2016 Trip # 5, “Rat Shoot 2016”, 4/19 – 4/24 Crane, OR, Keith LaRue and Myself

2016 Trip # 5

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Back Sunday from my annual “Rat Shoot” in Oregon.  To start the trip off everyone backed out for different reasons, so I drove 1,000 miles by myself; 13 ½ hour trip.  I picked up my friend, Keith LaRue from Texas at the Boise Airport and off to Vale, OR we went.  A few years ago myself and 6 friends shot 12,557 ground squirrels in 5 days, and two of those days weren’t the best of weather.

 

We got to the fields we were going to shoot for the next three days, no squirrels.  The farm manager had re-done 8 or so of his center-pivots (fields) from last year.  I’m sure they have to do that every once in a while for better crops.  At another green field, no squirrels, to another and found some, “some” being the key word.  Shooting for several hours we managed to shoot around 315 squirrels, me 136 of them.  We looked at around 6 different fields, not much luck.  “We have a problem Huston”, we’ve spent a lot of money and not much to show for it, what now.

 

My friend got in touch with the farm manager and he said “We poisoned in Feb, I didn’t think it did much good”, OH YEA it did, around 80 to 90 percent less squirrels than last year; which is very good for the farm, not us.

 

On to plan “B”, wait we don’t have a plan “B”; time to make-up a plan “B” on the fly.  Keith remembered an outfitter in Crane, OR we both had shot with over the years “Diamond “A” Guides” about two hours away.  They are booked up for most of April and May before February, usually, worth a try.  He talked to Nikki and she said “We have one tent open”.  Not much thinking about that, we took it.  We wouldn’t use the guides and shoot from the truck to save money; it was a good plan “B”.

 

In the wee hours of the next morning, off to Crane, OR and “Diamond “A” Guides” (predatorpardise.com).  We made it in time for breakfast, good plan, you don’t want to miss any meals that Nikki and her team fixes.  We shot on their fields Thursday and didn’t do real bad, the weather was already moving in; I shot 385 squirrels.  Did I mention you don’t want to miss ANY meals at “Diamond “A” Guides”.

 

The tent set-up was fine, both Keith and I are retired Army, We’ve lived in one hell of a lot worst, this tent had a wood stove, plenty of wood, sleeping bags with cots; and lights.

 

Friday started of bad, as far as weather, not the food.  I managed to shot 165 squirrels before lunch.  After lunch we were told we were invited to shoot from the big platform by Gaylord Lonney, one of the owners of Perlo Construction in Portland, OR.  WOW, Great.  Not only that but we would be using HIS GUNS (WITH SUPPRESSORS) and HIS AMMO in 204 and 22-250 rifles.  I wasn’t an ammo hog; I only shot 80 rounds of 204 and 24 rounds of 22-250 because the weather went South; overcast, wind, and cold real quick.

 

Overall I didn’t have a bad trip, but it sure could have been better.

 

 

The 22 LR I used was given to me when I was 10 by my grandpa, he said his grandpa gave it to him when he was 12.  Many thousands of rounds have been through it.  It has an old Tasco 4 – 12 x 40 scope that is probably 60 years old.  

 

 

The 17 HMR I used is a Marlin 917v with a  4 – 16 X 50, side focus scope with Mil-Dot radical.  I had to put away my 22 LR a couple times because I just couldn’t see well with the small scope in the low light , the 4 – 16 X 50 gave me plenty of light.  Most shots on ground squirrels were under 50 yards.  This rig is about the best there is for shooting ground squirrels going.  I could reach out further and hit harder with this rim fire over the 22 LR.  The only disadvantage with the 17 HMR is the 7 shot magazine.  I have a total of 8 mags to keep loaded.  It gets to be a chore at times.  The 22 LR has a tube fed magazine that hold 15, twice as much.

Total kills;  790.  About 1/4 of what I shot last year, next year is another year.