PD Hunt Newbie

July 4 this year i’ll be over by white river SD on private land for a prairie dog shoot.

In preparation i have a heavy/long barrel savage model 12 in 223.
I’m in process of validating loads and buying ammo.
I plan to be much more mobile than many in our group. With a tripod, lawnchair, and backpack i’m thinking i’ll be able to create more shooting opportunities than the older guys in the group with their 40# shooting rests (As my buddy puts it who hawls the rests for them). I’ve only got a cheap spotting scope but i do have a good leopold rangefinder. Plan to validate the balistics on the rangefinder to see if it’s accurate for hold-over on my gun.

My buddy is organizing this event. He did it last year and has been invited back to the land.
We’re camping on the land.
Something like 7 or 8 of us. That’s why i want to be mobile. I’ll walk a mile no problem.

I’m excited to do some shooting.
Any advice for a newbie both to PD Hunting, but also to that area of SD.

Sounds like rubber boots is a must as a little rain can cause some nasty mud?
Any other tips that might make it a little bit more successful trip?

Thanks all.

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Few things I carry in my bag for EVERY trip. Knee and elbow pads, cheap throw rug, and a small sheet of foam. Spending hours all sprawled out in the cactus thorns is fun.
Hearing protection
Binocs
Bore snake
sun screen
water – KEEP YOURSELF HYDRATED
When you think you brought enough ammo, add another 100 or more rounds.

Video camera tells no lies I think I’ve had as much fun video taping my last few hunts as shooting.
You’ll contend with a LOT of dust & a dirty barrel.

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Looks like you have a sun shield already on your scope. If not, add a 3″. They are so very much worth it.

I’ve gone to the same general area on PD hunts for the past 4 years. Shooting can be excellent if the weather cooperates. Over the past 5-7 years, the problem we’ve had in SD has been unseasonable rains.

Your .223 is fine. If you don’t have a second rifle, you will need to take care you don’t overheat the barrel. Yes! This is a legit concern. You will need to pace yourself.

I totally agree with your approach of being mobile. Last year, I asked our guide how we ranked compared to his other clients. He said that we SHOT far less, and killed many more on average. He said this was entirely because we HUNTED and were mobile rather than sitting on fixed benches trying to connect with 400+ yard shots. Because we moved, we got many, many more shots at 200-300 yards and our kill rate reflected the closer shots.

In my case, we shoot in pairs. One guy spotting, one guy on the rifle. This way we can carry 2 rifles and we always have a cool barrel. We also can clean up the close in ones with the smallest rifle, then switch to the Big Bopper for the ones farther out before we move.

Now here’s the downside to being on the move: Rattlesnakes! I have seen multiple rattle snakes every trip for the past 5 trips. Don’t think for a minute you can let your guard down. Last year I sat down my shooting stool and was preparing to take a seat when I looked 18 inches to the left and there was a coiled rattler who had been there the whole time.

Your gear:

The Caldwell shooting tripod was an EXCELLENT move on your part. I bought one 4 years ago and they are so much better than anything else available.

An excellent companion to this rest is those little triangle folding “turkey stools” that are sold just about everywhere. I have one that I can clip to the side of my backpack when I’m on the move, so I carry the rifle in one hand, the pack on my back, and the Caldwell rest in my other hand.

You’ll have to decide yourself weather the spotting scope is worth the weight and has the quality to perform under high-heat / high mirage conditions. This is generally where the men are separated from the boys when it comes to optic performance. Personally, I like my 10x Leuopold bincos, but a spotting scope can be effective as well, but quality counts.

Clothing: In July you will be dealing with heat that will range from uncomfortable to unbearable. Sun protection is critical or you will be fried by 2:00 PM on the first day, no matter how much sunscreen you use.

As Randy advised, heat stroke is a huge concern in July. Be careful and stay hydrated. If you’re not taking a leak now and then, you’re NOT drinking enough! On a hot day, I have a one gallon Coleman jug full of water that I drink all by myself. This is in addition to 3-4 bottles of Gatoraid! This is per person, per day!

For clothing, I wear:

– CC Filson feather cloth cotton long sleeve shirt. Nylon fishing shirts don’t breathe and you will die wearing them.
– Thin, long cotton BDU pants. This is no place for shorts.
– Light desert boots.
– A broad brimmed hat with mesh upper for ventilation. An ABSOLUTE ESSENTIAL! This is no place for baseball caps.
– Sunglasses that work with your optics.
– I have two of those Blue Ultra cooling towel/wraps. One is around my neck, one is in the cooler so I have a wet/cold one at all times. These make an astonishing difference in the heat, I sweat so much less with one of these around my neck helping to cool me.
– A sweat towel in my back pocket at all times.

I also have those little foam wetsuits that go around water bottles so I can have a cold drink out there. Nothing worse than drinking hot water all day.

Forgot to mention, if your having a bad trigger day, spot for one of your buddies for awhile and have fun. everyone has a bad day, and it only gets worse when your frustrated. I found taking that 20 minute break and spot for someone changes my day and i have time to laugh

Excellent information guys.
I did a search on the forum for PD’s and read quite of you two’s experiences already. I appreciate the added detail you put there.

I will be bringing a .22; but realize that really isn’t a “Second” gun. I’ve realized i will need to take my time with shots and keep the barrel from getting too hot.

Rattlesnakes – See them shoot them? Or leave the area? Don’t know the accepted practice there.

I’m too fat for the “turkey chair” lol, they only fold out once
Do have several otehr portable chairs that will get the job done.

CLothing is something i’ve been a little concerned about.
Yeah i do fish non-stop all year round and used to bail hay on the hottest of days. I’ll look closely at your clothing suggestions and probably invest in some hot weather clothing.

I’ve considered some kind of canopy tent or at minimum large umbrella – but knowing how the wind can be out there and also that a shelter works against being mobile i’m probably better off with good clothing rather than shade.

I’ve never shot much in the high heat, especially long range. Been reading up on PD shoots and have learned that the heat mirages can be a pain. These conditions separating the Men from teh Boys so to speak – My spotting scope is pretty crappy to begin with. Might be best to just leave it at home.

Do you guys run any heat deflectors on your guns? More or less a window blind on your barrel to deflect heat away from the scope’s vision.

I don’t expect to be a good shooter. I love my coffee and smokes. Not highly practiced. Hopefully i can learn to take my time and learn from this experience to become a better long range shooter. I’ll take your advice Randy and take a breather if i’m just making poodle property dust storms!

Ok, last question.

Can someone tell me more about GumboLand!

Is it dusty clay that turns to clay mud after a rain? Heard it’s quite different from what we may be used to here in black dirt land.

Thanks guys. I’m excited.

Is it dusty clay that turns to clay mud after a rain? Heard it’s quite different from what we may be used to here in black dirt land.

Imagine dumping out a 55 gallon drum of grease and trying to walk through it. About the only way I can describe it. That soil type is from the foothills in CO/WY back up through SD/ND. Its not bad if you have growth od sage or other plants for a root base. The few houses and pole barns that I have gone out there to build have been a PITA when the building pad gets any snow or rain on it compared to what we have here.

Best heat deflector I found was the air conditioning in the truck. I’ve had many days of pulling my bolt and setting the gun in the cab to cool off. I predominantly shoot 22-250’s so I alternate every 10 rounds between them. IF, I can’t comfortably hold the action/barrel, its time for a cool down.

Clothing – I have a little different approach on clothes. I like loose fitting rip-stop army surplus pants and the heavier canvas type sage camo shirts. The shirt is warm in the sun, but given that I am on my belly most of the day, I want my chest/arms protected. I stay with loose fitting so I get some air movement. But after hearing all the stories about the plague and the prairie poodle crap you crawl amongst; I don’t want any exposed skin or puncture wounds. The shirt is the Cabelas branded sage camo. works great when your stalking in the colony

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I spent my highschool summers pouring poop pits for hog barns 8′ into the ground, clay and water… Ah the memories you brought back lol.

I looked at some TRU-SPEC bdu pants.

Have a hot weather short sleeve shirt but didn’t plan on laying on the ground-should I be?

Advantages on ground vs the shooting rest I imagine is stability. Figure I’d get better visibility though but maybe I should get a bit pod and long sleeves?
Thoughts Randy?

Randy Wieland wrote:

Imagine dumping out a 55 gallon drum of grease and trying to walk through it. About the only way I can describe it.

This is a completely accurate description. You have to use extreme care in GumboLand because first you have to worry about getting out, then you have to worry about getting back should any thunderstorm crop up.

Best advice I can give is that if there have been recent rains or if there is rain in the forecast find out exactly what you’re driving into BEFORE you drive into it. Either get advice from the rancher or send a scouting party in on foot. Don’t drive in any farther than you’re willing to walk out and even then be aware that it may be days before your vehicle can be rescued.

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

Have a hot weather short sleeve shirt but didn’t plan on laying on the ground-should I be?

Short sleeves leave a person too exposed to the sun IMO. Gotta be long sleeves for me.

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

Advantages on ground vs the shooting rest

There is no advantage to shooting from the ground, IMO. There always seems to be something blocking my view when I try to shoot from the ground. This prickly pear, that patch of tall grass, the rise in the ground. The tripod rest is the perfect solution.

Also, I’m just not a big fan of crawling around on the ground with the aforementioned rattlesnakes.

Don’t underestimate the usefulness of the .22 RF if you can get in close. Be patient, keep your profile low, and pick your shots. We cleaned up some dogs that had moved into a cattle sorting enclosure last year. Owner didn’t want HP rifles used, so we used a .22 RF. As long as we stayed hidden and paced the shooting, the dogs kept reappearing.

Barrel heat will be an issue if you have only one rifle. I try never to “force cool” a barrel other than placing it in the shade, but this is not always practical or possible.

I never allow a barrel to get hot enough where the mirage just from barrel heat is visible. To do this would be very hard on barrels and repeatedly doing it will shorten your barrel life significantly. There is also no point because when you approach this temp range, your accuracy will go to h#ll anyway, so you are burning up a rifle and not hitting anything in the process.

IMPORTANT: In general, a varmint rifle has the life of a 60s rock star. Live fast, burn out early, die young. Varmint shooting is HARD on rifles. Bring a cleaning kit, tools, and spare parts.

In my last 3 trips, I have broken a rifle on each trip in a way that could not be repaired in the field. I had a stuck bolt, a case head separation that left the upper case in the chamber, and last year I broke a magazine spring that jammed the mag in the rifle. Bottom line is plan to make repairs or drive to Valentine to seek professional help.

The key really is pace. Shoot, watch, wait for a GOOD shot, shoot. Keep in mind, as long as you’re not shooting, the dogs will continue to go about their business. So pick your shots and take good shots and while you might not shoot as much, you probably will hit more.

We almost always shoot in pairs, one spotter, one on the rifle. The efficiency aspect works, I believe, in favor of this arrangement because as soon as the shooter is on one dog, the spotter immediately moves to find the next, which may be 90 degrees away from the one the shooter is currently trying to get a shot on.

The next benefit of shooting in pairs is that the spotter can also call the misses when it gets windy. This enables the shooter to use higher mag settings and the correspondingly narrow FOV. That is not possible when shooting alone because if you are using 22x, your FOV is so narrow you won’t see where the bullet hit and therefore are just guessing as to the adjustment to be made.

Good luck.

Grouse

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

Advantages on ground vs the shooting rest

I shoot a lot of colonies that have been educated by others. The more concealed I am, the more opportunities that I have. I also stalk into the colony as needed.

The downfall of this has been exploited a number of times whne I watch raw video back at the end of a day. From having the camera elevated from the shooting position, I see that there were more rats out and about that what I saw while laying prone and shooting off the pods. As Grouse stated, often you have that clump of crap in the way, a rise in the ground, or limited view. Ultimately, there is a trade off and you just need to do what you have to do. The screen shot shows an example of what the camera saw Vs what i saw. I saw two rats in this shot. The one on the mound and one in the grass behind it to the left. I never saw the pups out front of the mound because they were in the “ditch” in front of me

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Thanks guys.
I haven’t ever shot enough rounds to worry about barrel heat. I’ve also never been on a PD hunt. I figured that shooting rest should help cool the gun also, since i can easily tilt it up with an open bolt to allow heat to escape.

I spent good money on my rifle and don’t want to burn it out as fast as a 60’s rockstar. I bought this rifle big and heavy for varmits, but want to purchase a lighter hunting rifle in the same or similar caliber next year that is more hunter friendly.

Oh, i am running a fixed 10X SWFA on this savage.

Next “Hunting” rifle will have 3X-??. Will be nice to have two guns on future hunts.

I think if it’s not already their plan, i could convince someone to do the shooter/spotter thing. Certainly seems like an activity where it might be more fun to have someone right next to you to count cartwheels.

Will look into long sleeves, even though my arms are already their summer comanche red. Also plan on getting a straw hat – because i really don’t care how dumb i look in the middle of nowhere! I have learned to appreciate my bimini on my boat; i need to remember there’s no bimini in gumboland

Thanks again guys for all your help.

@RandyW1
Nice pic!
Would that be a red cloud? lol.

I bought the rest a few weeks ago after looking at all the various rests out there both mobile and heavy duty. My buddy is definitely shooting off the ground and has learned to bring a big canvas blanket to lay on etc. Seems like there are many challenges on the ground. I’m also never comfortable laying on my stomache so i’m glad to hear that a rest will work, though in some areas visibility can work against you.

I will probably get a bi pod anyway and i already have those black matts – though a heavy canvas might pack better.

I have a very morbid collection of pics

Here are the last two frames I was able to salvage from a remote “B” camera I placed out by a mound. The bullet was a little too effective in the 2 for 1 category. Took out the rat….and the camera

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Haha. That’s great!

Up close!

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

I spent good money on my rifle and don’t want to burn it out as fast as a 60’s rockstar. I bought this rifle big and heavy for varmits, but want to purchase a lighter hunting rifle in the same or similar caliber next year that is more hunter friendly.
Oh, i am running a fixed 10X SWFA on this savage.
Next “Hunting” rifle will have 3X-??. Will be nice to have two guns on future hunts.

Varmint rifles are specialized animals and it’s difficult to have versatility and specialization. Heavy barrels are a compromise, they take longer to heat up and are (generally) less impacted as they heat up, at least to a point. The downside is weight.

Fixed scope definitely not optimal and 10x out in the wide open spaces is bare minimum. At 300 yards, a p-dog will look like a house fly when viewed from 30 feet away.

My varmint rifles are scoped as follows:

.22-250 – 6×24
.223 – 6×21
.223 AR – 4×12
.22 LR – 4×12
.22-250 #2 – 6×21

All except the .223 AR are adjustable objective scopes, which obviously is a different breed of cat, but unavoidable when you get above 12 power.

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

I think if it’s not already their plan, i could convince someone to do the shooter/spotter thing. Certainly seems like an activity where it might be more fun to have someone right next to you to count cartwheels.

The advantages to this arrangement are then you have 2 rifles with you so you can alternate 5-10 shots each and keep the barrels cooler.

As I said, there is an efficiency advantage to the spotter/shooter arrangement that is counter-intuitive. I believe I actually shoot more in total using this arrangement.

Have you secured your ammo supply? How many rounds are your bringing?

Personally, I am running a 5 year average of using between 200-250 rounds per person per full day. I use this as a planning figure and then add a 200 round “safety supply” for each person. We have never had to dip into this extra supply, but I live in eternal hope.

Grouse

I’m bringing 300 rds per day. Can’t imagine i’d shoot them all but that was the recommended amount.

I bought 300 rounds and want to do some more shooting with other loads before i buy the rest. I’ll plug some more rounds through the gun this weekend when i’m in the SW part of the state. I think i’ll only be shooting 2, maybe 2.5 days.

I bought the 10×42 swfa, been told it’s great quality. To get the 3-15 the price goes from $400 to $700. I just wasn’t willing to spend the same amount of money on a scope as i did the gun at that time and didn’t want to go to a cheaper quality scope to get the magnification. I think your completely right though, i will find its limitations on this hunt.

I can’t really think of what could break on this bolt action. I don’t use the internal 4 round clip much anyway so if that went i’m not out much.

Is there something that i should consider to pick up for spare parts?

I’ve honestly never had a gun failure, but my shotguns are wingmasters, muzzleloaders there isn’t anything to break, and my old 10-22 stainless ruger was just cleaned for the first time in probably 15 years…Thought it was grouping like crap last time i shot it – dad says “WHen’s the last time you cleaned it”…I’m such a tard, there i was cleaning my .223 frequently for quality shots and i never considered cleaning my ol utility .22 So hoping that shoots good this weekend too.

300 rds per day of the .223
I’ve got 1,000 .22 rounds already and unless my daughter can shoot them all up in the next two weeks i should have plenty left over for this trip.

300 rounds per day over a 3 day shoot is pretty much within my average including my safety margin. And if you DO manage to shoot up that much, you will have had more fun than is legally allowed in 28 states. As they say, that would be a high grade problem.

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

I can’t really think of what could break on this bolt action. I don’t use the internal 4 round clip much anyway so if that went i’m not out much.

Is there something that i should consider to pick up for spare parts?

Since I take it that your Savage has a fixed magazine, there is nothing really to bring in that regard. But for any rifle that HAS a removable mag, I would always bring 1-2 extras.

Bring a cleaning kit including hard cleaning rod, not just pull ropes, so you can extract a stuck full case or round. Personally, I clean all barrels each night. Keep everything clean and lubed, the dust and pollen makes things gritty very quickly.

A selection of tools is helpful as well. Screwdrivers, pliers, etc.

Personally, I always carry a case extractor for each chambering. A case extractor allows you to remove a case that has head-separated, which means about the bottom quarter of the case (the head) has torn off the case so it cannot be removed with a cleaning rod.

As a Plan B, you can sometimes remove a head-separated case with a new brass cleaning brush for that caliber. I have done this, it does work, but what we did first is set the rifle in the motel bathtub on top of a trash bag full of ice. When the barrel was cold, the brass brush knocked the separated case right out.

Grouse

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

As a Plan B, you can sometimes remove a head-separated case with a new brass cleaning brush for that caliber. I have done this, it does work, but what we did first is set the rifle in the motel bathtub on top of a trash bag full of ice. When the barrel was cold, the brass brush knocked the separated case right out.

I did read that on one of your prior PD hunt wrap-ups.
Never knew that could happen but it was good to read your solution.
I’ll have all tools and will bring them. It is internal mag. I’ll bring the extras i have for my 22RF though.
I will probably clean the gun more than necessary – but it is quick and easy to do!! Waaay better than my muzzleloaders anyway
Besides, I’ll need an accurate gun to compensate for ME as well as my 10X scope at long distances.

Regardless of how the trip turns out, it’ll be with two close friends as well as some of their closets friends/relatives. I’ll only miss out on a weekend of fishing – the busiest weekend of fishing anyway. I’d be camping outside regardless of whether i was fishing or PD hunting. Coffee on the perk in the morning! Sunrises and Sunsets in a new area. Might get to see my first rattler – and hopefully kill it before it gets me. Can’t lose fellas! Can’t lose!

This trip is almost distracting me from my anticipation of a guide trip a week from now to the Red River with my daughter. Brad’s been catching a few channels over 20#. I’d love to see my first over 20# and would love it more if my daughter got to reel it in!
Dammit fun is expensive!

Dammit fun is expensive!

The cost of Fun is very equivalent to the cost of firearms. You have to separate the immediate gratification and see the Fun as a memory. Then compare having that memory to the remaining amount of your typical life expectancy. So if you’re spending $1K to have fun and you expect to live 20 more years, those memories are only costing you about $.14/day. Now the cost of ownership looks more attractive.

Looks like everybody has listed good stuff, I used to live out in that area of SD.

To sum it up:
Mobile is better, pack smart, pack light.
Wear longsleeves for both sun protection and to protect against prickly things you may lay on accidentally.
Bring more ammo than you think you’ll need.
Hope the PD’s aren’t gunshy, which it sounds like you are in a good location.
Prairie Dogs and Rattlesnakes live in the same areas. Always be cautious of where you are walking and sitting. Respect the snakes and they will respect you, they are scared of you and want to hide from you unless you step right on top of one or it feels cornered or is out of cover in the open.

Thanks rabbit. I passed all this info onto another PD newbie that I’m bringing with. So we will be ready

@thefamousgrouse

Looking for your advise Grouse.

Yesterday i sent some rounds down range.
Using the caldwell stand, my groupings were not impressive at 200yds. I’d say within 3″.
I then put some sand bags on the tailgate of my truck and immediately went to 1″ groups.

Anything you do with the caldwell shooting pod that promotes stability and better shooting?

I know my gun is barrel heavy and because i put that spotting scope bracket on the stand i couldn’t balance the gun rest. I pulled the spotting scope off yesterday since it seems non-value added. With that bracket off, i should be able to better balance the rifle on the shooting stand. Hoping that brings more stability.

What are your thoughts or tricks to perform well on that caldwell stand?

Thanks.

My first thought is how YOU are holding the rifle. Are you gripping the for grip to stabilize on the sled and floating on the bags? Typically when i see someone with a grouping difference like that, its applying pressure or lack of on the fore grip

First, I think you have the problem of expectations. No field rest is going to replicate a bench and a pile of sandbags. Otherwise, nobody would ever bother with a bench and a pile of sandbags.

What you are experiencing is the difference between hunting and shooting. The cure is easy, you just need to tighten up the nut behind the stock. Before you go looking for a wrench, the nut behind the stock is you.

I’m not picking on you or making fun, BTW. This is a common transition–shooting to hunting–that many hunters increasingly are having difficulty making. I was talking to a safari guide at the Safari Club International show back in February and he was pretty blunt about the fact that many of his clients have extreme difficulty in shooting from field positions.

The reason? Simple. Lack of practice using realistic field positions. The bottom line is that most of us spend WAY too much time punching paper off of concrete benches and sandbags and VASTLY too little time shooting offhand, prone, off of field rests, etc.

Once upon a time, hunters practiced by shooting small game and pests. My father shot the chamber out of a .22 rifle by the age of 15 because he was a prolific shooter of gophers, rabbits, and rats in the town dump. Whatever the pest, he shot it. It should come as no surprise that his ability to shoot ANY moving animal was (and still is) nothing short of astonishing. As he puts it, “A few or 10,000 rounds of practice will do that for you.”

You can shoot well with the Caldwell rest, just keep practicing. Some ideas on the Caldwell setup:

I have my Caldwell marked with a magic marker on the horizontal slide that allows you to move the cradle forward/back to balance the rifle. Since each rifle has a different balance point, I’ve marked the slide accordingly so I can quickly adjust it.

You want the balance point to be neutral, you don’t want to be fighting the bipod trying to lift or lower your rifle on its own.

I’m assuming that you have a stool or chair that’s the right height so you aren’t fighting for body position and alignment? I can see this being a possible issue and it takes some time to get the right combo.

I agree with removing the spotting scope. That was a good move.

Grouse

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

Before you go looking for a wrench, the nut behind the stock is you.

Hilarious!!!

Used to shoot a lot growing up. Not much else to do on the farm besides work and deplete the bird populations! Been living regretfully in towns since 2003

My shooting yesterday the gun on the stand was barrel heavy. i.e. if i loosened the knobs it’d tip forward. So i had to have the knobs fairly snug and that was probably making it more difficult to hold position.

I removed the spotting scope mount late last night when i got home and when i clean my rifle tonight i’ll set it up neutrally boyant and check the feel.
Don’t think i’ll get a chance to shoot again until the PD hunt.
I will be preparing to do some ‘laying on the ground’ shots for the longer distances until i am more comfortable with the caldwell.

Thanks again for sharing your experiences fellas!!

Don’t worry too much, BTW. Remember, prairie dogs are moving targets! You have to balance shot-making with available time to actually make the shot in the first place. Otherwise Mr. Gopher is down the hole or back down on all fours in the grass.

Good enough has to be good enough, you have to get on them and send it. Otherwise you’ll spend all day NOT shooting while waiting for the perfect shot, during a lull in the wind, with no mirage, no bugs flying in your eyes, no sweat dripping down your face… etc, etc, etc.

This is one area where having a good spotter who can put the shooter quickly on the dog before he moves again, is a big advantage.

Grouse

Well after setting the gun on the rest and balancing the rifle i could tell that will eliminate some of the movement i was having when running barrel heavy. Bullets down range will be the judge.

Hey – Do they taste like chicken?

Eelpoutguy wrote:

Hey – Do they taste like chicken?

Well, the problem, generally speaking, is that it’s hard to hit them in a place where you don’t ruin a lot of meat.

While a head shot is always preferable in the save-the-meat department, the simple fact of the matter is that the ol’ gut shot is a hell of a lot more fun.

I had a great big one that I shot about 5-6 years ago. I think I actually “fragged” it, meaning that I hit in front of it and the bullet fragmented with the effect of hitting the PD with what amounts to bird shot. So I was thinking, cool, I’ll finally get a good picture of a great big one that isn’t all blown to hell.

I no more than finished that thought and my brother in law turned from his shooting position, saw this huge dog down on all fours on top of a mound, and BOOM! Whop! He obliterated my prime specimen with a 243 blast not realizing it was already dead.

Boom! Whop!

Grouse