Several weeks ago I made way into the mountains for two days with Marley where I planned to camp and test out some gear for several videos. Those that follow me know how much I enjoy camping and may be familiar with some of the products I test and review. Most all of the products I work with get hard use and I document most all of it through various videos throughout the year. For this trip I decided to pull out one of my smaller inexpensive Tipi style tents that's made to accommodate a wood burning stove. My good friend Jon over at Wingman115 channel donated a WorkTuff Gear stove that I have used primarily in a WW2 bunker, it has worked fantastically in that over many trips. Marley and I arrived to a new previously scouted camping spot that offered plenty of firewood as well as a nice flat area to set up the Mountain Cattle Tent.
When finding a camp spot I always tend to go for areas that have an abundance of wood I can collect for making a fire. Besides having this convenience the area offers great hiking as well as many overlooks to the fields of California Ground Squirrels. I spent a few minutes picking up the campsite and clearing any debris that were in our way for setting up the hot tent.
This would be the first time I had used a stove in this tent so was super excited to try it out and film part of a review of it being used. After setting up camp I pulled out the Brocock Sniper XR in .25 caliber that Airguns Of Arizona had sent me for review over a year ago. I really enjoy the Brocock line of rifles and have found them all to be very dependable well made Airguns.
This one at the moment is tuned to shoot the 25gr at a conservative 58 fpe and I have added the Hawke Sidewinder 4-16x50 ffp as well as the 0dB 110c moderator and Accu-Tac bipod with two sets of leg extensions. This rifle has been good to me and is a great all around gun that's extremely enjoyable to shoot, very accurate. With all the traveling I do it's always important for me to check my zero before getting out to hunt. I set out a quadrant target to 80 yards that I have found is a fun edition to any camping spot I frequent.
Marley eagerly waited for me to give word to go kill the target but she would have plenty of other opportunities on some live quarry later on. After getting everything set to my liking I aired up the gun and loaded my pack to head off for some varmint hunting. Few months ago I was having trouble finding JSB 25gr in stock so I picked up the 25.4gr Rangmaster Kings. These are a product of Daystate and I have found they shoot very well out of most all of my rifles, definitely ones to try if you haven't. The plan was to do a big loop that would take Marley and I up alongside a ridgline offering spectacular views of this large wooded property.
I picked a spot that offered a great overlook down onto a large pasture where I spotted about 10 ground squirrels scatter down into the many holes.
These ground squirrels cause a huge problem for the property owner as they burrow many holes that cause danger to the cattle as well as killing off many of the trees due to erosion issues. The weather has been warmer but I didn't expect to see much activity until late Spring and Summer when things heat up. After about 15 minutes I spotted our first casualty at just 78 yards with a slight breeze coming from the right.
Areas like this are where the Accu-Tac bipod really shines as it has near unlimited adjustment for near any type off off camber terrain.
Marley and I sat and waited a few more minutes where I was able to spot another two sitting in some sagebrush at 80 yards down the hill from us.
The activity was slow but I was still able to take down about 5 of them, a few were a bit to brutal to show on camera. The Sniper definitely did it's job, very enjoyable gun to use for this type of shorter range hunting.
By this time it was later in the afternoon and time for us to continue our big loop back towards the camp. The evenings are always so pretty and quiet, I really do enjoy just getting out to hike with my great dog and awesome Airgun.
We stopped at a few overlooks for some breaks and to take in the scenery of this beautiful land, it really is an experience I can't fully explain with words. This at one time was a training area used by the military and has a rich history in mining that can be explained by the many forgotten relics found throughout the area.
Back at camp I started pulling a few more things I would need for the long night out of the Jeep such as our food and my light kit for filming. The clouds made for a beautiful time-lapse that can be found in the enclosed video at bottom, turned out nice. I collected some dry grass to use as a firestarter in the pit I had dug out that we would ultimately be using to cook on.
I got a fire started very easily using my custom Becker BK9 and ferro rod, have much enjoyed using this blade over a few trips now.
The camp was set up nicely and surprisingly it wasn't as cold as I had planned for considering this area had been covered with snow just a few days prior.
The menu for tonight called for grilled quesadilla's and bacon, a worthy meal for any fan of unhealthy camp food.
I normally make quesadilla's at home in a pan with some cooking oil and couldn't help to laugh because every time I make them I watch the Andy Griffith show. Lindsey always knows when I'm cooking them at home because she hears the iconic whistle to the show blaring through the TV. haha I will say the quesadilla's are much better made on the grill, much more crispy and full of taste. The bacon was just an added bonus to my unhealthiness, Marley didn't complain though! As the night came upon us we sat by the fire and just enjoyed the distant chatter of the Coyotes, Owl's and moments of complete silence.
After about an hour of relaxation by the fire it was time to move into the tent and fire the WorkTuff Stove for a full night of use. This stove SPECS:
Actual stove measures 15.5" long, 10" wide, 10" tall, but has the slight taper on the bottom. So it's right around 1,500 Cubic Inches
The stove got pretty hot so I ended up leaving the door cracked until it died down enough to make for a comfortable temperature. Marley was loving it as she was able lay on top of our sleep system. She usually crawls inside the bag under normal tent camping trips.
I sat up in the tent for awhile and even made myself a pot of coffee that the stove made quick work of, they key was to keep a small amount of wood in it and find a good balance. A few small logs would last about two hours before needing more, definitely efficient. By 11:00pm it was time for bed, the plan was to get up early and make some breakfast before heading off for some hunting.
The following morning we woke up around 6:30, made some coffee and filmed for several segments for future videos of this trip.
The day was a bit cloudy but not to cold at all, we had a good night using the tent and I only had to get up a few times to tend to the stove. After filming for several videos I packed up camp where we would drive to a few different locations on the property for ground squirrels.
This property is so big it would take several hours to hike across so it's always nice to use the Jeep to roam in, can cover much more ground in a short time. Most of the roads started out as old mining trails and have since then turned into full on 4x4 tracks.
Marley and I drove to the first area where I was able to spot quite a few ground squirrels standing up next to the thousands of holes that cover this pasture. We unloaded the Brocock Sniper, aired up and continued to walk away from the Jeep to a good spot that offered a bit of shaded cover.
This area gave us a nice panoramic view where most of the activity was out past 80+ yards.
Most of the ground squirrels we encounter this time of year are skittish, they have birds of prey, Bobcats, Coyotes, Foxes and guys like me who continually hunt them. When the weather starts warming up this place will become extremely active.
I spotted a few ground squirrels with one that left me a good shot at 110 yards, made a perfect headshot on this guy. THWAAACK!!!
After taking down five or six of these ground rats we headed back to the Jeep and moved down to another area that had a ton of them crawling all over the hillsides.
We immediately took down a few with one being quite acrobatic, some much to graphic to show with good taste. I will say that a well placed headshot can sometimes be explosive, especially at some of the closer ranges. Marley and I cleaned up the place in less than 20 minutes, quick job.
By this time it was almost 1:00pm so we headed back to the Jeep, packed up the Brocock and all my camera gear and we headed down the long dirt road to home. I had a great two days out and was happy we had some success with the hunting. I never count on having any luck, for me it's more about the entire experience of getting out, testing gear and enjoying nature. To be clear I would never be able to do these types of adventures without the support from Airguns Of Arizona, they fund most of these trips and provide me with some awesome products I would never afford otherwise. Thank you for reading and watching and I will do my best to continue on.
Cheers,
Dana
https://youtu.be/H7yXa1NFeeI
When finding a camp spot I always tend to go for areas that have an abundance of wood I can collect for making a fire. Besides having this convenience the area offers great hiking as well as many overlooks to the fields of California Ground Squirrels. I spent a few minutes picking up the campsite and clearing any debris that were in our way for setting up the hot tent.
This would be the first time I had used a stove in this tent so was super excited to try it out and film part of a review of it being used. After setting up camp I pulled out the Brocock Sniper XR in .25 caliber that Airguns Of Arizona had sent me for review over a year ago. I really enjoy the Brocock line of rifles and have found them all to be very dependable well made Airguns.
This one at the moment is tuned to shoot the 25gr at a conservative 58 fpe and I have added the Hawke Sidewinder 4-16x50 ffp as well as the 0dB 110c moderator and Accu-Tac bipod with two sets of leg extensions. This rifle has been good to me and is a great all around gun that's extremely enjoyable to shoot, very accurate. With all the traveling I do it's always important for me to check my zero before getting out to hunt. I set out a quadrant target to 80 yards that I have found is a fun edition to any camping spot I frequent.
Marley eagerly waited for me to give word to go kill the target but she would have plenty of other opportunities on some live quarry later on. After getting everything set to my liking I aired up the gun and loaded my pack to head off for some varmint hunting. Few months ago I was having trouble finding JSB 25gr in stock so I picked up the 25.4gr Rangmaster Kings. These are a product of Daystate and I have found they shoot very well out of most all of my rifles, definitely ones to try if you haven't. The plan was to do a big loop that would take Marley and I up alongside a ridgline offering spectacular views of this large wooded property.
I picked a spot that offered a great overlook down onto a large pasture where I spotted about 10 ground squirrels scatter down into the many holes.
These ground squirrels cause a huge problem for the property owner as they burrow many holes that cause danger to the cattle as well as killing off many of the trees due to erosion issues. The weather has been warmer but I didn't expect to see much activity until late Spring and Summer when things heat up. After about 15 minutes I spotted our first casualty at just 78 yards with a slight breeze coming from the right.
Areas like this are where the Accu-Tac bipod really shines as it has near unlimited adjustment for near any type off off camber terrain.
Marley and I sat and waited a few more minutes where I was able to spot another two sitting in some sagebrush at 80 yards down the hill from us.
The activity was slow but I was still able to take down about 5 of them, a few were a bit to brutal to show on camera. The Sniper definitely did it's job, very enjoyable gun to use for this type of shorter range hunting.
By this time it was later in the afternoon and time for us to continue our big loop back towards the camp. The evenings are always so pretty and quiet, I really do enjoy just getting out to hike with my great dog and awesome Airgun.
We stopped at a few overlooks for some breaks and to take in the scenery of this beautiful land, it really is an experience I can't fully explain with words. This at one time was a training area used by the military and has a rich history in mining that can be explained by the many forgotten relics found throughout the area.
Back at camp I started pulling a few more things I would need for the long night out of the Jeep such as our food and my light kit for filming. The clouds made for a beautiful time-lapse that can be found in the enclosed video at bottom, turned out nice. I collected some dry grass to use as a firestarter in the pit I had dug out that we would ultimately be using to cook on.
I got a fire started very easily using my custom Becker BK9 and ferro rod, have much enjoyed using this blade over a few trips now.
The camp was set up nicely and surprisingly it wasn't as cold as I had planned for considering this area had been covered with snow just a few days prior.
The menu for tonight called for grilled quesadilla's and bacon, a worthy meal for any fan of unhealthy camp food.
I normally make quesadilla's at home in a pan with some cooking oil and couldn't help to laugh because every time I make them I watch the Andy Griffith show. Lindsey always knows when I'm cooking them at home because she hears the iconic whistle to the show blaring through the TV. haha I will say the quesadilla's are much better made on the grill, much more crispy and full of taste. The bacon was just an added bonus to my unhealthiness, Marley didn't complain though! As the night came upon us we sat by the fire and just enjoyed the distant chatter of the Coyotes, Owl's and moments of complete silence.
After about an hour of relaxation by the fire it was time to move into the tent and fire the WorkTuff Stove for a full night of use. This stove SPECS:
- Assembled Size: 21.5" x 15.5" x 85" (chimney)
- Chimney is 3" diameter
- Weight: 19 pounds
Actual stove measures 15.5" long, 10" wide, 10" tall, but has the slight taper on the bottom. So it's right around 1,500 Cubic Inches
The stove got pretty hot so I ended up leaving the door cracked until it died down enough to make for a comfortable temperature. Marley was loving it as she was able lay on top of our sleep system. She usually crawls inside the bag under normal tent camping trips.
I sat up in the tent for awhile and even made myself a pot of coffee that the stove made quick work of, they key was to keep a small amount of wood in it and find a good balance. A few small logs would last about two hours before needing more, definitely efficient. By 11:00pm it was time for bed, the plan was to get up early and make some breakfast before heading off for some hunting.
The following morning we woke up around 6:30, made some coffee and filmed for several segments for future videos of this trip.
The day was a bit cloudy but not to cold at all, we had a good night using the tent and I only had to get up a few times to tend to the stove. After filming for several videos I packed up camp where we would drive to a few different locations on the property for ground squirrels.
This property is so big it would take several hours to hike across so it's always nice to use the Jeep to roam in, can cover much more ground in a short time. Most of the roads started out as old mining trails and have since then turned into full on 4x4 tracks.
Marley and I drove to the first area where I was able to spot quite a few ground squirrels standing up next to the thousands of holes that cover this pasture. We unloaded the Brocock Sniper, aired up and continued to walk away from the Jeep to a good spot that offered a bit of shaded cover.
This area gave us a nice panoramic view where most of the activity was out past 80+ yards.
Most of the ground squirrels we encounter this time of year are skittish, they have birds of prey, Bobcats, Coyotes, Foxes and guys like me who continually hunt them. When the weather starts warming up this place will become extremely active.
I spotted a few ground squirrels with one that left me a good shot at 110 yards, made a perfect headshot on this guy. THWAAACK!!!
After taking down five or six of these ground rats we headed back to the Jeep and moved down to another area that had a ton of them crawling all over the hillsides.
We immediately took down a few with one being quite acrobatic, some much to graphic to show with good taste. I will say that a well placed headshot can sometimes be explosive, especially at some of the closer ranges. Marley and I cleaned up the place in less than 20 minutes, quick job.
By this time it was almost 1:00pm so we headed back to the Jeep, packed up the Brocock and all my camera gear and we headed down the long dirt road to home. I had a great two days out and was happy we had some success with the hunting. I never count on having any luck, for me it's more about the entire experience of getting out, testing gear and enjoying nature. To be clear I would never be able to do these types of adventures without the support from Airguns Of Arizona, they fund most of these trips and provide me with some awesome products I would never afford otherwise. Thank you for reading and watching and I will do my best to continue on.
Cheers,
Dana
https://youtu.be/H7yXa1NFeeI
Lol
