PEST ERADICATION, NORTHERN CA GROUND SQUIRRELS

 

SHOOTING GROUND SQUIRRELS, HELPING RANCHERS IN MODOC COUNTY, CA

The Belding's Ground Squirrel is a well-established, very much disliked pest in northern CA areas like Modoc County. Sometimes mistakenly called a prairie dog, Beldings live in communities and can destroy a pasture in no time. They love alfalfa. Modoc County, up near the borders of Oregon and Nevada, is loaded with fields torn up by these "squeakers," a name they earned by the whistling, squeaking sound they make. 

Native to the northwestern United States, the Belding's ground squirrel range covers northeastern Oregon and part of Washington, north California, southwestern Idaho, north and central Nevada, and northwestern Utah. These animals are most abundant at higher altitudes, occurring in alpine and subalpine meadows. 

They also inhabit sagebrush flats, brush/grass habitats, and cultivated areas at lower elevations. Ground squirrels are largely restricted to open areas with enough fresh vegetation and water. They do not live in dense forests, tall grasses, rocky slopes, or thick shrubbery, as they cannot watch for predators. In addition, they do not prefer grass that is too short, as they cannot hide from predators.

Stacie and I love to eradicate these critters for ranchers in the area. We shoot .22s sometimes, but usually our weapon of choice is a .17 HMR varmint round. Non-lead, of course, in California. Stacie shoots a Savage Model 99, and I shoot a custom Ruger Model 77. Typically, we like close-in shots (less than 100 yards) to ensure a clean kill.  But we do stretch out on calm days to longer distances. 

What is really cool is  that this whole area  is full of predatory birds like hawks and Bald Eagles.  They eat what we shoot!

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DEL ALBRIGHT BOOK ON EPIC FAMILY HISTORY

THE LATEST BOOK FROM DEL ALBRIGHT

TALES FROM THE OL' RIVER

By Del Albright

I am excited and proud to announce the release of my new book, Tales from the Ol’ River. It is my family’s epic story of survival during the Great Depression as they followed the Oregon Trail from Missouri to Oregon during those trying times. Laced with historical facts, the book blends in real-life stories and commentary from my family records and journals. I thank this family history for giving me the foundation of who I am today.

The book talks of survival, hunting, trapping, gardening, living off the land, and bonding as a family during the trying times of hardship during the Depression of the 1930s. 

It is available today on Amazon as an eBook (Kindle) or paperback. Get a copy here, and let me know what you think.

BOOK LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Ol-River-Surviving-Depression/dp/B0F1YQWTB6/

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DEL'S BOOKS (LAND USE, WILDFIRE, DEATH VALLEY, COWBOY POETRY, AND MORE)

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DEL'S ARTICLES (LAND USE, LIFE, WILDFIRE, VOLUNTEERISM, AND MORE)

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BUCK HUNTERS LIFE

 The hunting life and my "herd" of Mule Deer

By Del Albright

Buck hunting is one of my passions, every year.  I love to get out and hunt big Mule deer bucks. 

The picture is three states worth and covers a span of 40+ years.  CO, WY and MT.  I never waste the meat and always respect rules, regulations and property boundaries.  I hope all hunters do the same.

#muledeerhunting #hunting #buckhunting #deerhunting

 Re-posted from CA Fish & Wildlife

Know the Laws When Bringing Deer or Elk Into California

The California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Section 712 governs the importation of hunter-harvested deer and elk into California. It is unlawful to import, or possess any hunter harvested deer or elk (cervid) carcass or parts of any cervid carcass imported into the state, except for the following body parts:

• portions of meat with no part of the spinal column, brain or head attached (other bones, such as legs and shoulders, may be attached).
• hides and capes (no spinal column, brain tissue or head may be attached).
• clean skull plates (no brain tissue may be present) with antlers attached.
• antlers with no meat or tissue attached, except legally harvested and possessed antlers in the velvet stage are allowed, if no meat, brain or other tissue is attached.
• finished taxidermy mounts with no meat or tissue attached (antlers in the velvet stage are allowed if no meat, brain or other tissue is attached).
• upper canine teeth (buglers, whistlers, ivories).

For more information on keeping California’s deer and elk herds safe and free from CWD, please visit CDFW’s CWD web page.

LONG RANGE RIFLE SHOOTING TIPS

DIALING IN YOUR GUN/SCOPE 

7 SIMPLE TIPS FOR STRETCHING YOUR SHOOTING.

By Del Albright

I have 60 years of shooting experience, but only recently have I stretched out to 1000 yards.  I learned some simple tips to help you do the same.

First, there can be no doubt that practice makes perfect.  You have to practice with your rifle of choice and master your trigger pull and eliminate the flinch.

A good scope is essential. Dialable turrets are key to small target center punching at long distances.

Here, in simple form, are the tips I can pass on from taking Dan Angel's Firearm Instruction near Willows, CA (https://angelsfirearmsinstruction.com/).

1. If you're a hunter, use the gun and scope you will hunt with.

2. Get a turret type scope, 3, or 4 power by 14 - 20 power variable.

3. Pick a bullet/brand and stick with it.  Know the ballistics (unless it just won't shoot in your gun.)

4. Master the 100-yard range.  Yes, 100-yards. Start there.  After that, the scope and your ballistics chart do all the work.  Get to where you can consistently punch out the center of a 100-yard target, 3 to 5 shot groups.  You should strive to achieve a 1-inch shot group at 100 yards. 

5. Never shoot unless you are steady and comfortable.  Sandbags, bipods, shooting tripods, you name it -- they all can move. Just don't pull that trigger until you're rock solid.

6. Take a course from professionals.  Spend the time and money to get hands-on training.

7.  Lastly, learn to read the wind as best you can.  Watch YouTube vids, listen to professionals like the staff of Angel's training course. Wind makes all the difference at long distances.

Finally, I will ask you to ALWAYS take into consideration the ethics of shooting and hunting. Just because you become a 1000-yard shooter doesn't mean you should try to take game at that range.  Know your shooting and be steadfast in your ethics.  

Maybe you are that guy who can consider all the variables and ethically take that 1000-yard shot on a buck or elk. Most of us are not and just enjoy punching targets at long range. So please be smart about your shots.

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Get Long-Range Training here: https://angelsfirearmsinstruction.com/

Del

ACCESS TO RESPONSIBLE HUNTING

HUNTING ETHICS; SAVE OUR SPORT

RESPONSIBLE HUNTING AND SHOOTING ARE CRITICAL ELEMENTS TO THE FUTURE OF OUR SPORT.

By Del Albright

Hunting is like off-roading or four-wheeling sports, we must do it right if we want to continue to do it in the future.  Irresponsible behavior or lack of ethics will get us shut down by the people who do not like what we do anyway.  They do not try to hide their mission of shutting us out.

Here are some simple tips to keep our hunting/shooting sports alive.

FIRST: Be ethical; make clean kills and avoid stupid (long, or running) shots that you know you cannot make; and do not ruin someone else's hunt.

For more on Recreation Ethics visit BlueRibbon Coalition/Sharetrails.Org

SECOND: Be courteous of other hunters and other land users; think about where you park and how you drive/walk into the area where others are hunting.

THIRD: Be informed by reading about ethics and rules from places like the NRA or TreadLightly! etc.

Visit TreadLightly! for more ideas and educational posters.

FOURTH:  Be clean; always pick up your trash and pack it out, including shells and target trash.  Leave your campsite better than you found it.

FIFTH: Be safe; follow the gun rules; never point a weapon at anyone (even if you think it's unloaded); and properly store your weapon in your vehicle -- safely and legally.

Set the example for others; pass on the tradition, the right way!

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Del

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OUTDOOR FREEDOM IS ABOUT CHOICES

HUNTING, FISHING, EXPLORING, CAMPING, OR WHATEVER YOU LIKE; IT'S ABOUT FREEDOM OF CHOICE

By Del Albright

Being outdoors enjoying whatever it is you do, is one of the treasures we have in this country. It matters not what you do (outside), as long as you do it and respect others who might do something else. We all should embrace our freedom of choice.

I enjoy hunting.  I also enjoy photography and music.  And hey, give me a fishing pole and I'm ready to rock. It really is not important what you do outside that you love; it's that you DO it, and you respect the right of others to choose.  Heck, many of us and those before us have fought for that very right --- that freedom.  Hold it tight and let no one take it from us.


We should drag our kids outside for the same sports and outdoor activities that you enjoy...or that they might enjoy.  Please don't overly contribute to this generation of thumb-living-video-gamers.  Get them outside when you can.  Yes, I know; some of this video game world is just inevitable.  But when the opportunity is there; take a kid outside.

Go to a beach for a picnic; drag out the old boat and take it for a spin; go to a gun range and teach a kid to shoot; take pictures of the sunrise/sunset; or just drive the countryside enjoying the freedom of access we have to many areas of this great country.  And then figure out what MORE you can do to make sure we have these places in the future.

Be sure to keep up your memberships in your favorite organizations that are fighting for your access and your freedoms.  I suggest you start with the outfit that represents all trails; all sports -- BlueRibbon Coalition.
Visit here to join and donate:  http://www.blueribboncoalition.org

Del
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NRA, BlueRibbon Coalition, and Access to Lands

National Rifle Association Fully Involved in Public Land Access Issues

The NRA has gotten heavily involved in helping to keep lands open to motorized and non-motorized access for hunters, very much like the BlueRibbon Coalition and other motorized recreation groups.

While this is certainly helpful, in my estimation, more NRA members need to join up with BlueRibbon Coalition because the myth that hunters are not OHVers has come to an end. If you use a quad, dirt bike, tote goat, jeep or 4x4 to get around in the back country, retrieve game and get to your favorite hunting spot, you ARE in fact an OHVer in the eyes of many.

We need to combine forces and build a bigger Army. See my write up here: http://www.delalbright.com/Access/nra_access.html

Del

(hunting photo by Stacie Albright, www.staciealbright.com)

Land Use Planning; Bruce Babbitt; and Hunting

My BlueRibbon partner, Don Amador, has posted up a great blog on the public process, Bruce Babbit, and hunting. Actually, its' more than that, but for sure you can get a lot out of this quick read with some good links.

Don links to a fish and game aritcle about getting involved in the management of hunting. The guy who wrote that article is Ken Mayer, a very good friend of mine. Ken is now the Director of Wildlife for Nevada. Ken knows government and in his piece he explains what we can do to ensure we have a say with the USFS and BLM.

It's really important that we are part of the early on "scoping" process -- where we can get our ideas in the game right up front, and hopefully see our ideas end up as the process spits out a plan.
Check out Don's info on his blog here:
http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/

Del