Shooter Rests Price Change

Hey all. Of course there is nothing to report on any rats showing up. Mainly I wanted to inform everone that I have had to raise the prices on the deluxe shooters on wheels, due to increase in material prices, mostly the wheels. I will only be building 2 more on the 14" wheels and I will have to have $175 for them. I will have a few available on 10" wheels that will sell for $155. Basic model will still be $65 and the ones I am mounting on shop stools are $85. Welcome to "Hope and Change"
Just seeing the sun today for the first time in 5 days due to freezing fog. Matbe 6 (?) weeks and rats might be showing. Keep in touch.

New Model Shooter Rest

Just finished a new model of my pivoting shooter rest. This is complete with a base and a padded seat. It will sell between $85 and $90 ( have to figure out my final cost yet ). Remember, I sell the basic rest for $65 without a base or padded seat. Seems like a good value for the extra money. I have some of all models available now.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrr Its been cold here near Sisters. Down to -22 degrees last week. Warming up today with the warning of snow. I'll bet those rats are real deep in the ground.

Check your local Bi-Mart store for .22 ammo. They seem to have lots of HP Remington and some Peters and Winchester round nose lead. Have plenty of .17 HMR too.

Rats can show up by the middle of February at Burns. Thats only about 2 months away. Of course, shooting rats that early is not for the faint of heart. Most of our shooting is done from inside the cab with the heater on. I remember one day early last spring when Bill and I were shooting from my rig and we couldn't roll both windows down at the same time. The cold wind blowing thru would tear up your eyes before you could focus on the rats. So we took turns rolling down our windows. Still beats sitting in front of the TV.

Ice fishing around Burns is pretty good in Feb also. Makes for a nice break.

I will try to post more often . Merry Xmas to all and have a safe New Years.

SAGE RAT SHOOTING ONLY 3 MONTHS AWAY

Talked to my friend Jim, in Crane the other day and we agreed that sage rat shooting, most times, starts around the middle of February. That's only three months away. Made me realize that I had better start building some "shooter rests". Also I have had 2 calls in the last two weeks from interested shooters asking about them. So, I have rearranged my shop and am in the process of cutting, welding and assembly. If anyone is interested, I should have some ready after Thanksgiving. If you are new to this site, refer back to my first couple of blogs to view pictures.

Ammo has started to show up in limited quanities in our area. Prices are somewhat inflated. What few bricks that were at the Redmond gun show last weekend were priced $22-$25. ( for .22 LR ). Jim said that in the Burns area, one store had American Eagle bricks for near $50. Good luck with that one.

Got a different rig this year. If you recall last year, I was driving a white Yukon with a roof rack. This year I will be driving a Ford Excursion, light tan in color. Don't know yet if the roof rack will fit. It's a 7.3 Powerstroke and will pull my travel trailer better than the Yukon. Look for it around the Crane Supply if you are in the area. I'll try and keep on the blog with any news I have.

Last of the sage rats for this season

Sorry about not keeping up on the rat shooting. Just have been to busy and haven't been out shooting for some time. Yesterday I spotted what must have been the last sage rat of the season about 1/2 mile SW of Sisters on the Lazy Z ranch. Just sitting there in the morning sunshine. Of course, there is no shooting on the Lazy Z. Next spring we will all getting cabin fever and the shooting will begin sometime in late Feb. Check out my rotating shooter rests in the first post. They work. Later. Ratrouster

Sorry, Not much News

There are still a few rats out, but hard to spot. Need to catch them out around the edges on clear ground. I myself have been trying ti fish at least once a week. Winter, all of a sudden, turned into summer with mid to high 90s for temps. Fished Prineville Res a couple of weeks ago with poor results and then Three Creeks Lake last Thursday, from my pontoon boat. 3 of us managed to catch 6 fish. Sometime this week, we will go again but not hit the water till about 3 pm and fish till dark. Ammo is starting to show up in the stores again. And, at least at Bi-Mart, they have not jacked up the price. Don't pay up for ammo right now. I think the shortage is about over.

Alafala First Cutting

Yesterday, June 24th, I was near Silver Lake and saw that they were making their first cutting. Also, today, a nice lady from Xmas Valley drove here to my place to buy her husband a "pivoting shooter rest" for a late fathers day gift. What a gal. Wonder if she has a sister? Anyway, she said they had started yesterday to cut the Alfala on her neighbor's property. Shooting should be good for a couple of weeks.

The reason I was around that area, was fishing at Duncan Reservoir and Thompson Reservoir. Thompson sucked, but, Duncan gave up a 19" rainbow, two 18's and 6 others, 12-15 inches. Bobber and worms did the trick.

A Little Break in The Weather

Finally got a break in the weather this week. ( Over now. Rain showers,thunder and highs of only 65 predicted over the weekend.) Brother-in-law Scott and I took off for an ATV ride on Monday afternoon from my house and put on about 40 miles. Explored some unfamiliar roads and proceeded to get lost on our way back. Seems I took a wrong turn and although we had our GPS and a map, we found ourselves on several dead end roads and behind lots of blown down trees blocking us. Finally got back at 7 PM. Fun time though.

Then on Wednesday, I took my fried Les to Prineville Res for some bass fishing. Weather was great. We got fishing about 9am ( this time of year, bass sleep in ) and in about 30 minutes, my battery for the electric trolling motor ran out of juice. Yes, I had charged it. Just didn't hold. So, I had to drift along or use the big motor. Not real handy. We did manage to boat 25 bass ( all dinks) Les caught the largest. Weather is supposed to break out in a couple of days ( the weather forecasters always dangle that carrot out there) and if it does, I will be back out, doing what I do best.

Thunder Storms & Hail

Promised a fishing report but never made it to the lake. Had a business problem I had to handle in the AM and then it stormed in the PM. I went into Bend about 4 and Pilot Butte was WHITE! Hail had covered parts of Bend with 3 inches of the stuff in about 5 minutes. Underpasses were flooded and closed. What a strange Spring we are having. Thunder and lighting are forecast thru this next weekend. Rat shooting and fishing are not going to happen for me. The Sisters Rodeo is this comming weekend too. Hope they get a break. Wonder if I can find my studded snow tires?

Alfalfa Update

Sorry to be so lax about keeping up on the rat info. It's just that there isn't much going on right now. Talked to my friend Jim at Crane and he said it would probably be around the end of the month before they would start cutting. The alfalfa here around Sisters is about a foot high. Today I was out towards Terrrebonne and saw a few rats crossing the road. They are out there, just hidden in the grass. We have had PM thunder storms for the last two weeks, so it wouldn't be good to be out shooting anyway. I have heard some reports of a good rock chuck populations around. Finding suitabe fields or areas to shoot in are kind of scarce around here. I'm going to start Bass fishing tomorrow at Prineville Reservoir. The water temp should be about right. I am down to a couple of Shooter Rests for sale and have some people that are wanting to see them. Don't think I will be making any more this Summer unless I have a special order. I have a appt with the Dr on Thursday for a "Nuke stress test". Hope to find out what caused the minor heart attack a couple of weeks ago. Anybody finding any .22 ammo? None around here right now. Look for a fishing report tomorrow.

May 23/09

I haven't been out shooting for awhile. To many family things going on. I was in Caldwell Id. last Monday for a graduation and had a heart attack. Two days later they let me go home. I talked to my friend Jim at Crane and he said the rats were thicker than ever, but, the alfalfa was getting to tall. I also talked to a gal in Xmas valley Wed and she said they were shooting off the back of a pickup for a better look. I'm supposed to be notified when they make the first cutting. Shouldn't be to long.

Xmas Valley Rats

I haven't been out shooting for a couple of weeks now. The weather has been windy and cold here in Central Oregon. And, seems like the responsible things I have let go are finally catching up with me. Some of the family went down to the Xmas Valley dunes riding quads and said every field they drove by had shooters. One of the ranchers told my stepson that there would be about 2 weeks of decent shooting before the alfalfa would be high enough to hide the rats. Then a person will have to wait until they cut. The weather outlook isn't great either. When will this winter be over? Anyone out there a fisherman. I hear that the Kokanee are biting at Wickiup and ranging around 14 plus inches.

Crane 4/19 - 4/23

Sage rat shooting is at it's peak right now. The young rats are up and stupid, allowing for some multiple kills with one shot. Some will come up so close that you can't even get a bead on them properly. The weather this last week started off great with no wind and temps around 80. Got some wind on Wed that made it a little difficult to stay on target, but my brother-in-law managed 287 confirmed kills. I took it a little easy and even napped for awhile and scored 127. Thurs AM the wind was blowing and cold. We hung in till about noon and then pulled out for home. I brought my trailer back this time and will probably start heading down to Xmas valley on day trips. Talked to some guys that were shooting Xmas Valley this week and they were into the rats big time. Biggest problem was the wind and dust.

Will Spring Ever Get Here ? Maybe Friday

Has snowed here at my house near Sisters for the last two days. Not sticking but the temp and wind has kept all but the hardiest inside. Saw a sage rat run behind my shop yesterday. I guess it is time to get the ole Gamo pellet rifle out. I shot 25 in my yard last year. The weather is supposed to get better from here on out with Friday getting near 65 and low 70s predicted for the weekend. Did I mention that it was 17 degrees here this morning. I will be heading to Crane Friday to meet with some old friends and shoot rats for a few days. Should be good. Check out my older blogs for hints on sucessful shooting and take a look at the shooting rests I build.

Silver Lake/Xmas Valley Rats

Just talked to a rancher friend near Silver Lake, and he said the rats were up. He thought that the females were down having first litters and that in 2-3 weeks the shooting would be really good. Xmas Valley, Fort Rock and Silver Lake would be on the same schedule. Check out my archive section on the pivoting rifle rests I build, and the proper procedures on the ranchers property. And, by the way. You don't have to pay to shoot sage rats. The ranchers that try to charge you are dreaming. Most will welcome you if you are a responsible shooter. Just don't screw up.

Snowing at Crane

My friend Bill just came by on his way home to the valley from Crane. He said it was snowing there this morning. Everyone left,in our group, scattered for home. Hope the weather is better next week.

At Crane, The Best Is Yet To Come

Spent Sunday PM and all day Monday out after sage rats at Crane. The temperature was OK but the wind just wouldn't let up. A little cool in the morning but not a factor in the low number of rats showing. We blamed it mostly on the wind and the fact ( we figured ) that the females were in the burrows having their litters. No small rats were showing yet. However, we had a great time. There were about 13 shooters at "rat camp" for the 3 days and the good times did roll. Guys rolled in from Montana,Idaho,Washington and one drove with his fifth wheel from Palm Springs. So 5 states were represented. I talked to Jim at Crane last night, the 8th, and it had rained hard most of the day so the remaining guys didn't even try to shoot. Right now I am trying to fill orders for my shooting rests. I am sold out of the ones on wheels. Check in my archives section here on the blog to look at them.

Crane 4/4/09

Just talked to Jim at Crane ( 5pm) Sat and wind is calm and rats are attacking the "rat camp" Jim says Kerby is trying to hold them off but is running low on ammo. Temp has been warm and it is supposed to be better tomorrow. I'm not waiting any longer. Heading out at dawn-0-30 in the morniing. I will be leading the reinforcements with 13 expected by tomorrow night. Look out rats, here we come.

Crane Sage Rats 3/27 thru 3/30

Brrrrrr, cold and windy. That pretty much sums up the whole trip. Friday PM we were able to get out into he field and bust a few rats, but the wind and temp was not nice. Saturday was about the same, although I managed to stay out on the shooter rest all day and got a few rats. Of course, they don't think much of the wind and cold either, so the kill count was rather low. The wind really came up during the night. I thought the trailer was going to be blown right off the jacks. Rain was pelting dowm too and when we got up the next morning, we discovered that some had been snow. Temp 20 degrees. Wind still at about 25-30 mph. Hung around camp till about 10 and decided we could shoot from the rigs if any rats were up. As it turned out, the wind and cold kept us in the trucks but there were more rats than expected, so had a fair day shooting, given the conditions. Like always, the wind laid down about 6pm and when we left on Mondat morning it was sunny with no wind. I would say that the rat population is, right now, about average. About 2 weeks from now it should get really good, especially if the weather straightens out. On this last trip, I had my grandson and his step-dad along, so, it was a special trip for me. Confirmed kills ( see earlier post ) was 108 for me.

A Few Rats out Sisters/Tumalo

Spent this week taking care of "honey dos " and taxes, so no first hand report right now. However, during my travels around our area, I observed a few rats just East of Sisters and West of Tumalo. There are really to many houses in these areas to do much shooting but the fact that rats are showing here gives me reason to believe rats are starting to show in the Fort Rock and Xmas Valley pivots. By calling one of the businesses in Xmas Valley, you could probably find out for sure. I am leaving in the morning for Crane. Just talked to friend Jim and the weather was 47 degrees, light wind and mostly sunny. Check in Tuesday for the latest info.

RATS RATS RATS, Crane 3/16 thru 3/21

Rats Rats Rats everywhere. In the fields, in the sage and running across the road. When we left Bend on Monday, it was snowing hard and 3-4" was on the ground. Roads were just wet and by the time we got past Hampton Station, most of the roadside snow was gone. Dry pavement Burns to Crane. Tried to shoot during what was left of the PM but was to cold and rainy. But hey, the next day was better. Warmer with more sun and less wind and it improved every day thereafter. Our group at rat camp numbered 5-7 every day. We shot at a field that my friend Jim has a semi-exclusive access to and it was loaded. I shot 3 days with the Remington .22 and the last day I got out the .17HMR. Doesn't seem to matter what gun I shoot, the daily count on dead rats is about the same. Of course with the .17, I shoot up less ammo. You probably won't be impressed, but my 4 days count was 234 dead rats. Those kills are confirmed as defined in my earlier blog. According to what I was told, 150 sage rats will eat or destroy 1 ton of alfalfa in a season. So, I figured I earned my keep, so to speak, with the rancher. Of course, all my amigos claimed more kills than me. We all were using my pivoting shooting rests, which ups your kill ratio a lot. I will have some for rent at Crane ($10 a day) when I return over there. Best to make prior arrangements if you want one as cell phone service where I stay is nil. Call me for directions. 541-420-5342 The weather this week is supposed to be kind of iffy until about Friday. So, if it improves, I will head over on the 27th. I am putting up some pictures. I am the guy standing by my white Yukon. Look for it at Crane. Also, for you people unfamiliar with the area, there is lodging at Crystal Crane Hot Springs near Crane. Google them for info.

Did I really kill that Rat?

Being a fisherman (after Rat season I will be posting fishing reports here ) and a rat shooter, I am included in the two groups that qualify as the 'worlds biggest liars" but I have to say that when it comes to streaching the truth, fishermen have to take a back seat to Rat Shooters. If you are sitting around with a group of rat shooters discussing the days shooting and how many rats each shooter killed, the term " the first liar doesn't have a chance" really comes into play. Lets talk about what constitutes a "kill". I am a real stickler about this. I even have a counter attached to my pivoting shooter rest. To claim a kill, the subject rat has (1) to be crawling along the ground with guts trailing, or (2) flopping around ( we call it doing the chicken dance ) or (3) laying still, stone dead, ( if you are unsure, put another round in him ) or, (4) some times, thru your scope you can see a tail quivering in the air as the rat is hidden in a furrow. That is when a high power scope is handy. I have a 6X20 Simmons on my .17 HMR. Another claim to a kill would be when you hear the unmistakable sound of a hit, kind of a thud. But even that is sometimes questionable if one or more of these results are not there, you do not have a confirmed kill. The most common claim is when a shooter fires one off at a standing Rat. The rat goes down, mostly sideways, and disappears. If you don't have evidence as mentioned above, the rat probably just dove into his hole. No Kill. I always try to make it a competition. That makes everyone a better shot. After all, the ranchers don't let us onto their property to just burn up a lot of ammo. They want those rats killed and we have an obligation to do just that. No one cares if you shot up 1000 rounds today, maybe you are just a poor shot. Make your shots count and KILL RATS.

Guide Service for Rat Shooters, Crane, Or

Just got off the phone with Nikki Aamodt who with her husband Justin, have Diamond-A-Guides. They are old friends and have purchased several of my pivoting shooter rests over the years. My intent here is, not to promote the guide service, but to help any rat shooters unfamiliar with the sport or area to have a good source for expert help. All I will say is that Nikki and Justin are quality people and a Justin is a top guide . For information go to www.predatorparadise.com

Reports from Crane, Or 3/13

Talked to my friend Jim from Crane last evening on the phone. He said the rats are up by the thousands. He shot for about 2 hours yesterday and went thru 175 rounds. Doesn't sound like a lot, but Jim is an experenced rat shooter and he doesn't waste many bullets. Also heard from a couple of great guys, Doug and Bob from up in Washington. They sat in one field yesterday and each shot up 500 rounds of .17 HMR. Doug said he never moved from his spot for 4 hours. Bob was using the "Ratrouster on Wheels" that DOUG had bought from me on Wednesday. I told Doug "nice guy, that Bob" but I guess it was his Birthday, so it was OK. I, and some of my friends, 4 or 5, ( come to think of it, thats about ALL the friends I have ) will be heading over to Crane on Monday. I will post a report when I return. All Bulleyes

Best Buy On .22 Shells

In Bend, Or, the best buy on .22s is at Wal-Mart. They have a 550 round bulk pack for $13.47. The next best is BI-Mart ( when on sale ) with a 525 round bulk pack for $14.99. Both are Federal 36 grain hollow points, which shoot the best in my Remington 552 semi-auto rifle. Now, here's the catch. The federals you buy at Bi-Mart have a muzzle velocity of 1280 FPS, velocity at 100 yds 1020. 131 ft lbs energy at muzzle and 83 ft lbs at 100 yds. Drop at 100 yds 3.4". Wal-Mart's Federals don't hold up as well. Muzzle velocity 1260, velocity at 100 yds 1000 fps. 125 ft lbs of energy at the muzzle, 80 ft lbs at 100 yds and a 5.6" drop at 100 yds. Wal-Mart must have made a deal with Federal for lighter loads to keep the price down. So you run the numbers and figure out the best deal for you. We shoot so many rounds that opting for the more expensive shells like cci, we pass on. What I have done is. I bought quite a few .22s at Wal-Mart before I figured out the diference, so I am shooting up all my 1280 fps .22s first and then I will sight in my rifles again and switch to the several bricks of 1260 fps that I have. Check out the shooting pivot rifle rest I build under Sage Rats. Bullseyes and Tight Lines

Dos and Don'ts when shooting Sage Rats on Private Ground

I have been hunting on private ranches for so long, I don't even think about the unwritten rules. But then, I thought about the newcomers to the sport of shooting sage rats and varmints. First, don't ever go onto a rancher's property, or shoot onto it without first getting permission. If you can't find out who the owner is, or they are not at home, try somewhere else. You can be arrested for trespassing. Plus, it gives all future rat shooters a black eye. If the rancher says No, then thank him and continue on. If you are allowed to shoot, remember a few things. If you go thru a gate, leave it as you found it. Not all gates are ment to be left closed, or open. Check with the rancher before you shoot any centerfire rifles. Most ranchers only want you shooting rimfires. NEVER,NEVER,NEVER shoot in the direction of any buildings or livestock. Remember, that a .22 can ( and will ) richocet up to a mile. Don't pull that trigger if you might hit an irrigation pipe. If you do hit a pipe ( you will hear it ) tell the rancher and ask if he wants to inspect it for damage and then YOU offer to pay the repairs. Also, check to see if you are allowed to drive onto the field. Usually after they turn on the water, they want all vehicles to stay out of the fields. Ask about roads around the edges. Check to see if the rancher wants any other varmints shot if you see them. Badgers, coyotes and etc. Most do not want you shooting any birds, they get rats too, and clean up when we shooters are done. And that reminds me, clean up after yourself. Pack out the empty ammo cartons and lunch wrappers, etc. And, when you are done shooting for the day, look up the rancher and thank him or her for letting you shoot. If you want to shoot the next day, ask now. Don't assume that one days permission gives you the right to come back any time you want. Check in and ask each time. By following these simple guidelines, you will probably be allowed back. Remember, above all, respect the ranchers property, it is his or her home. P.S. Check out the rifle rests I build, below and go to superoregon.com sporting

Feb 25-26 First Rat Shoot Crane Or

Just returned from a 2 day shoot near Crane, Oregon. Weather was cold and windy with a few snow showers, but, the rats were up. Hard to hit with a 25-30 mph cross wind but we managed to get quite a few. Had to shoot from inside the Yukon. Just to cold to be outside for any length of time, so we didn't get a chance to use the shooter rests. I shot my .17 HMR for about 15 rounds but decided not to waste my expensive ammo in the wind so switched to the Remington .22. Worked out pretty good because you had to hold 12-16 inches into the wind at about 100 yds to connect. Usually took 2 or 3 shots to get the range. And, of course, as soon as you did, a gust of wind would come up and you'd miss. Good trip with some good friends. Will return soon.

Heading for Crane in the morning

Going to head out to Crane tomorrow AM. Heard the rats are up. Expect it to be a little stormy but still will be worth the trip. Should have a new report on Friday evening.

Sage Rats

Wow, a blog. Who would have thought this old guy, who still can't program his DVD recorder could ever get this far into computers. This blog is mostly to promote the pivoting rifle/shooter rest that I build as a hobby, but try to sell one now and again. I designed and built the first one ten years ago and have always been trying to improve them. I started out just building a pivot to mount on a bucket or whatever and kept trying new things until I hit upon the " ratrouster on wheels". The first one on wheels was a garden seat on wheels that had four small plastic wheels and you pulled it with the adjustable rifle rest. Then I hit on the idea of two wheels with a pull handle that would fold down out of the way for shooting. Then I incorporated a storage compartment with a hinged cover, that the pivot rest mounts on and " wallah " , I had created the most convient and portable shooting rest I had ever seen. I hesitate to claim "the Best on the market" because I'm sure I haven't seen everything on the market and I hate liars. The seat, pivot and adjustable vertical and horizontal bars are the basic unit and I currently sell it for $65. It will adapt to right or left hand shooters. This the base for all the models. If you buy one of these, you can mount it on anything you have handy that will work. Next step up includes a complete stand to mount the pivot on. Usually a modified chair base. Current price is an additional $15. Then the ultimate " Ratrouster on Wheels". Two wheels, storage compartment, hinged tow handle and the base pivot complete. Current selling price of $140, add $10 for a plastic chair seat. These prices are based on my costs of about 1 1/2 years ago and will probably go up when I purchase new materials. I will do my best to keep the blog updated. As you have probably figured out by now, the primary use for these rests is for sage rat shooting. I'm not sure how these blogs really work, so, if interested in more info, you can contact me at boyztoyz@bendbroadband.com. I am located near Sisters, Oregon and spend a lot of time in the Burns, Oregon area shooting rats as well as the area of Christmas Valley. It is my understanding that the rats are starting to show around Burns. Anybody hear anything?