Spent two glorious days in Central Oregon's High Mountain Plateau with "Rick From Oregon" and three of his Friends.

Two words stick in my mind "INFESTATION and DECIMATION", because thats what it was. Rick opened my eyes with his ability to hit squirrels (2" x 6" on average) at a measured 428 yards(laser) virtually on demand.

Incredibly fine weather and great opportunities, Tents are standard practice locally because the desert sun can be oppressive.

Picture below shows "Rick in Oregon", near Burns, Oregon in his office dealing with squirrels with his SAKO .204 rifle and Leupold scope.



Another section of the "gun line" showing my .204 and two other shooters.

Aww heck the summer sun hasn't even started to flair up yet....

City Boys....

( Actually they probably are alot smarter than some of we local hicks that don't use anything but a hat and some sunscreen on the back of our necks...

Hittin' one of those little buggers at 425 yds is some pretty darn good shooting....

I explode them to 250 with pretty much regularity, but when they hit 300 and 350, that is getting to be a pretty small target....

That is called knowing your equipment...Since these things are about the size of a 12 ounce soda can to a 20 ounce pop bottle...and that...is if they are not standing waist deep in alfalfa or just laying down crawling...

But definitely a target rich environment...

cheers
seafire

I would not trust myself, lined up on a tent pole like that.

What kind of benches are those pictured? And where can I get one? Impressive looking.

Varmintmaster BR PIVOT benches are the best on the planet in my opinion. Frankly, a little pricey but really really good!

Here is the website if you would like more information: Varmintmaster Site

Secret of the week

Two things I came out of the shoot with were the following:

1. Rick is adamant about cleaning in the field. 20 rounds and there he is with his cleaning rod. Day in an day out, seems that he is doing as much cleaning as shooting.

2. He applies bench rest reloading techniques as much as possible. Cases individually weighed and selected and prepped, powder charges carefully weighed, etc.

His kind of shooting with .204 and 6mm cartridges pushes .25 moa on a rather consistent basis. All this was remarkable.

He of course shrugs it off: "Well, if you had been shooting varmints for nearly 40 years like I have you would be doing this stuff too."

quote:

Originally posted by Laner:
What kind of benches are those pictured? And where can I get one? Impressive looking.

Interesting, the ingenuity of squirrel hunters seems to be unlimited. Witness this example:

I'm downright blue-collar!

Yeah Brad,

But that little Ruger sure looks like it gets the job done tho!

It isn't always about your equipment, it is what you can do with your equipment....

Looks to me the "blue collar" Ruger did O' Tay as Buckwheat use to say!

cheers
seafire

I shot this picture a week ago in Oregon, right before the ranch manager said to me, "You know, you COULD shoot from the other side of the fence."

Here's a few varmints that went to varmint heaven recently in Klamath County Oregon...

Would you like Jack Rabbit Jerky for dinner or RockChuck Burgers?

Ignore the fat guy in the center of the picture... he is some hick that wondered in and agreed to hold the varmints while we took a picture....

Hi,

I am interested in hunting some of the ground squires out in eastern Oregon. I’ve only hunted ducks and caribou in the past. Would one of you tell me if I need a licenses? I read the Oregon hunting but couldn’t find anything about it. Also any suggested area to hunt. Or other varmint hunting opportunities in Oregon.

Thanks
Steve

Steve,

YOu don't need a license to shoot ground squirrels on private property, which is where they will be located...

YOu just need to get landowner permission which is usually easy to get..

Drop me a PM if you need somemore help..
I am located down near Medford..

seafire

Man, that's some fancy shooting tables. Hellacious prices too!! $550-850, plus $250 more for a bag to carry it in.
No wonder Jay Versuh is getting so much demand for his p/dog shoots at $750-$3000 per shooter. Hard to believe people would pay that to do what we've been doing for our lifetimes free.

This bench set up is mighty close to the idea's I've had for several years for a simple, easy takedown bench. Not near the fancy, so won't be infringing on their patent for sure.
But, won't have over $25 in it either. There will be two bucket hangers for ammo and brass though. And the shade will bolt to the back of the seat. Table will pivot with the seat.

For a seat, I'll use a plastic one piece chair seat. Don't intend for it to be as big as this is either. Just need to get off my fat butt and get to building it.

Some great pics here, sounds like shooting those squirrels would be a bank breaker for guns and ammo, not even considering one of these $1000 tables.

That's quite an idea to drag a high decked trailer. Hell, we've just shot out the car/trk windows. Hehe!!

Anyway!!!
still looks like a lotta fun, don't it??

George

quote:

Originally posted by seafire/B17G:
Steve,

YOu don't need a license to shoot ground squirrels on private property, which is where they will be located...

YOu just need to get landowner permission which is usually easy to get..

Drop me a PM if you need somemore help..
I am located down near Medford..

seafire

As a formoer OSP I'd suggest if you do not get a hunting license (safest thing to get) you get written permision from the land owner that you are "acting as his agent to eradicate noxious rodents". You very well may want to use that exact verbage as quoted as the regulations require the hunting license but another ORS allows you, as a land owners agent, to erradicate noxious rodents. The ground squirrels fall under "noxious rodents".

Otherwise you may find yourself face to face with an OSP trooper and his pinch book. It does not have to be one of the game troopers as a regular trooper can and will enforce the game laws. I'd bet if you do not have a hunting license or written permission you will get cited and it will be up to you to prove you were the land owners agent. It will leave you with one unhappy landowner when you subpeona him into court to testify for you. All that not to mention the expense of going back for a court date.

Larry Gibson

Larry,

Thanks for the tip... I do carry a hunting license anyway...

However, it just goes to show, that we have way too much government, with way too much time on their hands and way to much desire to milk the public out of every little penny they can, any way they can...

I support the Oregon State Troopers.

I don't support the money grubbing Oregon State Legislature, which milks the rest of us, so that they can keep the voters in Portland, Salem and Eugene all fat dumb, happy and welfare fed...

Larry Gibson & SeafireB17G: The "license" you folks are referring to AND the fee one needs to pay for it was instigated some time ago, and then became so exhorbitant that I quit Hunting oregon for Varmints many years ago. Back when I quit them this "license" (tax!) was $65.00, if my memory (upon which this amount was ETCHED!) serves me correctly!
I was a non-resident then and that was the "fee" (tax!) that they were imposing at that time. I don't know and could care less what it may be now, for non-residents to Hunt Varmints in oregon. MUCH of the Varminting I have done in oregon in the past was on BLM and other public lands.
If one plans to Hunt oregon for Varmints then it would appear that one should make more AND more pointed inquiries of the oregon Department of Fish and Game folks, than I have in the past.
I prefer to spend my money on munitions and gear and for those that DO indeed wish not to pay the state a ridiculous fee to do everyone a favor and eradicate some Varmints, then they should look into states like Montana that instill no outlandish fee for ANYONE (resident or non-resident) to go Varmint Hunting!
The socialist entity that is now oregon, is fast going the way of both kalifornia (to the south) and taxington (to the north) - fees and taxes from every corner, and ON everything, fees (taxes) that suffocates capitalism and independence (sounds like socialism to me).
Directly to Hell with oregon (taxington ad kalifornia as well!)!
Thats my credo.
Long live capitalism, independence and respect for individualism!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VarmintGuy

I have lobbied for years for a "small game" hunting license to no avail. You're preaching to the choir here.

Larry Gibson

Larry Gibson: Idaho has a small game license that is required to shoot many species of Varmints. I have paid for these as a non-resident quite a number of times. It started out at $6.00 and went to $12.00 that I know of!
Livable this.
Be careful who you all vote for down there in oregon or they may have to change the name to kalifornigon.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

You van hunt on Private land with owners permission without a license. You are then his agent and no license is needed, just good weather and low wind.

Cheers

Is there a "season" for hunting "squirrels" in oregon, I think i remember that spring and early summer were the best times. What about Aug/Sept ?

Steve

Ground squirrels are pretty much gone by August each year....

too bad tho, they are fun shooting, especially when there are a lot of them...