Tom Gosner

Specialty Archery 1 5/8″ scope with 4x Lens, Specialty Archery Superball Peep.
Since bowhunting is illegal in the German speaking countries Switzerland, Austria & Germany there’s no bowhunting here. However, in 2006 I spent the summer in a cabin in northwestern Montana, which a packrat was beginning to move in to, with all the nightly commotion and mess that these critters are so famous for. Here’s my account: One night, while spending the summer in a log cabin in northwestern Montana I heard all this noise coming from inside the roof as if something were tearing it to pieces.

The next night the same thing happened only with even more noise and so I knew I had to investigate. I got up at the crack of dawn and sure enough, with the first light I detected a packrat scurrying up the logs, entering the roof through its ventilation and then return carrying big wads of fiberglass insulation, with which it would scamper off into the brush. This was not good. So the next night/dawn I closely observed this critter’s habits, movements and trails so I could find a good position and be ready for a clean shot, and decided to attempt a shot when he would be running right towards me in the line of fire along a log at about 12 yards out. The next dawn, with the first rays of light I was ready.

I heard him first and was at full draw by the time he reached the porch and was about to scale the wall. Then just as I had anticipated, he turned to begin to run along the log when I literally nailed him perfectly. The field pointed arrow entered at the neck, passed through the length of his ribcage and exited at the belly…..and continued on straight into the corner notch between the logs, making it possible to retrive the arrow easily without any damage.

Equipment: Mathews 2005 Switchback, Trophy Taker Shakey Hunter arrow rest, Sureloc Sight, Specialty Archery 1 5/8″ scope with 4x Lens, Specialty Archery Superball Peep.

The setup gratefully bought and fine tuned at Spirit Quest Archery in Kalispell, Montana.