As a kid, I used to roam the woods shooting at horse apples and whatnot with a red fiberglass Bear bow. By the time I was 12, though, all that land had been developed, and I moved on to other interests. A couple of years ago, I decided to get back into archery and bought a 45# Pearson Cougar, which I got pretty decent with, but was content just flinging arrows off my porch into a Tough Bag set 17 yards away. During that time I also picked up a 50# Bear Super Kodiak, which was gorgeous and shot great, but I hated the high-wrist grip and sold it, and a 35# 3Rivers Shadow longbow (Martin ML-13), which I bought to use as a form bow and to observe the difference between a recurve and a longbow.
Back in March of this year, however, I managed to separate my shoulder (completely tearing the AC ligament...my collarbone is no longer attached at the shoulder end, and won't ever be without surgery...ugh) in an unfortunate martial arts class mishap, which put a damper on my bow shooting, among other things.
Then in July, I started shooting the Shadow again, just a little at first, to help strengthen my shoulder. It's blossomed into sort of an obsession... For the last 2 months, I've been shooting as much as I can, often several times a day, at various ranges, but all just into the Tough Bag. Yesterday, just for a change, I decided I would try some stump shooting. I took 2 arrows, a Judo and a bullet point, figuring that I could shoot at stuff on the ground with the Judo and spots on trees with the bullet point...
I live in a little Georgia town of about 900 folks at the end of a street called Lakeview Drive. There used to be a lake until the flood of 1994 which burst the dam. Now there's just a creek and maybe 10 acres of flat, ex-lakebottom land which has been recovering for the last 16 years (I've only lived here for 4) right behind my house. It's contiguous with a couple hundred acres of planted pine and maybe 50 of natural forest. My daughters and I have spent many hours roaming and adventuring back there, and it is full of wildlife. Deer tracks and beds abound, lots of birds, squirrels and rabbits, the occasional pig track, at least one fox, and even a cottonmouth or two.
Anyhow, while standing at the edge of the wood, I see a squirrel foraging on the ground, maybe 25 yards away. There's lots of underbrush, and I have no shot, and he's too far, etc...
But I decide to see if I can get closer and maybe get a shot on him...
My neighbor has, just this week, decided to cut down the small willow tree that stood at this entrance and plow it under, so that there is a lot of fresh dirt and mounds from where the tree's roots have come up. I stalk closer, silent on the fresh dirt... he's maybe 20 yards now, still protected by underbrush. He looks my way and I freeze, not looking at him any longer...ho hum, just here for a walk, pay me no mind... Then a small doe bolts from her bed, crashing through the woods some 50 yards away. She stops, looking directly at me, then melts into the forest. Still hoping for a shot at the squirrel, I decide to nock the Judo and stick the bullet point into the ground where I stand so it won't be a hindrance...
Holy Crow! I'm standing in a fire ant mound!
Usually you can tell them by the slightly different colored dirt, but the recent plowing by my neighbor has rendered everything the same neutral grey, and soft underfoot, too. I step away, set my bow down, and spend the next few minutes brushing and picking ants off my shoe, sock and pantleg as quietly and gently as I can. Miraculously, I don't get bit.
Oh well, Mr. Squirrel is surely gone by now, and I can enjoy my stump shooting... but no, his foraging has actually led him closer!
I pick up my bow and the judo again, carefully watching the ground this time(!)... stalking closer, trying to find an angle on the squirrel.
I find a point that has a clear shot, maybe 12 yards, if only he will move forward a couple of feet.. I wait. He advances. I draw... he advances more... he's in the clear...almost perfectly broadside... I don't remember deciding to release but the arrow suddenly streaks across the distance, the Judo slams him right behind the shoulder and he rolls twice with the impact.
I am slightly stunned... Really? A hit on the first fur I've drawn on? OK! Not as stunned as the squirrel, though. He manages about two feet of scrabbling movement, then lies down, breathing hard. He doesn't even try to run when I walk up to him, and I easily slit his throat with my pocketknife.
So the Judo worked well enough, obviously, but his whole left shoulder was bloodshot badly. I realize that the best answer is a headshot, but is this common for small game heads on body shots? Is there a less-damaging point available? I'm definitely wanting to do this some more, and there's not a whole lot of meat on a squirrel to begin with.
Topic: Flung my first arrow at a critter yesterday... (Read 272 times)
