Sage Rats in the snow - What fun

[woody1]

Got a 4-5" dump of heavy, wet snow last night. The early sage rats are out across the river and they sure show up good! What fun.

[runfiverun]

ours would need a tunneling machine and a ladder to get out in the snow.
I got 2-3 months before anything under 20lbs that doesn't fly will be on top of the snow.

[woody1]

I hear ya. I've seen them tunnel up thru 18"-2' though but a little later than this. A few were out on 11 Jan. this year on top of about a foot of snow when I shot the first ones of the year for me. I think that's about the earliest I've seen them too.

[308Jeff]

What's a sage rat?

(Edit) Looked them up on google.

Out here we call 'em pocket gophers or peckernecks.

[woody1]

Belding's ground squirrel - Alfalfa eating rodent

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belding's_ground_squirrel

[dale2242]

I can hardy wait for them to pop up in eastern Oregon.
It looks like this weekend is going to be warm. For a change.
Gotta call my rancher over there.....dale

[GoodOlBoy]

What's the best way to cook 'em?

God Bless, and One Love.

GoodOlBoy

[Skinny]

What do you use to pluck them with? .223? .22jet?

[DougGuy]

Got a 4-5" dump of heavy, wet snow last night. The early sage rats are out across the river and they sure show up good! What fun.

Best be VERY careful about shooting across a body of water, in many locales that can be a felony..

[runfiverun]

I shoot them across the highway in one spot.
I hate waiting on the UPS guy to drive past, he may or may not stop and try to get them first.

[woody1]

Best be VERY careful about shooting across a body of water, in many locales that can be a felony..

seems to me that if shooting over a body of water were illegal then every duck hunter is a criminal

[runfiverun]

:lol:
I got nuthin.

there ain't enough left to eat if you do it right.
but I have used everything I got here from the 22lr up to the 0-6.
including lever guns and revolvers.
I dunno if anything is more fun than a squirrel hunt or a P/D shoot with a 357 or 44 mag lever gun.
I spent most of November and part of December making 223 bullets for this spring.
I have about 1100 pieces of brass sitting in the loading room waiting for me to mate the two together.
500 PMC's for the rock chucks with 63gr 6-s rn
and 600 Federal's for the 57gr 7-s soft points.
I have @ 300 Win cases I need to prep for the 50gr SP's I use in the Ruger.

[reloader28]

seems to me that if shooting over a body of water were illegal then every duck hunter is a criminal


Its illegal here

[woody1]

As one who has hunted in Wyoming and has relatives there, I'll have to ask where your information came from?

[M-Tecs]

Its mostly at the state levels and on National Forests lands.

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2012-title36-vol2/pdf/CFR-2012-title36-vol2-sec261-10.pdf

Title 36 - Parks, Forests, and Public Property
Chapter II - Forest Service, Department Of Agriculture
Part 261 - Prohibitions
Section 261.10 - Occupancy and use.
The following are prohibited:
(d) Discharging a firearm or any
other implement capable of taking
human life, causing injury, or damaging
property as follows:
(1) In or within 150 yards of a residence,
building, campsite, developed
recreation site or occupied area, or
(2) Across or on a National Forest
System road or a body of water adjacent
thereto, or in any manner or place
whereby any person or property is exposed
to injury or damage as a result
in such discharge.
(3) Into or within any cave.

Camp Perry impact zone. I used to hate waiting for boats.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7S9ODwzcUZw