Posted on 12/04/2025 6:55:35 AM PST by marktwain
In the winter of 2014, an adult female wolf was found dead in northern Minnesota, on the Grand Portage Indian Reservation. When the necropsy was performed, the cause of death was determined to be from a single wound from an ordinary pellet gun. Described as “low powered”, the pellet was almost certainly either .177 or .22 caliber. Although this incident occurred in 2014, I only learned of it this year. Ordinary pellet guns have been powerful enough to kill humans and even a black bear.
The wolf was a lone female who had been driven out of the pack on Isle Royale. It had a radio collar as part of the Isle Royale study. Researchers said the wolf had almost been killed twice, in fights with another female wolf, presumably, to keep her out of the pack. During the winter, ice had allowed the wolf to reach the mainland, 18 miles from Isle Royale.
It was suspected that the wolf was shot not far from where it was found on the Indian Reservation. Investigators speculated the shot was intended to drive the wolf away, rather than to kill it. The pellet entered between two ribs and punctured an artery, leading to death. The Isle Royal pack was on the edge of extinction, with only eight members left in 2014. It was reduced to one animal by 2019. The moose population was also down, as it had nearly eliminated aspen on the island, subsisting on the far less nutritious balsam pine.
The wolf probably weighed about 70 lbs. Wolves are not particularly hard to kill. A .22 rimfire in the same area would have easily penetrated wolf ribs if the bullet encountered them, causing serious bleeding in the thoracic cavity. Death usually occurs within minutes.
(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...
Such costs were an insurmountable barrier to setting up or keeping a range open, especially at the high school level.
Shooting clubs successfully petitioned professional shooting organizations to allow shooters to compete with the same rifles they practiced with, and rifle manufacturers kept improving their products.
You didn't strike a nerve. You exposed your own ignorance (lack of knowledge).
I have a full auto pellet gun that you can hook to a gas compressor.
It’s absolutely insane. Sprays .22 at .22LR velocities.
Comes with backpack.
Lewis & Clark rather famously used a pellet rifle.
The important question to ask is, “Does your state classify them as a ‘firearm’?”
In Texas it isn't classified as a firearm though we do have numerous laws concerning their usage.
For instance, you need a hunting license for shooting game.
I’ve got a pellet gun that can do that. Single shot though.
With a pellet gun like our Gamo Vermonters you can shoot regular pellets then there’s A raptor pellet that does a lot more damage and its going at the fps of a .22. We have killed large possums with ours that were trying to get in the chicken coop.
Here in Michigan, air rifles are no longer considered a firearm.
I’m stealing that.
New tagline!
The really fun part about reintroduction of wolves is you are sent wolves trapped elsewhere because they are addicted to killing domestic animals. That’s how the first place gets rid of them, passing the problem on to other ranchers.
Think they meant 22 cal air rifle. It’s a popular size.
Yes.
Gives a Michigander like us quite a few options as we keep and bear.
I have a .20 (5mm) Silver Streak. (Sheridan)
Pellets were hard to find for a while but Pyramyd
finally geared up.
For canines, the .223 works pretty good.
Thanks for the compliment.
There are .22 pellets.
Yes, an Austrian Windbüchse, aka Girardoni. (From Wikipedia. I didn’t know that off the top of my head.)
The wackos knew all this. The amount of lies they promoted to convince the sheeple that wolves would not be a problem was massive.
Also from wikihahahahahapedia, it took 1500 (!!!) strokes of the pump to charge one air reservoir. That was good for 30 shots.
And people wonder why gunpowder was more common ...
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