Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints The Rare, The Incredible... SNOWPHERS!

Yesterday morning (March 23rd) I awoke to two inches of slightly wet but freshly fallen snow on the ground.
Immediately I began "hoping" that conditions would stay calm and maybe even the sun would make an appearance. Sure enough at around mid-day the sun began to shine and I knew what I had to do before the snow began to melt.
I loaded up the VarmintMobile with 3 rimfire guns and headed out to Hunt the rare but wonderful Montana Snowphers!
Sure enough when I approached one of my favorite fields the "Snowphers" stood out like little black bowling pins on the field of white.
I mean it was almost not fair.
First gun up was my new Kimber SVT in 17 Mach2 and the view through my scope was so bright that I eventually put on my sunglasses and used them while shooting and spotting.
A couple of Snowphers were in so close I unzipped my Hunter pistol rug and got out my Ruger Hunter model semi-auto pistol with red dot sight.
I ran two clips full through this rig with a "nailing" ratio of about 50% - I was trying to stretch the range (i.e. my capability) a bit to much with this outfit and soon put it away.
I finished up the day with my old reliable Deluxe model customized Ruger 10/22 with heavy weight Lilja barrel. This Rifle has a 6x24 variable scope on it and I had the variable dialed down to 16 power.
The Snowphers were really toppling to this Rifles fire.
I ran one clip full through it without a miss in the 30 to 60 yard ranges.
The shooting and spotting was fast and furious as the Snowphers were easily spotted on the snow.
Some western Varminters refer to Snowpher Hunting as "painting the snow" but that is a little graphic for my tatses. Although indeed it is a very accurate description of this rare brand of Varminting.
I probably got off about 140 rounds before I had to return for house chores and a dinner engagement 75 miles distant.
By the time I headed out from home (at 1730hours) for dinner the snow had virtually completely disappeared.
Some years (most?) I don't get to Hunt the elusive Snowphers at all - I am happy that 2,013 was an exception.
I have been out 8 times so far this year and still don't have a "double" - so that is next up on my Colony Varminting agenda.
I hope you all get a chance to Hunt the rare high plains Snowphers at some time in your Varminting career - it will stand out in your memory for some time after you experience it.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Glad to hear you are getting some of these elusive creatures..I am stuck visiting friends and relatives out of state til April 1, then we' ll be back in Wy.. I am pretty certain we'll get in some snowpher shooting as I usually do..keep up the good work..

WyoCoyoteHunter: Wherever you are please drive careful on your way home.
Snow storms and snow squalls are popping up all over the place.
I am waiting on the Culligan Man or I would be out there right now whacking away at them.
The official weather station here shows that it is only 31 degrees at 1:00 P.M. and no wind to speak of - perfect conditions for bonking Varmints.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VarmintGuy , you need to learn to use one of those new fangled digital cameras.(it ain't that hard!) your reports are entertaining, but pitchers would make them even more gooder.

VG, thanks for the good wishes..We are at my wife's relatives in northern Mich..not a bad place, but certainly lacking in snowphers..Will be glad to get back to the the northern plains..once we do some shooting around home, we 're packing the travel trailer, dogs, guns, ammo and heading out for a trek: turkeys, fishing, and varmits..also some spring bear if all works out..take care and keep shooting..take lots of ammo so your position is not over run...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

222Sako: My wife recently humbled me and my reluctance to let go of my 35mm film Nikon cameras - she went out and bought me an especially nice and sophisticated Nikon D-5100.
It takes wonderful pictures and I am just now capable of downloading the pictures I take onto the computer.
Soon I am hoping to be able to actually post a picture onto a forum.
I bought my first Nikons in the early 1970's and had them down pat - I thought they were sophisticated, nope.
This new Nikon does 100 things that my old Nikons never even dreamed of doing!
Thanks for the kind words and a fire is being built under my lazy rump.
Although I did get out and bonk 6 Gophers this afternoon.
It was a walking from home Hunt and I shot from the sitting position without my Harris bi-pods or window bags.
Ahem - I was 6 for 15 shots!
Humbling that.
Wind and age I believe was the crux.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Although I like the name "Snowphers", I am highly skeptical by nature and need some photographic evidence! I wanna see some red snow!

Oh,,, I've seen it and trust me, it's a glorious thing.
Pictures would indeed be nice though.

FieldGrade: Snowphers... I also swear they are real!
They are not like the elusive Big Foot or the fabled Steelhead and Wapiti's.
I finally got my first "double" of the year yesterday afternoon on Gophers.
The 22 L.R. 40 grain Winchester Power-Points took the heads of two lined up Gophers and ruined them both - alas the recent snow is long gone and with 60 degree temperatures forecast for the next 5 days the Snowphers may be gone until next season.
By the way that appears to be a VERY large Cat you have in your avatar - any particulars you can pass along to us?
Thanks in advance for any info.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

The red mist...



Face off...

Shrapnel: In addition to the "red mist" in the first picutre, that looks like a hand grenade crater surrounded with red stuff.
I am not even going to guess what the second picture depicts.
Thanks for posting the pictures though - they are much more descriptive than my words!
Thanks
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I envy you guys who live out West.

ColKlink: Its not to late - we have room for one more out here!
Yep - year round Varminting hereabouts for sure.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy