groundhogs are out

S

sanctified

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i got 2 today in a couple hours of walking the farm. both were about 60-70 yards out. i saw a few others that were past 200 yards, just could not sneak up on them. with the high winds here today in pennsylvania i did not want to take a 200-250 yard shot. i was using my 7mm-08 with my own reloads. they were last years deer loads. 140gr ballistic silvertip over 46gr of IMR4350. anyone else having any luck with the varmints?
 
Oh yes. I've noticed when they are cold, they're dumb. I've been after a couple that have holed up in the woods. I've not had the time to just sit them out, and the brush and canopies make it very difficult. I have nailed two of them in the past week, both with a 17hmr. The last was only 20ft, as I was walking. He blended in with the leaves perfectly. I caught the movement as he stood up ( I froze, gun down), after a few secs he went back to the ground. I slowly raised and.......The only problem was his little flip/dance thing. I retreated to the house and fetched the 30.06. I staked out another hillside for a little while, but never saw any of his friends. :( I was looking forward to it, one hillside to another, 100yd min shot with the 30.06 with a 6-24x scope up top. With all the trees and brush, it would have been a challenging shot. (unless it stood up and smiled).
from what I'm noticing, they don't see that well, but detect motion.
 
Not got to go yet. It is still early here for them but I did see one laying beside of the road (roadkill) yesterday. I guess I need to get the .22-250 ready for them. :D
 
They're starting to come out here in Eastern Oregon. I'll be rapping on the farmers doors in a couple weeks or so to help control their "problem". I don't know about other parts of our beautiful country, but we have had a pretty late winter. Its warming up quick-like though. Good luck with those rodent hogs in your area, I hate-hate-hate the wind. :rolleyes:
 
When I hunted wood chucks, I always waited until the young were large enough to survive on their own prior to hunting. That usually meant May or so. Of course, if you are trying to exterminate them on your farm, by all means shoot them now.
 
Unlucky Groundhog....Hunter.

I've been seeing a groundhog on the side of my yard in a swail for about 2 wks now...never have the time to hunt him.

Unfortunately, the only time I saw him was coming in or going out.

Well that all changed...I left the drive and what do I see? A groundhog pancake:( Apparently, he tried to cross the main road at the end of my property and SPLAT...such a waste of good hunting...:(
 
Stop teasing! LOL

They're actually protected here... Makes about as much sense as a football-bat, but it's an $8000 fine for disrupting a groundhog colony in any way here--and we have no shortage of them. I'm not sure which would be more fun---hunting them or going after the environmentalists that think an over-populating, really destructive rodent needs protection.
 
Some of my best memories include stalking the notorious whistle pigs with my father. Only as serious or relaxing as you want it to be. Thanks for bringing back some great memories.
 
wow!!!:confused: i never thought i would see the day when varmints were protected. i do not think i will be moving where ever you are anytime soon.
 
Re: 22-rimfire

South-western Utah. When I lived in Montana, I had ranchers throwing free ammo at me to take out as many as I could--I sure miss those days. All the fuss is over the Utah Prarie Dog. There are a couple other species they allow seasons for in some area (off limits April through June state-wide though), but it's still pretty restrictive and I'm not likely going to drive 7 hours to shoot a few whistle-pigs. Here locally, I can't even have a good day at the local golf course because they're so thick. Guaranteed a hole-in-one every time I go out, but it's no where near the pin--damn things are everywhere and can't do a thing about it. Love the state, can't stand some of the politics.
 
Seems to me that the golf course may have some options on controlling the population. I know some states now have seasons on crows. I like the honor system when it comes to when it is appropriate to hunt chucks or what ever rodent you're talking about. I hate to see formal "seasons" on things like this.

You bring up a point that maybe I should do some searching on state web sites to see if this is a trend or something special to Utah.
 
it's an $8000 fine for disrupting a groundhog colony in any way here--...South-western Utah
Click to expand...
Note to self: never move to Utah. So far that's 2 states out: New Jersey and Utah.
And I love killing groundhogs. Used to rent a house in the middle of farmland. My landlord (the farmer) would encourage me to blast the little suckers with my 16 guage--shooting right out my back door. He was the best landlord ever! :) Now living in the Pocono area of PA and not seeing many groundhogs here...
Almost forgot: I've always sort of fantasized about nailing Punxsutawney Phil with a 243 just as he turns his head out to run back in the hole. Anyone else have that dream?
 
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Chemist308, add California to your list.

I have no idea how prariedogs are or aren't protected, but if you kill a coyote it's damn near like you killed a person - they're a protected species here.

I know it's off topic (Yotes v. Dogs), just had to rant.
 
22-rimfire

With all the proper authority, the golf course could do something about the prairie dog issue. But it would involve a lot of red tape through the state, permits, oversight, and they'd have to fund the "safe" extraction, transport, and relocation project. After all that, it'd probably cost me $500 to play a round there, because that cost would of course be passed along to those of us who use the course. Gotta love the politics of a place where a prairie dog colony has more going for it than the tax payers.
 
Interesting information about legality issues. I was thinking that one could get permission to remove a nuisance animal(s) the same way that it is done in other states with whitetailed deer... call game protector/warden, make request, get approved, do it. Remember the movie "Caddy Shack".

I was not thinking about doing an environmental impact assessment. We have come so far..... so much to do, so little time or not enough money.
 
tinman.."from what I'm noticing, they don't see that well, but detect motion".is correct.they have very poor depth perception also follow side to side motion but not straight on motion well.their hearing is excellent.I saw one run right off a ledge and plummet 60 feet to the river below it.I wouldnt have believed it if I hadnt seen it overshoot its den entrance.

they climb trees,swim if theres water nearby and do most anything a overgrown RAT will do.I dont like them at all as they do serious damage to just about any farm building they get into,consume vast amounts of soy beans when they first start coming through the soil and not to mention broken tractor axils hitting a hidden den system,broken legs on cattle and their habit of eating tree bark off the young trees.

groundhogs are plentiful here as well and some farmers pay to have them eliminated by trappers and hunters.if you cant shoot them,put a piece of fruit flavored bubblegum down the den entrance.they will eat it but cant metabolize it,it wont "pass" out its system neither.safe for family pets but poison to rodents.


When I can get out to hunt them,Ive had best luck just after sunrise till about noon then after 3pm till 6pm.rain or shine.I use a 12 gauge on the ones close in to farm buildings and a .223 varmiter,6-24x scope with vmax loads on the ones out in the fields and always carry an extra pistol for the groundhogs that pop up along fence rows and in heavy brush.theres no gun that wouldnt work for these rodents.its all good.
 
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