"An outing with two Old Friends"...

[HuntnCarve]

Tired of working on cow horns, I put down the howler and picked up the phone.  The afternoon was planned!  I would be heading over to Leon’s farm for an afternoon chuck hunt.  I had not seen my old friend in quite a while. 
   Pulling into the farm, I headed on over into the barn where I found Leon tending to his beloved horses.   A few months back he had taken a kick on the chest by a 1300Lb mare.  It hospitalized him with blood clots in his lungs, and a broken vertebrae.  The doctors were baffled that he was not dead?  Tough as the iron he used to pour in the foundries, he bounced back, and was back to the farm and horsed he loved.  You would never know that he’s approaching 80 years old watching him shovel out the barn, or tossing a hay bale to the horses.  My offers to help waved aside.  I’d only slow him down! LOL!
   After catching up on all the family news, Leon filled me in on the latest woodchuck infestation.  We walked on up by the paddock and he pointed out some potential hot spots in the front field.  It was at this time that I reached into my truck and brought out another old friend…I have a lot of varmint rifles, but this one is sort of nostalgic to me.  It’s a Remington 700 BDL in .222 Remington.  It was the rifle I always dreamed of owning as a boy.  I would look on enviously at the older chuck hunters as they pulled out their .222’s or Swifts.  Me and my beloved .22 Marlin with the cheap Weaver 6x scope being delegated to shooting the chucks under 50 yards on our hunting forays.  In all fairness to the older fellows, they would often times let me have a go with one of their high powered rifles at a distant chuck.  And their slaps on the back when I contacted, or their words of encouragement when I often missed, still echo in my being to this day…I did finally achieve my pinnacle of chuck hunting when I scraped up the funds and purchased my .222 Remington.  Though my early chuck hunting mentors are hunting greener pastures, I know they are smiling approvingly.
   Well as I pressed a few 40g VMax loaded cartridges into the magazine and tried to assess a game plan?  Things sort of fell into place.  Up in the big field I spotted a reddish clump.  About that time, Leon followed my gaze and said.  “There’s one out there now”!  This chuck dropped down and trotted across the field.  “You best get after him before he digs another hole in my hayfield!”  So off I went, circling around the bottom edge of the field while stopping to glass every once in a while.  Reaching the big Sycamore tree and its lofty tree stand.  I figured some elevation would be just the ticket.  So up into the tree stand I climbed.  From here, I could see the whole big field.  I was banking on the chuck reappearing at some time?  As I settled in I caught some movement about 150 yards away.  It was a hen turkey feeding by herself.  Probably had a nest in the lower swamp from where she came?  As I watched her feed out of sight, I looked down and about 40 yards away stood a chuck!   I turned the scope down to 6x and slowly brought the rifle up.   The chuck was bolt upright, scratching his chest and surveying his domain.  I placed the crosshairs right on his chest and squeezed off…WHAP!!!  And a misty spray!  The chuck toppled backwards, and lay there belly up.  Not exactly the long range shot I was expecting?  But a successful hunt in the end!  Perhaps I should have taken another old friend with me instead?  The Old .22 Marlin at home in gun safe.   That will be another story… Thanks for reading along!

Dave

[pitw]

    Another great story Dave .  Gotta love taking "old friends" out with you to enjoy a good day.  I'd like to meet Leon and the 700 in person someday myself but until then thanks for sharing them with me .

[HaMeR]

That's a nice looking rig right there Dave!! And a better looking groundhog!!    He looks a bit on the heavy side too.

[Hawks Feather]

Dave,

Congrats on the hog.  I am just wondering how the bipod worked in the tree . . . . . .   

Jerry

[HuntnCarve]

Jerry, I left the shooting sticks down on the ground under the stand. LOL!  This tree stand is like a palace!  Complete with shooting rail and cushioned seat!  I was hog hunting in the lap of luxury! 

[HaMeR]

Almost like hunting them at home huh?? 

[alscalls]

    

[Hawks Feather]

This tree stand is like a palace!  Complete with shooting rail and cushioned seat!  I was hog hunting in the lap of luxury! 

Next thing you will tell us is that it has a refrigerator and that it is stocked with ice cold pop and water for those hot days.

Jerry

[FinsnFur]

 He looks a bit on the heavy side too.

He is...he's full of lead

Almost like hunting them at home huh??  

Close, but at home he has to try and slide the windows open without waking the wife, here he dont.



Very nice Dave, especailly the misty spray

[Yotehntr]

   You tell the best stories Dave! Always a great "read" ahead when these posts come up, thank you!   I've often wondered about the .222, but never owned one... but I have had a few 700 BDL's and they're hard to top! Sweet rig you have there... wish there was a better pic of your shooting sticks... I'm guessing you made them? ....They look similar to the ones I use. Just can't help yourself on making stuff to hunt with can ya! 

[JohnP]

Great write-up and picture to match the story.