I opened season on chipmunks and reds again, shot a few of each, nothing big just letting the 410 eat to fill the freezer. This evening after a 3-5 minute spot and stalk along the rock retaining walls along the lake I returned to the lodge to relax, I paused on the way to the great room to have a cold beer and I was inspired to continue my hunt by leaning on the doorway and finish my beverage to see what happened. I leaned on that doorway hard and just when I was going to get another beverage a trophy red squirrel come onto the rock by the fire pit. His mass was impressive, have a history of this red from security cams, he is a ghost. I was uncertain how to approach, it was a 40 yard shot from the door and I have practiced from this distance but decided to try to work a little closer. I am using 6 shot 3" mag 410 I crept to 30 yards and double checked single bead placement and told the 410 to eat. The trophy red was alert when I shot he came off the rock and spun on the ground but flinched off out of site. How long do I give him? Do I check the water first? Should I deploy the chihuahua. My first trophy not sure what to do. I am working on a youtube channel a trophy kill would get me all kinds of hits.
Looking at security cam footage I may have hit him a little far back, but he did jump up and do the donkey kick. Going to give him a couple beers, do not want to push him under the wood lean to.
Start out slow. Bring the chihuahua in a backpack and keep him quiet. Bring a slingshot as well. Deploy the doggie if the critter mounts a defense. Come back in the morning if you don't smell his rotting corpse from downwind. When in doubt back out.
I thought I would check before I finished the second beer, just a little blood on the swing bench leg, heard some rustling in the leaves in the brush so I backed out, hope I didn't push him. Had him named and everything. Biggest orange buck teeth I have ever seen on a red and his mass was huge. Called him big bucky toothed red squirrel. Long history.
I have a cousin coming over in the morning if I do not find it tonight, he has another cousin that has a dog that has never failed
I should have eased the hammer back down, gone thru the garage came out the side door and had a 25 yard shot.
I'm betting he'll live, too many see what they want to see on the shot and not accept what actually happened. Put some trail cams out and hope you get him frolicking on the rooftops or sunbathing on the sun warmed rocks. Guessing h e took a good pellet to the shoulder blade or the dreaded knuckle joint. Squirrels have that determination to live and aside from a 33 X 12.50 R22 I don't see many dead ones off the roadways, very resilient creatures. Shrug it off and get back out there tomorrow, happens to the best of us.
I have waited 3 plus years for a shot on a red that size I have acorn food plots a suet feeder etc, habitat management etc, work hard hunt hard.
Aint got the answer but..., good post. Iffn Roscoe was alive, he'd have that effer pinned down right quick.
With warm temps, I wouldn't let him lie to long or you'll end up losing the meat of the types will get him over night. I'd make that call for the tracking dog...who knos they may already be out with others. Good luck, hope there isn't too much ground shrinkage. Maybe you need to invest in a shart sequel.
Not sure if it was semi-auto or pump, but I'd definitely consider going pump with a solid buttstock. Helps with FOC and KE, semi-auto can lead to POI issues and lack of penetration. Manually loading makes you take your time and assure the aim is true, better penetration and accuracy always wins out Hear so many 3-5 shot bursts for it to be a pump, just don't understand the rage behind it.
I went with 6 shot instead of 4 because of the speed over longer distances, I went to where I saw him hit the ground with untrained dogs and checked all around the kill site and came up with nothing, sleepless night hope the fox does not get him or a cat.
