The new Virginia Smooth Rifle went on its first hunt today. I figured I'd better get out this afternoon since I never hunt on Christmas eve or Christmas Day. I've always left the woods in peace (at least from my disturbance) on those days.
My Golden Retriever, Kaiah, is my new squirrel hunting partner. Can't say she's trained or anything, just runs around and it sometimes helps to make squirrels come around to my side of the tree. So we gathered up the new Virginia Smooth Rifle and headed for my cousin's farm, which generally has a good population of grey squirrels.
While cold, it was a beautiful afternoon with bright sunshine and only light winds. As we moved along I noticed many squirrel nests in the trees, but virtually no tracks. Deer tracks were aplenty and I kicked one up in some standing corn.
Then I saw an "odd" shape up in a tree. Checking it out with my 7x42 Bausch & Lomb Binos the "lump" transformed into a squirrel high up in an oak tree. Kaiah was completely unaware, but since she was smelling around and ended up on the other side of the tree, the squirrel shifted ever so slightly giving me a good opportunity.
I raised the Virginia, set the sights on the head, and pulled the trigger. 50 grains of 2F Goex sent an ounce of #6 lead shot into space connecting with the squirrel. I could tell it was hit and slowly it started to lose its grip on the tree. I'm saying "Kaiah---Kaiah!!!" trying to get her to look up...of course that was fruitless. Finally the squirrel lost its grip and Kaiah finally saw it in its freefall and immediately pounced on it. Since this was her first squirrel, I let her worry it over a little even though it was dead.
I only saw one other and that one made it to its nest before I could hustle over to the tree it was in. But none-the-less it was a great afternoon and a good start for the new Virginia
My Golden Retriever, Kaiah, is my new squirrel hunting partner. Can't say she's trained or anything, just runs around and it sometimes helps to make squirrels come around to my side of the tree. So we gathered up the new Virginia Smooth Rifle and headed for my cousin's farm, which generally has a good population of grey squirrels.
While cold, it was a beautiful afternoon with bright sunshine and only light winds. As we moved along I noticed many squirrel nests in the trees, but virtually no tracks. Deer tracks were aplenty and I kicked one up in some standing corn.
Then I saw an "odd" shape up in a tree. Checking it out with my 7x42 Bausch & Lomb Binos the "lump" transformed into a squirrel high up in an oak tree. Kaiah was completely unaware, but since she was smelling around and ended up on the other side of the tree, the squirrel shifted ever so slightly giving me a good opportunity.
I raised the Virginia, set the sights on the head, and pulled the trigger. 50 grains of 2F Goex sent an ounce of #6 lead shot into space connecting with the squirrel. I could tell it was hit and slowly it started to lose its grip on the tree. I'm saying "Kaiah---Kaiah!!!" trying to get her to look up...of course that was fruitless. Finally the squirrel lost its grip and Kaiah finally saw it in its freefall and immediately pounced on it. Since this was her first squirrel, I let her worry it over a little even though it was dead.
I only saw one other and that one made it to its nest before I could hustle over to the tree it was in. But none-the-less it was a great afternoon and a good start for the new Virginia
