Grouse quite a few times. Best was just as I was leaning in to my rifle to line up on the 100 yard backboard on a trail half way up the backstop which is benched saunters a big sow black bear and two cubs. I had just walked back and shot a bunch just before but they were calm as cucumbers walking about 4 feet in elevation right above the target. I've seen deer tracks on ranges a fair bit but none standing in them.
Animals on the shooting range
- Thread starter Rob
- Start date
For years, at the Prince George Club range we had an unofficial "mascot", a generous sized marmot.
Some low-life shot him several years ago, and we do miss him.
Have seen deer, moose, black bear and a host of smaller creatures on that range. They seem undisturbed by gunfire.
Regards, Dave
Some low-life shot him several years ago, and we do miss him.
Have seen deer, moose, black bear and a host of smaller creatures on that range. They seem undisturbed by gunfire.
Regards, Dave
Groundhog ( Aldershot NS )
Deer DND Bedford Range.
Moose Gagetown NB on a Machine gun range. One ended up laying in a ditch just short of the cone of fire landing around 1200m.
Cease fire called and waited till it got out of the way.
Deer DND Bedford Range.
Moose Gagetown NB on a Machine gun range. One ended up laying in a ditch just short of the cone of fire landing around 1200m.
Cease fire called and waited till it got out of the way.
- Location
- West Quebec
Wild turkeys at the 200 yard line, tempting but it held us up for about twenty minutes till they got bored and wandered off.
Growing up we had a range with gongs out to about 500 yards off my front porch aswell we would set out a big gut pile every fall for coyotes, wolves, big cats, bears, eagles, crows w/e to nibble on. Used to love poppin the odd crow or coyote that would get cought out in the "small field" (800 acres). Most everything else got a free pass.
There used to be a well kept private range up by an old pal's place out west of Edmonton no hand guns and you had to call a number on the post and leave some change in the box there were rabbits every where on the thing all the time. Once one hopped into my shot, the next trip some one in the trip had scope problems and a rabbit no one even saw caught a .338 LM... So we are there months later and we are taking turns shooting and everyone els in spotting for rabbits... we are doing good till one of the kids hit a post... pew errrrrrr.... and that whap sound .22s make when they hit a rabbit solid, and down goes thumper sitting about 15 yards forward and off to the right. We stopped going there and have never had a problem with animals on the range... just stop and wait for them. but those rabbits were not gun shy.
Our local range has a groundhog mascot as well. First time there I was shooting .308 right over his head at the 100yard target. I could even see his head in my scope on some shots. He was so accustomed to gun shots he wouldn't even move, Unless some dirt would fly then he would look around for a few seconds then go back to eating grass.
Dont think anyone would dare shoot him, He's pretty popular around there and is suppostly over 8 years old.
Dont think anyone would dare shoot him, He's pretty popular around there and is suppostly over 8 years old.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
I had a caribou spend an pleasant fall afternoon with me at our range. I'd bang away with either my .30/06 or .375 and he'd just wander back and forth parallel with the shooting lane. I've seen polar bears at the range, but usually when the whether isn't conducive to shooting anyway, and they are looking for a sheltered spot out of the wind and lie down at the base of a tree, and let the snow drift over them. We have a large fox den with dozens of entrances on the east side of the range, but you seldom see them. For birds we have lots of ptarmigan, geese, eagles, gulls, and ravens.
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We have squirrels, chipmunks, skunks, whitetail's, mulie's, black bears, and moose that frequent our range.
It's not uncommon to have whitetail or mule deer come out and feed on the grass on the long rifle range, when trap night is going full on. They just feed along with nary a concern.
We had a mulie buck bed down at the edge of the long range berm and watch as 40 competitors, competed in a rifle shoot. He stayed there for most of the morning, and just sauntered back into the bush of his own accord.
It's not uncommon to have whitetail or mule deer come out and feed on the grass on the long rifle range, when trap night is going full on. They just feed along with nary a concern.
We had a mulie buck bed down at the edge of the long range berm and watch as 40 competitors, competed in a rifle shoot. He stayed there for most of the morning, and just sauntered back into the bush of his own accord.
Last week saw a squirrel, it was outside then it came inside garage diving. Worst was when some bodies black lab ran out while the line was all hot. Kinda nerve wracking, seeing something that you don't want to shoot in your scope. Especially with a round chambered and ready to shoot.
We have had 3 bobcats, turkeys, deer and rabbits on or adjacent to our ranges at one time or another. Our club is located about 40 to 45 miles east of Toronto.
Jim
Just remembered that one time we had a donkey wander in from the neighbours property. Poorly cared for it had hooves that were a foot or more long.
Jim
Just remembered that one time we had a donkey wander in from the neighbours property. Poorly cared for it had hooves that were a foot or more long.
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Chucker243
Member
- Location
- quinte west area
We were on the farm sighting in a .243 and a .270 at 200 metres. As we were reviewing our shots at the target, we noticed a big coyote sniffing the spot we were shooting from. We couldn't take a shot at him because there are houses in that direction. We saw that brazen dog a few more times, almost nabbing my beagle and father's German Shepherd.
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
Overheard on the line at quals one year... "Don't shoot the bunny!!!"
Had black bear, deer, turkeys and geese in between myself and the target.
Had a groundhog sitting on the 200 yd. berm and crows land on the 300 yd target board...that didn't go well for them..
The coolest was a golden eagle landing 50 yds. from my shooting bench while I was between strings..wish I had my camera for that one..
Had a groundhog sitting on the 200 yd. berm and crows land on the 300 yd target board...that didn't go well for them..
The coolest was a golden eagle landing 50 yds. from my shooting bench while I was between strings..wish I had my camera for that one..
cdn1canhunt
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- southwestern ontario
The most kick in the butt critter at the range experience I've had was a few years back hunting in the Havelock Ont area.
The group of guys I was hunting with that season decided that Sunday before the Monday deer opener, they need to sight in their rifles. So off we go at about 12pm to the farm we are gonna hunt (insert stupid idea here) walk down range and set up a target in front of a big cedar tree.
The boys begin shooting. after one fellow and a young lad shoot, the young lad decides he might have the problem, not the .307 Win. So we stop for a moment, some guys walk down range check targets and walk back and we start to mess around with the young mans .307.
I decide to take the next 3 shot group. I fire the rounds and make the gun safe. We all begin to walk down range. Well we'd all be dammed if a whitetail buck, about a 2 yr old 6 point Didnt jump up from under large cedar tree right beside the target board. He stood there for a minute or 2 staring at us then hightailed it outathere. We all looked at each other with dumb looks on our faces. I declared right then that was the only deer we'd see all season....and SOB it was.
Now that deer was there the entire time we set up and did all that shooting. I must have been within feet of him 2-3 times when we checked targets.....he must have been hit by wood splinters from the cedar tree our target was leaning against.
After that experience I vowed to never sight any rifle in the day before deer season again I'd rather miss on opening morning than to have that happen again. The funniest/saddest thing about that had to be the stupid look we all had on our faces when that buck stood up? The Simpsons wasn't on TV yet but we all had a big DOHHHHHH! Moment there. Then a bigger one when we all ate tag soup on the final day of the deer season.
The group of guys I was hunting with that season decided that Sunday before the Monday deer opener, they need to sight in their rifles. So off we go at about 12pm to the farm we are gonna hunt (insert stupid idea here) walk down range and set up a target in front of a big cedar tree.
The boys begin shooting. after one fellow and a young lad shoot, the young lad decides he might have the problem, not the .307 Win. So we stop for a moment, some guys walk down range check targets and walk back and we start to mess around with the young mans .307.
I decide to take the next 3 shot group. I fire the rounds and make the gun safe. We all begin to walk down range. Well we'd all be dammed if a whitetail buck, about a 2 yr old 6 point Didnt jump up from under large cedar tree right beside the target board. He stood there for a minute or 2 staring at us then hightailed it outathere. We all looked at each other with dumb looks on our faces. I declared right then that was the only deer we'd see all season....and SOB it was.
Now that deer was there the entire time we set up and did all that shooting. I must have been within feet of him 2-3 times when we checked targets.....he must have been hit by wood splinters from the cedar tree our target was leaning against.
After that experience I vowed to never sight any rifle in the day before deer season again I'd rather miss on opening morning than to have that happen again. The funniest/saddest thing about that had to be the stupid look we all had on our faces when that buck stood up? The Simpsons wasn't on TV yet but we all had a big DOHHHHHH! Moment there. Then a bigger one when we all ate tag soup on the final day of the deer season.
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