Where to go for Rockchucks?

6mm06

Well-known member
Just wondering where I might go to find good shooting opportunities for Rockchucks - on public land?
 
6mm06,

Since varmint hunting has become so popular in the past 10-15 yrs. it will be hard to get much of an answer.
I've been on a couple of praire dog hunting trips and rock chuck spots are kept much more secret than pd's.
Remember you are asking a question that 12-14 thousand people could read.
A generalized answer will be contact the western agricultural depts. until you find a person who will give you some answers.
Look for areas with rock outcroppings ,hay production ,watering equipment and you'll find varmints and ranchers who consider them that.
Best of luck Mike
 
If by rockchucks you mean the yellow-bellied marmot of the western states, you'll find them up high in the Rockies above timberline mostly. Colorado has a very restrictive season on them (thank you, Boulder bunny-huggers), but other states out here should not suffer from that - check their state dept. of wildlife websites.

I can't speak for lower-altitude chucks in other states, but out here you normally have to be up around 10,500-11,000 feet to find them. That usually (but not always) means using a 4x4 to drive the dirt jeep trails and pass roads up to that altitude (so you don't have to climb all that way!) and then doing some hoofing along the slopes above timberline. The air is way thin, and the scenery doesn't help by taking the rest of your breath away.

Wyoming mountains are a bit lower than here, same for New Mexico (though not by much). No shortage of public land at high altitudes out here.
 
Colorado Pete,

I remember your post on rockchucking well and breathtaking photo's.
And that there is a 2 chuck limit in Colorado.
Has there been an increase in their numbers in your opinion?
I'm moving to colorado in about a year to year and half,maybe we can go up and shoot 4 chucks one of these days.
6mm06, i'm doing some research on chucks myself if i find some good info i'll pm you! Mike
 
Colorado Pete is right on all his info. I have tried many times to get onto them . I shot one at 6,000 feet which was jsut a small isolated colony a few years back. But for the most part they are not worth the effort with just a 2 chuck limit. Atleast not when you can drive 10 miles on flat land to shoot prairie dogs the same size.
 
6mm06,

There are quite a few here in southern Idaho. Many are found on public land (BLM), as well as around ag areas. As Mike, in above post says most guys here in Idaho are pretty close lipped about our honey holes, as without some personal restraint it is easy to to shoot out an area. They are never found in numbers like praire dogs. You could check out my friend's Dads website, http://shotsgunsmithing.com, he made a video last year from some of our hunts and has some GPS coordinates of public land areas we shot. It is not just on rockchucks, but on Townsend ground squirrels, Columbian ground squirrels, rock chucks, and praire dogs. All of these are found her in Idaho and Oregon, except for the praire dogs which were shot in Wyoming. Be adviced there are NO coordinates for honey holes listed. The Townsends number in the tens of thousands and are referred to as whistle pigs locally. They are probably one of the biggest challenges to your capabilities as a marksmen and your equipment. They stand about 3-5 inches high and are about 2 inches across. Shots can be rimfire range 0-100 yards, to centerfire range 100-beyond.
 
Thanks guys,

I appreciate all the info and I do realize that no one wants to give up their secret spots. I wouldn't ask anyone to do that, but I'd sure like to find some good shooting somewhere. I've never shot rockchucks but have hunted groundhogs here in Virginia for years. Our groundhog populations have been on the decline in recent years. I personally blame the coyote, but I can't positively confirm that. Others back here attribute the decline to Wiley as well.

I did shoot a few prairie dogs in Wyoming a few years back and enjoyed the heck out of it. I used a little 218 Bee in a #1 Ruger shooting 40 gr. V-Max. Man, that little number makes a mess out to 225 yards or so.

Have never shot ground squirrels but imagine that would be a world of fun too. While in the Navy and stationed in San Diego many years ago, I clearly remember seeing lots of ground squirrels on the base - holes dug everywhere. Don't know what kind they were, but I was frothing at the mouth wanting to shoot some and couldn't.

BoomSplat, I'll check out the website you mentioned. Thanks for that, and any other advice you or others might have. Mike, thanks also and I appreciate a PM if you have any info to pass along.

Good shooting to all of you.

David
 


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