Any one ever set up in a grass field and shoot ground squirels, no season
on them and very small, 5" tall standing up and 1 1/4" in dia. At 30 to 60 yards, and if you think your real good try to hit one on the run. LOL
But what a way to spend a sunday with bunch of fellow shooters, more fun than paper and harder to hit.
Ray

and if you cant hit them theres always cow pies LOL

Here in the desert we have desert chipmunks....when you walk the desert, they will scamper across the "flats" on turbo boost, and then go up on a pile or rocks and stand up looking around. If they see movement with their ULTRA 20/20 vision, they are GONE. But if you are sly and can get squatted down for a good steady shot, they do awesome flips when ya hit 'em. I have never been able to get close enough to get a shot at one with open sights....always a 7x-12x scpoed shot.

They are about the same size at you discribe (4"-5" tall when standing upright but a very thin body).

VERY tough shots!

-Curtis

Oh man, Ray... You just made my trigger finger itch...

Curtis, I know of the creatures you speak of. haha Those little suckers that lay themselves flat on the rocks with their tails twitching. They zing around the bluffs like watching a video game. I remember seeing little lizards out there too. Valley of Fire I think it was?

Bud if you can hit one of those zip-zap squirrels you're a better shot than I am lol. Those things are quick!

Harv

Yep...the Valley Of Fire is North East of me but you pegged it....those are the little critters. Fast as greased lightning, cut 45 degree turns at top speed and tiny as a fly's butt!

I hate to pop them as they are cute, BUT with the growth here in Southern Nevada, they are coming into the developed residential areas on the edge of the desert. People think that they are cute and try to hand feed the brave adults that have gotten used to seeing people, but they DO bite. We really don't have naturally occurring rabies issues here in the desert, but those little buggers can potentially carry infectious disease potential so I have been told by some friends that are Vets...and they breed so much, even the desert rabbits hang their heads in shame!

My scoped .22 350s are a little big to "quickly get on target" and range correctly, but I have a little 20 yr old Crosman 3100 break barrel with open sights that LOVES spitting .177 RWS Super Points at about 680 fps. It is light as a feather and is quiet and docile like a "mouse fart"....it comes to shoulder fast and is perfect for taking those little buggers when they burrow under my decorative rocks and come up for a "look see".

Here is a pic of one...sorry for the poor photo. There was a better one in the paper for his obituary!!!!



-Curtis

The big 350s work if you are out in the desert and have a bit of time to get on target at longer ranges, but here at the house at close range, they pop up and disappear in just a few seconds, especially if they see ya move, the light little .177 3100 is a champ!

-Curtis

They seem to be about the same size as the red squirrels we get around here. I've never seen one in my back yard with a body length over about 8", with 5 or 6 being much more common.

Our snowshoe hares, however, are quite large, no challenge out to about 50yds, and too stupid to be very spooky.

The squirrels can be very spooky, however, if they've ever seen a buddy shot. The spring crop tends to be naive, tho....

J

Good thing i dont hunt them to eat i would starve.
Nice post curtis.
Ray