• The AGN App is ready! Search "Airgun Nation" in your App store. To compliment this new tech we've assigned the "Threads" Feed & "Dark" Mode. To revert back click HERE.

Between chores ground squirrel

Jump to latest Follow Reply
T

terrible_t

Member
Jan 24, 2020
35
0
Why, United States
I've been lurking on this forum for a few years, usually just absorb information. I enjoy the hunting forum especially, so time to contribute. Nothing special like some of the others throw up here. I started off with a marauder and recently upgraded to a Taipan Veteran long in 25 from Tony @ Talon Tunes. Very nice man to buy from. I live just out of town in Los Angeles county in the LANF. We are allowed to hunt locally around my house but no rifles so I picked up the airgun bug about 5 years ago. I was out in my yard doing some chores today. Working on making a raised garden bed to get my veggies going. Next door to me is a large empty horse/cow pasture...well, empty besides ground squirrels and some coyotes from time to time. I like to keep an eye out for movement just for breaks now and then. I take my range finder, binos, and gun out with me and keep them close by. I haven't had a lot of time to site in my gun but just did it off a towel @ 30 yards before dark the other night after work. Well I got a little action today while I was out. I was able to take 2 ground squirrels. 1 was at 30 yards and he made it back into his hole. The second I ranged at 60 yards. I missed my first shot but was able to see where I hit so I knew I had to raise up to my next line on hold over. Direct hit on a head shot. I took off the left side of its face and felt bad for a moment when it started wandering in a circle and did not die, I had to follow up with another quick round to put him down for good. 25 grain JSB exacts shooting 950 fps. Really enjoying the gun, almost too easy to shoot accurately. I need to get a bipod mounted up too, otherwise...lots of fun. 



1581729926_230789775e47488694b136.33836991_gs_down.jpg


1581729941_1426100765e47489559ba92.90179946_kit.jpg


1581729953_15907376685e4748a16f8b93.96525291_veteran1.jpg

 
Welcome and good shooting, yes as long as you put him down and not let him go like that for a long while it is ok. We all want to make ETHICAL instant kills, and it is good that you have that engrained, the more you shoot the better you will get. Yes get a nice bipod or shooting sticks if you are shooting standing up, it will help tremendously. Beautiful rifle you got there buddy, enjoy it.
 
Upvote 0
Great story & shooting! It’s good to have you contribute, no one knows everything & everyone has a different perspective/point of view that can be of value to others. 

Love the Taipans, great guns for sure. Pretty much my off days at home are spent like that. Wake up, make coffee, setup guns, go on about day while keeping an eye out, guns always on the ready! 
 
Upvote 0
“I'm surprised the ground squirrels are out this early in the year. It must be warming up where you live”

ive heard this before. Do they hibernate in some parts of California? Where I live in the Central Valley they are out and about all year long. On really cold or rainy days they don’t come out a lot but they definitely don’t hibernate.

Kenny
 
Upvote 0
Here in northern cal they hibernate when it starts to rain or gets cold. I rarely see one until the temps start to warm up. When they first start showing up, they must still be half asleep as they are easy pickings. If you miss, you can get another shot. As it gets warmer, they get more skittish and towards the end of summer, it's hard to get a shot. Belding squirrels , on the other hand, go underground for the year as soon as the temps hit 100, no matter what time of the year it is.They won't come back up until the following year. The Belding squirrels are found mostly in the upper part of Ca in the areas where there are lots of alfalfa fields. Getting permission to shoot these is easy, as the fields are infested. You would have to take 5-6 tanks of air with you. The Beldings are about the size of chipmunks and they can make shooting a challenge. There are so many in the fields that you just keep shooting. The permission i shoot at his several alfalfa fields. The record for one day is 900, yes 900, Beldinggs in one day, for 2 guys






 
Upvote 0
I live in socal and ground squirrels are usually only gone during December. Socal and central cali have mild winters rarely dipping below 50 during the day. I got my first 3 ground squirrels of the new year in the second week of January. So I don't think they hibernate much in these areas. However, yea in most other parts where it gets cold during the day they do hibernate longer. 
 
Upvote 0
I'm glad some of you are enjoying my post. Not too many pictures to show but I figured a little something better than nothing. I live about 3200 ft and it does snow and get cold where I live so the ground squirrels usually duck underground from November-early March maybe. It has been warming up a bit lately. I don't see daily activity like later on in the year but they are definitely out and about right now and it does seem early for where I'm at. I try to get out and do some predator calling from time to time. I haven't connected but have had luck calling in a fox, coyote, and a bobcat which we are now no longer able to hunt here in California since January 1. I was hoping to get one before the ban but didn't happen for me. I don't have a lot of interest in editing videos but if this post past for at least mediocre I will try to post up again in the future. Thanks for the nice compliments, again as I said in my first post. I enjoy all the contributions from everyone else, makes this a fun forum. Keep it up!

Tom
 
Upvote 0
Here on the Central coast the squirrels are active all year-they stay underground in bad weather and come out to enjoy the sunny days. I've shot probably a dozen or so this year and trapped anther 4 or 5. The adults are fairly wary even this early in the year. I'm trying to keep the breeding population low before the crops get going as those pesky squirrels do a lot of damage! I usually check the traps and do a patrol twice a day. That marauder gets heavy on a long walk-it's a 3/4 mile round trip.

Popeye says hello!

1582004247_15432420325e4b781702f942.43988710_j phone pics 077.jpg


This one almost made it home....

1582004480_14371133635e4b7900a277a2.67087489_20150731_182741.jpg

 
Upvote 0
Yesterday was almost 80 out, some work crew is cutting down dozens of oak trees and that kept activity down to a minimum. Today it's only 46 F out but lots of action as workers are off and quiet. Really happy with this veteran, I never did site in other than off a towel at 30 yards. I got 2 ground squirrels today in less than 20 minutes. The one by the cinder block is 72 yards. I saw him drop over right away. All these guys are behind barb wire fencing so I get as close as I can for a picture but not the best. These second little guy was about 62 yards, I think it came out of the same burrow as my post a week or so back. I thought I missed that guy because I saw the dirt blow up behind it. I got it though, as it immediately flipped onto its back and wiggled its legs for about 10 seconds. 



1583100437_8102319925e5c3215314240.53472670_72_yards.jpg




1583100453_19380076375e5c32252b4b83.90666383_62_yards.jpg

 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back
Home
Forums
Resources
Menu