Ground Squirrels in Washington?

There used to be tons all over, but it seems like around 10-15 years ago they kind of died off. Up around Chewelah and Colville used to hold some in pastures. People who raise sheep often have them in the pasture and are a good place to start asking. I've only got one spot on private land left and it's only a few acres. Wish it was like it was when I was younger. Pretty tough to beat a nice 60 degree spring day with a brick of .22 shells and some good company.
 
What about rock chucks? I have heard around Washtucna...I used to live in Montana and the ground squirrels were like flies on a dead cow.
 
Originally Posted By: EJ ReichenbachNot alot around my parts mostly pdogs

You live a lot further east than I did. I lived north of Missoula in the Mission Valley. No pdogs there, but plenty of gray diggers and rockchucks. This one old farmer had lots of rock piles in his fields, and 'chucks ran everywhere. He was so excited when I asked permission to shoot them that he kept calling me to shoot other things on his farm. Cleaned out all the pigeons in his barns, then moved on to coyotes and squirrels.
 
If u find a place in washington let me know. Ive heard of a couple places in Oregon about an hour away from me that has em but im not sire.of exact locations or if its public or private land. Not sure the trip.would be worth it without a guaranteed place
 
The Washtucna area holds a few ground hogs, but they are mainly next to the highway. There are some down behind Palouse Fall on McGregor's (the fertilizer company) land, but good luck getting permission on that stuff. Some great spots for rock chucks more around Wilbur and Creston on down to Odessa. I don't have any landowner contacts, but we travel through there a lot for work and that is where I have seen the highest concentration of chucks in the area. Lots of rocks and ponds out there along with pasture ground they love.
 
I happen to have a friend.who.wroks.for.mcgregor so I might have a chance. Ill have to beat on some.doors in washtukna. Last time.I was.out that way I smokep a quill pig during deer season last year
 
Originally Posted By: stealthmanThere used to be tons all over, but it seems like around 10-15 years ago they kind of died off. Up around Chewelah and Colville used to hold some in pastures. People who raise sheep often have them in the pasture and are a good place to start asking. I've only got one spot on private land left and it's only a few acres. Wish it was like it was when I was younger. Pretty tough to beat a nice 60 degree spring day with a brick of .22 shells and some good company.

I haven't been interested to much in shooting Ground Squirrels in the last 25 years, but I have noticed the decline of squirrels in Nev also. In the early 70's between Winnemucca and Battle Mountain the road was so thick with them you had to becareful not to slide off the road on the dead ones. Now you don't even see one along that stretch of the road.

In the late 70's early 80's my brother and I would take 2000 rounds of 22 shells a piece and go to a ranch that had an Alphalfa Pivot and shoot all day long. It would get so bad you had to start using other fingers to pull the trigger with because the other got cramped and tired. We would do this almost every weekend and never put a dent in the population. Then in the winter the rabbits would come in and eat around the edges of the haystacks and under cut them two to three feet. What a life it eas back then. They have since built a reservoir over this field.
 
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