Got to see something new today. As all of the western rockchuck hunters know, 'chucks are known to have an attitude especially if they are cornered or wounded. Well today I visited one of the ranches I shoot on and the owner tells me he hsa seen a few in the far north pasture so I eased up and parked in my normal spot next to a big clump of ditch willows. Don't want the little boogers seeing the BIG WHITE DODGE TRUCK. Get out and ease up to the next fence row running east and west. Peek around the brush line and HOLY-COW THERE'S TEN OF 'EM OUT THERE at the far east end scattered over about a 75 yard area. Worked my way along the fence row brush until I was right at 200 yds. Perfect range for my Ruger #3 in .20 Ackley Bee and Weaver T-6. Get set up and start glassing, pick the fattest one and just as I'm getting ready to shoot a magpie lands about 6ft or so from the feeding chuck and then proceeds to walk up to the 'chuck and BITES HIM ON THE ***!! 'Chuck jumps, spins around and growls at the magpie who jumps back about 6ft. 'Chuck goes back to feeding and the magpie walks up and BITES HIM ON THE *** AGAIN!! 'Chuck spins around and lunges at the magpie who simply jumped back again. 'Chuck goes back to feeding and the magpie approaches him again. This time the 'chuck sees him coming and rears up like he wants to box. Magpie jumps at him and flutters his wings at the 'chuck and darned if that 'chuck doesn't start headin' for his hole which is about 60yds away. Magpie starts dive-bombing him and the 'chuck stops twice and rears up to box and magpie just eludes him. Third time the chuck rears up I couldn't take it any more. Shot him right through the shoulders. I just couldn't see this 'chuck facing his buddies after the humiliation of being buffaloed by a MAGPIE! Guess I'd call it a mercy killing 
Any way the other astonishing part of this adventure-- the rest of the 'chucks ignored the whole fiasco! I shot 4 more before any of them ran and they only stayed gone about 5 minutes and back out to feed they come. Waited 'till they were a good ways from they're holes and popped three more. Hit one a little too far back from the neck and he started bee lining for his hole. Never made it though. Ran out of want-to just short of his hole. waited about 15-20 minutes and the last two finally came back out. Got them both. Out of the ten only one was a little guy from last year. The rest were all over 6#s and the biggest one, a boar was pushing 8#s. The only thing I can attribute to this behaviour is that it rained pretty hard for about 3 or 4 hours this morning and the little rascals were trying to catch up on their feeding maybe. Don't know for sure but it sure was fun while it lasted. 
Sorry about the underline- thought I'd turned it off!
Any way the other astonishing part of this adventure-- the rest of the 'chucks ignored the whole fiasco! I shot 4 more before any of them ran and they only stayed gone about 5 minutes and back out to feed they come. Waited 'till they were a good ways from they're holes and popped three more. Hit one a little too far back from the neck and he started bee lining for his hole. Never made it though. Ran out of want-to just short of his hole. waited about 15-20 minutes and the last two finally came back out. Got them both. Out of the ten only one was a little guy from last year. The rest were all over 6#s and the biggest one, a boar was pushing 8#s. The only thing I can attribute to this behaviour is that it rained pretty hard for about 3 or 4 hours this morning and the little rascals were trying to catch up on their feeding maybe. Don't know for sure but it sure was fun while it lasted. Sorry about the underline- thought I'd turned it off!
