Full Moon, but I changed my usual habit

I

IndexFinger

Custom Accessory Maker
I usually Don't go out at night in the BIG Moon. But had to get up and out the house last night get some air. Also before the rains moving in this morning for another wet week+ . The moon is BIG and bright, but it was shining threw a thin cloud moisture ceiling, but still pretty bright out . After I set-up and set the call out, I had to throw a cover drape over the rifle and clip-on because the humidity and dew was so heavy. Was a real quiet night zero wind moving the air.

Did a couple calls and I worked scanning this area about 2-hour, it was just dead out except a few owls working the area. Nothing really happening till about 11:30 and a pack lit-up group howls and chatter, but they were way-off a mile+ away and NoWay they moving out of theirs, and into this territory . I was getting pretty disappointed thinking about packing up and it was getting midnight. But I decided to give it one more call, So I did a couple of quick lone female howls on the shockwave. About 15 minutes I had a Pack just Light-Up screaming LOUD a few hundred yards off from a local Pack. Then I caught Three dogs on the scanner moving into the trees, and they all just planted their Ass and all 3 just sat there. Leaves on trees are all gone, so they Popped pretty good on the Therm scanner in the cold air.

There was a good clear little field between the 3 dogs and me, but they were NOT moving into the open . I couldn't move my position to maneuver the rifle to different lines of sight and shoot, because the Moon was full and they would forsure pick up on me in the Moon illum. so I had to freeze right where I was.
Finally one of them moved, and I get a halfassed clean line of sight in-between tree trunks where the dog sat down again . I am not shooting with Thermal. I shoot with NV a huge Obj. lens pvs-9 clip-on . So I pushed-in just a little IR supplement in there, Not to much to get bad bloom. And got a good image of Dog sitting straight at me. Eyes were popping pretty good with that little bit of IR hitting them, So I put the x-hair just below the chin and pulled the trigger.

The other 2 Dogs scattered after the impact. I stayed right there not moving position, and I gave two quick female howls on the ecall, and waited. few minutes latter another dog started coming back in and set himself up way back 150+ yard off into trees. Dog was pretty spun-up but did not bolt-off, and I got another line of sight and dropped his ass also .
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Female at around the 120 yard line. Heavy Male was out there over 150 yrd.

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OHhhhh.. I completely forgot. On that 2nd shot on last dog I had a No Primer ignition. Then I fast closed the bolt on the round again and still was a NoGo. Re chambered a fresh Round . So actually I had 3 trigger pulls for one dog on that last shot .
so Murphy's Law, ..."what can go wrong will go wrong"., Thousands of Rounds, and Bad primer is something that has only happened to me a few times in my whole life..
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I too went out but without any success. Too bright with snow cover, but did accomplish some scouting. So bright i could see the coyote tracks in the snow. Waiting for a NW or W wind and dark and I too shall report a successful hunt.

Way to go on the full moon double.
 
Rhett Steele said:
I too went out but without any success. Too bright with snow cover, but did accomplish some scouting. So bright i could see the coyote tracks in the snow. Waiting for a NW or W wind and dark and I too shall report a successful hunt.

Way to go on the full moon double.
Click to expand...

It was bright out, there was a small open flat pasture area between me and the coyotes. I think instinct stopped all 3 of those dogs a good 50- 60 yards deep in the trees when they first ran in. All 3 were mature, and they were noway stepping out making them visibly vulnerable to anything.

Full moon and the wet grass with the KN203 all looks bright as snow out. Using zero gain on the NV. You can lift the Obj. lid up halfway and still make a shot, the image is so bright.
Black Zero Moon out I use anywhere from 4 to 8x magnification with a little IR supplement. But when the the Moon is out bigger than Half. I can crank magnification up 10 to 14 and even 16x depending on shot conditions.
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