Well I got back today for a few days...My granddaughter won the All Around High School Cowgirl, and is the district champion, and will be going to State in all 6 of her events as she place high in all of them, she ended up with 9 trophy buckles, and a really nice trophy saddle..State will be in Pocotello, Idaho, and Nationals will be in Gillette Wy in mid June..We are really proud of her, and will be there supporting here..My roping has not been that good for sure...:)

The rockchucks are out in my pasture by the hundreds, and I shot 52 yesterday from my kitchen window..That little 6x45 is about the best little gun I have ever owned, it has no misses..then to the Snake River Canyon and got another 76 chucks. The updrafts in the canyon can move a 6mm or 22 bullet a foot high at 100 yards, its a killer on newbies to the canyon...Well thats about it on chucks for me this year as I am off to Texas and some team roping, then back in June for the high school state championship rodeo to watch my granddaughter perform...By then it will be hot and the chucks will be back in their holes for they year, for all practical purposes..

While in Texas I will use the 6x45 on my nephews feral hog population..I have 6 boxes of 75 gr. GS custom monolithics loaded up and ready to go. We'll hunt hogs in the morning and practice our team roping in the evening..It will be a fun 3 weeks. I also have two grandsons graduating down there so will attend that.

You guys hang in there and I'll pop back in from time to time.

Ray
I am doing some research for the, uh, Rocky Mountain Rockchuck Foundation to see if wolves are affecting the rockchuck population, and if you could e mail me the GPS coordinates of those rock chuck colonies, it would be much appreciated...
And if you happen to see me with a rifle near those colonies, it's just for protectopn from the wolves...

Thanking you in advance.

fred

Enjoy Ray,
We just got home from the youngest daughter's graduation in Rapid City, SD. left town ahead of the tornado, bucked headwind through Wyoming & found the snowstorm @ SLC, but it was a fun ride anyway. You pulling horses? Congrats to the Grandaughter, she has put a lot of work into getting there.
Marty

Ray, congrats to your grand-daughter and enjoy the rockchuck shooting, I guess those middle-aged eyes of yours are still working good.

Sounds like life is good, Ray. Your posts and good sense are missed here. Please hurry back. E

Ok, here comes a stupid question,

whats a Rockchuck? Do you mean Groundhog? or prairie dog? or?

It's what we call Yellow-Bellied Marmots out here.

Western cousin of the groundhog/woodchuck.

I've never heard of that many in one pasture at once though.

Is that a common occurrence?

There are places in the west where yellow-belled marmots are almost as abundant as prairie dogs.

Ray, good the hear you're back, and of your grand-daughter's success. Please keep us informed of how she does!

Ray,
Hope she makes it to Gillette. Took my daughter there twice and its a great town and facility. They really roll out the red carpet for the H.S. kids. Where yougoing in texas to rope?
Fred

And then there's the "hoary" marmot. No, that ain't what you're thinking.

What events does she do?

We have a rodeo this weekend and HS rodeo with it!