I have done a lot of ground squirrel hunting in Modoc County, Northern California helping out the farmers in Alturas and Cedarville. I did not know that Western Nevada had the same problem.Yes indeed .... The Alfalfa fields in our states North east, oregon & north western nevada are LOADED !!! with Belding ground squirrels. ( Sage rats for some )
Shooting 300-500 in a single day is quite common having done so personally many times.
Now collecting them for show & tell photos is actually a REALLY BAD IDEA !! as it is well known the species are carriers of Bubonic Plague
Shocking in most hunts and are over several days when revisiting a well shot previous field ... You seldom find any carcasses as the squirrels living Eat There Dead !!! and those that still remain around the burrows dead on the surface get eaten by raptors, crow/ravens, sea gulls, night roving badgers, foxs and coyotes etc ...
A few years ago our group was using click counters to track kills and in those years of counting my best ever 3 days ( Half, full,half day ) constituting @ 18-20 hours in the fields was @ 1028 squirrels !!! That works out to @ 52 to 58 kills per hour which is Crazy !!! Most instances the kill rate is Substantially higher with lulls due to high wind gusts ( The squirrels kinda spook and stay down ) To many raptors, gull or crows flying over head or mid day glaring sun ( mornings and afternoons being most productive generally )
The downside to all this spectacular pesting is your out in the high desert / high prairie elevations the sun radiation is super intense out in the fully exposed fields !!! Full body, head and hand covering are very important or you will get cooked !!!
Great fun and making a trip here In @ 9 days ... can't wait .. but have too, as time waits for no one
Upvote 0
