Last night around 7:45pm I let my dog out the back door. She immediately took off to survey her domain for intruders. While the door is open I hear our 7 chickens raising a huge stink in the coop. She goes to investigate and from her behavior I knew we had a visitor. I grabbed my flashlight and went to investigate. Sure enough there was a young Raccoon (6 months, about 6-7lbs). I rushed back up to the house and to the closet. Grabbed the rifle case containing the Varmint Hunter and it's supplies. Tossed it on the kitchen table and took her out along with a tin of Gamo Hunter pellets. Then back out into the yard.
The dog has the coon treed now but she is stuck under the bird netting that covers the chicken's run area. I cocked the rifle as I moved to the back of the yard. Cracked open the tin of Hunters and set them on a convenient log and loaded her up. Turned on the laser and light and brought the laser up to the coon's face. About this time it manages to tear is way through the flimsy bird netting and starts to climb, hissing at the dog and I all the way. About 30 feet up it honkers down in a notch in the branches intending to wait us out, I guess. Not a chance.
She is watching the dog more than she is watching me so I move to the side for a cleaner shot. I bring the laser back up and put the dot on her right eye. Kill the flash light and steady myself against a small poplar tree. A slight squeeze of the GRT-III and the pellet whacks into her just at the back edge of the eye. She twitches a bit then falls out of the tree and right back through the netting to the ground. That's 2 holes that I have to fix now. She's still slightly twitching so one mercy shot into her and thats the end of it. The chickens are safe, the dog had a good time and the Varmint Hunter hits the score board with one down.
I'm sorry there are no pictures, the wife hide the digital camera somewhere and I didn't have the time to hunt it down 'cause it was story time for the kids. Next time, I promise. Additionally, I purchased this airgun for this exact purpose. Normally I would use my .410 with 6 shot but we are now in the city limits and I have a SWAT guy, Wildlife Officer and Crime Scene Investigator all living on my street. I just don't need that headache.
