get close enough for a shot. I took small calculated steps, trying to avoid anything that might make a sound if stepped on, and after what seemed like an eternity I found myself standing right behind the large pine. I figured that when I peeked around the tree the little G-hog would be long gone but as I poked one eye around the trunk of the tree I couldn't believe what I saw. The little G-hog was still standing there looking right at the tree, I guess he was trying to figure out what that creature was peering around the tree.
I don't like to shoot G-hogs when they are standing right at their burrow since even if they are mortally hit they often times manage to drag themselves back into the hole and cannot be retrieved, but the distance was 15 yards so I decided to take the shot. Besides, he had dug his burrow right under the foundation and I knew the owners would not be happy about that so I figured either way, retrievable or not, he had to be taken out.
I pulled my head back behind the tree, took the safety off the .177 QB-78D, and got ready to take the shot. I put the barrel of the QB around the tree trunk, put the crosshairs right on the G-hogs eye and squeezed the gold trigger. The gun fired, I heard the "POP" as the pellet slammed home and the G-hog simply slumped down onto his stomach with his head down in the dirt without so much as a quiver. I was ecstatic but as I started thinking about how good the little G-hog would be fried up for dinner I made a fatal error. I normally do 2 things when I shoot a G-hog,,,, I always reload quickly and I try to move quickly between the G-hog and his burrow. On this shot I neglected to do either and lost my dinner for my mistake.
As I looked at the g-hog lying motionless on the burrows dirt mound I suddenly saw the slightest bit of movement. I frantically tried to load another pellet, but it was to late,,,, the little G-hog managed to summon up just enough strength to drag his head into the burrow and he was gone, sliding down into the hole.
I know for a fact the hit was a fatal hit. It hit him right in the eye, there was blood all over and you could tell he was hit hard, so I know he had to have expired shortly after sliding down his burrow,,, but I just hate losing them down the hole !! :( I've only lost a couple of G-hogs that way but each time it happens I hate it. I just don't like to kill something and not be able to use/consume it.
Anyway, with my dinner lost down the hole I stayed for another hour or so, taking out some english sparrows that were stealing grain, but I didn't have any other chances to shoot at anything edible. Gonna head back tomorrow and give it another go.
Jeff
