As springtime temperatures rise so do this years crop of ground squirrels. While any grassy field might harbor these pesky hole diggers no area can compare to the alfalfa fields to the East and Northeast of Redding. These high desert havens support extremely high squirrel populations. They are smaller than their valley cousins but no less destructive. Each squirrel family has several mounds. Each mound has a three to four foot circle of bare earth around it, much to the farmers chagrin. Such is the destruction that most farmers are happy to aim hunters onto their property to control the surplus population. Shooting opportunities rival the prairie dog shoots in the Dakotas. If you enjoy shooting 200 to 1000 yards at challenging targets then this is for you.
Getting started
The best areas to find squirrels are in the alfalfa and clover fields. Locally these crops are grown near Bieber, Alturas, Cedarville, Dorris, McDowel, Klamath Falls and Susanville, Simply locate a field with “picket pins” standing up and find the nearest person. He will usually give you permission or direct you to someone who can.
Safety Concerns
Remember, you are a guest. We all need to be vigilant about safety especially making sure there is a good backstop. Many fields have no backstop so it would be prudent not to shoot
there. Look for a field that is backed up by a hillside. My observations show that almost every shot ricochets regardless of caliber. Even bullets going through a squirrel deflect and can travel a mile. To demonstrate this, try standing 100 yards to the side of a shooter and listen to the bullets zinging off into the background. Water pipes are also a victim of these ricochets. If pipes are down field they will be hit. Farmers will not tolerate this so please find a field with a natural backstop and no water pipes.
Equipment
The 22 rimfire is the most popular caliber because it is inexpensive. While it is possible to use any caliber, one will tire of a heavy recoiling gun due to the volume of shooting. The low noise of a 22 keeps squirrels popping up at short ranges. Of all the 22 rifles available the undisputed king of squirrel rifles is the Ruger 10/22. It is usually fitted with a heavy barrel, 3x9 or larger scope, tuned trigger and as many magazines as you can carry. This gun will take squirrels out to 150 yards easily. Advanced shooters using centerfire rifles can engage targets at 500 yards and beyond. While a deluxe 22 package can be had for under $500, centerfires can double or triple that amount.
Squirrel shooting is great fun and excellent practice, but really we do it to help out the farmers, right?
