In all my outdoor hunting experience I never hunted with a Pellet Gun
At the advent of the Louisiana Spring Squirrel Season a few years ago I decided it would make a good article. I took up my trusty shotgun to Sally forth into the wilderness to collect one Fox Squirrel for bragging rights and have it mounted as Louisiana’s first legal Spring Squirrel. All went well and I got one. It was a very nice specimen so I immediately took it to the local taxidermist.
The guy looked over the squirrel and told me it wasn’t squirrel season and it was illegal. I gently informed him it was quite legal and referred him to the regulation book about the new spring season. He took the squirrel and my money, and reported me to Operation Game Thief, trying to obtain a reward for turning in a poacher.
Later the Game Warden called me up and told me what had happened, He had confiscated most of this Moran’s work including my defunct squirrel and I didn’t even get an apology. I left off Spring Squirrel hunting for several years thereafter. Not the first time this has happened either.
The Ruger pellet gun was a real beauty and came with a Ruger 4x scope. Otherwise I figure the Top Gun master could figure out the rest. Not so fast Uncle John pellet guns are different. The first thing is this one in 22 caliber fired a pellet almost as fast as a 22 long rifle, certainly powerful enough for squirrel and rabbits.
When you don’t know Jack about something study, so I did. A scope on a pellet gun will break or won’t hold zero due to the fact of the high recoil, that’s right and you don’t even feel it. My Ruger was a “Spring Gun” the worst scope breaker of them all. Never the less I was on a mission and the scope held on during my full scale military sniper operations on the squirrels in the backyard. (Never put a normal Rifle Scope of any brand on a Spring Gun it will break it) (The scope must be designed specifically for Air Rifles.)
I had it all figured out after watching some British guy on the net with an air rifle in the thousands of dollars, shooting squirrels off a bird feeder. You know that works you just sit and they come to you. In my case about every 10 to 15 minutes. Anything he can do I can do as I laps into my diabolical plan, giving myself accolades while the Muddy Girl figured I was insane.
You would not have thought me crazy however if you saw how well I concealed myself under an old camo Army poncho liner creating a good bench rest on the deep freezer. The range was 27 yards measured by my high tech Bushnell Laser RangeFinder. The rifle would hold zero and then I would get an occasional flyer but it seemed close enough for Government work. I could make a headshot if the quarry would hold still.
My evil Red headed step daughter had ordered a mess of squirrels so the mission was on. At least I had an excuse. On opening day my mind wandered in the dark realm of my hunters mind. I was Donald Trump Jr. Stalking Triceratops in Sri Lanka. Minutes turned into hours as finally the Muddy Girl yelled “Don’t shoot Bunny Fu .” Don’t worry it aint Rabbit Season, and anyway I like the little basterd. I couldn’t see her but I knew I was getting …The Look.
Ever so slowly the big Red Fox squirrel transcended the pine trees much better than Tarzan could ever have thought of. He was a beauty nice and fat as I wondered if my two little grand daughters would eat squirrels. Well they eat everything else not to worry. The quarry was close now, real close. When out of nowhere Bunny Fu showed up and jumped right in the middle of the biscuit pan and started munching on the bird seed. The squirrel didn’t like that one bit, and he let loose with a string of tree rat profanity. I set down the Ruger and went for the Canon digital.obtaining yet another prize winner..”Bunny in a Biscuit Pan.”
The rabbit had a contented look on his face so I left him, returning later with new insight and determination. In no time the Fox Squirrel was back and in the pan. I aimed behind the shoulder not trusting the accuracy. At the shot he dropped right in the pan and didn’t move a lucky headshot. I reloaded and walked over only to be cussed out by a second squirrel right about my head. I did a quick snapshot in the heart and another big Fox Squirrel bit the dust. That pellet gun seems as effective as a 22, maybe more so with the light projectiles having more dwell time on the target.
For the entire season I never did get a daily limit of three but I managed a possession limit of 9 Fox and Grey Squirrel completing my mission of feeding the kids, They liked it and now they want to hunt too…..Pass it on.