Sage Rats this weekend 5/14 - 5/16

[TonsOfOregonBrass]

In what sense is this "hunting"? When I grew up hunting, there was always an element of stealth or stalking, followed by a harvest of meat. My dad taught me to respect animals and not just shoot them for blood sport. Shooting critters from a lawn chair just to watch the red mist fly? I dunno. It seems to serve a useful purpose for farmers now that we've killed off the natural predators and created monocultures of chipmunk heaven, but "hunting"? Hmmm. Can it really be "hunting" if you kill 327 in 6 hours? That's almost one per minute for 6 hours.

Maybe just call it killing. Hunting is a noble way to harvest meat the way our ancesters did. This slaughter of chipmunks should be called something different maybe..

I can understand your point of view on this. I suppose this is similar to using the term "assault rifle"

I do hunt Deer, elk, bear, cougar, so i guess the term hunting may be being used loosely to reflect the killing of any animal "in the wild"

But i will say i was stalking them, but not too stealthy. it is hard to stay stealthy in the back of a truck.

For me, this is a family friends property and I was not out there just to see the red mist, i go out there to help them out. They lose a lot of money do to destroyed crops every year. But there is an element of fun also.

 

[CEF1959]

Yeah, that makes sense. I'm not doubting the utility of the project, but I wonder about the policies that got us into such a mess where gophers can take over a field with no predators other than humans to worry about. What happened to the coyotes? Wolves? Cougars. I think we know. Seems like shooting gophers for fun is a solution to a problem of our own creation. But if they have to be exterminated, so be it.

It's calling the thing "hunting" that seems out of place. If I poison squirrels in my backyard, strangle a feral cat, drown a litter of stray-dog-puppies, or shoot songbirds with a BB gun, is that "hunting"? It's killing wild animals. I think this blood lust is unworthy of what I know to be "hunting". It's more like the Eastern dandies who shot buffalo from trains in the late 1800s. It's definitely killing wild animals. But is it worthy of calling it "hunting"? Not in my book. Just call it "killing stuff".

 

[sagerat-shooter]

I love these "holier than thou" posts especially when somebody hijacks a thread to do it. How can any one compare "poison squirrels in my backyard, strangle a feral cat, drown a litter of stray-dog-puppies, or shoot songbirds with a BB gun" to hunting? All those activities are ILLEGAL and are not hunting. What's next for you. using a compound bow isn't archery?

 

[Bazooka Joe]

Don't be too hard on CEF. If you aren't directly familiar with the ravages of sage rats, it would be easy to share his opinion. But just as hunting coyote, wolf or bear that are ravaging your herds is hunting, so too is hunting sage rats. I think CEF is having more difficulty with the number of kills and the trappings of the hunt, which, again, is just not understanding the beast.

If you had one sage rat to worry about, you probably wouldn't even worry about exterminating them, though one can do plenty of damage. But when their numbers increase, they can completely destroy crops and their tunneling can do damage to retaining walls and other structures. In order to abate the pest you simply have to kill large numbers. And sitting in a lawn chair is just a way to survive the heat and long days of such an undertaking.

Sage rats are pretty small and hitting a large number of them successfully is something to be proud of. Even with a support, it takes a steady hand to make consistent successful shots. It is pride in this ability and happiness at helping a friend or neighbor that creates the enthusiasm which CEF equates with "blood lust."

I can see why CEF may not want to equate this extermination with hunting, but I do not agree. There is a sadness to killing any animal. The best we can do is have respect for the beast and a nobility of purpose, whether that purpose is to harvest food from the beast or to kill the beast so the food in the field can be harvested. It's only true blood lust that becomes a bad thing.

 

[Oakley1wa]

So... Anyone planning a trip east to 'kill' these fuzzies soon? I'd like to go over with someone.

 

[Angler]

I was going to leave on Sunday for K-Falls to hunt Beldings Ground Squirrels. But now I am going over to the valley instead and get people to stop eating cereal and beef, driving their cars around and wearing shoes so the poor little buggers can eat all the alfalfa, hay, corn and wheat they want. I will also talk them into giving up their land so we can make sure the coyotes, wolves and cougars have a place to hunt. I know this is possible because the population of humans is dropping so we do not need all this land to live on and grow food.

 

[CEF1959]

But is this gopher kill thing "hunting"? I'm not critical of the practice; I'm just wondering about calling it "hunting." Maybe people in Wasco County were raised wrong, but it seems like something different to me and what I was taught.

 

[Trlsmn]

But is this "hunting"? I'm not critical of the practice; I'm just wondering about calling it "hunting." If you can do it from a lawn chair out in the open at the edge of an alfalfa field..... Hunting? Really?

Wouldn't the proper term be culling? "Killing" yeah word that would be good for our cause on Main street!

 

[ZachS]

Don't be too hard on CEF, he's just being a troll.

Fixed.

 

[CEF1959]

I shoot to compensate for some things.

That's a healthy disclosure. Feel better?

 

[coyoteman5]

I have read that one sage rat will eat 14 pounds of alfalfa in a one season which is at most six month long then you times that by hundreds or thousands of them that adds up. Plus shooting them is better than poison cause if they eat it then die above ground or get dug up than eaten by another animal like coyote or eagal or hawk or badger will get poisoned and thinking of the farmer it's cheaper and better for the enviroment to let people shoot them then to get the permit and buy the poison and pay a hand to put it out and keep an eye on it. For us shooters it a great way to hone are shooting skills and somewhat stop that finger from itching so much.

 

[wsu 5.9er]

I went squirrel hunting this past weekend for the first time. Spent Memorial day weekend out at my Grandmother's and Uncle's property in Eastern WA.

What people may not realize is how much ground squirrels can screw up a field. Besides just eating the crops, they dig tunnels that equipment can fall into and get stuck in and the piles of dirt can clog up the harvesting equipment. A farmer's crop is his livelihood and he has to protect it as such. Hunting squirrels there is not quite as easy though. My uncle got 5-6 the first day we went and I only got 2-3. The next day, he got another 6-7 and I got 3. And yes, I would call it hunting. We did not stay in one spot but had to move around a few times to try and get the ones in different spots in the fields.

 

[sagerat-shooter]

It all depends on your point of view. We all know there are groups out there saying hunting of any kind is cruel and humans only do it to satisfy a blood lust because we do not need to hunt for food. One guy at work says it is not sporting to call in coyotes by imitating a hurt rabbit. He did turn red and stammered when I asked him “Don’t you call in elk and ducks?”. The people of Oregon voted to say hunting bears and cougars with dogs was not sporting and should be banned. I could go on and on with examples.

CEF it seems to me you are just posting to get people riled up because you think you are superior in your thinking. You are not concerned at all about if it should be called hunting, you don’t like it so you think it should be given a bad name. You drifted off your topic by mentioning how the farmers killed off the predators and created a monoculture. Also several times you call the squirrels chipmunks or gophers which they are not. And then you equate illegal actives to hunting squirrels. I wonder what your real problem is.

 

[Fuji]

sage rat "killing" is great practice and doing a service for the farmers. Last time I went, the motel where I stayed was full with hunters so I would guess it is good for the local economy as well. I saw an article that said the Army brought in Special Forces Units to shoot the sage rats because it was such good practice. Call it what you want but do not talk down about it.

 

[marty8587]

Used to be farmers and ranchers would welcome the help, some even provided 22 ammo but you better show some product for it. Nobody wants to put down livestock with broken legs from stepping in holes.

 

[the4thshake]

Im sure if a rapidly multiplying rodent was eating your paycheck you would understand the need to shoot them.

 

[mudslinging79]

where is christmas valley and how far is it from la pine???

 

[Bam]

directly south east of La pine, less 45 minute drive.

 

[mudslinging79]

hmmm.... wonder if 8x57 would be overkill? lol thought to self, i can get the keys for the place in la pine....