Sage rats

[Jamieb]

A couple of buddies and I went down to enterprise Or. this weekend and shot sage rats.
I killed a couple of hundred with 2- .223's and a 22-250 along with a bunch up close with a couple of 22  mags.
The only pictures I got were of a couple of 22.mag kills.

[Sliverslinger]

Awesome! We are heading to Burns on Memorial Weekend. I'm so stored I can barely contain myself, I look forward to this trip every year.

[JohnVH]

whistle pigs, Im hoping to slay a bunch next weekend!

[CastleRocker]

Went last weekend for our first time ever.  Wow what a blast! 

Bring duct tape or bandaids for your thumb though, as mine is still sore from loading magazines.   I only had two magazines for the Marlin and went through 1200+ rounds of HMR in three days.  We were down by Merril, OR hunting private ground.  Looking forward to going again soon. 

Would like to find somewhere a bit closer though.  Has anyone ever been down to shoot them in Christmas Valley, Crane, or Burns?  I've heard good things about that area.

[Oneshot1Kill]

That 22 mag does a number! I've only been able to blow ones head clean off with my .223. Though 22 mag is looking like a cheaper way to go!

[Blacklab]

These type of threads are getting to me. I had a dream last night. I was deer hunting in a new area E wa. Came up to a big open saddle just looking around and started seeing pd running around playing. All I could do was pull out the gps to mark the spot. Then I woke up. Crap!!!! didn't even get to take one shot  . There ought to be a law....  

[high country]

My dad lives on the john day river near spray, or. We have been going broke on ammo do to sand rats. A couple hundred a day every day is easy as pie.

[npaull]

I hate to be "that guy" and I'm going to get flamed, (and I won't post in this thread again just so it doesn't drag on forever) but...

This is the kind of thing people were doing *before* passenger pigeons went extinct (or before bison almost went extinct, or the great auk, or a multitude of different shore birds, waterfowl, etc). It also quite possibly could be the most damaging kind of activity to the reputation of hunters as a group. Anything that can be said in defense of this sort of thing WAS being said about any of the aforementioned extinct or nearly-extinct animals I listed (there's actually an incredible amount of literature preserved about people commenting on how many bison, passenger pigeons, etc they shot).

I kill deer, I kill ducks - I've got no problem killing animals. But shooting *hundreds* of anything wild, and throwing them away (if you're eating them or they're destroying your crops, I retract most of this post)... I gotta say it, guys, sorry.

It's disgusting.

[Jamieb]

npaull

If you hate to be" that guy" then then dont respond to topics that you know nothing about.
You are that guy that I hate, the kind of guy that has to stick his nose in where it doesn't belong because you think you know better then the rest of us.
I'm not going to try to defend anything posted in this thread as I don't argue on the Net, Facts,knowledge, and personal experience wouldn't change a mind driven by emotion anyway.

[BOWHUNTER45]

I hate to be "that guy" and I'm going to get flamed, (and I won't post in this thread again just so it doesn't drag on forever) but...

This is the kind of thing people were doing *before* passenger pigeons went extinct (or before bison almost went extinct, or the great auk, or a multitude of different shore birds, waterfowl, etc). It also quite possibly could be the most damaging kind of activity to the reputation of hunters as a group. Anything that can be said in defense of this sort of thing WAS being said about any of the aforementioned extinct or nearly-extinct animals I listed (there's actually an incredible amount of literature preserved about people commenting on how many bison, passenger pigeons, etc they shot).

I kill deer, I kill ducks - I've got no problem killing animals. But shooting *hundreds* of anything wild, and throwing them away (if you're eating them or they're destroying your crops, I retract most of this post)... I gotta say it, guys, sorry.

It's disgusting.

Think thats why we call them VARMITS ... So many of them you could not kill em all if you tried .....all they do is dig holes everywhere and they make for some awesome target shooting 

[BOWHUNTER45]

npaull

If you hate to be" that guy" then then dont respond to topics that you know nothing about.
You are that guy that I hate, the kind of guy that has to stick his nose in where it doesn't belong because you think you know better then the rest of us.
I'm not going to try to defend anything posted in this thread as I don't argue on the Net, Facts,knowledge, and personal experience wouldn't change a mind driven by emotion anyway.

NOW NOW 

[seth30]

Wow at least buy him some flowers

[seth30]

I would leave them out in a pile and put a trail camera on it, unless your on public land that is.

[npaull]

sigh

[Jamieb]

Come back to a pasture 1/2 hour after shooting in one and it's full of birds, eagles,ravens,hawks, and a bunch more. The yotes and badgers wont come out until after the sun goes down. I've drove around the ranch at night with a spot light and seen yotes but I didnt have a Or. huunting license so I didnt shoot any.

[seth30]

Too bad I wasnt a tad closer I would love to try my new spot light out

[high country]

Npaull, my "guide" is 84 years old and was born in the field we shoot rats in. He claims to shoot 20-200 every single day that they are awake.....and I don't doubt him. If they were gonna get wiped out, it would not be by my uncanny marksmanship.....it would be the poison that they get every year. These things are hell on crops and leave holes for the stock to step in.

[Heredoggydoggy]

Normally, the little burrows the Sage Rats dig would pose no problem.  But then the Badgers and Coyotes try to dig them out, and make big holes for livestock to step in and break a leg.  And, they can decimate an Alfalfa field in no time at all.  There's a lady that lives near where we shoot, and she started out as a "live and let live" person--until she tried to raise a vegetable garden.  Now it's "Yeah, you are welcome to shoot on my property!  Kill 'em ALL!"  You can shoot a field all day, and go back the next day and there's just as many.  A guy I know calls them SERTS.  "Self-Erecting Renewable Targets".   

[TikkaT3-270Shortmag]

Paul has a point. So how did the sage rats taste??

[high country]

Paul has a point. So how did the sage rats taste??

Like a cross between victory and success. They actually eat well, if you don't blow them up. The field we hunt can hardly be walked across due to all the holes.

[CastleRocker]

All you have to do is go talk to farmer who has just lost a couple pivots worth of alfalpha to rats.  One of the farmers we spoke to down in Southern Oregon had just lost two entire irrigated fields to rats.  With today's prices that's over $100,000.00 loss.  That is gross loss of crop, not including the price of water for irrigation, fertilizer, or harvest costs.  (Which the first cut won't come early now, due to the rats).  Without doing the math, I'd say that will increase her loss by 25%+.   Hard working lady, who doesn't desearve to work that hard, just to feed rats.

In fact, I'll give you three guesses, (and the first two don't count), who is going to end up paying for that much of that loss eventually.   

Rats are NOT Bison, nor Dodo birds, or anywhere close to extinction.  Gather the facts and send me a PM.  I'd be more than happy to debate this "wasteful slaughter" of rats with anyone. 

Does anyone know where to get 17HMR shells cheap?  I'm looking forward to our next trip.

[h2ofowlr]

sigh

I imagine it depends on the critters were talking about.  They are like a Norway rat where there are millions of them.  You just don't put a dent into them.  Like living next to a field and going through boxes and boxes of Deacon poisoning and never getting the upper hand on the critters.  You have to experience it sometime to see what everyone is talking about.  I guess you could always Go old school and poison the fields, but that kills everything that feasts on the carcasses. 

[dontgetcrabs]

From my back deck.

[actionshooter]

I've gone down there and shot a couple of years ago. Its a FREAKIN riot!!! In a day 1-1/2 days I shot 1500 rounds, my fingers hurt, I had blisters on my thumbs from loading mags and couldn't wait to shoot more. 

 One of the ranchers told me that 30 of those sage rats eat the same amount of alfalfa per day as one cow. Don't know if its true or not, but the locals HATE those critters.

 One of the great parts is when you smoke one wait a minute, all his buddies go all  cannibalistic, then shoot them too.     makes me smile.

[CastleRocker]

From my back deck.

HOLY JUMPIN' UP AND DOWN MARTHA!!!

If you EVER want anyone to come to your backyard, my wife and I are very ready, very willing, and very able!
 
This past weekend is going to cost me some money!

We went over to Yakima to visit my daughter this past Saturday, and took our rimfires.  My daughter had a line on some rats, so we went over and shot a bunch.  It was hilarious.  First thing my wife says when she saw her first one was, "I don't think I can shoot them, they are sort of cute".  Then we get to the place where we are to shoot them, and the wonderful lady and her husband show her the damage.  She couldn't really relate to the crop damage, but when she saw the lawn and the flower beds...it was game on.

She had only one problem with shooting them after that...she had a hard time spotting them before my son, either daughter, or myself.  Whoever spots them first....shoots.  Once she got her eyes going, she had a blast. 

Now for the expensive part.  She informed me that she wants "a 22 like the one I was shooting, and one of those 17's too, and we are going to go to Southern Oregon to do this!"

She has no clue what another 22 like the one she was shooting is going to cost.  Not to mention another 17HMR! 

This is one expense that I will love to pay.

[actionshooter]

WAAAHOOO............On for Saturday in Burns on some private land I shot a couple of years ago, bad part is, sounds like the alfalfa is getting tall.

[actionshooter]

Hey Castlerocker, I heard of worse problems to have!!

[CastleRocker]

Hey Castlerocker, I heard of worse problems to have!!

Oh I know!  I'll be looking for more Leupold items soon!  (hint, hint).

She wants to go down to Oregon this coming weekend for Mother's Day, but I don't think I can round up enough parts to build her the 10/22 she wants in time.   

[deleted BGS]

Where can I find these at, public land?

[LEN]

Warning Warning Warning Don't touch the Rats 
They DO carry the Plague. IE: Oregon man in Rat area got the plague from a cat, doesn't take a IQ over 3-4 to tell where the cat got it. And it's not just a pill or two and your OK. IT's a long process and easily could end in you being in the hole not the rat.

We go every year at least once for a week, kill from 400-1000 a day and the next day you would swear they copulated overnite. Loads of fun and sure tells one how his shooting is doing and how to read the wind. OR have wind Naaawwww.

LEN

[doyourtime89]

We go every year at least once for a week, kill from 400-1000 a day and the next day you would swear they copulated overnite. Loads of fun and sure tells one how his shooting is doing and how to read the wind. OR have wind Naaawwww.

LEN
[/quote]

Where do you go every year to do some shootin like that.  Over in Oregon or somewhere here in WA.

[LEN]

Burns area, Christmas Valley, North of Prineville all OR.
But I have heard from guys north of Spokane that there are enough to be interesting, waiting for an invite there.

LEN

[redmist73]

Helping the alfalfa farmers..........when I traveled to Oregon, the farmers were glad to see me reduce the Belding  (Urocitellus belding) squirrels that lived in and around cultivated alfalfa fields.  Do a satellite search  in Oregon, say Fort Rock headed east to Christmas Valley and see all the irrigated crop circles  in view.  These fields, when up are like "salad bars" to the Beldings & studies have shown that even 12 squirrels might eat 1,000 lbs. of crop and 200 squirrels eat as much as a 1,000 lb. steer.  In addition and equally important are the mounds, furrows that interfere with harvesting and cause expensive machinery repair..... that was my farmer's biggest complaint.   They are not a protected species in Oregon and do not have a real value except food for larger predators.........and heyyy, it's a beautiful thing as the day is closing, to see eagles come down and shop through the killing fields..........rm73

[magnanimous_j]

I hate to be "that guy" and I'm going to get flamed, (and I won't post in this thread again just so it doesn't drag on forever) but...

This is the kind of thing people were doing *before* passenger pigeons went extinct (or before bison almost went extinct, or the great auk, or a multitude of different shore birds, waterfowl, etc). It also quite possibly could be the most damaging kind of activity to the reputation of hunters as a group. Anything that can be said in defense of this sort of thing WAS being said about any of the aforementioned extinct or nearly-extinct animals I listed (there's actually an incredible amount of literature preserved about people commenting on how many bison, passenger pigeons, etc they shot).

I kill deer, I kill ducks - I've got no problem killing animals. But shooting *hundreds* of anything wild, and throwing them away (if you're eating them or they're destroying your crops, I retract most of this post)... I gotta say it, guys, sorry.

It's disgusting.

There is a big difference between slow growing, long gestating, low litter size mega fauna like Bison and varmints. They breed super fast, have big litters and because of nearby farms, have an artificially large food supply. There just aren't enough coyotes and eagles in the woods to keep their numbers in check. Bison were decimated because they just had no natural defense against rifles. The Indians could only kill so many with their technology. Varmints have a defense against us, they just breed like crazy. Their evolutionary survival strategy is very effective against us killing them all one by one. The Bison's wasn't.

Shooting them to keep their numbers down is the humane option. The other option is poison, which is bad for the soil, the food being grown, and the other critters that die as collateral. I do wonder about the long term effect of shooting thousands of lead bullets per year into the same field, but that's minor in comparison to spraying poison.

The fact that it looks super fun is only a bonus to the actual good it does.

[muzbuster]

I hate to be "that guy" and I'm going to get flamed, (and I won't post in this thread again just so it doesn't drag on forever) but...

This is the kind of thing people were doing *before* passenger pigeons went extinct (or before bison almost went extinct, or the great auk, or a multitude of different shore birds, waterfowl, etc). It also quite possibly could be the most damaging kind of activity to the reputation of hunters as a group. Anything that can be said in defense of this sort of thing WAS being said about any of the aforementioned extinct or nearly-extinct animals I listed (there's actually an incredible amount of literature preserved about people commenting on how many bison, passenger pigeons, etc they shot).

I kill deer, I kill ducks - I've got no problem killing animals. But shooting *hundreds* of anything wild, and throwing them away (if you're eating them or they're destroying your crops, I retract most of this post)... I gotta say it, guys, sorry.

It's disgusting.

There is a big difference between slow growing, long gestating, low litter size mega fauna like Bison and varmints. They breed super fast, have big litters and because of nearby farms, have an artificially large food supply. There just aren't enough coyotes and eagles in the woods to keep their numbers in check. Bison were decimated because they just had no natural defense against rifles. The Indians could only kill so many with their technology. Varmints have a defense against us, they just breed like crazy. Their evolutionary survival strategy is very effective against us killing them all one by one. The Bison's wasn't.

Shooting them to keep their numbers down is the humane option. The other option is poison, which is bad for the soil, the food being grown, and the other critters that die as collateral. I do wonder about the long term effect of shooting thousands of lead bullets per year into the same field, but that's minor in comparison to spraying poison.

The fact that it looks super fun is only a bonus to the actual good it does.

Very well said!