Death Wind?

Ideal Tool · October 8, 2010, 07:42 PM

Hello, This one is really strange... around 1972 or so, I was out squirrel hunting with .22. Now this was no ordinary .22, it was a mod. 81 Marlin bolt gun, which I had converted to needlefire...Don't ask. Anyway, it used std. L.R. case with tiny hole drilled thru center of head. Long drill-rod firing pin.
Primer was blue-tip strike anywhere match head backed up with case full of Unique, & sandwiched between base of cast-bullet I had made mould for.
It usually went off when trigger was pulled, except in very cold weather when you might get a hang fire. Squirrel up in tree about 30yd away, couldn't see head too well, so aimed at neck. At the shot, squirrel just sat there unmoving. Thinking I missed, I reloaded & putting sights on him again, I watched as he slowly fell off limb..but stiff looking. I picked him up, but couldn,t find a mark on him...only a very slight disturbance in fur at back of neck, but skin was not touched in any way. I've heard of "barking" but there was no bark! His head could have been in such a position to bring spine up tight against hide, but again no real mark?

geetarman · October 8, 2010, 08:20 PM

I have one even stranger story.

I was about 17 and squirrel hunting in a hickory grove. I am using a Browning Sweet 16 with a full choke.

I spot one squirrel coming thru the tree tops from my right moving to my left.

He stops almost dead ahead of me and I shoot at him and miss.

Immediately 45 degrees on my left, a squirrel falls out of a tree dead as a doornail.

I go and pick him up and he is dead. . .dead. . .dead and not a mark on him.

He was not an old squirrel but a young one. I checked him over and checked his eyes and ears and cannot find one mark on him.

I have absolutely no clue what killed him. I am 68 now and mull that event over from time to time because it was so unusual and so unexpected.

Geetarman

5.56RifleGuy · October 8, 2010, 08:35 PM

Some small animals like that can have heart attacks and die when terrified. Scared to death pretty much.

TXGunNut · October 8, 2010, 09:02 PM

I was quail hunting in a densely wooded creekbed and a shot and missed an easy one...no surprise, I'm a lousy wingshooter. A few steps later I found a recently killed quail, decided I'd somehow gotten lucky. I put it in my game bag and later dressed it. I didn't find a mark on it, only a broken neck. Then I remembered seeing a hawk hunting the same creekbed minutes before we started through it.

October 8, 2010, 07:42 PM	#1
Ideal Tool Junior member Join Date: October 6, 2010 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,080	Death Wind? Hello, This one is really strange... around 1972 or so, I was out squirrel hunting with .22. Now this was no ordinary .22, it was a mod. 81 Marlin bolt gun, which I had converted to needlefire...Don't ask. Anyway, it used std. L.R. case with tiny hole drilled thru center of head. Long drill-rod firing pin. Primer was blue-tip strike anywhere match head backed up with case full of Unique, & sandwiched between base of cast-bullet I had made mould for. It usually went off when trigger was pulled, except in very cold weather when you might get a hang fire. Squirrel up in tree about 30yd away, couldn't see head too well, so aimed at neck. At the shot, squirrel just sat there unmoving. Thinking I missed, I reloaded & putting sights on him again, I watched as he slowly fell off limb..but stiff looking. I picked him up, but couldn,t find a mark on him...only a very slight disturbance in fur at back of neck, but skin was not touched in any way. I've heard of "barking" but there was no bark! His head could have been in such a position to bring spine up tight against hide, but again no real mark?

October 8, 2010, 08:20 PM	#2
geetarman Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 2009 Location: Arizona Posts: 3,157	I have one even stranger story. I was about 17 and squirrel hunting in a hickory grove. I am using a Browning Sweet 16 with a full choke. I spot one squirrel coming thru the tree tops from my right moving to my left. He stops almost dead ahead of me and I shoot at him and miss. Immediately 45 degrees on my left, a squirrel falls out of a tree dead as a doornail. I go and pick him up and he is dead. . .dead. . .dead and not a mark on him. He was not an old squirrel but a young one. I checked him over and checked his eyes and ears and cannot find one mark on him. I have absolutely no clue what killed him. I am 68 now and mull that event over from time to time because it was so unusual and so unexpected. Geetarman

October 8, 2010, 08:35 PM	#3
5.56RifleGuy Senior Member Join Date: May 9, 2010 Location: USA Posts: 1,212	Some small animals like that can have heart attacks and die when terrified. Scared to death pretty much.

October 8, 2010, 09:02 PM	#4
TXGunNut Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2010 Location: If you have to ask... Posts: 2,860	I was quail hunting in a densely wooded creekbed and a shot and missed an easy one...no surprise, I'm a lousy wingshooter. A few steps later I found a recently killed quail, decided I'd somehow gotten lucky. I put it in my game bag and later dressed it. I didn't find a mark on it, only a broken neck. Then I remembered seeing a hawk hunting the same creekbed minutes before we started through it.