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Post by 72camaro on May 22, 2021 6:32:47 GMT -7
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Post by broper on May 23, 2021 5:27:25 GMT -7
The weather has been really messed up here. Lot's of wind, some rain and it has cooled down a lot. Ground squirrels just aren't active in that kind of weather. It's looking like we might have some fairly nice days the last part of this week. If so we'll get out and pop a few.
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Post by 72camaro on May 31, 2021 18:55:24 GMT -7
We met a local out there that said he thought that the whistle pigs died because of the heavy snow in February and they drowned when it melted. I'm not quite buying that. Especially seeing how barren the land was.
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Post by broper on Jun 1, 2021 5:29:31 GMT -7
No, I don't go along with that either. We didn't have much snow in this part of the state. We've had a couple of pretty good days here but not like we have had in the past. I don't know why numbers are down. Not near as many badgers either. I think they probably go in cycles and this is the low part of the cycle. Ground squirrels are the main part of the badgers diet here so when squirrels are down they are too. That's just my theory. Just mother nature's way.
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Post by broper on Jun 3, 2021 6:10:35 GMT -7
Gary and I went out yesterday morning. The squirrels were out pretty good. We shot for about two hours then went to meet some friends for lunch. Gary shot a weasel, the 2nd one we've got this year. We've been have hotter than normal weather, supposed to be 100 today. It won't take many days like that to put the squirrels down for the season.
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Post by 72camaro on Jun 3, 2021 19:18:02 GMT -7
My guess is they will be out just for shorter periods, early morning when still cool out, unless you guys start hot. Here, even on the hottest days seem to start low 60's anyways before going real hot, and hot for us is over 80.
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Post by broper on Jun 4, 2021 4:42:06 GMT -7
We've had some days in the 90's and yesterday was 103. 5:30 a.m. as I write this and it's 72. Warm for this time of year. We'll go out again and see if they're still out.
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Post by 72camaro on Jun 6, 2021 6:06:28 GMT -7
Good luck. I'd be going pretty early before the heat put them down.
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Post by broper on Jun 9, 2021 18:57:22 GMT -7
Disappointing day today. It was cool and breezy when we started out. We saw about 8 squirrels in almoste two hours. Gary shot one and missed some. Most were running and no chance for a shot. I never even took my rifle out of the case. The wind started picking up by then so we just came home. I hope they're not done for the season. We usually get a few more weeks worth of shooting. We did have a few real hot days and more coming next week. Might be it for this season.
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Post by 72camaro on Jun 10, 2021 19:27:03 GMT -7
Been a tough ground squirrel year, for sure.
On the good news though, looking at maybe picking up a Savage 10T-SR in 22-250. Trying to find out what the twist is. The information is not online and two Cabela guys could not find it and I finally got a hold of Savage and they need the serial number or the SKU and model to figure it out. I gave them the model but they have it in 1:9 and 1:12, so they will not know till they get more information. I want a 1:12 or I'll keep looking. Got some brass and bullets so I'm ready to reload and thought I might as well have a gun to go with it since the other 22-250 is a safe queen.
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Post by broper on Jun 11, 2021 4:48:43 GMT -7
If they have one in the store they could just measure it for you.
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Post by 72camaro on Jun 17, 2021 19:37:19 GMT -7
If they have one in the store they could just measure it for you. I agree, but it wasn't going to happen. They shut down their used gun portion of the store in Lacey, where I was at, that they would have done that sort of thing. Not sure why, the one in Tulalip is up and running but is quite a ways away. |
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Post by 72camaro on May 25, 2024 6:31:41 GMT -7
We went from slow to slower in 2024 for Mountain Home Whistle Pigs with only about 5% of what the population previously was. Also, this year there was a monstrosity of what I think was rapeseed/conola plants that were everywhere and so high if there were some whistle pigs in a lot of it, you would have never seen them. The few that were out were very skittish and would go behind sage brush at the drop of a hat or into a hole, way more than ever before. 47 for 3 of us in 2 days. The good news though was I got to see my daughter and grandkids for 3 days. That was great. In Montana the son-in-law and I hit the prairie dogs well, though way smaller than normal, but hit about 80 in a handful of hours, and the ground squirrels there were 3 of us that day and we shot about 200 in 6.5 hours driving around a farmer's field and making sure we didn't hit any cattle. That went well. The road we were on in Mountain Home had not been driven on in a while. Nobody seemed to be going out, but for good reason. Hope they make a comeback. The mange and plague looks like it hit them pretty hard. I've heard about them drowning but I'm not buying that since that would have left the ones on the hills, and they are gone too. But, I did shoot a weasel in Montana. Was trying to see if I could get it mounted but the good taxidermist are too busy to take on more work so if I get a wild hair I may try to do myself.   Bob and Gary, how you guys seeing things? |
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Post by broper on May 28, 2024 7:09:19 GMT -7
I haven't been out as much as I'd like. Gary doesn't get out hardly at all anymore. Seems like every time I want to go out the weather messes up or I don't feel real good. I don't get around near as good as I did, ever since the trouble last year and my surgeries I just don't have the energy I used to. But I am planning on a rock chuck expedition on Friday. I've been wanting to get out all spring but either the weather or something doesn't cooperate. I'll report on here how we did. Last year I went twice and did pretty good both times. Around here the ground squirrels haven't been real good for the last 2 or 3 years. I don't know what happened to them. I think maybe they go in cycles and this is the low part of it. Not as many badgers either. Glad you're still getting out after them.
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Post by 72camaro on May 28, 2024 13:47:09 GMT -7
Well, get out there Bob, you deserve a trip out in the sun with a gun. Sounds like the same all over then for ground squirrels in Idaho. I still think mange and plague got the majority. I've been told by someone else too, that as you say, they go up and down. Hopefully this is the down as it cannot get much lower.
Had a gal work me over pretty hard in therapy today to get my arm moving fully after the shoulder surgery. I wouldn't be able to shoot today, she got me pretty good but seems to work better the next day after the soreness wears off.
My guess is you are in the same place, I'm tired of being tired and hurting.
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