We'll backstrap 'em and that's it. Only in winter or springish. They get ticky when it warms up. Then all bets are off. I'll give 'em up or toss 'em in a grinder for fertilzer at an ag farm around there. I won't leve 'em lay cuz the predators love them, more of them means yotes and stuff means less quail.

TRBLSHTR wrote:

8O Stovie-do you eat those jacks?Ours up north here have that "tuleramia"or tooleramia(unsure of spelling)and everyone up here regards them as vermin-like they were rabid!I used to shoot many when I lived in east oregon right out of my friends alphalfa(feed the hawks and magpies),now that I live west I just leave them alone because their are much less in numbers.Ocasionally I will see one or two in the christmas tree patch @ 1000' asl! Moose-beautiful country,my dad used to live in Idaho county until this time last year-we had to move him closer to town(Boise) because of his health,and the VA.I'm gonna miss my trips up there!

That is a downright nasty infection Troubles...glad we don't have it out here in Australia.

Cheers, Vince

Field report- with BOMBS!!!

Usual morning in the hi-dez, chasing wabbits, missed the first one all of 6 feet away, could has used a bat. I bracketed that bunny with 10, 36gr HP and still didnt hit it!!! So anyways...off to another patch, the Jacks are not holding, they are bumping WAY out there, way to far for a clean shot- note to self: bring 308 next time. So I'm on my second patch of alnd when BOOOOOOOM! Every living thing out there either took off flying, running or jumping. It was like someone dropped the world and it stopped all of a sudden. I actually ducked, then spun around with my rifle trying to suss the direction diving behind a pucker bush. I mean it was THAT LOUD. I pick myself up, dust off some, look for smoke, white-flash, mushroom cloud- nada. It came from a ways off and it still knocked the snot outa me. Back to hunting, 2 mins later, same thing, birds fly, quail call, doves darting, Jacks bailing and I'm on the ground again. Thankfully that was the last one. No clue what or where it came from but brrrrother someone was testing the mother of all bombs. It was pretty cool.

Part Deux:

So anywho....it's HOT. Jacks are not holding at all and I can't get near them and it's WAY to warm to be chasing them down. I'm hopscotching patches on foot and in the truck, trying to corral these things and get a hop-shot buuuut...nope. They aint having none of it. I bail into town for some lucch, learn Yotes are outa control in the area- so, guess I need a new 223 , maybe that's why the bunnies are so skiddish, that or the bombs. I've only gotten one real bite at the apple as described in the first post. It's looking grim and I'm on my way to getting skunked. Skip ahead 3 hours and I bump one 50y out, I do my best hawk, wounded something whistle and he stops after a short blast. I mount the rifle, his body is alsmot covered by the dot so I'm guess at least 80y, he stands up to look and I left fly the little pill- wif! too high, hold down some mister! 2nd one gets some with that gratifying "thunk". But he bolts. What? Oh great, foot race in the heat. 200y later I coup de grace him. Yay! On the board. Not getting skunked!

Then a big black cloud parks right over the top of me- no kidding. It rumbles, I stuff bunny in pack and haul it back to the truck as it's starting to rain, this a one crazy day people! So it does it thing and we actually had some mud for 2mins and 17 secs ,then the sun came out and it was oven like again...joy. Truck got sort of a bath so I aint complaing.

Back to as before, suckers won't old, I get one more bite at the apple, a nice left corsser- perfect meatball, if itwasnt 60y out. But I go for it anyways and missed with all 10 shots. Yes, I know, LAME.
IT was windy too. So there.
By then I'd drunk 2 gals. of water and eaten a hole in my hat, it was time to go...another fun day in the pans. Here's some pics.

Happy Hunting!

well at least you got something for your time out.

Stovey...times what's spent hunting or fishing is never time wasted mate. A bad day hunting is infinitely better than a good day working.

Shooting bunnies on the hop is no mean feat mate...then little buggers are fast, very fast. A 12g loaded with 3" #4 shot would be brilliant at 60 yards I reckon.

Cheers, Vince

Yup! This stuff can humble me when I'm off. Still good times. #4 lead works very well. #3 steel works in thickish stuff, it's going so fast that if it's close enough I can smash through pucker bushes with it.

Still trying to figure out what all that bombing practice was about, it was LOUD. Wish you guys could have seen the wildlife, sparrows, wrens, crows, dove, quail, jacks, proly even ants, it all either jumped and ran or flew off it was like God putting his foot down. Awesome. No clue where it was but it was a heavy.

A phone call to the local Police should give you an answer mate. They would have to be informed if there was any sort of legal activity involving high explosives taking place.

Cheers, Vince

Oh this was a bomb for sure..I mean HUGE, no way it was anything a civi could get hands on, least I hope. I was about 30 miles as the crow flies from Edwards and there's ranges all over out there so I'm thinkin that's what it may have been, sure werent no sonic boom- heard lots of those. Vince, this was HUGE. I almost wet myself, twice! If I didnt have a sling I'da dropped me rifle.

Good day all 'round, love getting out and kickin' bushes...still happy with the off-hand poke I made using the whistle-stop and that was pure jam on the already buttered bread. Definitely the longest off-hand poke yet with this 22lr gun, super happy with it. Wish you all were here!

stovepipe wrote:

perfect meatball, if itwasnt 60y out. But I go for it anyways and missed with all 10 shots. Yes, I know, LAME. IT was windy too. So there.

Was that from the shoulder or the hip?

Just think, if you were in another state you would have missed with all 25 shots. Where was your second magazine? Haven't you been practicing your quick loads?

It was a shouldered shot...My sight pic was as such that he was in and out of bushes with big blips of open between them, about round 8 I'da already brought the fresh mag up to the well for a tac reload when we got to the bush part of the sight pic...but he was gonzo after that...He plum got me Slim, I missed up close, on the fly and from afar...I'da felt extra stoopid had I missed 20 times, good thing he wasn't shooting back!

LOL, love to hear about your hunting adventures, stovey!

Weeee! Wish you guys were along for the ride.

taking the young fella for a walk tomorrow with 2 really good mates, we should see loads of bunnies maybe a wallaby or 2 and maybe just maybe a fallow deer . If the gods are smiling I will have time to give the young fella the .223 or if its up close he should be able to grab the buckshot Ive loaded up for his .410 and hand it its needings. I will let youall know how we get on when I return.

Good hunting mate.

Cheers, Vince