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Author Topic: Ground Squirrels  (Read 11437 times)

Offline Jburke

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Re: Ground Squirrels
« Reply #15 on: March 04, 2013, 09:50:59 AM »
Central Washington,  alfalfa fields adjacent to rock buttes.

Your'e talking about Rockchucks.  Different animal than Ground Squirrels.
Different animal, still a pest though!  You can also find them in orchards a lot of times

Offline Heredoggydoggy

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Re: Ground Squirrels
« Reply #16 on: March 04, 2013, 08:52:50 PM »
Central Washington,  alfalfa fields adjacent to rock buttes.

Your'e talking about Rockchucks.  Different animal than Ground Squirrels.
Different animal, still a pest though!  You can also find them in orchards a lot of times

Yes, they can be fun to shoot too, but unless it's a Damage Control situation, I like to wait until June to give momma rockchuck time to wean the pups.  :twocents:
If it was easy, everybody would be doing it.

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Offline Carl

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Re: Ground Squirrels
« Reply #17 on: March 04, 2013, 09:20:14 PM »
June, huh? :(

Offline Heredoggydoggy

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Re: Ground Squirrels
« Reply #18 on: March 05, 2013, 07:13:21 AM »
June for Rockchucks in the wild--March, April, May for ground Squirrels.  June & early July OK for Squirrels, but it's pretty hot by then.  By mid-July the Squirrels are plugging their holes and going into hibernation.
If it was easy, everybody would be doing it.

When Bernie Madoff did it, it's called a "Ponzi Scheme"
When Government does it, it's called "Social Security"

Offline turkey slayer

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Re: Ground Squirrels
« Reply #19 on: March 07, 2013, 07:47:15 AM »
Rockchucks are out in East Wenatchee shot 2 on Monday

Offline wence5

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Re: Ground Squirrels
« Reply #20 on: March 15, 2013, 04:18:10 PM »
Well, I'm an old Oregon native that moved to Washington, so here is what I know. You will need to go to central and eastern Oregon. Prineville east to the boarder and all the way south to California. Christmas Valley, Crane Prairie, Burns, Enterprise, Klamath basin are all good areas to go. I would say your best bet is to take the time and do some door knocking, but there is getting to be a cottage business of charging to hunt sage rats, but I think you might find some ranchers willing to let you hunt on there lands. They are a hoot to shot, and you will get addicted. BTW, they are out as early as February, so now is the time to make those contacts. Good luck.
The worst day hunting is better than any day at work!

Offline wence5

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Re: Ground Squirrels
« Reply #21 on: March 15, 2013, 04:20:22 PM »
I forgot to mention, you will need a out of state license if you plan on hunting on public lands.
The worst day hunting is better than any day at work!

Offline CastleRocker

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Re: Ground Squirrels
« Reply #22 on: April 09, 2013, 03:31:52 PM »
Going to go down to K. Falls area when I get off work in the morning.  We went a couple weeks ago and there were a few rats and some rock chucks out.  In an hour or so of shooting, we only got a dozen or so chucks.  Too much range and wind for my 50gr. 223's.  The two shortest shots we had were still over 250ys., most were twice that.  Still a lot of fun!   

Didn't keep track of the rats.  Only went through five boxes of HMR and I didn't pop a cap with the 22's as the wind was whipping both days we shot.

Work to live, don't live to work.

You can educate away ignorance, sober up drunkenness, but you can't fix stupid.

Online mountainman

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Re: Ground Squirrels
« Reply #23 on: April 12, 2013, 08:19:03 PM »
Enterprise and Joseph Oregon. Stay at the Ponderosa inn. Go in the local bar and try their big Porterhouse. Bring a couple cases of Washington apples for trade/payment, and ask around. Maybe check out the buffalo ranch north of town? Go to the truck repair shop north o the ranch to ask for permission. yes, way too much fun!
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Offline CastleRocker

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Re: Ground Squirrels
« Reply #24 on: April 15, 2013, 03:35:26 PM »
Back from the "killing fields".  I'm actually glad I don't live in the same area that we hunted.  I'd have to get a second job just to afford ammo!  Now I'm very glad I stocked up last year.   

Wife's longest run offhand was 7 consecutive, distances from about 35yds to 77yds.  Her farthest was a 206 yard sage rat.   Took her two "warning shots" before connecting, but that's still a looonnnng shot in that wind with a 22lr.  She said she held right at six mils of wind.  It's amazing how long it takes between the sound of the shot and the SMACK of impact to get back to the shooter.   

For those of you who have never done it, I would advise you never, ever go.  If you like to shoot, this is a real addicting sport.  The alfalfa and grass fields are getting tall enough that by the end of the week the shooting will be pretty much done until after the first cutting.  At least where we were. 

Got some good long range Rock Chuck shooting in with the big rifles as well. 

Looking forward to the next time!!!

Work to live, don't live to work.

You can educate away ignorance, sober up drunkenness, but you can't fix stupid.

Offline iusmc2002

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Re: Ground Squirrels
« Reply #25 on: April 20, 2013, 09:30:34 AM »
I invited a fellow Hunt-WA member over to park his camper on my property while in pursuit of spring bear in the Huckleberry GMU.  He hasn't had any luck with the bears yet, but my geriatric neighbor called and said that the ground squirrels that are tearing up his field were out and about, and would I mind coming over?  So Danny and I went over.....

Danny only has his bear rifles, so he was nailing them with a .350 Rem Mag and a .375 Win.  Distances were around 100 meters, +/-.  We ended up with 10, Danny had 7 1/2 and I got 2 1/2  :chuckle:  (He hit one, but I was quicker on the reload and finished it off, so we counted it as half for each of us.  I think he was being nice to his host since he was outshooting me hahahaha)  All in all, it was a good couple hours.  We got some trigger time in, and helped out my older neighbor, who was very grateful!

Offline hunting4sanity

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Re: Ground Squirrels
« Reply #26 on: April 20, 2013, 10:12:14 AM »
They are fun little guys to hunt, but not everyone lets you shoot at them.  I saw some the other day on a place that allows no shooting, I was messing around with a new spotting scope I bought so I was trying to take pics through the spotter, I looked farther over to the side and saw the 'Whistle Pig Inn.'  I'd like to have gotten a look at them through a scope with crosshairs.
Disappointments are inevitable, misery is optional.

Offline havoc1300

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Re: Ground Squirrels
« Reply #27 on: April 20, 2013, 11:47:41 AM »
Spray Or is also good for sage rats. He shot hundreds on Wed. ONce the grass gets taller they get a little hard to see.

Offline Heredoggydoggy

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Re: Ground Squirrels
« Reply #28 on: April 20, 2013, 08:07:30 PM »
They are fun little guys to hunt, but not everyone lets you shoot at them.  I saw some the other day on a place that allows no shooting, I was messing around with a new spotting scope I bought so I was trying to take pics through the spotter, I looked farther over to the side and saw the 'Whistle Pig Inn.'  I'd like to have gotten a look at them through a scope with crosshairs.

Those look like a bunch of juveniles.  The older ones get more brown on them as they get older, like the ones in usmc2002's pictures.  the young'uns are mostly gray.  cool pictures!
If it was easy, everybody would be doing it.

When Bernie Madoff did it, it's called a "Ponzi Scheme"
When Government does it, it's called "Social Security"

Offline Carl

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Re: Ground Squirrels
« Reply #29 on: April 21, 2013, 02:59:39 PM »
 Great pictures, hunting4sanity.   :tup:

I have yet to make it out  :bash:


 


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