Hey Roksliders! I’m back with another installment of the “1 Thing” theme, this time focused on gettin the most out of Varmint Hunting. I think most of us make a mistake over and over again. We go on a hunt, but don’t make the effort to think critically about 1 thing we learned and will do different next time.
Think about it, how often do magazines write about a hunt, but fail to single out an action item to change in the future? Just 1 thing, maybe something you learned about elk behavior, your rifle setup, clothing, or camping system. We can consume all the information we want, but if we don’t change anything, did it really do us any good? I’d like to continue the series of discussions to get us in the habit of reviewing our hunt, and share highlights about the 1 thing we learned on a particular topic. To start, 1 thing I learned is about Varmint Hunting.
In central Oregon we have a good selection of varmints to hunt. Ground squirrels called grey diggers, sage rats, and the occasional rock chuck start coming out of their dens about now in early spring. One thing I have learned is what a good opportunity this presents to test new gear.
For most of my life I just casually hunted varmints with the same old Remington .22. This spring I’m going to be intentional about testing new gear now to see what works and what doesn’t well before big game season. A couple reasons why I’m going to try this is you get lots of shot opportunities, it’s low pressure compared to making a shot on a big buck, and it gives plenty of time for adjustments before the fall. While I will still use my .22 for the bulk of varminting, I will also throw in my centerfire rifles. This year I’m going to take my 6.5 Creedmoor, mounted on my Sentinel tripod, and see how far I can make shots in the field on little critters that move. I would ultimately love to be confident shooting big game out to 500 yards, and this is a much more fun way to practice getting there than just punching paper. Plus it will give me a good chance to validate that my trajectory matches the custom stadia marks on my reticle.
So what is the 1 thing you have learned about Varmint Hunting?
Think about it, how often do magazines write about a hunt, but fail to single out an action item to change in the future? Just 1 thing, maybe something you learned about elk behavior, your rifle setup, clothing, or camping system. We can consume all the information we want, but if we don’t change anything, did it really do us any good? I’d like to continue the series of discussions to get us in the habit of reviewing our hunt, and share highlights about the 1 thing we learned on a particular topic. To start, 1 thing I learned is about Varmint Hunting.
In central Oregon we have a good selection of varmints to hunt. Ground squirrels called grey diggers, sage rats, and the occasional rock chuck start coming out of their dens about now in early spring. One thing I have learned is what a good opportunity this presents to test new gear.
For most of my life I just casually hunted varmints with the same old Remington .22. This spring I’m going to be intentional about testing new gear now to see what works and what doesn’t well before big game season. A couple reasons why I’m going to try this is you get lots of shot opportunities, it’s low pressure compared to making a shot on a big buck, and it gives plenty of time for adjustments before the fall. While I will still use my .22 for the bulk of varminting, I will also throw in my centerfire rifles. This year I’m going to take my 6.5 Creedmoor, mounted on my Sentinel tripod, and see how far I can make shots in the field on little critters that move. I would ultimately love to be confident shooting big game out to 500 yards, and this is a much more fun way to practice getting there than just punching paper. Plus it will give me a good chance to validate that my trajectory matches the custom stadia marks on my reticle.
So what is the 1 thing you have learned about Varmint Hunting?
