Eastern oregon

[762willdo]

I’m going to be in eastern Oregon in 4 weeks does anyone no a place I can get some rock chucks or sage rats????
thanx for any help

 

[L.Sherm]

I’m going to be in eastern Oregon in 4 weeks does anyone no a place I can get some rock chucks or sage rats????
thanx for any help

You have to have a hunting license unless your on private property

 

[762willdo]

Even for coyotes?

You have to have a hunting license unless your on private property

 

[Bc'z]

Even for coyotes?

Yes

 

[Rick in Oregon]

Seriously, no one is going to give you "good" rockchuck and sage rat places to shoot, they're getting harder and harder to find every year with the "outfitters" locking up all the what used to be ranches we've shot for decades. If you're willing to pay the piper, here's a friend who'll hook you up with primo ranches, loaded with squirrels. If you ask, he'll also put you on to rockchucks too. Keep in mind there's no such thing as a free lunch though.

Tim Titus at No Off Season (good guy)

Sage Rat Hunts – No Off Season

no-off-season.com

Tell him I sent you, and he may give you some friendly accommodations.

 

[762willdo]

Thnx …..as for what you said I live in the San Juan islands and grew up fishing here I know every hole for A hundred square miles, when I come in with a boat load of halibut or kings or crab or spot prawns invariably people ask where I get them and my answer is always the same “smith island” kinda of a running joke…..as for squirrels I was hoping someone might know a public spot or such didn’t want anyone’s honey hole……that’s right I said honey hole….

 

[Rick in Oregon]

Thnx …..as for what you said I live in the San Juan islands and grew up fishing here I know every hole for A hundred square miles,

No chit?! I'm a lifelong scuba/free diver, as a kid, in the Navy, and ever since. Our favorite place to dive out of all the places in the world we've dove is.....the San Juans Islands. We've had a love affair with the islands for over 30 years. I worked in logging camps on the northern end of Vancouver Island for years, dove there too. LOVE those islands!

as for squirrels I was hoping someone might know a public spot or such didn’t want anyone’s honey hole……that’s right I said honey hole….

Buddy, here's the deal; there are thousands of acres of BLM and USFS land in E. OR, but virtually all the squirrels are on irrigated land: private. If I knew of a public place one could shoot colony ground squirrels, I'd gladly pass it on to you via PM, but the honest truth is that you'll only find them on private, irrigated land. As I said earlier, it's getting harder every year to find new ranches to shoot, but that's not saying a guy could just knock on some doors and gain permission. That's how most of us did it years ago to shoot the ranches we enjoy today.

With the current trend of using cabbage poison on the rats, plus the outfitters locking most everyone out unless you pay handsomely for the 'privilege' of shooting the squirrels, it's pretty difficult now. Wish I could give you more encouraging news, but that's the honest, hard truth to the matter. Good luck, I hope you're able to get in some shooting during your visit here.

I'll mention that if you cruise the county rural roads in the 'correct' terrain, you may get some rockchuck action, but be sure to have your license and pull way off the road to do the deed. Get a copy of the OR regs to be safe.

 

[762willdo]

appreciate it …….

 

[jxb]

As Rick said above.

Also keep in mind it's June so even if you find someone that would let you shoot unless they have first cutting down you'll have a hard time seeing them. That said, there's always some around the edges. Back in the 90's when sage rats were thick as fleas we never went after mid-May and usually not in May at all. We did that once about Memorial weekend, 85deg ish and alfalfa up at least 8" it was hot and hard. Nowadays I certainly wouldn't go over there counting on shooting much or any, even in March/April.

Washington to Nevada there's sage rats east of hywy 395 in various locations. Lots of places have them, but as Rick said numbers and access are problematic.

If you do get down to SE Oregon and rats are a bust, remember that's some nice country to just wander and plenty of great fishing too (license needed for that too). If the road is open to the top of Steens mountain that's well worth a day just up there. The Hines BLM office has that area so they can tell you status which gates are open and their WAG when it will open to the top. Not sure if they fixed the loop or will, but you can get to the top via the Frenchglen entrance (once the gates are open). Oh yeah, and if you're wandering... keep the tank full, plus a cooler with food and plenty of water plus normal emergency kit. We've driven all day some places and never passed a car, if you break down or get two flats (been there done that) it might be days before you see someone or a 30mi walk. Just saying...

 

[WV Hitman]

I contacted Titus years ago about rockchucks. He was willing to do it, but put a very low daily # of chucks to shoot!
I searched the internet for places in ID. A guy sent me to one farmer. 6 years ago I took 90+ in 4 days with my handguns. He spread the word to other farmers about this old guy that could shoot a handgun good. I now have 10 farms & taken 1905 in the last 6 years. Best year was 479- handguns only. They're getting thinned a little.
Personal interaction is the best way to go.

 

[chuckshooter]

by the time you get here most of the sage rats will be in hibernation. it's not a summer, winter thing for them. some will be up at 6 am but, down by 9am. then some, very few, will come back out for a snack before bedtime.
as far as a place to shoot, my shooting buddy and I have a NDA understanding, also he made me take down any pictures that I had posted about our trips, incase there was any imbedded information in the picture file Ha, Ha HA.