Trophy Contest

Varmint hunting and trapping isn't the most glorious of sports, there is no Boone and Crockett scoring system. There aren't many magazines to run articles on your state record oppossums. I figured we should give some of Indiana's critter killers a little acknowledgment by having a little "trophy contest" here. Next time you get a big or unique critter think to yourself "I could be famous on Indianasportsman" and post us a picture... there may be nobody else that cares but I'm personally impressed by oversized coyotes and obese opposums. :biggrin:

Now, completely coincidentally to me coming up with the idea, I have an entry I would like to start off with. :corkysm55 If anyone can top me then please post the picture or story and we'll consider you the "Trophy Master" of the species. Right now, I'm shooting for my claim to fame with the BIG COON OF INDIANA!

This hog went around 35# and measured over 46" long pelted. TOP THAT

 

Corn Raised

Well there are plenty of fat coons around our place, that is the problem! I wanted to get rid of them with live traps but couldn't seem to catch them... now I see why... they can't fit!!! LOL!

This is by far the biggest I've taken and there was only a couple more that made themselves easy for the pickins around the barnlot. After they saw enough of their friends stuck in traps or shot off the grain bins they quit hanging around quite so much. That's fine by me... that was the point in harvesting them in the first place. :coolgleam

I didn't submit that coon because I know a couple of guys that already have me beat... haven't met anyone to top the porky coon yet though!

 

I have another entry

I was digging through my website for some photos in another forum and came another entry I'll make for the Trophy Contest. I took this squirrell at my house this year. There were several squirrells digging around in the garden so I tied up some pie pans to keep them away... that worked for a few days. When they started playing around in there again I just rolled my eyes and ignored them. Then one day I came home and found one of my pepper plants broken off at the stem and nibbled on.... that was it. That was the excuse I needed to declare war.

There were little old ladies on each side of me with nice little vegetable gardens going untouched BUT ME, the angry hunter/trapper, couldn't grow a friggin' pepper plant! Something was wrong with this picture, I took it as a slap in the face. I set some live traps, no luck. I had but one choice left, my 22 with some silent ammunition (As to not disturb the little old ladies). I went to the store and got me some of these Aguila Super-Calibre's... man are these things wicked. They are VERY silent, powered only by the pressure of the primer with no powder charge they still push good speeds and are very lethal at 20-25 yards. I spent a couple weeks target practicing on paper plates and such, got pretty comfortable and proficient with the round. You have to adjust your scopes because they fly much slower than other rounds... they have a lot more drop.

Anyways, I had still been having problems with the squirrels but the plants had grown fairly well by August. I hadn't shot at any of the culprits yet because I hadn't been around the house at the right time to catch them there. I got up one morning too late to go squirrel hunting so I decided I'd mow the yard and do housework instead.. when I came around the side of the house just after dayilght I saw what I thought was a ground hog in the garden. I said "DANG, that's what's screwing with my garden!!" I ran back to the house and got my rifle and went back out, that is when I realized I was looking at the biggest fox squirrell I'd ever seen. I put the scope on his head and popped him dead in the garden. I went over and retrieved him and began oowing and awwing at his size. I took this picture of him then cleaned him right up, he was in the skillet that evening at my buddies house. If a guy could kill five squirrels like this a day he could really feed a family. I wish I had weighed him but I did take a tape measure to him. From his nose to the tip of his tail he measured 28-5/8" I had to go wake up my brother and a friend just to get witnesses... we've been hunting for years and nobody had seen one this big. Of course he got fat on vegetables and decorative plants but he was a whopper just the same. I considered mounting him for a moment but decided I didn't want to spend that much money on a squirrell. Here is a picture of him with the ammo I used, note the bullets are smaller but the box is the same size as a regular box of 22LR ammo. He's a hog alright! :biggrin:

 

22 Silence

Yeah they are great little rounds. I have since taken two feral cats and a possum with them. Never another squirrell but if they will take this one down they will kill em' all. I use the CB's on my trapline and there is no comparison in noise... the CB's are probably five times louder!

You should check out Aguila's other 22lr ammo. They make one, I can't remember the name, that is super hot and very accurate. I have always used CCI stingers but I read the numbers on those Aguila's and made the switch. They are hotter than a Stinger, hard to believe, but it's true. :coolgleam

 

Pictures

Hey, you can send them to Jrbhunter@hotmail.com and I will try to get them up for you... kinda busy with some hunts this weekend so bare with me. If it weren't for the pouring down rain I'd still be out tonight.... got the clothes in the drier just in case it slows down later. :16suspect

 

Yet another

You boys are slippin'. I'm ready to add another one in for the contest. This is the biggest red I've snared this year. I'll get his measurements later this evening but I know he's a whopper... nice natural coloration and an extremely long tail.