have been a hit at a wedding reception in our camo togs!) One afternoon Darryl, a ranch
employee, grilled a hog over charcoal coals and boiled freshwater crawdads trapped in a nearby creek. We ate like kings that evening! Our very fi rst day of hunting pro-
vided us with a quick overview of parts of the ranch … though nowhere near all of it. We traversed grassy pastures and followed two-track trails through timber-covered hills. We saw kangaroos but often did not get off a shot as they disappeared into brush and trees. If they were in open pastures they often quickly moved into the brush. And so it went. But that’s why it’s called hunting. Then L.P. spotted a ‘roo standing still in some timber and his shot hit it. The ‘roo took off, though we knew it was hit well, and we followed it farther into the woods. L.P. fi nally got off a shot that anchored it and he had the fi rst ‘roo of the trip … a large gray fi ve feet or more tall. We were fortunate to catch up with it because these animals can run more than 30 miles an hour and can leap some 30 feet. Our afternoon continued with
more cruising and occasionally we saw more kangaroos. But often they were moving fast through the thick stuff and did not offer a shot. However, we were seeing animals and that was encourag- ing.
We fi nally quit for the afternoon
and returned to the ranch for an eve- ning meal … prepared by Marc. He’s a darned fi ne chef and very likely could earn his living doing that. After dinner we headed out at
dusk and Marc got the spotlight on the top of the cab ready for action. It wasn’t long before we needed it. Marc drove slowly on the two-track trail through the timber, swiveling the light around. We reached a clearing and Marc stopped the light on my side of the truck and excit- edly said, “It’s a ‘roo. Shoot it! Shoot it!” I got the scope on my .375 onto the
target and carefully examined what I saw. After a few seconds I said to Marc, “I don’t think that’s a kangaroo.” “Yes it is! Yes it is! Shoot! Shoot!” So I dutifully placed the reticle
on the target and squeezed the trigger. Pieces of something fl ew from whatever I hit, and Marc yelled, “You got it!”
Yes, I made a good shot … on a
four-foot tall tree stump! I had been rather certain it wasn’t a ‘roo. In fact, I suspected when I saw the target in the scope that it was just what it turned out to be … a stump. But Marc did not have the benefi t of seeing the target magni- fi ed as I did with the rifl e scope. I have to acknowledge that the size and shape of the object did resemble a ’roo. Well, it was one of the best laughs I’ve had on a hunting trip in years. And I found out what I was dealing with in terms of seeing a target in the scope at night with the aid of a spotlight. The next morning after breakfast
we were back in the same general area where I had made the shot and I asked Marc to fi nd my target. In short order we pulled into the clearing and I got out of the truck to examine my kill … with camera in hand. Marc noted the camera and said, “You’re going to put that in magazine, aren’t you.” “Yep,” I replied. For the remainder
of the hunt my kill was referred to as the “wood ’roo.” (I don’t think it will make the record book but it wasn’t bad. I briefl y considered a full-body mount
Precision long-range shooting just got a lot easier.
With the new Nightforce Velocity™ 1000 reticle, you can place shots within zero to 1/2 MOA out to 1000 yards with no guessing at holdover, no calculating bullet drop, and no counting elevation adjustments. Unlike “one size fits all” drop compensating reticles, the Velocity™ 1000 is tailored to the ballistic profile of your rifle and your load. Once your rifle is properly sighted in, simply range the target and hold dead on at the appropriate elevation mark. It’s incredibly fast, supremely accurate, and only from Nightforce.
3.5-15x56 NXS
Nightforce Optics, Inc. 336 Hazen Lane Orofino, ID 83544 208.476.9814
nightforceoptics.com
www.varminthunter.org
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