It was a couple years ago that I started teaching Xander, our 5th Grandson to safely shoot one of my .22 caliber rimfire rifles.  He did an excellent job shooting a target off the bench at 52 yards and yesterday evening got a chance to put those skills into action, harvesting his first squirrel on December 1, 2023.

PRIOR SIGHTED IN CZ 452 .22 CALIBER RIMFIRE RIFLE

I adjusted the scope for rounds 1 and 2; rounds 3,4,5 will harvest squirrels with no problem.

XANDER'S FIRST SQUIRREL

Xander made a good head shot on the squirrel as depicted below with the distance around 51 yards:  He used my CZ USA 452 left hand American .22 caliber rimfire rifle suppressed with Eley .22 caliber LR HP subsonic 40 grain bullets which are accurate in this rifle.  Eley has since changed the bullets to 38 grains and they are not accurate in this rifle per a friend of mine.

The scope on the rifle is not high dollar at all, but a Bushnell with 50MM objective lens and 6 x 18 power.  The scope was set at 18 power allowing you to see the squirrels eyes at that distance!  The 50MM has good daylight gathering capabilities.

I showed Xander the quick and easy method to skin a squirrel and soaked the squirrel in a salt water solution to remove any excess blood; then bagged him up and placed in the freezer.

Xander spent the night with us and we waited for the squirrels to show up where I have feed deer off and on at this location since around the year 2004 until 2021.  Since taking my hunting blind down around November 20th.  I started feeding squirrels and deer at this location.

Several squirrels showed up around 9:00 AM and Xander fired two shots and harvested two (2) squirrels.  We retrieved the squirrels and will skin them later, hopefully a few more will show up.  Those squirrels will make some "beautimous" Southern Fried Squirrels and Gravy.

XANDER CONTINUES TO HUNT

Xander with a couple more squirrels added to the first two of this morning.

All these squirrels were female, were are the males?  Those squirrels were skinned, viscera removed, soaked in cold salted water and later vacuum sealed and placed in our basement game refrigerator/freezer.

GRILLED VENISON LOIN AKA BACK STRAPS

I grilled Xander and myself some venison loin aka back straps that were earlier soaked in a brine solution overnight which consisted of:  water, salt and dark brown sugar.  I later rinsed them off under running cold tap water and hand cubed them.  Before grilling, I gave them a good coating of Wild Bill's Meat Rub and let rest for about half an hour.  I dipped each cubed loin in a mixture of melted butter and Worcestershire sauce and placed on a hot gas grill for a few minutes each side.  There were plenty left overs for Lisa, Xander's Mom who loves them also!

Hopefully next year, our Lord willing of course, I want to let Xander deer hunt with me some when the annual rut kicks in.  The deer of late were mostly nocturnal except until the annual deer rut peaked which was around the 15th of November and then began to move in daylight hours.  

NOTE:  Xander has already completed his hunter safety course (certificate of competency) on line during the COVID-19 outbreak and made an outstanding grade on each segment!  Xander doesn't need a NC Wildlife Resources Commission hunting license until he is 16 years old, however he will hunt under my supervision!.  I went on line at the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and got Xander an exempt big game harvest report card in case he gets a chance to harvest a deer this hunting season.

Spending quality time with Xander brings back wonderful memories of our Pop who taught us three (3) boys how to safely hunt and enjoy the outdoors and appreciate what God has created for all of us to enjoy and set a born again Christian example for us to emulate. 

XANDER AND MISS LILY SPENDING THE DAY WITH US

I wanted to let Xander squirrel hunt some more and picked him and his sister "Miss" Lily up around 9:45 AM on 12-09-2023.  I stopped by Bo Jangles on the way home and got us some biscuits and one for their "Maw Maw" also.

Xander harvested a total of seven (7) squirrels and below is a pix of a couple of them.  I vacuumed sealed four in one bag and three in another bag for usage later.

Xander and Miss Lily!

Xander and Miss Lily decorated our Christmas tree and earned some saw bucks from their "Maw Maw."

My bride aka Joyce and myself enjoyed spending quality time with Xander and Lily.  I prepared Xander, my bride and myself a Philly Cheese Steak sandwich using a hoagie bun for lunch.  Miss Lily enjoyed a couple hot dogs with catsup only on them.

UPDATE:  Xander has harvested a total of fourteen (14) squirrels with three hunting sessions and deer hunted one time, but no deer showed up.  I have been under the weather since the 15th with some sinus infections and other issues requiring medical treat and currently on the mend, thanks to our Lord, Doctors and medicines!

Our Lord willing, I plan to get Xander up some while school is out for afternoon deer hunts.

Web page uploaded by Bill aka Mickey Porter on 12-02-2023 and updated on 12-09-2023.

LEAVING ON A SPIRITUAL NOTE

If you do not know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, please take this moment to accept him by Faith into your Life, whereby Salvation will be attained.   

Ephesians 2:8 - 2:9 8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Open this link about faith in the King James Bible.