jojo200517
Member
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2009
- Messages
- 580
Ok about 50 min ago I learned a thing or two and I think I will share it with everyone in the story that follows.
I started to throw some trash in the outside roll out bin outside my garage when I heard a hissing noise. I shined my flashlight around and saw a huge raccoon. It hissed again and made way toward my old storage building across the back yard. I had full intentions of just running him out from under the building and off into the woods where he belonged but as I thought about what to use for this task the thought of him possibly having rabies came to mind.
I fetched the handy 12 gauge pump from the house and turned on the light on it. Went back outside and shined it up under the building and there he was, hissing like mad and making other noises. I slapped the side of the metal building to make some noise but he didn't move. I layed down about 15 feet back in the grass to get a good look and hope the light would drive him out. After a few minutes of making random animal noises I just decided to shoot him and be done with it.
This is where lesson number 1 comes in. If you have never shot your weapon laying down I encourage you to do it. There is a completely different feel to the way it shoots, the sight picture and the way recoil is perceived.
Lesson number 2 is make sure you got ya head far enough back or the receiver might hit you in the cheek lest you are shooting 12 gauge mag buckshot.
Lesson number 3, said buckshot might be a tad bit overkill for a raccoon. Don't get me wrong I wouldn't have wanted to irritate him with my light bird shot shells if he had been rabid, but 3 inch mag 15 pellet mag buckshot is not necessarily required. It blew him clean out from under the shed Hollywood style leaving one ragged entrance hole and not a lot else on the other side. It also reduced the chances of getting a coon skin cap to about zero
Lesson number 4, its hard to hold a shotgun and a light so don't let anyone discourage you from mounting your light on your shotgun if that's what you want to do.
Finally folks lesson number 5, you gun will get dirty from laying on the mud shooting.
I started to throw some trash in the outside roll out bin outside my garage when I heard a hissing noise. I shined my flashlight around and saw a huge raccoon. It hissed again and made way toward my old storage building across the back yard. I had full intentions of just running him out from under the building and off into the woods where he belonged but as I thought about what to use for this task the thought of him possibly having rabies came to mind.
I fetched the handy 12 gauge pump from the house and turned on the light on it. Went back outside and shined it up under the building and there he was, hissing like mad and making other noises. I slapped the side of the metal building to make some noise but he didn't move. I layed down about 15 feet back in the grass to get a good look and hope the light would drive him out. After a few minutes of making random animal noises I just decided to shoot him and be done with it.
This is where lesson number 1 comes in. If you have never shot your weapon laying down I encourage you to do it. There is a completely different feel to the way it shoots, the sight picture and the way recoil is perceived.
Lesson number 2 is make sure you got ya head far enough back or the receiver might hit you in the cheek lest you are shooting 12 gauge mag buckshot.
Lesson number 3, said buckshot might be a tad bit overkill for a raccoon. Don't get me wrong I wouldn't have wanted to irritate him with my light bird shot shells if he had been rabid, but 3 inch mag 15 pellet mag buckshot is not necessarily required. It blew him clean out from under the shed Hollywood style leaving one ragged entrance hole and not a lot else on the other side. It also reduced the chances of getting a coon skin cap to about zero
Lesson number 4, its hard to hold a shotgun and a light so don't let anyone discourage you from mounting your light on your shotgun if that's what you want to do.
Finally folks lesson number 5, you gun will get dirty from laying on the mud shooting.
