Target of opportunity... racoon! With lip squeak how-to added

[Charlie Lamb]

It's been real icy in my neck of the woods. Been that way for several days now. Pretty nasty stuff as weather goes.
Last night the weather guy said it was 35 degrees with 93% humidity... uncomfortable in anybody's book.

With cabin fever firmly clamped down on my grizzled old head, I finally decided enough was enough and headed out into the woods behind the house and took a stroll down by the lake.

With my favorite recurve, "Scarlett", tucked under my  arm I made pretty good progress through the thickets of ice. Slightly warmer temps had melted the ice on the leaves underfoot, making for reasonably quiet walking.

My property is a small chunk of Missouri oak/hickory climax forest, with many more hickories than oaks.
I guess that has an impact on the deer numbers that could be here and with a poor acorn year in general I haven't seen the deer sign that I did last winter when I purchased the place.

There are, however, tons of gray and fox squirrels around as well as groundhogs (when the weather is warmer), the occasional fox, coyote or possum and down by the lake, beaver and muskrat.... I'm at war with the last two!

Coming down the hill through a tight little valley I spotted movement on the dam. Even through the screening ice covered limbs I could identify the critter as a racoon.

Their butts always seem to be well above the rest of them and they usually cast about for different scents that might lead them to a meal or mischief.

Their attacks on my home and outbuildings have put them on my "list" as well.
Besides! My huntin buddy Butch had told me not long ago that if I got the chance he'd like to have one to bake and I've got a grandson who'd love to have a genuine coonskin cap.

I moved slowly ahead until I was just off the end of the dam and tucked in behind a large hickory log. If the coon didn't pass directly in front of me, I'd try to coax him over with a lip squeak.

Well, that's exactly what happened. He dropped off the back side of the dam before he got in good shooting range and I let out a long drawn out sqeak by pressing my thumb and forefinger against my lips.

The masked varmints head appeared almost instantly.

I'm no longer surprised at the number of animals that will respond to this trick. The weather makes it hard for all critters to fill their bellies and I was capitalizing on that hunger.

At ten yards the little devil stopped to look over the suspicious lump behind the log.
Coons are quick to recognize a man when they see him and I wasted no time drawing the 65# bow to anchor.
It was one of those natural "touch and go" type shots that always seem to work for me. There was no doubt in my mind where the Snuffer tipped shaft would end up... and it did.

Skewered end to end, the coon barely made it 20 feet before collapsing in a heap.
One less garbage eater on the place.
 
 

[Frenchymanny]

Nice story, thanks for sharing!

[Izzy]

Id love to take one with the longbow, congrats.Now when can I otder my Sunbear?

[Tim Schoenborn]

Nice.......

Damn nice images also....

Tim

[mike g]

Charlie....
   Me and Mr Chuck and Bill C....
Have are own little war with Beavers also....
   We go out on our brown Water Patrols in the Delta....
   Lots of fun >>>------>

[Mudd]

Nice shooting Charlie. I think you must have not gotten socked like we did in our part of the state. My back yard looks like a tornado hit it.
Congratulations on your coon. You'll be surprised at how good it tastes if you prepare it well. (tastes like BBQ beef) tanning its hinde might require more work since they are loaded with fat.
God bless,Mudd

[Over&Under]

Sure felt nice to slip around your property with you for a few moments. Great story!!!!

I to am a fan of "those natural "touch and go" type shots that always seem to work for me."

Sounds like a very fine way to spend the afternoon.  Thanks for sharing.

[Bill Turner]

Good story and good shot on that masked bandit. Always good to hear from you. Thanks for sharing.  

[trad kid]

thats awsome

[mmgrode]

Cool stuff Charlie!  Nice shot on a small target.  Nice to have extra arrows in the quiver for just this occasion.  Stay warm, Matt

[bretto]

Looks like the perfect size for cooking. Nice shot on the little Bandit.
We're socked in with Ice here in N.E. Kansas also, supposed to warm up tomorrow hopefully enough to melt the ground cover before the weekend.

[flatlander37]

Nice job, Charlie.  It hasn't been that bad here in the Jeff City area in my opinion.  We were lucky and never lost power for more than a few minutes once or twice.  Hope you're doing well there.

[PAPALAPIN]

Good job Charlie.

How far was the shot?

[BigRonHuntAlot]

Way to Go...  

[Shaun]

Nice one Charlie. I have been stumbling around on the ice here too. Mostly out to the shop and back. Sittin on the porch listening to the the sounds of crashing limbs has kept me out of the woods for a couple days. Plus the boom boom deer season goes another few days here. Thanks for the story and great pics.

[joe skipp]

Atta boy Charlie        They sure are pretty critters though. Keep at 'em...thin them out a little.

[Robert Warnock]

Real pretty fur on that coon.  He'll make a nice cap.

[Gary Kellar]

Alright Big Buddy . . Good shootin down there by the ice hole!!

[Jeff U]

Charlie:  Nice shot!  Have one of those guys that loves to dig up my yard.  Never see him, happens very late at night.

 

Originally posted by Mudd:
... You'll be surprised at how good it tastes if you prepare it well. (tastes like BBQ beef) tanning its hide might require more work since they are loaded with fat.
God bless,Mudd

How does one "prepare it well" ?

[Matty]

Nice Pics too...