the story of my first trash panda (with pics and video!)

Once upon a time in the good ol' USA, there lived a guy named Bob. Now, Bob was a real tech-savvy outdoorsman, armed with all the latest gadgets and gizmos to tackle his backyard critter problem.

You see, Bob had set up this fancy tree-side nourishment center complete with a ring doorbell to alert him whenever a furry friend came sniffing around. When his Alexa pinged, Bob would spring into action, heading upstairs to his window like a sharpshooting video game hero, armed with an Agt vixen in .22 with an eagle vision GoPro adapter hooked up to a monitor. It was like hunting on the big screen!

But things took a hilarious turn when Bob decided to up his game. He bought an AEA SF in .30 and upgraded his trusty atomic XR to a BRK pathfinder, which was basically his mobile hunting tool for when the squirrels dared to venture out of reach. And as if that wasn't enough, he splurged on the new ATN gen 5 scope cam to streamline his setup. It even had night vision, although he didn't plan on using it and disturbing the peace of the city at night.

But then, trouble came knocking—or, more accurately, rummaging through the trash. Bob noticed a sneaky raccoon showing up randomly late at night, lurking in the pitch-dark shadows. Now, Bob had a score to settle with those trash pandas ever since one of them messed with his dog, leading to a wild raccoon battle and a trip to the ER for rabies shots in both arms and legs. Ouch!

Normally, Bob was a live-and-let-live kind of guy, especially since he had three kids to take care of and desperately needed sleep. Besides, the raccoon was only there because of the squirrel bait, right? No harm, no foul, as long as their paths didn't physically cross.

But then, one fateful night at 10:45 PM, that raccoon pushed Bob's buttons. It strutted over to the feeder like it owned the place, completely unbothered by the sliding door and camera lights. Meanwhile, Bob's wife was busy loading and unloading the car just around the corner. That's when Bob decided it was time to take action.

The only problem? His .30-cal setup from the window wasn't ready, and the GoPro adapter was limiting his view. He couldn't trust his aim, and let's face it, he couldn't see a thing. further more, he had disassembled his atomic XR (mag packed up, sights, laser, tail removed) in preparation for sale.

His trusty vixen was sans sighting system. That left him with the brand-new BRK pathfinder from Atlas Airguns. He had decreased the power to a manageable 17 ft/lb, slapped a vortex 4x prism on it, and fired off a test shot from one end of the room to the other. Adjusting left and up, within 2 shots, he got it pretty close. Enough to take the shot at around 12-15 yards. It was nerve-wracking, but it had to be done.

With a racing heart and trembling arms, Bob tiptoed outside, ready to face off with the raccoon. The backyard slide door light provided a faint outline, and Bob took aim. Luckily, the markings around the raccoon's eyes made for an easy target. However, the visibility was still muddy. In a swift move, Bob switched on the illumination inside his optic, and BAM! Did he hit the mark? The raccoon stumbled and fell. Victory!

Bob couldn't remember if he took a second shot in the heat of the moment, but he wanted to be sure. He cautiously approached the downed critter, its dance of defeat playing out before him. Bob knew it was his moment. He walked up, took out 7-8 shots at point-blank range, and sealed the deal.

He walked back inside to reload, one round left in the mag. Replacing the Hades with ultra shocks, Bob carried the raccoon's heavy body using his trusty fireplace clamps, bringing it into the light. He aimed one final shot at the top of its head, and that was the end of the tale.

And so, in the great tradition of American humor and resourcefulness, Bob had triumphed over the trash panda menace, forever etching his name in the annals of backyard legends.

pics attached. video here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ctn6QdbNNMp/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

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I believe in being pro-active when it comes to coons, not waiting for pet or property damage to occur. It isn't question of if, but when! Nice shooting. BTW the video link didn't work for me.
Just added video directly to OP. Btw two more raccoons came by. They did not eat, only sniffed around probably looking for their dead family member. I was caught off guard and wasn’t sure how to take both out in quick succession. I’ll set up my thermal and blast them from upstairs next time. So they can’t attack me lol
 
To tell if the death dance is the real deal, look at the front feet if they are moving under muscular control take a follow up shot quickly. Only behind the front legs should be moving around. With a good shot to the brain they drop instantly to the ground, lay motionless for about 1/2 to 1.5 seconds and they start dancing with only the back 1/2 of the body moving.
 
To tell if the death dance is the real deal, look at the front feet if they are moving under muscular control take a follow up shot quickly. Only behind the front legs should be moving around. With a good shot to the brain they drop instantly to the ground, lay motionless for about 1/2 to 1.5 seconds and they start dancing with only the back 1/2 of the body moving.
Exactly, and as an example, it’s what these two do at the end that replicates the panda death dance-