Most common range and shooting positions for blacktail

[thinhorn_AK]

I've never shot one past 300yds.

 

[BlacktailTracker]

Practice shooting quick off hand shots and also some long range shots. Since you are mostly confined to the logging roads I feel you either get really close quick shots or really long shots canyon to canyon.

 

[limpet]

Not Washington but Northern California. I hunt on timber land that I work on and high country wilderness. My timberland bucks have been 30-150 offhand or a hasty natural rest (tree, rock etc) and our wilderness bucks have been 250-400 but it’s possible to get closer. Growing up shooting ground squirrels with a 22 was probably my biggest skill builder for being able to get quick offhand shots off and quickly getting into stable positions for longer shots.

 

[limpet]

Thats still damn good practice. And a good time!

It’s amazing how much faster my friends and I are at getting ready compared to people who didn’t grow up burning bricks of 22. It’s still my favorite spring activity. Turkeys or trout in the morning and ground squirrels after lunch.

 

[BlacktailTracker]

It’s amazing how much faster my friends and I are at getting ready compared to people who didn’t grow up burning bricks of 22. It’s still my favorite spring activity. Turkeys or trout in the morning and ground squirrels after lunch.

Seriously my GF and I have gone through 1000rds of .22 one morning on an alfalfa field. Nothing has helped my shooting more.

 

[BlacktailTracker]

why are you confined to the logging roads?

I like walking closed logging roads and skid roads. I can go bushwack through the timber but sometimes it's just so thick, nasty, and loud.

 

[BlacktailTracker]

yes, finding them is the key. Stay focused, they have a way of showing up right when you space out.

I swear right when you loose focus is when you hook the biggest fish or see that big buck.

This fall I ran right into a bear when I wasn't paying attention. The thing was no more than 10 feet away. We both looked at eachother suprised and the thing took off.

 

[Fred@Exterra]

After living in Western Oregon for five years & watching the general rifle season, I’d say the most common position is out the window of a truck @ 200 yards. Practice rolling the window up or down to rest your rifle. They actually make a foam window rest.

Fish and Game puts life-like targets up on busy roads for people to practice before daylight and after dark

Joking aside, most of the shots we took were 2-4 hundred yards across clearcuts. I’m sure further is possible, but they are tough to see. Also be prepared for still hunting in the timber and re-prod… close quick, off hand shots.


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[SaltyAquaholic]

It just so happens that I just got a new .22 I need to use so shooting some squirrels sounds like it’s the thing to do. Got a .22 suppressor coming for it as well speak

 

[hibernation]

After living in Western Oregon for five years & watching the general rifle season, I’d say the most common position is out the window of a truck @ 200 yards. Practice rolling the window up or down to rest your rifle. They actually make a foam window rest.

This is great for the hunter on a budget, you only need to buy the left half of a rain jacket. Buy the right half if you're usually in the passenger seat.

 

[BlacktailTracker]

It just so happens that I just got a new .22 I need to use so shooting some squirrels sounds like it’s the thing to do. Got a .22 suppressor coming for it as well speak

The squirells we shoot are agricultural pests. I wouldn't go around shooting random tree squirells unless you know it's allowed. Just general trigger time behind a .22 is really good practice.

 

[Clarktar]

Western Washington, and fair enough. I guess I’ll just keep it to distances I think I could shoot well at under pressure. Probably 50 to 300ish for now.

25-100 yards still hunting river bottoms. Everytime it's been standing offhand

 

[limpet]

Seriously my GF and I have gone through 1000rds of .22 one morning on an alfalfa field. Nothing has helped my shooting more.

I wish we had ag field to shoot in. We hunt squirrels in the same area we deer hunt steep ground with oaks and glades. It’s good practice of using terrain. After a few of their buddies get taken out they wise up pretty quick.

 

[BlacktailTracker]

alfalfa fields are a good time an all. But I honestly prefer this kinda squirrel shooting.

View attachment 1008678

Looks like northern California.

 

[limpet]

Aaaanyways I think you get the point ground squirrel hunting makes great practice and being a well rounded shooter that is comfortable offhand is a big advantage in the blacktail woods. Sorry to send everyone squirreling out.

 

[SaltyAquaholic]

Yea seems like a great way to get some practice in. Also, the eastern gray squirrels are invasive are they not? I don't think there’d be much trouble in removing some of them from the state. Western grays I’ll be careful for, since from what I understand they’re struggling a bit

 

[BlacktailTracker]

Yea seems like a great way to get some practice in. Also, the eastern gray squirrels are invasive are they not? I don't think there’d be much trouble in removing some of them from the state. Western grays I’ll be careful for, since from what I understand they’re struggling a bit

Western Grays are a beautiful squirrel.

 

[SaltyAquaholic]

Western Grays are a beautiful squirrel.

I’m a bit partial to the fox squirrels I grew up with in Florida.

 

[AKM]

In AK on Kodiak…
South end of the island doesn’t have trees. Just brush of varying thickness. Otherwise open tundra. Was out for bear using a 375 HH using 300gr AFrames. Shot sitting on a tussock about 75yds. Prone 253 yds. Couple others in between. Could have killed one at arm’s reach. It didn’t seem fair. Some of those critters were a cheeseburger short of a happy meal.

 

[Taudisio]

Grey squirrels? Wtf dude?

Diggers........

View attachment 1009433

Walking around and off-hand shooting ground squirrels is how I grew up. Less targets in the mountains, but I makes spotting them just as difficult.