Go For Another Walk in The Woods

My philisophical pal, GWB, tipped up on Sunday night with a view towards some steaks and an armed stroll in the woods the following day. The steaks were good and so were the the woods, but just in case the latter needed pacifying, we took a small arsenal along.

GWB brought a Remington 870 because a 12 is always useful; I think it's his duck gun. I brought a Ruger American .22 and a .45. Who knows, maybe I'd have to use the pistol to get to the rifle, but even if I had to, I doubt I'd be much use with the rifle. 

Check Out The Pipe

I know this, because I fired off a couple of magazines off-hand against some steel plates, at around 50 yards, before we got to the woods and was appalled by my marksmanship, or rather lack of it. A couple of remedial afternoons at the range is definitely in order. 

Missing the target practice over, we headed into the thorny thicket of the woods, hoping for squirrels. They didn't show, but a stream did. It was tranquil, standing there looking down at the water and seeing fish glide and dart their way along the banks.

Go To The Woods

Water feature enjoyed, it was time to set up by some oaks and try to call in the bushy tailed tree dwellers. No joy, but the sound of the water moving in the near distance, and the woods coming alive in the silence, was soothing to the soul. 

Water, in Texas

At least it was for me, I'm not sure what GWB was up to. He was in a different spot, hidden in the brush, doubtless parsing John Milbank or texting some PH out of Eckland.

Time well spent communing with nature, we made our way out of the woods and back to what passes for civilization, pulled pork sandwiches at Dickey's BBQ Pit. And right tasty they were too.

Next time out, I'll try and shoot something.

God bless,

LSP

Easy There, Cowboy! Tortillas?

You don't have to eat all of your delicious Mexican breakfast of Huevos Rancheros, although it's hard not to. No, sometimes you can leave the tortillas and take them home for later, which is what we did this morning.

I was looking forward to those tortillas, so imagine my surprise to find the elder, and supposedly more responsible, recruit stretched out on his rack with  a Kindle Fire and a white, polystyrene box.

Tortillas?

"Did you eat all the tortillas?" I asked quietly, with a certain degree of menace, while looking at the white box. "Er, yes."

"Tell me, if you're living with other people, is it better to be more considerate, or less considerate?"

"More considerate."

"So. Is it more, or less considerate, to eat the house supply of tortillas?"

"Less considerate."

"Correct. I'm relieved to find your logic circuits still working, despite their momentary lapse."

Go On, Drink Some Water

Sheepish tortilla grins over and forgiveness issued, I discovered the youngest recruit hunting for squirrels in the back yard, with a Daisy. Maybe he'll beat the opposition and we can eat some squirrel.

Rounds down range,

LSP

Monday Shoot

Monday being Martin Luther King and General Lee Day, I figured it was a good idea to shoot some guns. So I went to the range with GWB, who wanted to practice with his new Sig and check out a Christmas gift of a spotting scope.

So we blasted away, which was a lot of fun, then went for an armed excursion in some nearby woods. That was good too, although hoped for squirrels didn't materialize, despite the great stealth and calling expertise of the hunters.

Then, right at dusk, the air was filled with wild howling. It was an eerie, untamed sound and it taught me something, Viz. If you want to call coyotes, set up near the woods by the range. 

Shoot straight,

LSP

Squirrelly

Keen-eyed readers of this so-called blog will know that my pal's "squirrel rig" is a Ruger 10/22 with a fixed power 4x40 scope. My squirrel rig isn't so fancy, just an old JC Higgins bolt action .22, with open sights. It was old when I got it 5 years ago at the Gold Nugget Pawn & Gun and I'd like an upgrade. Probably another bolt action, a Ruger American? And a 10/22, for semi-auto fun? And a lever, too, just because they're neat. Anyway.

Out in the Field

Monday morning seemed like as good a time as any to test the rigs against the squirrels, so we set up in some woods and waited.

Woods

I like listening to the sound of the woods after getting into position and being still, senses tuned. Before long the trees come alive with birds and, hopefully, squirrels. After about 20 minutes we starting calling, or at least my buddy did; I'm not sure if my strangled sounding chirps qualified. 

Creek

The effort didn't go completely unrewarded. Outlying Squirrel Force scouts made an appearance, 4 of them, but they were fast and we didn't get a shot. Still, location confirmed, and we moved on, deeper into the woods till we got to a mighty oak (not the tree in the picture, obv.) that leaned over a creek.

It was good to be there, in silence, knowing that that tree had been there well before the land and Ralph's Creek was even mapped. I kept an eye out for the arboreal adversary and Indian artifacts, but didn't see either. Vultures swooped down on the tops of the trees, just visible through the canopy.

High Flyers

We made our way back to my truck, via a V of migrating Cranes, and I shot my friend's "rig" off the back of my rig. Proper little blaster. I like the Ruger 10/22; just a lot of fun to shoot.

Message to market? Get out in the woods and hunt more.

LSP