Alright, so my season is in full swing. I've been hunting as much as possible in between running a small business and going to college full time. It's been limited more than usual but I still have had some time to hunt and more importantly practice.

Well today a buddy and I decided to hunt a local WMA right close to home. We split up at daybreak and kinda circled around towards a common spot.

Well the stalking didn't prove to be productive today, despite a prefect new moon the deer were just not willing to play.

Our meeting spot was this tall knoll type rock on a hill that someone in the years past had built a blind, and although it was not much of a blind it is a great vantave point. We sat up their for about 30 mins when the squirrels started coming out of the woodwork.

I am very much a opportunistic hunter, I hunt everything that is in season all the time!

And I jokingly said I'll shoot at anything under 50(referring to squirrels)

This one gray came out and ran on this log at about 35 yards, and disappeared behind some thicket and then reappeared further down the huge dead fall.

It was so open and he decided to rest on this stump.

My range estimation was 40ish yards. I drew back focused on the distant critter and let it fly.

I waited for the split second for the arrow to reach its target and heard a thud. I swear my jaw kinda dropped.

I practice out that far pretty often, but that was a really small target!!  My buddy was in awe, he couldn't believe the size of that horseshoe I had in my back pocket, lol

Ill be the first to admit their was some luck involved, but its always better to be lucky than good, lol

Anyway alot of you will probably think that was an unethical shot, but the way I look at it is with something that small if you hit it, you will most likely kill it, unlike a deer where a specific region needs to be impacted.

The shot was right in front of the back leg and at spinal cord level. It did not penetrate but the shock was enough to do the little guy in. I will say that I will not shoot at anything that far with a judo again, just because I would rather have some cutting action . . . even though this shot was very effective.

Alright after that book you guys deserve a picture . . .

 

now I'm more of a traditional type guy, I love my cameras but things like ranger finders just seem like extra pack filling to me. But my buddy just happened to have one in his bag. I just about lost it when I read the range!!

51 yards!!!!!!!  Absolutely crazy!!  

Nice shooting and great memories made !

Heck of a shot! Congradulations. Hap

I have shot at cottontails that far and I believe that you will either kill the critter or have a complete miss on that size of target.

If you have practiced at those yardages and let the computer between the ears take over, then shots like that are not unethical on small game.  The confidence gained when you do make a kill can only help when you need to make shots on bigger game at the closer yardages, in my opinion.

Enjoy eating your squirrel!  How are fixin' im?

QuoteOriginally posted by Ray_G:
Enjoy eating your squirrel!  How are fixin' im?

I'm thinkin some BBQ sauce and my handy crockpot will get my lips smackin!!!

great shot. Ethics are your choice, i tend to side with you about shooting squirrels. Most any hit will be effective.

nice shooting

Nice shot.......Love the pic!!!!      

Nice - those little suckers are hard to hit

 Great shot!!!

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am still trying to hit one and they have been close shots. But 51yrds that outstanding! Nice shooting!!! Congrats!

Good shot.

Good shooting!  

Nice Shot!!

I can't even see 51 yards! Nice shotin'.          

Of course it was unethical! You said you would shoot at anything under 50 yards and that was 51!  

Great shot!

Nice job!

Nice shooting.