Hay HunterCam welcome to the forum. I've been shooting ground squirrels and Marmots here in Idaho since about 1963. I can't tell you how many I've killed, but I'd guess a pile. Our weather is starting to warm up and the snow is leaving the low country and all the south slopes as we speak.
I'm going out this weekend and check some of my favorite places this week. I don't know what you shoot, but I like both the centerfires and rimfires when I go after Ground squirrels. I shoot both a CZ 527 Varmint in 204 Ruger and a CZ 452 Lux in 22 long rifle. The 204 gets an old Tasco 8 by 32 Target dot scope for squirrels and the 22 has a Weaver 2.5 to 10 classic on it.
I don't know how your weather back there is going, but I'm sure looking for spring to get here.