I just HAD to make one last Gopher Hunt this year here in the high country of SW Montana!
This past Tuesday I went along with one of my Big Game Hunting partners to scout for Moose in the area he was drawn for (lucky dog!).
We did spot an excellent Bull Moose in his area but I was struck by the number of Varmints we saw on that trek!
In particular the Ground Squirrels were still up in droves at the higher elevations we scoured!
This got the old fire burning and off I went early this morn to make "one last" Gopher Hunt!
I had along 4 Rifles including a new (to me) Remington 700 BDL in 22-250. I may do a write up on this December of 1990 manufactured Remington 700. I shot it for the first time yesterday and was VERY surprised how well it shot - with some Remington UMC factory ammo!
Anyway it was along on the sojourn along with my old standbys my Lilja barrelled 10/22 and my wonderful Ruger 77/17 V/T (in 17 HMR) and my S&W Model 647 in 17 HMR as well.
I probably shot 80 to 100 Gophers and could have easily shot 4 times that many but I was having to much fun watching the morning heat up and the wildlife (everything from Varmints to Birds to Fish to Big Game) stay busy in the cool morning ahead of the coming heat. Its been near 85 here for several days. Today its supposed to be just above 80 degrees.
I only had 11 shells left for the 22-250 and I quickly bloodied that new rig and emptied that brass for handloading! I have to do a trigger job on this Rifle as the poundage is about 3 1/2 pounds but is ULTRA crisp! I would like it to be nearer two pounds even.
I was intent on bagging a Badger as we had seen two of them on the earlier Moose scouting venture. We did not want to shoot at them and possibly scare the soon to be Hunted Mooses.
I did get a double today with my 17 HMR Ruger Rifle and this is rare to do - what with the explosive V-Max type bullets I use in it.
I head shot the front Varmint and the bullet (or part of a bullet?) bonked the rear Gopher as well.
This time last year there was significantly fewer Ground Squirrels still above ground! This year has been much hotter than last year yet by about August 5th last year the Gophers were down for their summer hibernation!
Go figure!
This spring and summer has been warmer but wetter than last year - again - go figure!
I am really getting to like the Weaver V-16 (4x16 variable) scope I put on my Ruger 77/17 this past late winter.
It has the fine crosshairs and fine dot reticle in it. I have a few of these fine crosshair and fine dot reticles on Varminters and like I said I am beginning to warm up to them.
I think this morning my long shot was 160 yards or so with this "just about perfect" Gopher Getter!
I resolve to save some money and look for some killer deals on 17 HMR ammo this fall. I have used 4 1/2 - 500 round cartons of 17 HMR ammo this year so far. Mostly on Ground Squirrels!
I will have more ammo stored away for next springs Safaris - and ammo that is less expensive - or so I hope.
I have killt 4 Skunks this year with this Rifle and ammunition. It IS the perfect Skunk Rifle, but not much call for the perfect Skunk Rifle these days.
Most of my shooting was in remote cultivated fields at elevations of 6,200' feet and higher.
The creeks were running clear and low and the Grass Hoppers were bringing the Brown Trout, Cutthroats and Rainbows to the surfaces of all bodies of water I passed including lakes, ponds and Beaver ponds as well as the rivers and creeks. I will be doing a Gunshow tomorrow (Saturday) but Sunday will find me with my size 3 (small) trout rod on one of the high mountain streams around here - trying to fool the finned Varmints into a tussle or two!
It remains beyond my comprehension why everyone that loves Varmint Hunting and the out of doors does not IMMEDIATELY pack up and move to Montana!
Thats probably good-bye to the Ground Squirrels until late next March of next year!
Long live the Gophers!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VG good to hear about you last Ground Squirrel Safari. You need to be getting that fly rod out for sure in the coming month to many good rivers near you not to be taking advantage of them.