The Arctic Rat Shoot

[Rick in Oregon]

Even with the best of planning, the weather can always foul things up, especially when you plan six months ahead, balancing the date for the average weather and crop height. If the alfalfa is too high later in the season, you can't see the little buggers, even if they stand up. So not too early due to late winter storms, but not too late when the crop is high. Sort of the 'Goldylocks' time of year for squirrels.

So our trip we just returned from has been dubbed "The Arctic Rat Shoot of 2022", and for good reason. We had a solid week of 30 mph winds driving snow every day, and at night our trailers were rockin' in the high winds. NOT ideal squirrel shooting weather. On this trip, our 204's and 20VT's never got used, and stayed in our trucks, cased. But our custom 10-22's were great for out the truck window "drive-by" shooting with window bags with the heater turned up.

This is what the normally green fields looked like....



"Rat Camp" has never looked like this:



The wind was so bad the first day, I shot a bunch of rats inside 150 yards out an abandoned ranch house, sitting on my buddy's cot inside the old house with my Anschutz 1517 HB 17HMR out of the wind:



From years of 'drive-by' shooting out the truck window, clogging up the trucks heater vents with empty brass, we now use brass-catchers intended for the AR platform on our 10-22's....no more .22LR empties in the vents:



Normally we'd have our benches set up in the sun, having our way with Skippy and his pals. Not so much this trip. My truck stayed loaded, never got unpacked for what is usually prime bench rat shooting. It's great country, one can shoot just as far as his skill and rifle will allow. The large rock in the right of the pic was useful for a field rest:



Normally this rat would have been a prime target. I was headed back to camp when this guy ran to his hole next to his mound and stopped. My camera was closer to me than my rifle, so he lived to get a few more days of life:



We lived up to our informal title of the "Eastern Oregon Raptor Feeding Society" though. Some hawks pounced on a recently moribund rat near camp:



So it's our sincere hope that the next time we head to the outback, this scene will be very green, no snow, temps above freezing with little or no wind. We can dream, right?



So no reloading for the next trip, every full GI ammo can I took is still full. Strange to be back home right after a rat trip and not hear my vibratory tumbler running in my gun room. Hopefully, that'll change next time out. And for me, that will be stalking our local rock chucks very soon. One of my favorite rodent targets. You know, this guy right here.....

[Bill K]

Improvision is what we all do at times, at least you did and also were able to get in some shooting, even with the use of the old homestead.
I like that idea of the brass catcher. I also get tired of trying to pick up those pieces of brass all over from the 10-22. Will try that. Thanks for the pictures, great one's.

[jpx2rk]

The daylight hours seemed different this year, but you were still with your group of guys for happy hours, so not all was lost. Thanks for posting the pictures. I'm looking forward to my trip in a couple weeks, not the drive so much, but you have to pay to play.

[SecretCode]

Thanks for sharing Rick. We're in the same boat as you this year. We were warming up and then all of North Dakota got hit by a spring Blizzard. SE corner of the state was the luckiest with minimal snow and wind. Only a few inches over a few days. My sister's place west of Jamestown was 25 mph wind and 8 inches of snow while in Fargo it was sunny and 35. I think Minot was hit the worst from what I heard. Over 30 inches! The western half of the state needs all the moisture they can get but unfortunately it'll probably not be close to enough. Weather guesser's only say a couple inches worth of water out of the snow recieved.

Looking forward to getting out and making a few more loads cheaper loads for the 204 (have some 34 grain nosler shots to try) and a praire dog load for the boss lady's .243. Have some 65 and 87 grain v-max to play with. Now if I could only round up some H4350.

Cheers Gents

[Bill K]

Well, another set back with more snow during the night and still coming down. Wet and heavy, in the long run it will not aid our drought, but sure slows down my getting back out for the GS and chucks. In time, it will clear and start warming again, with bright sun.

[Rick in Oregon]

In time, it will clear and start warming again, with bright sun.

Is that a promise, Bill?

[Bill K]

With the Good Lord doing so, in time, I think so Rick. Did you get some of this storm ?

[dirtcd]

Finally, one good afternoon April 29th great, April 30th rained all day, May 1st morning so so, this coming weekend looks good, everyone load em up!!!

download/file.php?mode=view&id=1391

[Bill K]

dirtcd: First welcome aboard. Looks like a nice pivot area. Where are you located ? And thank you for the photo, we love pictures of the areas, hunts and varmints down.