Oregon Sage Rat Hunting Tips

 Sage Rat season is here!!! The Spring weather is finally showing us few nice days and we are being rewarded with a target rich environment this year.

As Kids most of us can remember heading out to the desert with our Families to try out our first pellet gun or .22.  We had finally graduated from pop cans and paper to actual moving targets.

Now that we are adults, helping our local farmers out with varmit control still brings the same joy that we found in our youth.

Today though, the days of leaning on a wheel line or fence post with open sights are behind us. The technology that is available to us today makes us much more effective at controlling the population out there.

Being an Outfitter I have had the opportunity to view many different styles of shooting in past 5 years. I've learned a lot about the sport and just wanted to share a few things that will make your next Sage Rat Shoot much more enjoyable.    

1. A .17 caliber  is the new .22 If you haven't tried one yet go get one!! :-)

2. Don't go cheap on optics for your guns!! A good scope makes all the difference when trying to shoot a target that is the size of a tennis ball.

3. Try to get elevated! If you don't have a platform in the back of a truck.  Or you just can't drive in a field because the land owner doesn't want you to.  The next best thing is a standing shooting stick.  The few feet you gain, opens up so many more targets.


 4.  Take a good lunch and lots of water!!
Staying well fed and hydrated will help looking through a scope all day long.

5. Find an area that doesn't poison there fields. Or an area that hasn't been plowed for a few years.

6. Going with an outfitter takes out all the leg work that is takes to find the ideal place, ideal gear, providing a great lunch and will try they will do their best to make sure that the limited time you have off from work will be as productive and fun as possible!! www.lakeinthedunes.com

 I hope you all have great shooting this season.  Remember, don't wait till the grass is to tall to see, the time is now!! Have Fun!!!

 

Early Season Sage Rats

Every year we all wait till the warm weather hits so we can get outside. If you pay attention you'll notice that every February- March there is a warm spell that gives us the false hope that Spring is here.  Some people get fooled into planting the garden to early, jumping on yard work, or to put their shorts on too early.  The true secret to this false sense of hope is that the sage rats get fooled into waking up from there cozy winter slumber. Once they are awaken from hibernation they are out and about for the eye to see until true spring comes and the grass grows to hide them once again. In March the snow comes again and the gardens get frost bit, the yard work gets put on hold and the winter clothes get put back on. For the sage rat finding food is still an everyday adventure. This is one of my favorite times to bundle up, break out the .17 and enjoy some of the best shooting of the year! At least once a day a sage rat needs to peer from its underground home to find food and water or maybe its just a need to see what is going on out in the world with there buddies. It may be short lived for the day but either way when the snow is on the ground the little round dark fur balls make for some great targets to warm the barrels on.