This weekend's epic hunt (pics)....

by (Login SifuSkyler)
Airgunhunters message board/moderators

Well, this weekend was the quail opener for our zone. Headed up to Manzanita flats with Nestor and my brother. We worked several miles of terrain, and found no birds or mammals whatsoever (except songbirds). The lack of rainfall has really done a number on the desert and chaparral. The only thing we shot other than cans and small rocks was a small rattlesnake, which I fed to my king snake. There were a few other groups of hunters out there too, all doing about as well as us. Two were hunting deer, and there was a couple guys after quail. After a long hike with no signs of life, we decided it was a lost cause, and packed it up around noon, and left in search of beer, lol.

The next day, I met up with my friend Jude and we headed out to Lucern Valley on a tip, in search of chukar and gambels quail. He was shooting his Gamo 440, and I was using my homemade 30 fpe pumper. The first spot was a rocky canyon that was basically a mix of desert and pinyon forest. Nothing there but a couple of chipmunks.

So we went back down the hill to the desert floor, and worked a large valley for jackrabbits. There were tons of rabbit droppings, but the rabbits themselves had migrated. After hiking over 2 miles without seeing a single animal short of a couple lizards and wrens, we made the hellish hike back to the car.

At this point, we decided it was time to hit somewhere reliable, so we headed to my spot along the aqueduct with all the wild juniper. Finally, some action! As usual, the place was crawling with jacks, who were far from cooperative. I managed to shoot my first rabbit no more than 10 minutes into it. About 40 yards, clean lung shot. Unfortunately, he ran into someone's backyard. After my last trespassing ticket, I decided discretion was the better part of valor, and left him where he lay.

After about 20 more minutes of hiking, I spotted one at about 100 yards. He saw me too, and broke. I followed his trajectory very slowly, using bushes for cover, and about 15 minuites later, I was peaking around the side of a juniper bush, lining up a spine shopt to his back at 40 yards. The shot hit true, and he dropped to his belly and started dragging his back legs. I approached and finished him, tossed him in my vest, then headed in the direction that Jude was.

After meeting up, we started to work a wide wash. I nailed a jack with a hail mary at an unbelievable 150 yards, but hit him in the haunches and he escaped. I ended up splitting off from Jude, and following the rabbit's trail a good 500 yards, until I spooked him again, and was able to put adequate pressure on him (read as: sprinting after the rabbit like a greyhound, lol). After another 100 yard chase, he got tired and slowed, so I froze. I then slowly approached his position in a flanking manner. After the stalk, I found him sitting with his back to me under a creosote bush at 65 yards. Unable to stalk in closer due to open terrain, I just went for the same shot as the last rabbit. A straight spine shot. Well, it connected clean, and again, the rabbit started dragging his hind legs. I approached and finished, another rabbit for the bag. At this point I headed back toward the car, to find jude.

It was getting late, so we packed it up, and I whipped out my new modded and shrouded 2240 with bling-bling gold high rise breech and gold barrel, and sighted in the new Leapers red dot, then procedded to have a blast making small rocks leap into the air. Took a few pics, and headed back down the hill. Unfortunately, the Cajon pass was dead gridlock from the high wind advisory, so I got off and took old Route 66. Got back on the freeway before the 215, but as i got there, there were 5 CHP officers blocking the freeway, and tons of smoke. I guess the freeway was on fire from the high winds. We also saw 7 big rigs turned over, and had to deal with another onramp closure. And as of now, there are like 5 fires burning in the area! Anyways, that's the story of my quail opener. Didn't see a single bird (though I did see a nice flock of doves), but still had a blast. Here are some pics...

The first spot of the day (sorry for the glare):

The desert valley we moved to, sans rabbits, lol:

My go-to Jack rabbit spot this season:

The fruits of my labor:

Me holding them up, for aspect ratio (I'm 6'2"). Pretty nice sized bunnies:

I quartered the rabbits last night, and soaked 'em in milk. Adding my special marinade tonight, and two days from now, we shall feast, he he. Happy hunting, guys.

-Skyler

High performance Crosman and Benjamin/Sheridan airguns.
Tuning and repair services available.

Posted on Oct 22, 2007, 1:30 PM
from IP address 72.87.193.133

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