Hello everyone, glad to be a member of great firearm resource. I just turned 60, and have been long time rifle, pistol, shotgun shooter and member of the Oregon Raptor Feeding Program (sage rat hunter). Recently joined the range I took my Hunters Safety Course as a Boy Scout in 1968 and I'm trying to shoot every Tuesday and Wednesday morning.
New member from Oregon
- Thread starter Sieg
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I'm another old guy (50s) and also a proud member of the Oregon Raptor Feeding Program. We shoot on Simplot fields in northern Lake County (Silver Lake/Fort Rock/Christmas Valley). Are there rats on your side of the mountains?
Tom, we've been shooting in Paisley the last 12 years or so, looking for a new location as the target have been in steady decline the last 3 years. Guessing the guide is pushing up the number of shooters.
Prior to that we were shooting Brogan/Ironsides area for 10 years and a couple years in the Brothers area.
No rats on our side, but the filbert orchard behind my house became infested with California grey diggers. Good problem to have.
It's not more hunters, the alfalfa farmers have been more aggressive managing the rats. Bait stations are standard now, but most effective, they've been ripping the top two feet of dirt every few winters. Only takes a couple days per pivot, and completely wipes out the hibernating rats.
You might scout Dinsdale Farms in northern Lake County. Sign in at the office on Arrow Gap Rd, a bit north of the junction with Christmas Valley Hwy. Dinsdale rules: 22LR only (no 17HMR, 22mag or centerfire) and rats only (no badgers or coyotes). When we scouted Dinsdale fields in May, the pivots near the office seemed most promising. We guide on Simplot pivots, more rats, all calibers OK, and long range rifle steel for when rats gets shy.
You might scout Dinsdale Farms in northern Lake County. Sign in at the office on Arrow Gap Rd, a bit north of the junction with Christmas Valley Hwy. Dinsdale rules: 22LR only (no 17HMR, 22mag or centerfire) and rats only (no badgers or coyotes). When we scouted Dinsdale fields in May, the pivots near the office seemed most promising. We guide on Simplot pivots, more rats, all calibers OK, and long range rifle steel for when rats gets shy.
We may need to talk, we've been paying to play for 25 years because the recreational value has been well worth it when the 5 or 6 of us are shooting 700-1,000 rounds a day per man. When it drops to 250-350 per man not so much. We shot a field right below Table Rock 8-10 years ago or whenever the Remington .17 Fireball first hit the market...… Good Times, great view.
Most of our group is .22 mag or .17 HM2/HMR/WSM, out past 200 they transition to .22 Hornet, .222, or .223. I have a Vudoo on order, so I would definitely be game for .22LR only next season.
Thanks for reaching out, it's appreciated.
Yup, know it well. Vaughn Farm, now owned by Simplot ZX. Simplot closed all their fields to the public, too many problems. We're guides and insured, so we were able to contract with Simplot for access. The big ZX pivot under Table Rock is one of our favorite fields. Here's my son taking a 2000 yard shot at Table Rock (the distant big hay pile in both pictures is the same pile!).
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We had a perfect tail wind helping out. We only hit 5 of 60, so we really don't have much to brag about.
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