October Hunting the Night Shift Contest

R Buker

R Buker

New member
Here's your chance to get a copy of "Hunting the Night Shift."

Just write about a memorable night hunt in this thread. We'll review it at the end of the month and award a winner.

Have at it.
 
This is one from uk fox hunter who posted it in the Sept contest thread. I moved it over here for inclusion in October's contest.

For pics and such, refer back to the Sept thread.

posted 10-04-2004 01:43 PM
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TWO NIGHTS LAMPING ON A FULL MOON
WITH REFLEX SOUND MODERATORS

Five of seven (see pic 1) shot on one night which was part of ten shot on two trips out on less than a hundred acres of grass. A local farmer had asked me if I could help him out with a fox problem he was having on some grass he waiting to put some ewes and lambs on. He had seen a few foxes during daylight on the fields and around the farm buildings. The first night was arranged and we met near to the ground so as not to spook any that may be near the buildings, we drove through the first set of gates and picked up the first set of eyes a quick of the lamp to check for others, all clear so the first shot was taken, one down and off we go. Another was taken soon after on the other side and we worked our way back to the first fox, as we approached the lamp picked out another set of eyes on the same field close to the first shot. With the land rover stopped a round was chambered, with the lamp up high to pick out the eyes with edge of the beam the crosshairs were lowered on to its chest lower the lamp and with a slight crack of the shot the fox drops to the ground. The fox lay only a few yards from the first, when picked up it was a vixen & dog. We returned to the farm buildings and unloaded the foxes and rifles two dogs and one vixen, which had no sings of being in cub the farmer was, pleased so off home to bed.

A few nights later we met again to go round the second piece of ground .To his knowledge the ground had not been lamped for quite some years as he had just taken it on. We approached the first field and the lamp picked out a fox on a muck heap, one down scan with the lamp again next set of eyes just over to the right two down move back over to the left round the other side of the muck heap a quick sweep of the lamp reveals another set of eyes shot number three and another fox drops in less than ten minutes.

Over the next couple of hours four more were added to the bag. Three more were seen but were unsafe or way off and would not call and one was missed! Not a bad nights work on a full moon. A call next morning to the farmer as he had left us to go back lambing after the third fox to let him know how we had got on and a very happy man he was as the ewes and lambs were ready to go out there.

One of the reasons I had been asked to help him out is both rifles have been fitted with Reflex T8 scout sound moderators. I have never been keen on sound moderators because of the amount they add to barrel length and the weight but the reflex is way out in front of the competition in opinion, reduced muzzle blast means sight picture is not lost when the shot is taken and target is seen when it drops also less noise means the report of the shot is also heard much clearer .It also seems to produce tighter groups due to less muzzle blast, and saves electricity as no bedroom lights go on from the ”bark” of the 22 250 if houses are close by.

RIFLES USED AND LOADS

Remington 700vs 22 250 marinetex bedded action, barrel shortened to 22” and screw cut for reflex, Tooley custom trigger and swarovski 6*24-50 pvs scope. Hand loaded ammunition 55g Vmax molly Varget powder and Federal Gold Medal Match primers with Winchester cases. Load chronographed at 3551fps test showed a loss of about 50fps with sound moderator.

Sako75HV Reflex sound moderator 55g Vmax molly H380 powder Federal Gold Medal Match primers Winchester cases 3610fps Ziess 3*12-56 scope
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So far this UK dude has it hand's down. You boys aren't going to let him win this easily, are you?

Come on, let's hear some stories!
 
I took my girlfriend and her 5 year old son to do some spotlighting on a familys feedlot. Neither mom nor son had ever been hunting before so they were in for a big treat. As we pull into the yard I see 3 cottontails eating out in the hayfield. I let Keegan get out of the car with me and we get the old .223Savage out and set the shooting sticks up. The rabbits are spread out about 50 or so yards apart. I decide to go from left to right. First rabbit sits there looking at us pop head shot. Middle bunny hops a few feet and continues eating apparetly these bunnies have never been shot at before. Middle bunny is a bit further out and the next shot hits him a bit low but he went about 2 foot in the air. Keegan is holding his stomach laughting so hard about how it did a backflip. Its pretty damn dark so picking up the dark rabbit in the dirt clustered field wasn't the easiest thing in the world. I tell Keegans mom to grab the lap and light the bunny up and I am going to let Keegan look thru the scope and see whats its like to be a real night hunter. Thank goodness I had the bipod. I crank the magnification way up and make sure the rabbit is in the cross hairs. I tell Keegan to look thru the scope and if it was all lines up on the + to tell me and I would pull the trigger I figured if I missed he had 50yds to go before he hit cover. Well with a "Shoot now" whisper in my ear I pull the trigger and watch as Keegan jumps 3feet in the air with his arms up because we just nailed his rabbit he runs to his mom and hugs her the tells her to bring the light so we can go look at his rabbit. We go look at it and he picks it up by the back leg and damn if all the guts didn't spill out but he though that was so cool. No digi cam but took some real pics. Well its dark and we get in the car and go drive over by all the stacked hay and old cars. Uncle said he has seen a bunch of coons and a few fox. I open the window and told Keegan and his mom to be quiet while I blew the cottontail in distress call. Call 2mins shine the light. Called 5 more mins then pop thru the brush orange eyes are glowing at us. I know the coon heard Keegan shout out "Theres somthing". With mom running the light I settle the crosshair on the coons neck and let a 45grn hollowpoint fly. Coon flops over dead. We called another 10mins and nothing else shows so we go drive by the coon and check out Keegans first called predator at night. It was the biggest coon I have shot weighted 12 pounds or so. I wish it could have been a fox or coyote for Keegan on his first predator like me but oh well its better then not seeing a thing. Sorry I am long winded. I can't wait to take him hunting again.

I know its not the best predator story but its more fun for me to show him how to hunt then to do it myself never thought that would happen.
 
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