Camouflaging Your Gun

There are various ways to camouflage your air rifle, in this post I’ll look at a few approaches I’ve taken.

I guess the first questions to ask are, why camouflage my rifle and will it make a difference? The answers are to remove shine of the metal work of your rifle when hunting, and to help blend in which is fairly obvious. The next question though, does it help depends on what you are hunting, the conditions, and how you are using it. If I am in full camo clothing and plan to sit at the base of a tree while squirrel hunting, I think having my gun blend in helps…. a lot. But it’s not just the camo, squirrels for instance are very aware of movement, and having your gun blend in makes small movement blend better and draw less attention from watching eyes. However the best camo in the world won’t help if you’re fidgeting and moving your hands, feet or waving the camo gun about. Other game such as jackrabbits will spot you as soon as you break cover, but don’t take off immediately because they rely on their speed when the need to move hits them, and I haven’t found that camo has changed things much. But once you decide that camouflaging your rifle makes sense, there are various way to approach the task.

Factory finished camo patterns can often be selected when purchasing your rifle. The upside is usually a well finished rifle, the down side is that is the finish you will live with regardless of the terrain you are hunting. Sometimes there may be an upcharge for this option.

There are a couple of options if you want to camouflage your guns for hunting. You can use various camouflage tapes and gun socks, or you can paint it. Both methods have pros and cons; when the gun is camouflage taped you can apply a tape that very closely conforms to the environment and remove it or change it as required. It is fairly cheap and won’t ruin the finish on you gun. On the negative side, it does not have the finished appearance of a painted gun. Painting is also inexpensive and gives a nice appearance to the hunting rifle, if you do it right. However it is permanent and may not be the solution if you hunt a lot of different types of country as I do. One trip I might be in the swamps of the deep south, and the next trip in the Mojave desert. After reading a very informative article on the internet (by a gentleman I’d love to credit but who didn’t give his name) I decided to try my hand on an old Crosman multi-pump I had lying around to see if I could do it. It worked pretty well, but I was not convinced enough to do it on one of my better rifles. I typically go with a modified tape / gun sock approach, as I find it suits my needs better.

To use tape, I start by disassembling the gun. I take a camouflaged shotgun sock patterned to match the territory I’ll be hunting and cut off the sock cover. I pull this portion of the sock up to the grip, and then tape with a matching camouflage tape. I then start applying tape from one side of the action inset to the other, so that when I put the gun back together the action will hold the tape in place. You can then apply tape, wrapping it around the barrel from the muzzle back to the fore stock.

I handle the scope a little differently; taking another piece of the gun sock intended for the shotgun barrel I put a split lengthwise down the sock so that it fits over the scope and mounts, then tape it in place with the camouflage tape. The slit can be pulled open to reveal the adjustors when required for fine-tuning the scope.

The beauty of this approach is that it takes only an hour or two, and can be removed in 15 minutes. There are a variety of different camo colors and patterns, so it is easy to change as my hunting venue changes.

If you decide to paint, the paint which holds up best for a gun finish is an enamel. This is the same type of paint used by model builders and other hobbyists. You need to find spray paint with a flat finish in dull brown, olive and green. These colors are ideal for a basic fall camo pattern. You can pick up the supplies for a few dollars at any hardware store or home improvement center.

You will also need to obtain a supply of very fine grit sandpaper to remove your guns existing finish. This also ensures that the paint will bond to the surface, which can be a problem if not properly prepared.

Before painting the gun has to be disassembled, degreased and masked off to protect the working parts. Sand off any rust that you find and treat with rustoleum or some other anti-rusting agent. Degrease and clean your rifle with white spirits. After the gun has been cleaned and wiped down, do not touch it with your bare hands. Before painting plug up the muzzle, tape up the trigger housing and all other moving parts. Break the barrel, place a small piece of tissue in the breech area and close the barrel again so the tissue is trapped in-between; this stops paint getting into the air transfer works. Tape off the scope’s lenses and adjusters being very sure that the masked areas have been sealed up tightly.

The first coat is the base coat, and after it dries apply a coat of olive, which is the best base color for camouflage in almost any environment you may hunt. Make sure you have painted the entire gun and scope, and then let it dry. I suspended the gun on a piece of wire from a rafter in my garage so that I could give it a complete coating on all sides. To finish the paint-job spray the darker green paint in a broken pattern, which will blend with the shadow and vegetation in the field. This same technique is applied to the stock, action, and scope. When you are done, leave the gun to dry for the period stated in the paint instructions, and finish off with a good coat or two of varnish.

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Airgunners Guide to Using a Blind

Deciding on the type of blind and how you will use it, it’s not rocket science but there are a few keys to success!

A blind is made from a variety of materials with the purpose of hiding the hunter and his movement from potential prey. The blind can be as simple as sitting in the gardening shed and shooting through the window or a crack in the door, to something as elaborate as a camouflaged structure that can be moved from place to place. As I have mentioned previously, I like to use a commercially available camouflaged “pop up” blind. It works well and can be set up or broken down very quickly and easily. This allows me to cover ground and set up quietly and efficiently, expanding the shooting possibilities on a given hunt. One can make an effective hide from natural materials at hand. If I am wearing camouflage and I find a nice little space between fallen branches or clumps of brush to crawl into, I find it works fine. I’ll also carry along some lightweight camouflage netting which together with natural materials can be used to make an effective blind. The critical issue is to break up the outline of your body, this is what makes the potential predator stand out to their prey, and secondly, make sure that your blind covers you from behind so that you are not backlit.

Whether hunting morning or night, get to the blind an hour or two earlier than you expect game to start moving and get set up. Don’t wait to the last minute!

An essential requirement to setting up a productive blind is to find the right location; that is one which is not too great a distance from where you will make your shots, that gives several shooting lanes and a good field of view, and preferably one that has a protected means of approach so that you don’t scare off your quarry. I will sometimes make my approach to the blind before daylight (when I can pull myself out of bed that early) and be in my blind before my prey is out and about. Of course, you must be sure that you’ve located a spot which will draw game; I like to set up around a pond or stream, in a cultivated field which has been left standing after the harvest, along a game trail, etc. It doesn’t matter how well your blind is constructed if there are no animals in the area. Exactly where I set up and how long I stay in a location depends on what I am hunting, where I am hunting, and when I am hunting. I will sometimes use a blind when shooting starlings, ground squirrels, crows, and squirrels, but require something fast and easy to move.

More often, I still-hunt while wearing camouflage, every once in a while finding a protected site to sit and wait. For instance, when hunting jackrabbit I’ll walk through washes and along ridges glassing the area. If I see a jack moving around I’ll work my way into a position to intercept it, and once I find a protected area in some brush along the hillside, I’ll crawl under and wait until a shot is presented. In effect I am carrying some of my blind with me (the camouflage) and using natural materials to finish it off. Again, it depends on your prey. I will also use a camo poncho which has many effective uses either worn or draped across the brush.

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The Traveling Hunter Revisited

In 2014 I wrote a blog post on the traveling airgun hunter, and I focused on the actual travel to hunt. I’m going to revisit the topic, but this time also spend more time looking at how to find a place to hunt.

In any given year, I am lucky enough to travel and hunt across the country. This permits me to pursue many types of small game and pest species, in some very different terrains and weather conditions. Traveling to hunt requires the right selection of gun, accessories, and clothing for the best results in the field. I’ll try to do as much advanced research as possible, often using online resources. In this article I want to share some of the different ecosystems visited and game hunted, discuss how I prepared, and look at the type of guns and gear I brought along.

The decision on the type of quarry to be pursued can narrow down the region, for instance rabbits can be hunted almost anywhere in the country. But if the target species is the Aberts squirrel, the range is limited to the pinon forest in localized areas around the Grand Canyon States. If turkey is the intended species, even though they are widely distributed, it will have to be the hills and mountains of California, the Texas scrublands, or the forest and farmlands of Virginia because these are the only places turkey can legally be taken with an airgun.

Even when the quarry is widely distributed and legal to hunt over most of its range, the hunt can still take place in varied terrains and require different equipment and strategies. Hunting prairie dogs in the wide-open barren grasslands of South Dakota calls for settling in and doing a lot of long-range glassing and shooting, while hunting the same species in the verdant Arizona high desert requires extensive stalking, long hikes, and fast action close range shooting.

Each state sets their own hunting regulations regarding the wildlife in their jurisdiction (within federal guidelines for migratory game). So, another consideration after determining what and where you’d like to hunt, is finding out if it is legal. Once you’ve answered that question, the next step is to collect information on seasons, legal methods of take, and limits, then acquire the appropriate license and tags.

One of the best ways to prepare is to find local expertise. When traveling through an area on vacation or business, I will often ask people I meet about the local game, if they get many hunters, is there public land such as BLM or State/National Forest that would be worth looking at, etc. Hunting has more mainstream acceptance in some regions than others, but asking locals is pa viable approach at times.

In addition to accessing local knowledge, I’ve found that online research is exceedingly useful. I go to the State wildlife services website to obtain information on license requirements, frequently purchasing my license online, and these sites will often list public hunting areas. Downloading maps and satellite images of potential hunting areas allows a prospecting hunter to do some high-level scouting before putting boots on the ground.

You may have no choice on when to hunt because if there is a season, it is set in stone and field days limited. If you want to take turkey in California, there are only a few weeks divided into a spring and fall season. This will of course impact the weather conditions the hunter will encounter, I’ve hunted California gobblers in spring when the temperature is 85 degrees and been in the same area in fall freezing in 10” of snow.

Picking the right clothing for each trip comes down to assessing the most likely scenarios you’ll encounter and anticipating what you’ll need to stay cool enough, warm enough, or dry enough no matter what comes along. The other consideration is determining if full camouflage is needed or if wearing unobtrusively colored clothing will suffice. When hunting jackrabbits in Texas, I use the bush for cover and work the shadows, so don’t feel camo is required. However, for squirrels in the midwestern woods or in pursuit of turkey anywhere, full head to toe camo is the order of the day. Of course, the weather and terrain will dictate the camo pattern you need to take along. I have several camo patterns made in very light weight material that I buy a size up. I can wear these over my normal cloths and match the best camo to the landscape when arriving on site.

There is gear I almost always carry: a pack of some type, binoculars, range finder, extra magazines and pellets, a knife, a light, and shooting sticks. In more remote or rugged terrains I’ll pack hand, toe and body warmers, an emergency kit that can get me through a night stuck in the field, extra food, game calls, GPS and compass, and area maps. When hunting in the Midwest, assistance is usually only a couple miles away, but out in the Arizona mountains or the far Northwest snow fields you might be many miles from help, so carrying equipment to bail yourself out of tight spots is a smart precaution.

When hunting prairie dogs in the wide-open spaces of the Dakotas where there is very little cover, long distances are hiked, and the equipment required to spend a day in the field must be packed. The hunter needs to carry the basic gear, shooting sticks and select a rifle with a high shot capacity topped with high magnification optics. I often use the Brocock Commander XR .25 on these outings because of the excellent long-range accuracy with little variation between shots, and the ability to deliver adequate accuracy on target in a high shot capacity and compact platform.

When hunting Aberts squirrel in the mountains of Arizona, hiking several miles, climbing over rocks and crawling through heavy forest, a gun that is lightweight and compact is an asset. On this hunt there is a limit of five squirrel per day, so a high shot count is less important. Most shots are within 50 yards, so accuracy is generally more important than power. The rifle I often carry in these conditions is the Brocock Compatto, it is powerful and accurate, yet one of the lightest and shortest length overall high-performance rifles to be found.

When out for gray and fox squirrels in the Midwestern woods I do a lot of ambush hunting. The excellent eyesight of these animals along with their treetop perspective, makes stealth a necessity. Full camo is a good idea, taking care to keep the face and hands covered in a terrain matched pattern. On these outings the properties are smaller, often in stands of 20-40-acre woods juxtaposed amongst pastures on working farms. The hunter is never far from the truck, so lots of gear need not be carried, and almost any rifle you enjoy shooting, so long as it shoots well, will work.

In agricultural and industrial areas where there is more risk of collateral damage related to the presence of equipment, buildings, livestock, or workers, the gear requirements are quite different. Protective clothing, steel toed boots, and work gloves are often a good idea. The best rifle for this type of shooting is laser accurate, generates lower (or adjustable) power, compact, and offers a higher shot count.

The message I want to leave you with is that taking the time to assess your anticipated surroundings and conditions before going into the field can make you a more effective, efficient, and comfortable hunter. If I can make it through a multiday hunt without saying to myself “I wish I’d brought this article of gear or another gun instead” it says to me that I’ve done my homework, and as a result optimized my field time.

Categories: Airgun Expedition, Destinations, Hunting Accessories, Regulations, where to hunt | Leave a comment

Car Camping and Hunting in South Texas Part II

In part II we’ll pick back up on my car camping trip down to South West Texas to hunt with the LCS SK19

As I mentioned in last weeks post, I was on my own the first 4 days, but would be joined by Chacho and Valente (his father) for the last 3. I enjoy stalking the ranch with Chacho and listening to Valente’s tales of this place many years ago when they still worked the ranch on horseback, but to be honest he is one of the best Mexican cooks I’ve ever meet, and he keeps us eating well whenever he joins us! Handmade tortillas, pico de gallo made from a selection of peppers he roasts and crushes, and meats roasted to perfection! I’m getting hungry thinking about it.

The rifle I brought to start my hunt out with was a new one for me, the American manufactured LCS SK-19, which is a bottle forward bullpup design, which is very much in vogue these days. But this hammer-less SA/FA gun is unique in many ways, it uses a magazine that is loaded in place, holding 19 pellets or slugs in the .25 caliber version I used. The rifle is regulated and has a second pressure gauge dedicated to the adjustable regulator, with a knob located beneath the receiver to allow additional power adjustment. The way my rifles was set up, it was producing 55 fpe over 50 shots with virtually no shot-to-shot variability.

The most unique feature of the SK-19 however, is that it is a semi/full auto airgun. In the full-auto it will empty the 19 round magazine in less than 3 seconds, with the accuracy to keep all shots in about a 2.5 inch group. This was a lot of fun to plink with, but my primary interest was in the semi-auto mode. I found that at 50 yards I could keep all the shots inside an inch when pacing myself, but even when pulling the trigger rapidly it was possible to keep a 19-pellet group inside of 2”. I thought this would prove useful for follow up shots, and when engaging multiple targets. And this indeed proved to be the case, several times I found multiple rabbits in an area, and did a good job of anchoring them with rapid follow up shots!

I found this bullpup to be very ergonomic and it fit me well. My offhand shooting was improved by the design of the gun, and it was a pleasure to shoot off sticks as well. The trigger was smoother than I’d expected and breaks crisply. I took forty jackrabbits with the SK-19, as well as getting in some predator shooting with it, and think it is one of the more impressive rifles I’ve used recently. I took both head shots and body shots, finding them equally effective. Body shot jacks would often run several yards then drop and expire quickly. Headshot rabbits often flopped around violently before giving up the ghost, and I’m not sure either one was more humane than the other. A couple days into the trip I saw a hawk chase down and eat a still living jackrabbit and it gave me pause for reflection, I believe that head or body shots are both a better exit than most of these animals get in the wild.

As is often the case, the hunting was good, but I saw much of interest besides my quarry, including a coatimundi (rare in Texas), and albino mule deer, I was chased by a 5 foot long gopher snake with an attitude, and had a big brown and black tarantula crawl over my leg as I sat on the ground looking through my binos….. maybe you heard me screaming all the way over in the UK! Snakes do not bother me, scorpions ain’t no big thing……. But I hate spiders!

Hunting the LCS SK-19, Jim lines up on a big jack

Chacho and I spent the weekend predator hunting and glassing the ranch looking for a herd of feral Spanish goats, without luck. The herd is free range and aren’t restricted to Trents slice of the brush, so they might have been hiding or they might have been gone. We did make an impact on the predator population, but that’s another story for another time. I retraced my steps from Texas to Minnesota arriving home yesterday morning. My vacation over, I returned to work this morning, and was instantly pulled back into the daily grind. However, my company changed policy and are no longer allowing us to carry over vacation time, so I now find myself sitting on 8 weeks to use before the end of the year. Probably won’t be long before I head back to Texas, although I hear South Dakota and Utah calling me as well!

Hauling 9 lb of rabbit back from where it was dropped

I spoke with Robert over at Airguns of Arizona the other day, and he reminded me that EBR would be rolling around pretty soon. I’m planning on being there, its one of my favorite non-hunting activities in the airgunning world, and well worth the trip if you haven’t be. And if you do attend, please feel free to look me up and have a chat, always happy to discuss our sport with other enthusiast!

Categories: .30 caliber, Airgun Expedition, Airguns of Arizona, Camping with Airgun, Destinations, Rabbits | 2 Comments

Car Camping and Hunting in South Texas Part I

A multi-day hunt to try out the AirArms LCS SK19

I’ve been away for a while and just getting started back up and looking forward to getting ready for a new hunting season! I have a lot of new gear to work with and places to go, so we’ll get back on track with the blog.

With all the pandemic related lockdowns in the USA, and every state is different, it’s been tough trying to organize a hunt. Across the country, most game seasons will not open until September or August, which means its varmint or predators on the ticket. That’s fine with me, as this is some of my favorite hunting: jackrabbits in the southwest, prairie dogs in the northern plains, groundhogs in the midwestern farmlands…….. and predators everywhere! And outside of the occasional and sometimes violent thunderstorms, the weather agrees with my Southern California bred constitution.

I spoke with my friends down in Texas trying to line up a hunt, and though my frequent hunting partner Chacho would only be free towards the end of the week, our friend Trent told me to come on down to the his Ranch and I could have the run of the property. The Huckaby family Ranch is about 50 miles north of the Mexican border and is comprised of 50 sections of land (32,000 acres or 13000 hectares), and is big any way you measure it! The ranch is surrounded by like-sized ranches that spread out over hundreds of miles; it takes a 40-mile drive to get to the nearest town if you need anything.

The trip from my home to the ranch is a 1300-mile 20-hour drive. I used to fly down, but by the time I flew into Dallas and drove 7-8 hours to the ranch, the time savings was not very great, while the limitation on the amount of gear I could bring along was a major limitation. Of course, in consideration of the long distance driven at freeway speeds followed by miles on washboard dirt roads, you must consider the toll on your vehicle. My solution on this trip was Hertz, and yeah, I included their daily insurance package! So, after renting a SUV, loading up gear that included 6 rifles, three CF tanks, an AC/DC compressor, hunting accessories, tools, cameras, food and drinks, I was on the road!

I bumped into a pair of big jacks 5 minutes down the road

My drive took me through several states: Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, before reaching Texas. I drove 15 hours the first day and pulled into a rest stop South of Wichita Falls to sleep for a few hours. I had screens to put up in the SUV’s windows, an inflatable mattress in the back, and squeezed between the gear to sleep in complete comfort. I don’t like staying in motels while in transit, because I’m too lazy to shuttle all my gear between the vehicle and the room, and estimate that I often have over $10K in possession packed in the cargo area that I don’t want to be separated from.

I awoke at about 5:30 AM and drove to the next town for a, if you’ll credit this, Starbucks coffee in the approximate middle of nowhere! It was about 5 hours of continuous driving later, that landed me in front of the stone gateway to Trent’s property. About a mile past this there is an automatic gate with an entry code, and as I entered the code the iron gate slowly rolled back to grant entrance. I really love this place, the Huckaby Ranch was established sometime in the 1800’s by Trent’s ancestors and the family has been the steward of the land since. They run some cattle and sheep, but mostly it is left in a natural state, and the revenue generated from hunters coming in for the trophy whitetail and mule deer allow it to be kept mostly unspoiled. Though I’ve hunted deer and javalina here, this trip I was focusing on the explosive populations of jackrabbits and predators.


The LCS SK-19 is a compact and ergonomic semi-auto hunting rig.

I’ll pick up on the trip next week, and tell you about some really good hunting I encountered. I’ll also share my experience shooting the LCS SK19 in the field. This was my first chance to hunt with it, and I’ll share my experience with you then!

Categories: .30 caliber, Airguns of Arizona, best hunting caliber for an airgun, Destinations, Rabbits, Small Game Hunting | Leave a comment

Have I found the Perfect Stealth Hunting Gun!?

One of the guns I have really enjoyed shooting as I prepare for squirrel season is the compact little Brocock Ranger XR. Getting ready for the woods, I brought this gun to the range to sight in, shoot a few strings over the chrony to get an idea of performance, and then have a fun plinking session to get familiar and comfortable with shooting it.

Check out Video

So, what were the initial impressions? First off, the folding stock allowed the gun to be folded away to almost nothing, easy to fit into my daypack for a stealth hunt. The stock once deployed was adjustable for length of pull, and with the AR style pistol grip it was easy to get a solid hold on. The side-lever cocking handle is a fine bit of machining, and very smooth cycling. And I love the magazine!

A magazine is not something to get overly excited about, of course they are very important, but it is not so frequent that I actually work up a high level of enthusiasm like I have with this one. I really like the way the hinged cover, which is held in place with a magnet, swings open to provide access for loading. Fast and easy to load, one of the more “fumble free” magazines I’ve encountered.

Performance wise I was also well impressed with the Ranger XR; I got an honest 32-35 shots per fill averaging about 17 fpe across the string, with a very respectable shot-to shot consistency. This is just about perfect in a quiet small game carbine.

Why do I want a “stealth hunter”? I have hunting and pesting permissions on several small farms and properties that are juxtaposed in an upscale suburban setting. To get to many of these stands of woods, I need to walk along a public road or out in plain view of houses, parks, boke paths etc. You do not want to be seen carrying a gun in these locations, whether you are in the right or not, as the police will be called. It has happened to me more than once, then I am tied up showing my permission letters, and on a couple of occasions arguing with cops that were ignorant of the laws they were trying to enforce, telling my I could not shoot within city limits with or without landowner permission. As a matter of fact our local ordinance do allow shooting for “the lawful taking of game” within city limits, but by the time this is sorted out time has either run out or I no longer feel like hunting.

It’s much better to have a gun that I can slip into my daypack, along with my lightweight and packable bug suit camo, slip into the woods and into my camo, hunt, bag my quarry, slip everything into my pack and hike back out to my car. And I believe this gun is going to become a favorite based on its attributed and what I’ve seen so far!

On other topics of interest: I hope everybody is either already started or getting ready for small game season. Whether you are hunt squirrel, rabbit, or quail, its a great time of the year to be in the field! You can find a place to hunt small game with an air rifle almost anywhere in the country, get out and give it a try. If you like, I can add some posts with favorite recipes and tips on game preparation.

Also, the Extreme Benchrest is fast approaching, and as usual I am looking forward to it! A great event and a great time to be in Arizona. If you’ve been to obne before you’ll probably be there again this year, if haven’t been before, its well worth the journey! And if you’re there and see me, please stop to say hello and if you have any questions about airguns or airgun hunting lets talk!

Categories: air pistols, Airguns of Arizona, Brocock, compact guns, Extreme Benchrest, Pest Control, Small Game Hunting, Small game in winter, Squirrels, stealth hunting | Leave a comment

Hunting or Pest Control

The Difference Between Pest Control and Small Game Hunting

Jim Chapman

Sitting at the base of a pecan tree, I waited for the fox squirrels to come in and began the feast. It was early morning, and as the sun started it’s climb, I saw the first squirrel moving through the orchard. When he paused at 40 yards out, I laid the crosshairs on his head, squeezed the trigger, and watched the tree rat hit the ground. With any luck, I hoped to bag a couple dozen before the day ended.

Sitting at the base of an oak tree, I waited to ambush a fox squirrel as it came in to eat. It was early morning, and as the sun started it’s climb, I saw a squirrel making his approach through the forest canopy. When he paused at 40 yards out, I laid the crosshairs on his head, squeezed the trigger, and watched the wary bushytail hit the ground. With any luck I might get my limit of five before the day ended.

These two scenarios represent similar events, with a subtle yet important difference; in the first I am out doing pest control at a farmer’s orchard. In the second, I’m in the woods in pursuit of one of our most popular small game species. And in both cases the species I’m after is the fox squirrel, the largest and one of the most adaptable tree squirrels found in North America. So, what is the real difference in these encounters, besides slight variation in the settings?

I was chatting with a friend that is a fanatical deer hunter and mentioned that I wished deer season would soon be over, as it interfered with my squirrel hunts. His response was that he often shot tree rats around his little hobby farm because they were a pest but couldn’t quite see them as a “real” game animal worthy of pursuit. It got me thinking about how I viewed squirrel hunting, and moreover the difference between pest control and small game hunting above and beyond legal considerations.

In the first example, the squirrel is causing financial damage to crops, and is legally classified by Fish and Game services as a pest species. This means they can be taken at any time, by any means, and in any numbers. The objective in the setting of pest control is to either exterminate the species or severely curtail its population, or a more targeted removal from a specific ecosystem.

In the second scenario, which could take place in a forest a mile down the road from that orchard, the squirrel is a native species and an integral part of the ecosystem. Wildlife managers have determined on a regional scale that a certain percentage of this population can/should be removed by hunters. As an indigenous species in a natural environment, it is the role of hunters to ensure a healthy balance and sustainable population is maintained. Therefore, the species (squirrels in this case) are classified as game animals: they have a season, usually to give protection during breeding periods when they are most vulnerable, there are limits instituted to maintain the optimal cull rate, and there are specified methods of take.

There are other species that share this pest/small game duality; rabbits, doves, geese, and some species such as fox and raccoons, which may be classified as pest (varmint) or furbearers depending on the situation. For the sake of our purposes, it’s fair to say that the regulatory protections provided to furbearers are equivalent to those offered small game species. As I’ve mentioned in past articles, there are federal regulations and each state (and sometimes local jurisdictions) have their own regulations, so you need to be cognizant of the relevant laws.

There are caveats, in many states if you are taking a game species as a pest because it is causing economic damage, you need to either own the property, work for the property owner, or have proof that you are serving in the capacity of an agent for the landowner. This is clearly defined in each States hunting regulations, though there can be some ambiguity. There are also mechanisms in place (depredation permits) to allow almost any animal that has become a nuisance species in a particular area to be removed regardless of their game status, such as deer herds overpopulating an agricultural area. As an example, a farmer suffering loss due to an overpopulation of deer may be issued depredation permits to remove an extra 20 deer from his property, which will supersede the standing Fish and Game regulations.

But what I find interesting is the subtle shift in mindset between pest control and small game hunting. I’ve noticed in the hunting literature that the squirrel is sometimes depicted as a vile little tree dwelling rat, while at other times it is elevated to the level of a noble arboreal Stag, that is a wary and worthy quarry. Personally, I think of squirrel hunting as being more akin to deer hunting, than to shooting rats at a local dairy farm. There are multiple reasons for this, I know that when hunting the small game squirrel, I will be in a more natural environment in the role of a predator. I know that my field work must be on point and that it will probably be harder to get a shot opportunity. Further I understand that there is an expectation that the animal be harvested and utilized (wasting a game animal is illegal in most states). It is my belief that when an animal is killed, processed, and consumed, it imparts a value that is absent or obscured when the animal is simply killed and discarded.

When hunting a pest species, the sole objective is to eradicate or severely reduce the number of a “problem” species. When shooting squirrels that have truly become a problem, I will take a chest shot knowing that it will kill the animal, but perhaps not an immediate kill. This is because the kill is the whole point of this exercise, and the result of not culling it through shooting is to set traps or lay poisons, neither of which provides a cleaner termination. There is no desire to inflict unnecessary pain on any animal, but when viewed in context, the removal of the pest animal is the primary objective. However, if in the woods on a small game hunt, I might well pass on the shot if everything does not fall into place.

The reason I prefer small game hunting over a pest control shoot is that when going after squirrel as a pest species on a farm or industrial area, it has a more mundane feel to it. Even if essentially the same activity, heading into the woods on a small game hunt has more the feel of an outdoor adventure. Packing gear for an overnight trip or in case I get stuck in the woods longer than anticipated, planning out a route and making sure there is enough food and water to see me through, makes it more of the outdoor experience I want.

This is the reason I get as excited about a small game hunt for squirrel or rabbit as when going after big game; the animal being hunted is only one part of the equation. Trekking through the woods on snowshoes to hunt and setting up a camp along the way for example, is the foundation of the adventure for me. Scouting the area for game sign, patterning the animal to determine where it feeds, waters, or beds down, is the test of field skill. Spotting the prey before it spots me, closing the distance, setting up the shot, and holding down the adrenaline rush to place the shot is the essence of the hunt. My sense of the “right way” to hunt small game is that I go on foot and concern myself with the stalk rather than the outcome. For pest control on the other hand, I’ll use any tool or method that gets results, shooting out of a vehicle for instance.

So, getting back to the original question, how do I see the difference between pest control and small game hunting? The answer I’ve arrived at is that in pest control the objective to cull as many of the targeted species as possible and in doing so providing a service to the landowner, results are critically important.  For small game, it’s about the experience, having a small adventure, testing field skills that don’t get used enough, picking the perfect shot, not to mention adding some meat to the larder! But the actual kill is less important than the hunt. As a rule, I find the small game hunt more difficult because it takes place in areas where squirrel populations are lower, the terrain more difficult to navigate, and where the animals that are not habituated to the proximity of man. At the same time by defocusing on the result, it makes the hunting experience more enjoyable and more satisfying.

Categories: Pest Control, Rabbits, Small Game Hunting, Squirrels, Urban hunt | Leave a comment

Squirrel Hunting in a New Area

I head out to an area recently located where the squirrel population looks good. Loaded up my Brocock Bantam and was in the woods shortly after daybreak.

I was out recently in Central Wisconsin hunting a new spot with the Brocock Bantam .22. Many of you know that in recent years I’ve been gravitating towards a .25 for my small game hunts, especially squirrels which are tenacious and live in an environment where you need to anchor them or potentially loose them (into a den or stuck up in the fork of a tree trunk). However, a .22 work very well, and just requires that you be more precise in shot placement.

My Bantam was topped with the ATN X-Sight for this hunt. This is a day/night scope with built in video recording capabilities. The woods I was hunting in were fairly thick still, fall is here, and the leaves are just starting to fall. I packed light on this outing as I only planned to stay out a couple hours then I needed to get home for work. Much of my professional life is working with international colleagues, which leads to some weird working hours, but on the good side it can leave me open in the mornings to go out for a quick hunt. I typically give myself a 2-hour, 2-squirrel limit whichever comes first. In this way I get out a lot, can use a lot of different gear, and manage the squirrel populations in my favorite hunting spots.

As I mentioned, this was a new spot. A few weeks earlier I was up north hunting with a friend that has been showing me the area. On my drive home I went through an area of state forest where I saw a few squirrels (black and gray), which was about an hour closer to home, and made a mental note to go back and give it a closer look. I arrived at about 7:30 and by 8:00 had a couple of squirrels in the bag! Spent the next hour scouting and saw several more squirrels in varying color phases, but didn’t take any more. Even though the Bantam was not used during my scouting exercise, it is light and compact and I didn’t mind carrying it.On the last trip my hunting partner Jonathan, took the only black squirrel, so this one I bagged on this trip is one for my 2020 grand slam. Only thing I have left is the Aberts, and I’ll be going out to visit Airguns of Arizona next month, and will spend a couple days in the mountains afterwards looking for that last species!

I used to prefer my Compatto over the Bantam, because it is so streamlined. And while I still love this little semi-bullpup/carbine I find that I’ve been going more for the Bantam lately. These guns are identical, except the Bantam uses a CF bottle up front rather than a tube, which provides a much higher shot count at full power. Either way, great little hunting guns!

Categories: .22 caliber, bantam, Brocock, compatto, fall hunts, squirrel hunting grand slam, Squirrels | Leave a comment

Nebraska Squirrel Hunt with my Brocock Bantam!

Not wanting to wait any longer to go squirrel hunting, I take advantage of the early season in Nebraska….. only a 6 hour drive away!

I know that it normally makes sense to wait for at least some of the leaves to start coming off the trees before heading into the woods after squirrels. These arboreal rodents tend to stick to the upper canopy for the most part, and it is thick with leaves up there. They are also not storing food yet, or doing so on a scaled down level, so listening and looking for cutting is less effective. And then there are the mosquitoes that haven’t died off yet.

But still, I wanted to go squirrel hunting! The other problem I had was that I live in Minnesota and the season doesn’t open until mid-September and it was the last week of July…… but there was a solution at hand! Nebraska’s squirrel season opened on the first day of August, fully 6 weeks before us!

I went online to look for a public land to hunt, bought my small game license, loaded up my hunting and camping gear, and set off on the 6 hour drive south. I have a video on how I zeroed in on a hunting area without ever having visited, that you can watch at https://youtu.be/oP_NuMYun5Y  if interested.

On arrival I set up my tent and scouted the area, also stopping by the local bait shop and rangers office to ask questions and look for some first hand knowledge. The woods were what I’d expected green, thick, and humid.

The gun I had along on this trip was my Brocock Bantam, which is one of my favorite hunting rifles: compact, high shot count, ergonomic, setting on a foundation of accuracy and perfect energy output for a small game gun. I’ve taken everything up to feral hogs with this gun and feel very comfortable with it. This little .22 digest the JSB Exact Heavies very well, and punches above it’s class with them.

The weather was bad, a lot of rain and I thought my tent would go airborn in the middle of the night! But I made it and awoke to a temporary break in the rain. I headed out into the woods at daybreak, and was pretty soggy within minutes. Not much was happening and after an hour I was about to give up, it looked like more rain was about to dump on me. Sitting at the base of an oak, I caught a glimpse of movement about 40 yards away. After a few minutes I saw a fox squirrel peek around the trunk of a tree, looking in my direction.

I switched the scope on, I was using the ATN 4k Pro day/night vision optic, and it has an integrated camera. I lined up on a head shot and dumped that bushytail with a perfect pellet to the noggin. I put him on my game carrier and made a few comments on video for my YouTube channel, just before the patter of raindrops on the canopy gave me warning to clear out.

When I got back to my tent the skies opened up, and the revised weather forecast notified me this would be my damp reality for the next three days. So satisfied that I had my Nebraska squirrel in the bag, I’m trying to see how many different states I can bag them in this season, I decided to break camp, go home, and wait for a drier weekend to come back again. And as soon as I have a break in the rainfall, that’s exactly what I did.

Once again, my Bantam proved itself in the field. I was an early supporter of the Brocock guns, and though the earlier ones were a bit rough in comparison to their current lineup, they have always been well made,  compact, and good performers…. They have only continued to improve!

Categories: .22 caliber, bantam, Brocock, Camping with Airgun, compact guns, compatto, squirrel hunting grand slam, Squirrels | Tags: , | 1 Comment

The Brocock Commander XR Goes Rabbit Hunting in Texas!

I take the Commander, which has established itself in my mind as a first rate small game gun, to a friends ranch in Texas as my small game gun.

Been down in Texas hunting with my good friend Chacho G! Had a great time, hunted four different ranches spread out over a couple hundred miles, sometimes staying in tents, sometimes in lodges, and a couple nights in hotels. I drove down from Minneapolis, and even slept one night in the car. I had so much expensive gear with me, I was worried about leaving it on its own. Even though my rental SUV (I almost never use my car on these trips) was packed to the roof, I could drop the driver seat almost flat, put up window screens, and get a good nights sleep. From a lifetime of traveling internationally on planes on at least a monthly basis, I’ve gotten good at sleeping in a reclining chair!

When I got to Texas, I met up with Chacho and we set up camp, we went out calling that night and had a couple coyotes come in, got a shot on one and hit him, but he scooted off and look as hard as we could, never turned him up. We left the next afternoon and made it down to the Huckaby Ranch, where we moved into a nice lodge. I’ll spend the rest of my post talking about this one, because when I had downtime from my ram hunt and predator calling at night, I took the Brocock Commander XR .25 out after rabbits……. And had a blast!

I started off dialing in the gun at 50 yards, with JSB Kings and with Hybrid Slugs. It shot a little high with the pellets and was pretty much dead on with the slugs, both shot a little to the right, but as there was a moderate crosswind blowing to the right I considered the gun on and made no further adjustments. What blew me away was the shot to shot consistency, I fired 20 consecutive shots and the variation was between 851 fps to 856 fps with the JSBs…… I mean the gun is regulated but still….. one of the most consistent strings I’ve shot, and it repeated this performance consistently!

The Commander caries well, I walked, crawled, climbed, and scratched my way through heavy brush and can honestly say this gun was a pleasure to carry. I also found it ergonomic and that I could shoot it particularly well offhand. I spent a morning and bagged about a half dozen jackrabbits that were still on the move from the night before. With both head and body shots, these big desert hares were smacked hard and generally anchored in place.

The things I liked about the Commander? Accuracy and power, fast smooth cycling, a brilliant trigger, high shot count, ergonomic and lightweight, this gun is one of the best small game guns that I’ve used in a long time, and rank it amongst the best of them. The things I was not as fond of? Well one of the reasons for my love affair with the Brocock rifles and carbines is how compact they are. The barrel is probably what most shooters want, but my preference would be for a carbine length……. Keeping my fingers crossed! I’ve become very selective (at my wife’s insistence) about the number of new rifles I add to my personal collection, but this is a gun I will make space in the permanent gun room for.

The next stop for this gun will be an out of state squirrel hunt, in either Nebraska or Wisconsin, I haven’t decided which but intend to do both in the near future. Hope your all off to a good hunting season, keep checking back and I’ll keep you updated with my hunts this year!

Categories: .25 caliber, adjustable buttstock, Airguns of Arizona, Brocock, compatto, fall hunts, offhand shooting, Rabbits | Leave a comment