We practice on ground squirrels in spring. They’re quite destructive. Alfalfa ranchers love to let kids practice on them because their holes stop those huge (sometimes a mile long), driven, rotating sprinkler systems, which cause very expensive damage. Plus the alfalfa they consume. Some ranchers pay a few cents per squirrel to let teenagers go at it.

Property owners are effected as well, as they cause large holes, eat gardens, kill small trees. If far enough from town and close neighbors owners patrol their property daily.

My Ruger 10/22 gets more use on squirrels than other game. Usually burn a brick daily if shooting on a friend’s alfalfa pivots.

The squirrels are so prolific, populations quickly recover. Got to keep an eye out for badgers, though, they like squirrels too.