I heard her scream and instantly knew that my wife had found the day’s quarry. As I tried to zero in on her location, she came running…breathlessly pointing toward where the beast had taken cover. I crept around the corner just in time to glimpse the animal’s hind quarter and threw in a quick first shot angled toward his vitals. Sadly, I watched him disappear into the thick stuff without so much as a flinch. My hunting partner and I then both adopted the strategy of waiting in the hopes that our target might “stiffen up” a bit. Of course, in spite of my wife’s reassurances, I also now had plenty of time to worry about my initial shot placement and to wonder whether or not the beast was suffering due to my own incompetence. I also lamented that some future hunter or local could be forced into cleaning up MY mess.

After about an hour of this uncertainty, and continued searching, I had nearly given up. To my great fortune however, I then spotted the beast out of the corner of my eye. He had moved quite a distance from where I had seen him last and he was stationary…but clearly alive and with plenty of fight left in him. I was sure he had seen me and was watching his backtrail…assuming that I had not yet spotted him. I quietly retreated a few meters, retrieved a more formidable weapon, and continued on acting as though I had not yet seen the creature. I then casually approached and, all at once, mounted my attack! I fired repeatedly and began shouting aggressively as the adrenaline rose in my body. Startled by my daring, the creature lost his bearings and rapidly retreated into an area where he was now cornered. This is when I knew the real fun would begin!

At a distance of just a meter or two…he came for me. Sensing his own mounting ferocity, I stumbled back onto my heels firing repeated shots to slow his approach. By now he was close enough that I was even hoping my weapon’s muzzle blast (as well as the projectiles!) might save me. Finally, thank God above, he turned to my left and slid to a halt. Two final shots at the writhing beast finished him. According to the SCI system, final measurements were just over 5cm on the unbroken antenna (he was a fighter apparently) and he tipped the scales at a weight of just under 2 grams (as measured on a Rowland Ward certified digital kitchen scale). According to the old British system of measurement, the beast’s body is just over 4 cm “between the pegs”. While not notably huge for his species, I am thrilled with the quality of this hunt and pray that I am never put to this sort of test again. The creature nobly chose how he wanted to die and has my deepest respect. Even African insects are tougher than we might expect!

Very well written. I was right there with you. Exciting and a well deserved trophy. Are you going European or a full body mount?

I know a good taxidermist in Abilene and he could do it mounted on a respectable discarded piece of lettuce for accuracy.

Cheers
Jim

Well written and most exciting. Glad you came out on the winning end of this battle. May your luck and good fortune continue to hold.

You have issues

Mark Sullivan would be proud of you for letting him "choose how he was to die"! Good show.

We hunters seem to have a different way of looking at a situation !

Best regards, D. Nelson

I've only been attacked by one animal, a rabid racoon. My 9mm took care of that .
'House hunting ' is a varied and interesting sport out here in the woods.Spiders, occasional cockroaches, but I like bigger game. Come fall mice , field and deer, look for winter lodgings .So I check the traps often. I've also caught a vole and two snakes.Snakes follow the mice I guess.
I found a dead mouse in the trap and took it to the wood stove to dispose .Opened the door ,threw in the mouse and when it hit the hot coals it suddenly became very much alive !
It shot out of the stove like a rocket and ran around the table in my small kitchen with me running after it. On one of my rounds I grabbed a broom and swatted.Run, run , run,swat, swat swat .I finally got him.Huffing and puffing I had stressed my seasoned citizen heart quite a bit. I know some of you have run FROM DG but running AFTER DG is another challenge !

Just how big of a gun did you have use?
Quite certain you had bullet failure on your initial contact.
Might want to use CEB's or TSX in the future.
Or you could just use RAID!!!!!!!!!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by bwana cecil:

Or you could just use RAID!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tends to eliminate the fair chase doctrine.

LMAO. Well written. I hate those bastards. We have em in droves here in Louisiana.

quote:

Originally posted by Frostbit:


Very well written. I was right there with you. Exciting and a well deserved trophy. Are you going European or a full body mount?

I know a good taxidermist in Abilene and he could do it mounted on a respectable discarded piece of lettuce for accuracy.

Cheers
Jim

A full body mount would be quite expensive on one that size but it is maybe a once in a liftime experience.

tendrams,

If you'd like to move up to DG, it's black widow and scorpion season here in Arizona. We do allow hunting at night with the aid of artificial light. Specifically we use a black light which makes the scorpions glow a pretty chartreuse color.

Beginners go armed with a spray can of poison, but the more courageous wear sandals and stomp them!

Please god tell me you did not use a push feed on that trophy!!!!!

my choice of projectile for them is a 1/2 inch piece of chalk propelled by a six band fly-catty
(We used to shoot eachother with those at school in Rhodesia)

Thanks to all for the comments! I was considering a full mount but in the end decided that shipping costs back and forth to the taxidermist were going to run too much money. I therefore, like many hunters these days, decided to be content with only photos. This beast's image will fit nicely between those of other African game I have hunted.

As for bigger and, in theory, more dangerous game....I did see a female of this species the other day. That are known as "the bitches of the abandoned alleys". Beautiful arachnid actually.



http://tierdoku.com/index.php?...haetopelma_olivaceum

My favorite is when you see one of those big wood roaches on the wall, get the broom, sneak up on it and right before you wack it with the broom, it flies off the wall at you, usually ending up in your hair. I have seen more than one man reduced to rolling around on the ground screaming like a girl, good fun (as long as you are not the victim.