Ground squirrels

[Bill K]

Well, just as I was planning another look see for squirrels and rock chucks, I have another snow storm, during the night, as of 0800 this morning, about 2 inches of new stuff and still coming down, lightly. So this will set me back a few days or so. Just the way it is in my neck of the woods, sometimes.

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(don't know if you can make them out, tracks in snow, but the deer are still in the yard and will remain as they do year round, here)

[Rick in Oregon]

Well Bill, don't feel lonely about the white stuff. My crew and I drove almost to Idaho for our week long Rat Rodeo, only to be snowbound for the entire time....winds of 45 mph, blowing snow to blizzard conditions every day and night. Our trailers were rockin' all night, almost like being out at sea again.

Even at that, jumping into our trucks with our custom 10-22's, there were squirrels out in the blowing snow. Not many mind you, but enough to expend a box of shells each time out. We earned our informal group's title of "Eastern Oregon Raptor Feeding Society", as we had three bald eagles and about a dozen golden eagles and hawks taking advantage of our limited shooting opportunities. Our BR Pivots and 204's, 223's and 20VT's never got uncased.
When we saw a one day break in the weather that would allow safe highway travel, we booked home in safety as it appears there's more on the way.

Now it's about rock chuck time, so not all is lost. I/we may get out again to the outback if chores and WX conditions permit. Luck of the draw....winter in April.

[Bill K]

Rick, I did wonder about snow up into your areas, with the planning that your crew had. Maybe the same with some that hunt Nv. So I know I am not the only one. However this will change and it will open up and should just get better. I am looking forward to some fine rock chuck hunts more so than the small squirrels anyway.

By the way, where are a couple photos, from you trip ?

[broper]

We sure haven't had good weather this past week for varminting, mixed rain snow, lots of wind. Plus I've been down all week with a sinus infection. I think I'm over it now and feeling pretty good again. If there's a nice enough day next week I'm going to meet some buddies foe rock chuck shooting.

[Captqc]

We are going to call this outing The Arctic Blast! But like Rick said the rats that were up were greeted by The Eastern Oregon Raptor Society and over the course of the week we got a couple of hundred of them.

[Bill K]

Don't have a photo too show, but along the lines of the eagles and other hawks coming to feed on the remnants of some shoots. My old shooting partner and I ( Varmint Shooter) had hundreds of gulls show up on more than one occasion and they just gulped down whole or portions of the critters lying around after acrobatic lessons. plus the eagle and hawks.