Bad Day

[X78 7]

Hi,

 

As the days get shorter, I can only check the bird feeder for squirrel during the week end. Knowing I was bound to see some raiders, I zeroed this morning. I always shoot squirrels from the kitchen window and I know I can achieve below 1/2 inch accuracy as my shooting position can be perfect and the distance obviously never changes. When I saw the squirrel on the photo attached, I felt I was going to be able to dispatch it as quickly as all the other ones before it, especially now that I am happy with my choice of pellets.

Anyway, I followed the squirrel in the crosshairs for a while, waited until everything was perfect with no gusts and I shot the squirrel. As far as I can tell, it was a very well placed pellet. It hit somewhere between the eye and the ear and the squirrel was close to side on. I was expecting it to die quickly, but after about 30 seconds, I had to dispatch it by walking to it and shooting it with an HW45 with the end of barrel against its head. I don't want to describe the results (obviously very destructive), but I was sure it was going to be enough. Two good headshots combined with extensive blood loss should be enough. Well, no. I had to shoot it a third time. This happened quite quickly so the poor bugger didn't suffer long, but this has shocked me.

 

I really don't understand, this has never happened to me before. I'm sure the first shot was a good one. I've seen squirrels dropping cleanly with shots that were a lot more borderline. Have you had quarries that refused to die against all logic?

 

X

[NitroJoe 15]

Are you sure it was alive and not just nerves? I usually touch the animals eye ball to be sure, if they blink, they're still alive and vice versa.

 

Don't beat yourself up about it either way, sometimes we just can't help these sort of things. I've had rats survive head shots before, but a follow up has always done the job

[X78 7]

Thanks for the eyeball trick, I'll remember it.

[secretagentmole 1,701]

Some squirrels are made of Indestructium and seen to be able to survive a headshot. I have shot one in the head and had to do a follow up, multishot PCP rifles are very useful!

[The one 8,481]

AS said the more your out shooting the more chance you have of not killing everything stone dead it didn't crawl away to die you delt with it humanly thats all you can do

[Lewis Ste 245]

Hard little b*****ds are squirrels, I shot one with my old ultra in .177 straight through the head between the eye and ear and when I walked over to pick it up it latched on to my hand with all its claws and had to pull its neck. That was one reason I rarely shoot .177. You only have to hold one to feel how hard and compact they really are.

 

Everyone has these shots now and again don't worry about it you did the right thing.

[Skot Ruthless Teale 1,701]

I agree ive shot 'hard' squirrels before. And rabbits etc..

 

Dont let it get to you mate happens quite a lot.

[j j m 6,540]

well done bud

[secretagentmole 1,701]

Console yourself that there is one less food stealing, nest robbing, bushy tailed tree rat as you skin and gut it, make a nice stew they do!

[WoodsmanJim 160]

Had this with a rabbit a little while back, quite distressing but just one of those things unfortunately. Some of them just seem to be almost immortal! You did the right thing with the follow ups, it's all you can do.

 

Jim

[Craig Fosse 286]

As above, you have to remember like humans, every quarry is different. Unfortunately it happens but its part of the sport.... Comes with the territory so to speak. Rabbits can kick for ages when they have been shot...an idea of nerves is shooting pheasant or cockerels. I have had a pheasant fly off in mid air and then realise its dead and drop out the sky(which is why I. Now looking at FAC due to me shooting alot with my air rifle)....it's all to do with reaction...some quarry see the pellet just before it strikes, which leads to more prolonged nerves than before.

 

Never even thought about the eyeball trick before...that's going in my memory bank thanks.

 

As for squirrel, I remember a friend of mine shooting one out right and it dying... Falling onto a tree...the permission owners didn't like dead quarry being left so we had to get it down, in the end my mate shot it to move it off he branch because we couldn't get it down any other way...the .22 barracuda hunter pellet on inspecting when it fell off had only half lodged itself into its back...the whole skirt was still on the outside and hadn't entered......greys are the toughest quarry I have shot.

[bunnyman 68]

i shoot all my greys with a fac .22 air ranger at 37 fpe bis mag ,22 pellets these are very hard hitting

i always poke the greys with a foot or stick to make sure they are dead,

as the little blighters have a very savage bite.

regards brian