We have had a few warm days (mid-50' to one day of 65) here in central Idaho. yesterday afternoon was not too bad - 55 & a light wind so I couldn't stand it any longer, I took a 22 and a 223 rifle and headed out to see if any were poking heads up. There were more than I expected, it was a great start to the season - 83 in 3-1/2 hrs. Not nearly as good as it will be in the next month or two but a grand start after a long, miserable winter.
Unfortunately there aren't any more decent warmth days forecast until the middle of next week.

drover

I shot a couple today, but not many were out.. Killed one several wks. ago.. But they are not out in force.. I hope there was not adie off... Couple years ago I only shot a couple hundred, when things are right, that is a good afternoon.. The time is on us..

There were several up and out in the snow, but I haven't seen any since it started raining.

Ours were out but then we got schit on and they're gone again.

Too early to ask for permission though.




Clark

Our Columbias live up in the edges of the timber so they're still under a couple feet of snow.

PS....you guys suck...

Saw a gopher in the hay lot the other day. First one I have seen in a decade.

The prairie dogs in the back yard are up nicely though.

I wish gophers were as weather tolerant as PD's. I like hunting them even more than PD's, probably because there are so many more of them when they are up.

If it is too cool they stay down.

If it is too warm they stay down.

If it is too cloudy they stay down.

If there is a rain cloud within miles they stay down.

And then there is the issue of them only being above ground about 4 months of the year.

Oh well! Not complaining too much since we do have them some - lots of folks don't have any of them to hunt.

drover

The ground squirrels have been out in So. West Idaho for over a month. Not a lot yet but enough to shoot a few. I finally blooded my Ruger American .223 with 50 grain V-Max. Hope I wasn't to under gunned!

Shot a few gophers this AM.. More prairie dogs.. I don't like shooting dogs this time of year, but my pal has a real problem in his hay field.. Glad to help out..

Don't shoot them all save a few for me. We come down to your area every year in late May / early June for a weeks worth of PD shooting.

drover

They'll be waiting for you.

too muddy to get into the fields here.... Farmers don't want their 'roads' mucked up.. or want to have to go pull someone out of their field with the John Deere...

the tree huggers got plenty of water this year... hope they drown...

Ganja was telling me its been fantastic for his growing needs this year tho...bumper crop of all his different varieties of maryjane...

Yep

And my wife can turn a gopher hunt into a [bleep] safari.. as a figure of speach

So what's the preferred ammo in 22 LR's for gophers, the faster 36 grain hollow points, or plain 'ol 40 lead round nose?

Not counting the availability and/or accuracy side of it.....

I like the Fed bulk HP's....

Any reasonably accurate HP.
When using round nose too many go back their hole to die, or be eaten alive by their relatives. Even a gopher deserves a quick death.

drover

I love Stingers. And the Aguila Hyper Velocity.

They split them most of the time and I like to double tap on top of that.

Gopher shooting is the best.




Travis

HP's kill way better and have the audible thump.

Thanks all, I figured HP was the way to go.

One of these times I making a dedicated trip for gophers.

I've got a hodge podge of HP's, but a while back I made a hell-of-a-deal on 5K of 40 grain lead is why I asked. Of course they don't shoot for shiit out of my 40-X......

PM me.

I'll be your guide.

Good numbers this year I think.




Travis

Yep, good numbers. I have some gophers showing up around the farmstead here. Been 15 years since I have seen them around.

Seems like you only get a few good years in a row and then the population really goes down, like vanishes.

I would take deflave up on his offer right away.

for a 22 LR, I always go for head shots....the CZ 452 is pretty capable of doing that, regardless of the type or brand of ammo...

4 x 16 scope on top, will do it all day long out to 125 yds...

no red mist, instead they will flop around like a fish out of water, for close to a 20 to 30 yd radius at times....


fun times!

You're invited if he does.



Dave

Deflave,
Your Pm in box is full.
You need to clean it out.

IR,

I scrubbed my box. Feel free to use it.

I spoke for a M&P 15-22 MOE today...didnt have my ID for some reason.

Kinda pricey, buying local, but it looks like a gopher killing machine.

I too prefer HP's for both the audible indication of a hit and a little more destructive power to prevent their making it home.

Also a good tool to learn about wind doping. If one feels a breeze or notices leaning heat waves, start favoring the upwind side of ones squirrel. With a serious breeze and a little distance one might be off the squirrel as much as 3 or 4 inches.

Do sit down and stay put until all in range are cleaned out. If one gets up and starts chasing visible squirrels, most in range will go down.

They drag off and eat their dead buddies, so keep an eye on the carcasses for a little additional shooting.

A good measure of ones success is the number of hawks, eagles, crows, ravens, and gulls in the field at the end of the day or in the next AM.

But they are so cute!!

I am going out tomorrow to take an up close and personal look at them.

drover

shoot 'em........

birds need a free meal...........

Around 400 less after today. Unfortunately for me but fortunate for the gophers I have to be gone for a couple of weeks.

drover

Maybe the pups will be up by the time you get back and you can make up for lost time!

Buzzards need to eat, same as worms.

If any of you Northern Teir types need ammo....we seem to be the last to get any.....

I bought a 3000 round case of CCI Mini Mags HPs for 249 dollars in folding money in Great Falls MT yesterday.

It was at Scheels.

That is what I am hoping. Maybe I will be lucky and be gone during the cycle when the adults are down for a bit, and then the pups and adults will be up when I am back.

drover

I saw a couple of pups kissing each other today in the Crane area. I gave them a pass. Got the adult that was with them though.

One was dumb enough to pop up next to where I was building fence this week. He was recently joined by his kin that one of the dogs brought me on the front porch the other night.

Well the rain will never end over this way.... friggin mud is knee deep.... so farmers won't allow people on the propery, keeping them from tearing up roads etc... and having to pull out people with the John Deere

GD winter is sure hanging on big time this year...

Got a couple recently with my Win M92 in 32-20. Does a bit more damage than the 22 LR.

I'm hooking a flight in a couple days to kill the little furry fun balls. Can't wait all packed and ready to go.
Friends with planes kick ass.