Ask the Conservation Officer (CO)

by Gary Hompland, Regional Conservation Officer Question: "I recently noticed ground squirrels and rock chucks out and about. What are the rules about shooting ground squirrels?" Answer: The sage brush flats north of Mountain Home are a popular shooting destination for hunters in search of ground squirrels. Ground squirrels in the area are the unprotected subspecies of the Great Basin or Piute ground squirrel. All hunters must purchase and carry a valid hunting license while in the field. Hunters must also be off, and away from roadways and cannot shoot across any public roads. On private property hunters must have permission from the landowner to hunt or shoot. Small caliber rimfire rifles are the common weapon used by most of these hunters. These calibers are also extremely prone to ricochet. A common safety issue arises when hunters shooting at ground squirrels shoot in unsafe directions. Law enforcement officers have investigated vehicles hit by squirrel shooters as well as near misses on other hunters. All hunters are encouraged to increase their awareness and to "make sure of their target and beyond" a common saying from our hunter education program. There are many other animals sharing the rangelands in the spring. Hunters must be sure they know their target and restrict their shooting to only unprotected species. Last fall a hunter near Jerome was trying to shoot a hawk with a .22 rifle. He shot and injured a farm worker when the bullet missed the hawk, traveled across the section and hit the farm worker in the leg. If you have any further questions you may call the Magic Valley Regional Office of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game at (208)324-4350 or e-mail us at the Fish and Game web site at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov.