Small varmint kills (the bastards!)

[carbonbased]

We have a coyote kill thread so why not one dedicated to the smaller bastards?

Here’s some ground squirrels in Wisconsin that will burrow no more…

17 Hornet

22LR CCI SV

Not sure which gun.

 

[DFOOSKING]

Yesterday was my first gopher kill of 2024. Spot on at 60yds at public range. The new Bergara stainless B14R.

 

[Mudburner]

Y'know... I thought I OWNED my farm. Oh, not so says the flies, mice, rabbits, groundhogs, crows, Canada geese, snakes, black vultures, coons, possums, skunks, dogs, cats, deer...

I'm sure I left someone out, so I apologise to the weeds, cedar trees, grass in the garden, etc.... EVERYBODY wants a part of it. Even the beef cattle think they live here. Act like it, anyway...

The other day I was digging composted chicken dirt out of where 5 years ago the Amish had a chicken house, and up the hill, here come the cows. Since I had the gate open, I walked toward em with my arms wide, saying, "Whoa, Bessie, don't come over here. Well, that dang ol red cow didnt like me telling her dont walk thru my gate, so she head butted the bull, like, "Do Something, asshole!" But he ignored her. They stayed away from the open gate anyway, so I got what I wanted. Bitch was like, "You gon' let this guy tell me what-to-do?" Bull has nuts like footballs hanging down. He dont care. But I did notice he kept between me & his girls until I got done diggin & left.

The groundhog raising a family under my workshop building has got to GO. He or her came out the other day at dusk & all I had was a bolt action .22. I shoulda hit it in the noggin, but I shot it through the chest instead, and it ran back down the hole. My bad.

Living on my farm is a never ending WAR against the other life forms. No shit. They all want a to make a living, at my expense.

 

[carbonbased]

Bitch was like, "You gon' let this guy tell me what-to-do?" Bull has nuts like footballs hanging down. He dont care.

Lol that was a pretty good story!

 

[wvfarrier]

I didnt take a pic but I dusted a groundhog this morning at 123 yards with my PWS 300blk. Handloaded Lehigh Defense 115 grain Controlled Chaos. The results were.........messy. I actually missed the fat f!@$$ 2 days ago at 40 yards with my Ruger 10/22.

 

[carbonbased]

Here’s my haul from a few years back. Always helping rid my dad’s place of various pests. Really nailed the guy on the right.

This might’ve been his body?

 

[Supersubes]

A buddy and I headed out to our secret spot for a one day shoot. Killed a little over 500 between us. The alfalfa is just too high to get big numbers. These are Belding’s ground squirrels. We’ll go back out after the first cut and hammer them. We were shooting .20 Practical and .20 Tactical.

 

[Baron85]

One of our day trips last year. The 223 with 53vmax’s are pretty nasty!

 

[carbonbased]

One of our day trips last year. The 223 with 53vmax’s are pretty nasty!

Holy smokes, is was that a prairie dog? How close were you?

Nice idea on the paper record. That reminds me that I was going to buy an tally counter clicker-thing to count the kills in the pdog fields this year. Like a crowd counter.

 

[Baron85]

Not sure on the yardage of that guy but most of our shots are 150-300 yards. Once the start getting past 250 we start trying to get closer so we aren’t just wasting ammo with lucky shots. That carnage is usually under 200 yards with my 223’s

We shoot standing off tripods for visibility. Too much vegetation to shoot prone.

We have thought about the clicker counters but the visual of recording on paper really puts it into perspective. Our best day so far was around 400.

 

[mikeshaw2]

Y'know... I thought I OWNED my farm. Oh, not so says the flies, mice, rabbits, groundhogs, crows, Canada geese, snakes, black vultures, coons, possums, skunks, dogs, cats, deer...

I'm sure I left someone out, so I apologise to the weeds, cedar trees, grass in the garden, etc.... EVERYBODY wants a part of it. Even the beef cattle think they live here. Act like it, anyway...

The other day I was digging composted chicken dirt out of where 5 years ago the Amish had a chicken house, and up the hill, here come the cows. Since I had the gate open, I walked toward em with my arms wide, saying, "Whoa, Bessie, don't come over here. Well, that dang ol red cow didnt like me telling her dont walk thru my gate, so she head butted the bull, like, "Do Something, asshole!" But he ignored her. They stayed away from the open gate anyway, so I got what I wanted. Bitch was like, "You gon' let this guy tell me what-to-do?" Bull has nuts like footballs hanging down. He dont care. But I did notice he kept between me & his girls until I got done diggin & left.

The groundhog raising a family under my workshop building has got to GO. He or her came out the other day at dusk & all I had was a bolt action .22. I shoulda hit it in the noggin, but I shot it through the chest instead, and it ran back down the hole. My bad.

Living on my farm is a never ending WAR against the other life forms. No shit. They all want a to make a living, at my expense.

I've got the same problem with groundhogs. There're either 2 or 3 of them. Shot what I think was a female the other day. Headshot

Center punched a smaller one the other night. It ran into the barn where they're digging under the concrete slab.

There's another big one coming out now as well as either the same small one or another small one.

Grrr

The only thing I have is a silenced 22 so headshots it is

M

 

[TACC]

Keep putting in the weapons and ammo with the yardage on the pictures.

Great shooting

 

[carbonbased]

Not sure on the yardage of that guy but most of our shots are 150-300 yards. Once the start getting past 250 we start trying to get closer so we aren’t just wasting ammo with lucky shots. That carnage is usually under 200 yards with my 223’s

We shoot standing off tripods for visibility. Too much vegetation to shoot prone.

We have thought about the clicker counters but the visual of recording on paper really puts it into perspective. Our best day so far was around 400.

Ok that makes sense. 200 yds and in, yeah, BOOM!

I shoot on DNR pubic land so unless I discover some new town, the dogs are fairly wary. My 204 is used most often and covers the 300-475yd range. Occasionally to 510yds, which is my personal and lucky record (multiple walking-in-the-shots).

Sub-300yds I reach for the 17 Hornet if it’s not windy just because it’s so fun to shoot. But when it’s windy and the 204 is used everywhere, yeah, it’s like a grenade going off up close lol

400 dogs a day is a LOT. For me at least. I’m sure I’ve never approached that. Was that on private or Indian land? Surely not public land?

I’ve seen some guys posting pics of hits past 1k yds, but I struggle to understand how you’d even see the buggers. Must have guys down range or something. Heck, they’re getting hard to see at 500 yds @ 27x power.

 

[carbonbased]

This lo-wi video on 204 pdog smackdowns is bar-none my favorite varmint shooting video. They are quite close to the dogs. Tight editing, laughter, and fucking banjo picking lololol



I guess I like it because it feels like one of my pdog hunts, you know? Laughter with your son or brother (or buddies) is the best medicine.

P.S. they call ‘em gophers but they sure look like pdogs to me. I know in ND/SD/MN people call thirteen-lined ground squirrels gophers, which of course they are not.

Thirteen-lined ground squirrel - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Edit: they could be shooting Richardson's ground squirrels, which look like small prairie dogs and are also commonly referred to as gophers around these parts, sometimes named the “flickertail gopher” (ND’s informal nickname is the Flickertail State). Prairie dog’s technical name is the Blacktailed Prairie Dog.

Richardson's ground squirrel - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

https://gf.nd.gov/wildlife/id/rodents/richardsons-ground-squirrel

 

[carbonbased]

204 Ruger, roughly 200-300 yds.

 

[nikonNUT]

Got wind of this thread (Thank you @carbonbased ) so my mousing will go here! Wacked this little bugger at about 60 yards in the dark. Bossmans exact text... "Kill them ALL!" You got it boss! I mean he paid for most of the gear so...

Tippmann M4-22 Elite SBR with a DA Mask and an iRay RH25.

 

[Baron85]

Ok that makes sense. 200 yds and in, yeah, BOOM!

I shoot on DNR pubic land so unless I discover some new town, the dogs are fairly wary. My 204 is used most often and covers the 300-475yd range. Occasionally to 510yds, which is my personal and lucky record (multiple walking-in-the-shots).

Sub-300yds I reach for the 17 Hornet if it’s not windy just because it’s so fun to shoot. But when it’s windy and the 204 is used everywhere, yeah, it’s like a grenade going off up close lol

400 dogs a day is a LOT. For me at least. I’m sure I’ve never approached that. Was that on private or Indian land? Surely not public land?

I’ve seen some guys posting pics of hits past 1k yds, but I struggle to understand how you’d even see the buggers. Must have guys down range or something. Heck, they’re getting hard to see at 500 yds @ 27x power.

Actually we mostly shoot public land in Colorado. We just find spots that are way off the main roads. We also have a private ranch that we shoot but honestly the public land is better for the last few years. And the 400 day was public land.

I struggle to believe the 1000 yard prairie dogs as well. Heck even 400+ I feel is more luck than skill. My rifles cone of accuracy is about the size of a prairie dog at 400. We have taken a few around 400-500 but it’s a multiple shot deal of walking it in and a little luck at that distance.

We shoot 223’s, 223ai, 6br, and I just finished up a 22br. Really wanted to build a 20 practical/tactical but found a deal on a 223ai barrel so went that route. Maybe next time around.

 

[roostercogburn98]

Do sneks count? Kilt these a few year ago with the judge and #8.

 

[RTH1800]

Love to know details regarding snakes.
Together? State? Day/night etc.
under old tin? In barn? Under log. Inquiring minds want to know.

Do sneks count? Kilt these a few year ago with the judge and #8. View attachment 8412603

 

[SWgeezer]

Yesterday was my first gopher kill of 2024. Spot on at 60yds at public range. The new Bergara stainless B14R.

View attachment 8412174

View attachment 8412176

View attachment 8412177

that isn't a gopher, the one back up is a thirteen stripe ground squirrel

 

[roostercogburn98]

Love to know details regarding snakes.
Together? State? Day/night etc.
under old tin? In barn? Under log. Inquiring minds want to know.

All kilt in about 45 minutes in the open(leaving brushline) and darkness, Eastern North Carolina.

First one(long one, assuming female mating?) was stretched out beside the watermelon patch, walked back to the other side to get a better approach, and it slithered off into the dark. Found it(long one), nose to nose with a short one so blasted both.

Looking around with the flashlight and found the other 3 not far apart moving towards where the other two were. No more than 15 yards separated the whole bunch.

My theory is one of two.
1: they were mating as it was spring ish cause the watermelons hadn’t been planted long enough to get going.

2: some property adjacent to ours had just been cleared and they stirred up a nest/den. We live on the edge of a swamp, so prime country for nasty critter livin.

 

[nikonNUT]

Do sneks count? Kilt these a few year ago with the judge and #8. View attachment 8412603

Those are definitely nope ropes!

 

[RTH1800]

Wondered about the mating. I think that was it.
I have seen hundreds of copperheads but one once did I see a mailing bunch. Only had 7 rds in 1911 and they were moving in grass. Most got away.

 

[roostercogburn98]

Wondered about the mating. I think that was it.
I have seen hundreds of copperheads but one once did I see a mailing bunch. Only had 7 rds in 1911 and they were moving in grass. Most got away.

The judge has one use for me, and this is it. I keep it loaded with #8 just for sneks while I’m out and about. I have a 38spc with “rat shot”, but the 8 shot seems to work better, and I’m super worried about messing up the Taurus

 

[diggler1833]

Do sneks count? Kilt these a few year ago with the judge and #8. View attachment 8412603

I hope that you made some hat bands. Copperheads (and Timber Rattlers) have some of the more beautiful patterns to me. I've only killed a couple small ones (I'm fine with that...means that they're not around as much *knock on wood*). What I always end up killing are Cottonmouths. Those dudes are ugly.

 

[RTH1800]

 

[carbonbased]

The judge has one use for me, and this is it. I keep it loaded with #8 just for sneks while I’m out and about.

You gotta mutter “Judge, jury, executioner” each time you pull the trigger lol.

Thanks what I’d do anyway. But then I probably would get bit in the leg by then haha

 

[roostercogburn98]

I hope that you made some hat bands. Copperheads (and Timber Rattlers) have some of the more beautiful patterns to me. I've only killed a couple small ones (I'm fine with that...means that they're not around as much *knock on wood*). What I always end up killing are Cottonmouths. Those dudes are ugly.

Grew up with cottonmouths in Arkansas. We used to do a lot of small stream and wade fising, and frog gigging. I hate them bastiges, they are mean/aggressive.


I made a rookie move and left those sneks outside, and a coon or feral cat tore them up. I had intended to skin and preserve them for something

 

[nikonNUT]

Grew up with cottonmouths in Arkansas. We used to do a lot of small stream and wade fising, and frog gigging. I hate them bastiges, they are mean/aggressive.


I made a rookie move and left those sneks outside, and a coon or feral cat tore them up. I had intended to skin and preserve them for something

Ditto! I do a pretty good impression of Jesus Christ walking on water when they drop out of a tree!

 

[carbonbased]

I struggle to believe the 1000 yard prairie dogs as well. Heck even 400+ I feel is more luck than skill. My rifles cone of accuracy is about the size of a prairie dog at 400. We have taken a few around 400-500 but it’s a multiple shot deal of walking it in and a little luck at that distance.

I find that with even the best tripod setup, save one, me making one shot hits past 300 on small rodents is just as how you describe. More luck is involved than I would like.

Or maybe I just suck.

Instead, I take my longer shots off of a 360° rotating bench. My gun is nestled in an 14lbs X-shaped sandbag. You need weight to stabilize the bench in the high winds of the prairie, so if you love bipods you’d most likely have to add weight to the bench. Even a heavy bench is essentially a sail.

My bench is much more stable than my RRS TVC-33, leveling head w/panning clamp and TFT-34 w/anvil or Arca B1 ballhead. I can do longer distance one-shots (300-475yds) off of the bench…not all of the time, but often.

With the bench the limiting factor becomes the wind calling, not the stability.

Except…one tripod comes close to that bench. I’ll discuss it later when I’ve checked some things out.

For the light RRS CF tripods that I use for walking around, I want to experiment with using a rear support. During my rotent-shooting journey I started with a Primos Trigger Stick shooting tripod, which is actually pretty cool. It adjusts height with a press of one button.

Problem is it’s a little flimsy and way closer to a typical X shooting stick setup, so I’ve long since stopped using it. But, with the gun on a RRS tripod, the Primos seems that it would work well enough to very quickly support the buttstock in a dynamic environment.

I need to test it past just dry fire practice. They make monopod and bipod versions too. The bipod one is just a two-legged tripod, not a typical Harris sort of bipod.

The bipod one might work easier in that rear-rest role.

They have a little adapter for binos, spotting scopes and the like but I sometimes use it at the range for my Garmin chrono. Or maybe I could fashion a little table top for the Primos to place a little Ryobi fan on. I currently use that fan to blow the barrel mirage away from the scope, but often it’s a little far away from long barrels.

 

[roostercogburn98]

Ditto! I do a pretty good impression of Jesus Christ walking on water when they drop out of a tree!

Yes sir, have jumped out of many canoes!!!

 

[carbonbased]

Yes sir, have jumped out of many canoes!!!

Oh FFS I’ll stay in the Great White Frozen North lol

 

[carbonbased]

Brother got this rattler with a million shots of 9mm (lol the misses) out in west ND while pdog shooting. We always use those snake guard things (not shown).

These are the best snake guards/gaiters I’ve found. There’s some shitty ones out there, fellas. Keep safe.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0064REC8O?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

 

[carbonbased]

Here’s a pretty hefty pdog from years ago when we first starting shooting them. Tossing caution aside (re:bubonic plague) we hauled it out of its hole for display.

This was also before we started wearing good snake guards.

I think my bro got it with his AR 223 at about 250yds.

 

[DFOOSKING]

that isn't a gopher, the one back up is a thirteen stripe ground squirrel

That's the same gopher. We here in SD call them "stripe-ies" or just gophers. My buddy Jevne calls them "road boners".

We also have tan-ish brown flickertails or gophers. And also pocket gophers...which don't really expose themselves.

I smoked this guy at 10' as he was making a dirt geyser in the range. I figured it was a pocket gopher. But now I wonder if it's a vole or mole. Has shovel like front feet barely visible in the pic.

 

[carbonbased]

That's the same gopher. We here in SD call them "stripe-ies" or just gophers. My buddy Jevne calls them "road boners".

We also have tan-ish brown flickertails or gophers. And also pocket gophers...which don't really expose themselves.

View attachment 8413055
I smoked this guy at 10' as he was making a dirt geyser in the range. I figured it was a pocket gopher. But now I wonder if it's a vole or mole. Has shovel like front feet barely visible in the pic.

Damn man looks like you hit him with a 10 kilowatt laser beam bzzzzzzzz

 

[SWgeezer]

That's the same gopher. We here in SD call them "stripe-ies" or just gophers. My buddy Jevne calls them "road boners".

We also have tan-ish brown flickertails or gophers. And also pocket gophers...which don't really expose themselves.

View attachment 8413055
I smoked this guy at 10' as he was making a dirt geyser in the range. I figured it was a pocket gopher. But now I wonder if it's a vole or mole. Has shovel like front feet barely visible in the pic.

that is a pocket gopher

 

[cas6969]

Prairie dog videos reminded me of my misadventure in woodchuck hunting as a kid. A case of too much thinking, too much info and not enough info. That and the fine grasp of ballistics a 9 year old had. I can remember my dad telling me "At 100 yards, the bullet's still going up." (because the trajectory from him having the rifles zeroed in past that)

Of course to my 9 year old brain, if the bullet was still going up at 100 yards, it must have gone up even more at 200 yards! And a lot more at 300 yards! So I would always aim at the ground in front of them. lmao Which of course lead to much confusion and frustration on his part and many many missed woodchucks. Until one day I explain my high tech shooting strategy with him and he set me straight.

 

[nikonNUT]

So I guess this can go here as well. I swear I have house cats that weigh more than this fox! They look bigger in pictures!

 

[carbonbased]

So I guess this can go here as well. I swear I have house cats that weigh more than this fox! They look bigger in pictures!
View attachment 8413667

Yeah, haha t hat looks not a whole lot bigger than the last pdog I posted.

 

[carbonbased]

Oh yeah! This might’ve been my best shot of my life. 172yds, CZ 22 Hornet headshot with a 3-15x PST II scope. I mean, there’s luck involved in the headshot but but I don’t have to admit that…wait

Love that gun, but don’t use it as much as the 17 Hornet as has less range, is more affected by wind, and has more drop. But 22 Hornet ammo is hilarious-looking, like tiny artillery shells lol, and has a place in my heart.

My sample might be more accurate than my 17, however. It’s the top rifle, obviously. Bottom is a sweet Belgian Browning SA22 that I got from my dad long ago.

 

[nikonNUT]

So I guess this can go here as well. I swear I have house cats that weigh more than this fox! They look bigger in pictures!
View attachment 8413667

Man if it was much over 12 pounds I would be amazed! I begin to understand the stories of cats not putting up with foxes shit at the food bowl!

 

[Baron23]

View attachment 8412722View attachment 8412724View attachment 8412727

Ok, I get blowing the copperhead away...but are the top two black snakes and if so, why kill them. They're good for keeping the rodent population down, no?

 

[Mudburner]

Non venomous snakes get a pass at my house. In fact, last summer I woke up and there was a five-foot long black snake walking across my kitchen floor!

"Peace, brother... you go on & eat all the mice you want in this house..." Apparently, it ignored me because I am on number 20 or 21 mice killed since last year at this time.

I couldn't prove it was the same snake, but the last time I saw this one was when it was hauling ass outta the orchard cuz I was mowing the grass. Fair is fair, I guess. I ran it out of its home, so it made a point and visited me in my kitchen. I got no problem with snakes, generally.

I think this is a baby copperhead?

 

[RTH1800]

Black snakes are notorious nest egg robbers. Song birds, quail, turkeys etc.

 

[RTH1800]

Also, when you live in rattlesnake country stepping on any 6’ snake is a scary proposition.
In brush, high grass or at night it is terrifying.

 

[Browninglover1]

Does hunting them with muzzleloaders count? Easily the most carnage at sub 200 yards on rock chucks I’ve ever seen

 

[Supersubes]

Does hunting them with muzzleloaders count? Easily the most carnage at sub 200 yards on rock chucks I’ve ever seen

That last shot with the clearly visible inbound projectile was awesome!

 

[Malum Prohibitum]

Non venomous snakes get a pass at my house. In fact, last summer I woke up and there was a five-foot long black snake walking across my kitchen floor!

"Peace, brother... you go on & eat all the mice you want in this house..." Apparently, it ignored me because I am on number 20 or 21 mice killed since last year at this time.

I couldn't prove it was the same snake, but the last time I saw this one was when it was hauling ass outta the orchard cuz I was mowing the grass. Fair is fair, I guess. I ran it out of its home, so it made a point and visited me in my kitchen. I got no problem with snakes, generally. View attachment 8413901
I think this is a baby copperhead?

No, I don't think so.

I do not have a great deal of expertise on identifying snakes, though. It looks like a DeKay's brownsnake. Perfectly harmless.

 

[Baron85]

The carnage from the muzzleloader far exceeded what I was expecting!!!!

Awesome video.