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monday evening hunt

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bandit1250
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monday evening hunt

Post by bandit1250 » Mon Oct 24, 2016 9:23 pm

I went out at 4:00 this afternoon as the wind was still howling. I thought I could get down in a hollow but that didn't help at all. It was slow with no activity at all until about 4:45 I saw one grey and I took the shot and didn't get it. I thought now how did I not get that squirrel with a 12ga. So 15 minutes later I see another coming down a tree and took a good bead on the head area and it fell out at the shot but when I walked down it was trying to drag itself off and I finished it with a stick. So now I am thinking this gun is not shooting where I put the bead. The one headed down the tree was hit more toward the rear end. So I found a old dead tree that was a light grey color and put a mark on it and walked back about 30 yds. and shot at the mark. I walked up and 3/4 of the pattern was high but well centered with just the lower fringe hitting the top edge of my mark. So now that I know the pattern is going high I will have to place a shim under the recoil pad at the top and vary the thickness until it brings the pattern to POA. Then the fun part begins. I will have to cut that amount off starting with the shim thickness measurement at the toe and make my cut to end up with zero off at the top. I had never shot this 870 but just goes to show you should pattern your gun. So I got three squirrels and the last two I just held below with the bead. Here is a couple pictures from this evening out in the woods.
Nice open woods with some grape vines and oaks to the right and some thicker areas around the outer edges. I have taken a lot of bucks from this woods.
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Lots of squirrel sign after going through this clearing and getting to the more dense woods
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This was the three from this evening. Gutted and skinned and in the zip top bag in 5 minutes flat. I don't know if I could have done 6 in 10 min. or not.
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PT7
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Re: monday evening hunt

Post by PT7 » Tue Oct 25, 2016 12:08 am

Congrats again, Bandit! Very nice wood photos, and a good Monday-night-hunt harvest.
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clovishound
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Re: monday evening hunt

Post by clovishound » Tue Oct 25, 2016 5:17 pm

I haven't eaten squirrel since Ford was president. I hope to take my H001 out and remedy that later this year. I'm old school and believe on waiting til after the first heavy frost.

OK, out of curiosity, I just looked up wolves, and found that while the condition is real, there is no need to worry about using the meat from a squirrel that is infested.

For some reason, I want to try squirrel pizza.
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bandit1250
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Re: monday evening hunt

Post by bandit1250 » Tue Oct 25, 2016 6:39 pm

We have already had several heavy frost in our area. Even though we have had frost a couple times that looked like snow the ticks in the woods and weeds are still a problem unless you spray down with the tick repellent. I think the brand I use is Sawyers and seems to be good at keeping them off. I haven't killed a squirrel with a problem in years. Pennsylvania doesn't have a early season so that may be why I haven't. Can't seem to catch a day without the wind really whipping the trees. I think there is plenty of squirrels but with the wind they don't move until late in the evening right before dark and after dark if the night is a warm one. Going out tomorrow morning if it is fairly still.
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daytime dave
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Re: monday evening hunt

Post by daytime dave » Wed Oct 26, 2016 7:49 pm

Nice looking 870. I'm glad you got the pattern problem solved.

Good looking greys. I hope they eat well.
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