First Prairie Dog Hunt of the Season

[Dave R]

A buddy told me the Priarie Dogs and "whistle pigs" were up. That's early for here. We usually don't start until late April. But today is the first day this year with temps in the 60's here in southern ID, so I took a long lunch, drove half-hour out and checked it out.

While I un-packed, I noticed a couple "up" within sight of the car. One ducked by the time I got loaded up. The other was the first shot, and first hit of the season. Only 87 yards, but I'll take it.

There were only a few up, and the terrain was gently rolling, so I would walk to a crest, check the binoculars and take a few shots, then walk on.

I walked more than I shot. Probably over a mile. Took 8 shots, all from sitting or kneeling position. Inspected 3 corpses, and had two other probables. Missed one at only 30 yards. Oh, well, I guess those are the genes we want to pass on to the next generation, anyway. Within an hour I was headed back for a much more enjoyable afternoon at work.

The little Martini Cadet in .17/.357Mag was a joy to carry. I haven't weighed it, but some BB guns are heavier. And I'd like to believe I made that one shot at about 150 yards. I should have, anyway.

Going again Weds. with a couple of buddies. One a young guy, and the other an older friend who's undergoing chemotherapy. Probably the best treatment available for him.

This should be a fun season.

 

[smokemaker]

Howdy Dave.
You are correct about taking your buddy hunting during chemo.
I've been in remission for Hodgkins Lymphoma for about a year now, and perhaps the only fond memories I have of chemotherapy (Besides the day they said I was in remisson!) is deer hunting with my Dad, and ice fishing for bluegills with my uncle Pete. Absolutely the best treatment available, even though my toes were numb from one of the chemo drugs, and I got frostbite and lost my big toenails from ice fishing... but I wouldn't trade any of it because it made me alive for a little bit while i felt like death warmed over.

 

[redneck]

Sounds Great

Sounds like the perfect way to spend your lunchbreak. I'm hoping to do some groundhog hunting sometime this spring. Hope the weather and chucks hold up for you to go out wednesday. My mom is doing chemo right now and not being able to get around is almost as hard on her as the drugs. A chance to get out and do something makes a huge difference.

I got the first racoon for the year here on friday night/early saturday morning. They reek havoc on the garden,trash cans, haymow etc. if I don't kill as many as I can. Can't beleive how many of them there are around! I think somebody close by is feeding them or something cause you just can't stay ahead of them. Came home after going out with some friends and saw eyeballs flash as we parked, great big monster of a coon was digging up a flower bed in the side yard. I went in and grabbed a 4 D cell mag light and my Marlin bolt .22.
Came back out and he was enroute towards the woods, but stopped and turned towards me again about 10 feet before the treeline. I held the light in my left hand and balanced the end of the rifle across that forearm, put the crosshairs just over his shoulders and squeezed one off. He jumped and I could hear him wheezing, was pretty well dead once I found him in the edge of the woods and finished him off. Shot was about 70 yards. Used Remington Golden Bullet HP's and surprisingly that first shot punched through the lungs and left a pretty big exit wound on the other side, of a VERY large coon. I had trouble carrying it with a shovel because his legs hung down so far and estimate he probably weighed 30 lbs!