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From: cvedc!pdx.csd.mot.com!brian%nosun.uucp@RELAY.CS.NET (Brian Vandewettering)
Newsgroups: rec.hunting
Subject: Sand Rats
Message-ID: <1991May30.080615.14275@doug.cae.wisc.edu>
Date: 30 May 91 13:06:15 GMT
Organization: Motorola CSD, Beaverton, OR
Lines: 19
Approved: hunting@osnome.che.wisc.edu
Originator: hunting@osnome.che.wisc.edu




I just got back from eastern Oregon where I had the opprotunity to 
shoot a few sand rats.  The sand rat or ground squirrel looks like 
a cross between a squirrel and a rat.  They infest range lands in 
the arid portions of Oregon, Idaho and Washington much like the 
praire dog, creating the same problems for grazing cattle.

Using a .22 rimfire with peep sights certainly added to the challange.  
These little critters are tough!  Good body hits with CCI mini-mags 
did not stop them.  Hollow-point .22s would be much more humane and 
a .22 Hornet or .223 ideal.  A scoped sight of 4x or better would
also be a good idea as the sand rats are hard to pick out once they
stop moving.

All in all great fun and practice for deer season.

-- 
Brian Vandewettering - NRA, NRA-ILA, OSSA  -- Opinions are MINE!!!
Motorola Inc., Computer Systems Division - Beaverton, Oregon
brian@pdx.csd.mot.com                 . . .  tektronix!nosun!cvedc!mcspdx!brian