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Joined: May 2003
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 22,991 |
All is well in the world (at least in SW Montana) as I spotted my first Ground Squirrels of the year this late morning (March 7th).
I was on my way home from ice fishing and saw 4 Gophers in two different fields - they weren't feeding or chasing just standing in the sun (41 degrees) at the mouths of their dens.
Traveled the same road yesterday and saw none.
It's been a LONG winter hereabouts.
Come on spring.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
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Saw my first one a week ago...
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
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Joined: Feb 2014
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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Living here in Vermont I totally understand! That’s a great sign of things to come!
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,233
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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Don't shoot them all before I get there the end of April.
Pleeeeeze?
I could wish a lot of things on my worst enemy but neuropathy ain't one of them.
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 22,991
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 22,991 |
Kenlguy: Okay - I'll try to hold off til you get some trigger time.
Snow squall blew through here this afternoon - I was revved up to go whack a few "snow Gophers" (we call this "painting the snow" hereabouts) - but alas the ground was to warm and the snow melted right away.
Maybe tomorrow.
Drive careful.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
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Joined: Apr 2006
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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I think ours got some decease, They were thick as flees for awhile and now we barely see any.
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 22,991
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 22,991 |
Just a Hunter: Dang that is a shame.
What quadrant of Montana are you in where this disease may have struck?
Much cooler hereabouts today (high of 40) and a bit windy - so in my travels today I did not see any more.
Come on spring.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
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Joined: Jun 2004
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jun 2004
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We've been shooting the tar outa Columbian ground squirrels here for weeks now.
Need to knock off as many as we can around the barns, before they have kits.
BT53
"Where do they find young men like this?" Reporter Savidge, Iraq
Elk, it's what's for dinner....
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Joined: Apr 2006
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Apr 2006
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Just a Hunter: Dang that is a shame.
What quadrant of Montana are you in where this disease may have struck?
Much cooler hereabouts today (high of 40) and a bit windy - so in my travels today I did not see any more.
Come on spring.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy I talked to a friend today about it and we came to the conclusion it might be our cats. He had a place near Great Falls that was over run with gophers until he got some barn cats. Soon there were none in the yard and then there were none in the pasture, The neighbor has plowed up his field across the road from us the past 2 years in a row too. There used to be a lot in that field. All combined it is probably what did them in.
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Joined: May 2003
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Blacktail53: Good for you guys!
I am at 5,300' elevation and some of my Hunting haunts are at 6,000' plus so I imagine the emergence of our Gophers is delayed by the cold factor here at this elevation?
What elevation are you at?
Keep after'em.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
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Joined: Apr 2006
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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I saw two gophers yesterday. First of the year.
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Joined: Jan 2005
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Campfire Tracker
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There have been a few 40+ degree days here in central Idaho and I have seen a couple of heads sticking up, thinking maybe tomorrow I may have to go out for a while.
drover
223 Rem, my favorite cartridge - you can't argue with truckloads of dead PD's and gophers.
24hourcampfire.com - The site where there is a problem for every solution.
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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It reached high 40's and sunny today so I went out for a couple of hours. There were only a few up but lots of fresh digging so they are becoming active, another couple of weeks and they should be busy. Got a total of nine - 5 between100 - 125 yds with the 17 HMR and 4 closer ones with the 22 LR.
drover
223 Rem, my favorite cartridge - you can't argue with truckloads of dead PD's and gophers.
24hourcampfire.com - The site where there is a problem for every solution.
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 22,991
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 22,991 |
Drover: Good report - getting my juices flowing.
Keep after'em!
This weekend I have an out of state friend in and hoping the weather will be conducive to our Varmint Safari.
Will be fun to visit with him no matter what.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
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Joined: Dec 2019
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We went out to Elko Nevada last weekend and shot quite a few of them. Well worth the 4 hour drive to get there.
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 22,991
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Crittrgittr: Good for you and your crew.
Ground is still a bit mushy here in the places it has thawed out - so I am holding off a bit.
Keep after'em.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 42,695 |
I got my first ground squirrel of the season a few days ago....
not with a 223 or 22.250..... actually got it with the right front tire on my 4 Runner....
the tire made it go "Splatt" just as well as the 223 or 22.250.
got one I'm tracking right now, in the yard digging new holes on the creek bank...
its just a matter of time, before he meets Mr. 17 HMR.....
"Minus the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the Country" Marion Barry, Mayor of Wash DC
“Owning guns is not a right. If it were a right, it would be in the Constitution.” ~Alexandria Ocasio Cortez
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Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 78,300 |
Yep Mushy here too, but I got a report from a rancher friend last night" I'm gonna send you to that big pasture you were shooting in last year, I was just in there, bring more bullets!" 
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 7,153 |
I saw the third gopher of the season on our place. I may have to shoot cats to get them to come back, but actually I don't want them (even though I enjoy shooting them) since I already almost had to put down a horse that stepped into a gopher hole and tore up the ligaments and tendons in his leg.
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Posts: 18,876 |
Cats/gophers. All the same, all need killin!!
The last time that bear ate a lawyer he had the runs for 33 days!
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Joined: Apr 2004
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 42,695 |
I got my first ground squirrel of the season a few days ago....
not with a 223 or 22.250..... actually got it with the right front tire on my 4 Runner....
the tire made it go "Splatt" just as well as the 223 or 22.250.
got one I'm tracking right now, in the yard digging new holes on the creek bank...
its just a matter of time, before he meets Mr. 17 HMR..... Update at 3 PM Oregon Time.... Sammy Sage Rat met Mr 17 HMR..... Sammy Sage Rat is no longer with us.... Mr. 17 HMR did what Mr 17 HMR was designed to do....
"Minus the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the Country" Marion Barry, Mayor of Wash DC
“Owning guns is not a right. If it were a right, it would be in the Constitution.” ~Alexandria Ocasio Cortez
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,233
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,233 |
Is that the extent of your rat hunting for the year? 
I could wish a lot of things on my worst enemy but neuropathy ain't one of them.
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,365
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,365 |
Update at 3 PM Oregon Time.... Sammy Sage Rat met Mr 17 HMR..... Sammy Sage Rat is no longer with us.... Mr. 17 HMR did what Mr 17 HMR was designed to do.... The 17 HMR and sage rats are a perfect match I love it when the two meet. If I didn't have sage rats to shoot I would not even own a 17 HMR. drover
223 Rem, my favorite cartridge - you can't argue with truckloads of dead PD's and gophers.
24hourcampfire.com - The site where there is a problem for every solution.
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Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 193
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 193 |
Update at 3 PM Oregon Time.... Sammy Sage Rat met Mr 17 HMR..... Sammy Sage Rat is no longer with us.... Mr. 17 HMR did what Mr 17 HMR was designed to do.... The 17 HMR and sage rats are a perfect match I love it when the two meet. If I didn't have sage rats to shoot I would not even own a 17 HMR. drover I have a Henry varmint express in 17hmr I picked up last winter that needs to get it's first kill yet. Time to get after some gophers and badgers. I hate the mess badgers make
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