Took my Vartarg for a walk

[Rick in Oregon]

The snow is finally all gone, the sun is finally out here on the high desert, and the rock chucks and sage rats are running amok. That of course means it's time to grab a rifle and do a bit of a walkabout.

Figured I'd just zip out with Ruby for an hour or so the other morning for some rock pile cruising to see what's up. In that hour I was able to shoot eight chucks from 140 yards to 310 yards. There are some controlled burns going on here, so the sky was smoky and not viable for any decent photography, so only a couple of pics of moribund chucks this time.

My Cooper M38 in 20VT got the nod for the walk: (I was running the VT with 32gr NBT's over 18.5grs of RL-7 for right at 3,700 fps)



Of course Ruby with her Basset Hound nose just HAD to do a scent inspection of the critters:



I got back home in time to clean my rifle and have a second cup of coffee after taking my pup and rifle for a refreshing morning walk.

 

[snert]

Nice rifle but Ruby shines!

 

[Phil]

Nice as always Rick.....

 

[JLT]

Nice rifle. Ruby's beautiful!

 

[Rick in Oregon]

Nice rifle. Ruby's beautiful!

Thanks you guys. Always fun to share the adventure.

Ruby seems to be quite popular. Don't want all this attention going to her head! Here she is on her daytime cot enjoying the backyard last month. She just turned 7 months old, and one feisty little puppy.

 

[JLT]

Thanks you guys. Always fun to share the adventure.

Ruby seems to be quite popular. Don't want all this attention going to her head! Here she is on her daytime cot enjoying the backyard last month. She just turned 7 months old, and one feisty little puppy.

I have a soft spot in my heart for hound dogs. Go ahead - spoil her, let it get to her head. She's so pretty . . . .

 

[Rick in Oregon]

I have a soft spot in my heart for hound dogs. Go ahead - spoil her, let it get to her head. She's so pretty . . . .

JLT: Thanks, so do I. So much in fact, Ruby will have a sister in July to romp about with. We've always had two Basset Hounds, one just doesn't seem enough, and two gives both of them a buddy to play with. Once Lily arrives at home, I'll post an off topic ditty showing them both doing what hound dogs do. It's a hoot watching them do hot laps around the house chasing each other.

With two of them in the house, things just seem.......well, normal to me.

 

[snert]

I had two beagles. The downside was both could take a bath and then stink 5 minutes later. The upside would take a page long post. I never was a "dog in the house" kind of guy. They both lived in a heated outdoor pen. However, both Tuesday (a brace hound) and Snert, a runt female mutt/beagle of Hagar the Horrible likeness were a joy to own and so much fun to hunt. Snert oddly never barked except on a rabbit or pheasant, and even then it was more a drawn out yip than a bark. Tuesday, on the other hand, would get on a rabbit, bark three times per footprint, walk to the next, bark three times, move on, repeat. In her last year I waited two hours for her to bring one rabbit around one time. A bird landed on my shotgun barrel and then hat rim cause I had been standing so long in the same place. When I shot that rabbit it was eating grass and casually looking back in the direction of a distant and very methodical Tuesday.
Ruby is a sweetheart.

 

[JLT]

JLT: Thanks, so do I. So much in fact, Ruby will have a sister in July to romp about with. We've always had two Basset Hounds, one just doesn't seem enough, and two gives both of them a buddy to play with. Once Lily arrives at home, I'll post an off topic ditty showing them both doing what hound dogs do. It's a hoot watching them do hot laps around the house chasing each other.

With two of them in the house, things just seem.......well, normal to me.

You are wise to get one established first and then bring the 'sister' home. We have two Shepherds, and they're litter mates. That posed some challenges for a while, but, I agree ... having two seems normal and right.

I had a Walker hound that passed away four years ago. There's something incredibly soulful about a hound's face and they don't bark - they make music! I miss Rufus.

Enjoy your new crew. I envy you, looking forward to two pups in the house!