About a week ago, I took out a skunk that I strongly suspect was rabid. It was wondering all over hither and yon, and generally acting weird. A skunk being a nocturnal animal, just being out in the daylight is a bad sign, but the way the thing was acting made the presence of rabies all the more likely.
I took some trash over to my farm, and my 89-year-old uncle, Raymond, asked me if I had my gun with me. I did, so he pointed out the skunk and opined that it was in all likelihood, rabid. I was a trifle bit nervous, having never shot a mammal before, but I took my S&W Model 65 in hand and walked forthrightly out to about ten or fifteen yards away from the animal. Taking a two-handed hold I fired the gun DA, and missed, causing the skunk to trot away from me to the north towards the road. I fired again and missed, and started north myself. Stopping, I fired a double tap, missing both times.
Reloading, I fired three more shots, all misses, and then the final shot knocked the skunk out of the picture permanently. It just lay right down and didn't even kick. Raymond told me that each time I fired, that I was coming very close to the animal but that I was still shooting just a tad high. I was of the same mind, so on the final shot, I aimed a little bit lower, and finally hit the animal.
I was more pleased at the performance of the Speer 135gr Gold Dot .38 specials than I was my own marksmanship.
Raymond disposed of the carcass, without touching it . He said that he was going to burn it.
That was the first shooting that I had done since a friend came down, and the first with the Model 65 in over a year, I believe.
This was an object lesson to me that I need to shoot more.
I took some trash over to my farm, and my 89-year-old uncle, Raymond, asked me if I had my gun with me. I did, so he pointed out the skunk and opined that it was in all likelihood, rabid. I was a trifle bit nervous, having never shot a mammal before, but I took my S&W Model 65 in hand and walked forthrightly out to about ten or fifteen yards away from the animal. Taking a two-handed hold I fired the gun DA, and missed, causing the skunk to trot away from me to the north towards the road. I fired again and missed, and started north myself. Stopping, I fired a double tap, missing both times.
Reloading, I fired three more shots, all misses, and then the final shot knocked the skunk out of the picture permanently. It just lay right down and didn't even kick. Raymond told me that each time I fired, that I was coming very close to the animal but that I was still shooting just a tad high. I was of the same mind, so on the final shot, I aimed a little bit lower, and finally hit the animal.
I was more pleased at the performance of the Speer 135gr Gold Dot .38 specials than I was my own marksmanship.
Raymond disposed of the carcass, without touching it . He said that he was going to burn it.
That was the first shooting that I had done since a friend came down, and the first with the Model 65 in over a year, I believe.
This was an object lesson to me that I need to shoot more.
