Springtime Fun with Skippy & the .204 (Pics)

[Rick in Oregon]

sniper/Lee/Drew: Thanks gentlemen. It was a good three days for sure, but I'm certain Skippy would have a different opinion. Glad you all enjoy the after-action photos.

mudturtle: That patch-catching container is a Patch-Mate. Clamps onto the barrel to catch patches and confines the aresol spray effect when using a brush with solvent. When cleaning in the field, we don't want our patches turning up in the ranchers alfalfa hay (sick cattle/horses), and when cleaning inside the house, there is no stink of solvent, as everything is confined inside the container. When done, the lid comes off, and you can dump the soiled patches directly into the round file. Pretty neat, and wifey doesn't get irritated from solvent smells eminating from the bunker after a shoot.

[Sage Rat]

Rick,

We preceded you by a few days. We sure could have used your sunshades to keep the snow off first morning! We found Skippy very wary this year. Still too early for dumb babies, so we were forced into using our long-toms exclusively. Didn't hurt my feelings a bit! Nice pictures. Perhaps in your next batch, you'll show us another squirrel trained to jump!!!

[Captqc]

What a bunch of surly looking characters! Oh wait a minute... I'm pictured there! Nevermind Captqc

[Ray P]

Rick real nice photos's and don't worry about the gore. It's always nice to see the terminal results of those Sierras. Looks like your in good company and everyone is connecting, because of the smiles on there faces. Will have to wait a while longer here in N.E. Pa another Spring storm is brewing. Again thanks for sharing your outting and pics with us, really enjoy the................Later

Ray P

[Rick in Oregon]

Sage Rat: Sorry we missed you. We had some chilly mornings too, but thankfully, NO SNOW! It can be wild this time of year, that's for sure. We're headed over again early next month, so maybe we'll catch up with you then....hope so.

Ray: Glad you enjoy the pics. Here's one of Skippy that learned to jump, just not to come down all in one piece. He seems to have lost his running gear. The 204 with 32gr Blitz Kings sure is hard on squirrel hide at 4000 fps! (We never did find the other half.....red mist?)



It was a great trip; can't wait to get out of Dodge and do it again soon!

[gwglave]

Rick
Supposed to be crappy tomorrow but nice on Sunday. But, the weather guys in Portland never get it right for Central OR. . All you can do is wake up early and look out the window
I've got a very badly itching trigger finger and plent of .204 ammo loaded. Here's hoping for a nice day on Sunday. Talk to ya soon.

Rgds, Gerry

[Rick in Oregon]

Gerry: Yep, saw that too. I've got another multi-day shot planned in a few more weeks, so have a pretty good list of chores and 'honey-do's' for the weekend. Hope the weather holds Sunday for you guys, and Skippy cooperates. Be sure to take lots of pics and bring them home for us.

You're right about the "Weather-Talkers" too....wish I had a job that I could be wrong most of the time and nobody could do anything about it!

Take no prisoners!

[Melvin Eades]

Rick,

I always enjoy reading your post about your hunts. It's neat to see other parts of the country where you guys hunt. I wish we had lots of little targets around here to shoot at like you have.

Keep the pictures coming!

[Rick in Oregon]

Melvin: Likewise, friend. We enjoy your well documented coyote adventures and photos also for the exact same reason. The forum has gotten better than many of the varmint/hunting magazines for that reason, and with no B.S. and advertising to thumb through either.

Seeing as you share the passion, here's a shot of where we spent four days last week, partially showing the amount of squirrels mounds in the field. I was walking back to the truck with my Ruger MK-I in hand after visiting CaptQC and Rat Force One's sniping position, and seeing all the mounds, I knew I had to snap a photo to share.



With Skippy building dens, burrowing and excavating as he does, you can imagine what it does to farm equipment, cattle, and lost crop due to his voracious appetite for alfalfa. One rancher told me they lose anywhere from $60K up from the squirrels each hay season. Here's a typical large mound with the former occupant "resting" atop it (courtesy Ruger MK-I Target):



You've all seen my IPDW (Internal Perimiter Defensive Weapons), so here's Rat Force One's during a walkabout after inspecting the 204 carnage: (one must be armed all the time when Skippy is about )



And CaptQC's Ruger MK-III with Leupold/Gilmore LG-1 Red Dot aboard (Dan's Dad):



Even my Kimber Custom Classic .45acp gets into the act with the neat little Kimber Rimfire Conversion mounted (22LR):



When we leave our fixed shooting positions to take a walk or visit nearby shooting partners, it always pays to have a rimfire sidearm handy as you can see. Skippy will always take advantage of the situation if you're NOT armed! Be sure to keep us posted on your varmint adventures too.

[Sidewinderwa]

Rick, great photos and story as usual. I was hoping to make it your way next weekend but..... I retire after 30 years of working with inmates and mental patients (not just the staff). I am moving and that has taken all my time. Hope to get down your way next month. Be sure to leave some rats for the rest of us. Are the numbers good this year? I don't get on the computer too regularly due to the move. Hope to see you some time and check out your benches. Keep those pictures coming, at least some of us get to see it in pictures

[Rick in Oregon]

Sidewinderwa: Moving eh? Amazing how much crap we acquire after a few years in a house. I've been in the same one for 21 years now, and dread the thought of having to move. I'd have to bring over a buddies 53' semi now. Hope it all goes well for you.

The rat numbers are down slightly this year, but it may be because so many guys are into shooting them now. Ever since Varmint Hunter Magazine came out about ten or twelve years ago, I've seen more and more guys in the field with new varmint rifles. 20 years ago, it was only rifle loonys and accuracy nuts out ther doing it, now it's mainstream shooting. There's plenty of squirrels, just not the numbers there was in the glory days.

Considering when you're coming down, I don't think you'll have any target shortage, as the young ones are due to come up about now, so they should be "target worthy" in another month; just in time for your trip.

Be sure to give us a call when you're in town. We've always got a Lite bench set up in the foyer of the shop office, so you'll get to road test a bench while you're here. We're headed back into the field for four days the first weekend in May, so call anyway, as wifey is always in the office when I'm out chasing Skippy.

Glad you like the photos; I'll keep them coming.

[BunGhoLeo]

What, no video's? How lame! J/K

Nice pics, and story thanks! One of these years i will make it out there to varmit town, until then i'll have to settle for the pesky wabbit's and stray dogs. Pictures just doesn't do justice for that senic country.

[Rick in Oregon]

BGL: I guess you can't please everyone buddy, sorry, don't own, don't want a video camera. Once out in the field, I barely find time to shoot stills, let alone wander around with a video camera. Guess you'll just have to come out this way and bring yours.

I know you were kidding, but if you want this kind of action, you can drive half way here and be in prairie dog heaven...SD, WY, MT, and CO are MUCH closer, and have good rodent populations. Time for a vacation maybe?

[BunGhoLeo]

I know what ya mean. When i go off-roading with my buddies i take a camera and video recorder. Sometimes i'm lucky to get 5 pictures.

A vacation sounds nice, Glen Asher mentiond something about letting me come to one of there trips. Time will tell...

Usally it's the passengers and spectators that get the good shots.

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[Rick in Oregon]

Whooaa there! Looks like time to deploy that winch! I've got a Warn 8,000lb. unit on my Chevy 4x4, and it's been used ALOT! Never leave home without it!