6 replies to this topic

[99er]

I shot my 2nd Groundhog of the year today, but this one was really special. It was my very 1st Groundhog (or any animal for that matter) with my new Marlin XL7 25-06 and it was also the very 1st one I've shot with Zara along.

I actually shot it twice, I hit it in the hind-end at ~200yds (likely off some due the ~10+ mph wind), then finished it off with a 40yd head shot, after it decided to come up out of it's hole for some air.

Didn't take any pics of the Groundhog, but did snap a couple pics of Zara on one of her many trips back and forth from Stayput to inspect & re-inspect the dead Groundhog. That was hoot to watch, she would sneak up on it, with the last yard or so crawling on her belly, then bark and growl at it, then come back to Stayput, and then do it all over again; she must have done that at least 10 or more times. LOL











99er

[Hands]

Congrats on the great trip, it'll be one that stays with you! Zara is so cute! Did she do good with the gunshot? How cute her antics with the dead ghawg LOL

[99er]

I shot the 22 around Zara a few months or so back and she sort had a "WTF" look when I shot. Now she don't even give an odd look or anything when I shoot the 222 or the 25-06, just sorta takes it all in stride and trys to see what I'm shooting at. Zara used to starting barking and get all pissed off when large noisy big dump trucks, etc passed us coming in the opposite direction. She seems to gotten over that, but now Cattle seem to get her bent all out of shape, where they didn't seem to before. I think that too will pass and it's more of just learning and becoming comfortable with all of the sights and sounds that she is exposed to.

Hopefully in a few more months and after a couple more Groundhogs under her belt, she will put the bite into one. She's only around 7+ months old and a smallish 30lbs now. As I recall, I don't think Hannah really got into the Groundhog "shake n bake" and killing them on her own until she was around 1 1/2 years old and around 50 pounds.

After yesterday, Zara at least now knows what Goundhogs smell like and that we're after them in "hot persuit". I have a feeling Zara already mastered what a Fox scent smells like, from the Fox we spooked a couple of months back; and based on her actions yesterday, I may need to start looking for Fox in a different section of that same field where I hadn't been looking before.


99er

[DEN]

At 7+ months everything is just gonna be fun time 9er, And I think you are right as with my little fella, He wasnt really ready to hunt and kill stuff til he was a year and a half, He's a year and 9 months now and he's desperate to find and kill stuff, But he has had the benefit of 2 other dogs to show him the ropes, So even the fact that Zara showed that kinda interest in that groundhog means she is on the right track, To get their interest if i shot a rabbit or such I'd cut it open and give the dogs the liver and kidneys a tasty little treat they associate with the scent and sight of the animal



Den.

[99er]

Denard,

Wut's the names of yer pooches?
BTW, that bigger one must use the same hairdresser and color hair dye that you do !!


One thing for sure, I poor pitty the damn critter that Zara finally decides to latch on to ... she's got one hell of a set of very sharp decent-sized choppers on her.

I measured the distance on that Groundhog shot yesterday and the 1st/long shot was exactly 225yds; even thou was off a bit to the right likely due to the wind, I think it was a right decent shot for being my first shot over 40 yards (which is my 1st/rising zero) ... thank goodness for ballistic software, charts, and such.


99er

[DEN]

model99er, on 01 February 2012 - 03:48 AM, said:

Denard,

Wut's the names of yer pooches?
BTW, that bigger one must use the same hairdresser and color hair dye that you do !!


One thing for sure, I poor pitty the damn critter that Zara finally decides to latch on to ... she's got one hell of a set of very sharp decent-sized choppers on her.

I measured the distance on that Groundhog shot yesterday and the 1st/long shot was exactly 225yds; even thou was off a bit to the right likely due to the wind, I think it was a right decent shot for being my first shot over 40 yards (which is my 1st/rising zero) ... thank goodness for ballistic software, charts, and such.


99er

The Lurcher is called ASH, Little'un is called TED, and I also gotta terrier x collie called SQUID, Yep Ash is well trained to get on my side of the bed iffin I was late home from the pub and the wife would think it was me

I think that 225yd shot was out standing considerin you only sighted in at 40yds then you also take into consideration ol' stayput being out of balance now you had the rust fixed and also being at a bit of a shaky age....yep that was a good shot

Still cant figure the ard

Den.

[99er]

DEN, on 02 February 2012 - 01:47 AM, said:

I think that 225yd shot was out standing considerin you only sighted in at 40yds then you also take into consideration ol' stayput being out of balance now you had the rust fixed and also being at a bit of a shaky age....yep that was a good shot

Stayput is in perfect balance, as it had equal rust on both sides. Besides since all that the rust was fixed, now it has even better aerodynamics. Not to mention that Stayput now has ~90% less visable chrome. That'll increase to around 95% when I get around to doing the side mirrors that my old racing bud somehow overlooked.

You'd also be downright amazed wut a properly designed "9R Window Rest", along with one's elbow locked into Stayput's steering wheel will do fer any sort of "shakes", be they either "age" or "Al K. Hall" related. You won't see any "soup stirring" when me and Stayput team up.


Here's another more close-up pic of Zara; tho it shows them a little bit, the pic still doesn't do Zara's sharp choppers any sort of justice.





99er