The Hunting Thread...

[CDGator]

No, but C.H.U.D.'s would...

I have no idea what that is but are they kin to an R.O.U.S.?

 

[Nalt]

They moved the alpacas off the property so it definitely won't happen there again. We don't have any outdoor animals. You may recall the neighbors across the street have horses and a pony. During the summer they leave them out at night to graze and put them in the stall in the hot daytime. She's going to switch that now for fear it/they will come after the pony.

Would a pack of dogs attack just for the sport of it?

I agree with BAG. Yes, domesticated dogs that are running together when their owners are tucked in bed asleep will kill anything they happen across whether it is an alpaca, horse, pony, cat, human, or even another dog. I have personally known them to kill a grown 2000 # bull. I think I posted about that earlier in this thread too...

 

[Back Alley Gator]

I have no idea what that is but are they kin to an R.O.U.S.?

Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers.

C.H.U.D. - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[cover2]

Alpacas aside, the dove hunting posts took me back to some great times learning to hunt and coming to love wing shooting for the challenge and for the meat. We literally shot dove every weekend of the three phases back in those days. The birds were plentiful and somebody always had a shoot to go to.

I killed two birds at the first shoot I went to with my granddaddy, using an old Stevens double barrel .410. I was hooked. As I got older, I moved up to a 16 ga Remington Sportsman 58 during my teens. Bought a new Remington 1100 when I was 18. It shot great for a year and then started having ejection problems. I traded it for a 12 ga Browning A5 and have been a Browning man ever since (43 years). Mostly shoot a 20 ga A5 mag using my own loads these last several years.

A couple of my best buddies and I would clean all the birds after a shoot as young, single men and then meet up at my grandparents’ house (where I lived) and enjoy the birds. I’d usually fix the birds in a pan covered with foil with the birds seasoned with S&P, wrapped in bacon, then covered with onions and pats of butter. 350 for an hour and we had a feast. We could eat 40 birds between us back then.

My best days hunting dove was when I had my lab, Deuce. She was awesome and as easy to train as any dog I’ve had. I can’t ever remember losing but one bird in all the times we hunted together and it went down a gopher hole on the edge of a field we were shooting.

It was always a challenge to be the high man at a shoot, but in truth, the comradery was a big part of it. There was always a bunch of good-natured ribbing to go along with the fellowship of sportsmen. It’s not quite like that nowadays, but as long as my mind stays clear, I can hunt anytime I want and I’m grateful for that.

 

[Back Alley Gator]

Alpacas aside, the dove hunting posts took me back to some great times learning to hunt and coming to love wing shooting for the challenge and for the meat. We literally shot dove every weekend of the three phases back in those days. The birds were plentiful and somebody always had a shoot to go to.

I killed two birds at the first shoot I went to with my granddaddy, using an old Stevens double barrel .410. I was hooked. As I got older, I moved up to a 16 ga Remington Sportsman 58 during my teens. Bought a new Remington 1100 when I was 18. It shot great for a year and then started having ejection problems. I traded it for a 12 ga Browning A5 and have been a Browning man ever since (43 years). Mostly shoot a 20 ga A5 mag using my own loads these last several years.

A couple of my best buddies and I would clean all the birds after a shoot as young, single men and then meet up at my grandparents’ house (where I lived) and enjoy the birds. I’d usually fix the birds in a pan covered with foil with the birds seasoned with S&P, wrapped in bacon, then covered with onions and pats of butter. 350 for an hour and we had a feast. We could eat 40 birds between us back then.

My best days hunting dove was when I had my lab, Deuce. She was awesome and as easy to train as any dog I’ve had. I can’t ever remember losing but one bird in all the times we hunted together and it went down a gopher hole on the edge of a field we were shooting.

It was always a challenge to be the high man at a shoot, but in truth, the comradery was a big part of it. There was always a bunch of good-natured ribbing to go along with the fellowship of sportsmen. It’s not quite like that nowadays, but as long as my mind stays clear, I can hunt anytime I want and I’m grateful for that.

I love dove season. It kicks off all the other fall seasons to me, and it heralds the return of college football.

Finding the birds after opening day has gotten harder and harder to the point it's almost impossible now. But for the first and second days of sept it's still a good time.

One of my bucket list items is to hunt dove in Argentina. But only if I can bring them back with me.

 

[cover2]

I love dove season. It kicks off all the other fall seasons to me, and it heralds the return of college football.

Finding the birds after opening day has gotten harder and harder to the point it's almost impossible now. But for the first and second days of sept it's still a good time.

One of my bucket list items is to hunt dove in Argentina. But only if I can bring them back with me.

One memory of dove seasons past was that somebody always brought a radio to the shoot and had the football game tuned in.

 

[cover2]

We have an annual crow problem about this time of the year when the pecans start getting ready to fall. We’ll usually go out and hide near the groves, get a couple and then they wise up, send a scout in ahead, won’t come to a call and it becomes more of a chase than anything else. But got a little surprise this year.

Needed an excuse to buy another gun and found a Ruger American 17 HMR at a decent price. Put a scope on it and have dispatched two early this year from the tractor shed window. Both were ~50 yd shots. I’ve never owned this caliber before but had a Buddy recommend it for varmits, crows, and such. I’m more of a scattergun guy, but like the little rifle so far. Anybody here own one or have experience to share about its handling, care, etc?

 

[Back Alley Gator]

I've been going back and forth between a 17hmr, a 22-250,and a. 204.

Was leaning towards a 22-250. But your 17 stories could sway me.

 

[cover2]

I've been going back and forth between a 17hmr, a 22-250,and a. 204.

Was leaning towards a 22-250. But your 17 stories could sway me.

I like it enough so far that I’m contemplating a 17 HR Mach 2 as my .22 replacement. Both are hi v flat shooters best I can tell.

 

[Nalt]

We have an annual crow problem about this time of the year when the pecans start getting ready to fall. We’ll usually go out and hide near the groves, get a couple and then they wise up, send a scout in ahead, won’t come to a call and it becomes more of a chase than anything else. But got a little surprise this year.

Needed an excuse to buy another gun and found a Ruger American 17 HMR at a decent price. Put a scope on it and have dispatched two early this year from the tractor shed window. Both were ~50 yd shots. I’ve never owned this caliber before but had a Buddy recommend it for varmits, crows, and such. I’m more of a scattergun guy, but like the little rifle so far. Anybody here own one or have experience to share about its handling, care, etc?

I have long heard that if you kill one crow, hang it for all others to see then there won't be any that come to the area any longer. I'd love to know if that actually works or is just an old wive's tale...

 

[cover2]

I have long heard that if you kill one crow, hang it for all others to see then there won't be any that come to the area any longer. I'd love to know if that actually works or is just an old wive's tale...

My father in law would do that and they’d stay away from that particular area, but we’ve got trees spread over parts of 70 acres or so and the crows eventually just went to other patches of trees.

 

[Detroitgator]

I like it enough so far that I’m contemplating a 17 HR Mach 2 as my .22 replacement. Both are hi v flat shooters best I can tell.

I think that’s best for your needs .22-250 would be wayyy overkill for what you’re doing unless you’re taking 200+ (and way further) yard shots… think shooting prairie dogs at 300+ yards. 22-250 also has low barrel life because it shoots so hot.

 

[Detroitgator]

@Back Alley Gator I love .204 for deer hunting in the South. Very flat shooter to good distance. Way overkill and expensive round for shooting birds/small game

 

[Back Alley Gator]

@Back Alley Gator I love .204 for deer hunting in the South. Very flat shooter to good distance. Way overkill and expensive round for shooting birds/small game

That's good to know. I am not much for varmint or coyote hunting. Heck, if Im shooting a yote its gonna lay where it drops so whatever rifle I have will work just fine. Right now I have a 22, 5.56, 243, 270, 300 and 338. Haven't done much research on the 22-250 vs 204. I think the 22-250 actually has better ballistics and terminal performance than the 5.56. So, it wouldn't really fill any sort of gap for me. The 204, however, might. Looking for something to slide in between the 22 and 5.56.

 

[Detroitgator]

That's good to know. I am not much for varmint or coyote hunting. Heck, if Im shooting a yote its gonna lay where it drops so whatever rifle I have will work just fine. Right now I have a 22, 5.56, 243, 270, 300 and 338. Haven't done much research on the 22-250 vs 204. I think the 22-250 actually has better ballistics and terminal performance than the 5.56. So, it wouldn't really fill any sort of gap for me. The 204, however, might.

Oh schit! I meant .243 for deer, it’s all I use here, I knew in my head something wasn’t right when I was typing!!! 22-250 is the flattest shooter at distance of anything we’ve mentioned, by far.

That said, for versatility, I can do just about anything with 5.56 given good ammunition, glass, and zero. But I do love .243 for deer hunting from 0-200 yards.

I’m a .338LM guy for real distance.

If I ever buy another chambering, it’d be 6.5Cr… truly a fantastic round.

 

[Back Alley Gator]

Oh schit! I meant .243 for deer, it’s all I use here, I knew in my head something wasn’t right when I was typing!!! 22-250 is the flattest shooter at distance of anything we’ve mentioned, by far.

That said, for versatility, I can do just about anything with 5.56 given good ammunition, glass, and zero. But I do love .243 for deer hunting from 0-200 yards.

I’m a .338LM guy for real distance.

If I ever buy another chambering, it’d be 6.5Cr… truly a fantastic round.

I wasn't gonna judge you for using a 204 on deer.

However, I can't just sit here and listen to you be a 6.5 Creed fanboy. That is the gheyest chambering ever. Ever. Do you hear me? You'll have to give up your man card permanently if you buy one. I don't make the rules...but I abide by them.

 

[Detroitgator]

I wasn't gonna judge you for using a 204 on deer.

However, I can't just sit here and listen to you be a 6.5 Creed fanboy. That is the gheyest chambering ever. Ever. Do you hear me? You'll have to give up your man card permanently if you buy one. I don't make the rules...but I abide by them.

View attachment 61758 View attachment 61759

I really do hate how good a round it is Shooting at 800-1200 yards, the 6.5Cr guys could go get a coffee while they waited for my .308 round to lob in and hit the plate! “Save some for me, I’ll be there in a minute fellas!”

 

[Altitude Gator]

I shoot a wildcat 6.5-06 at deer and antelope when not bow hunting. It had a Springfield action on a special build my mom has commissioned for my dad as a wedding present.

It shoots long, flat and straight. The Creedmoor can't hold its jock.

 

[Detroitgator]

I shoot a wildcat 6.5-06 at deer and antelope when not bow hunting. It had a Springfield action on a special build my mom has commissioned for my dad as a wedding present.

It shoots long, flat and straight. The Creedmoor can't hold its jock.

I’m not interested in shooting anything -06

 

[Altitude Gator]

I’m not interested in shooting anything -06

Good for you...I guess?? It was a comment, not a recommendation.

If you are going to hunt with a 6.5 Creedmoor, just get the optional blood tracking glasses for after the shot. Unless you bow hunt, tracking can can catch you off guard.