Woodchucks 2018

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Axis II

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I got a text late last night from my buddy reading "T minus 4 days until woodchuck season". We texted back and forth about his new Ruger AR that will be here Friday and his choice of ammo for woodchucks 77gr Hornady HP and it dawned on me that i wont be ready!

I ordered a new Boyds stock for my Savage Axis 223Rem Heavy barrel, checked loads for 55gr Nosler Varmageddon ballistic tip and came up with 5 shots in one hole, scope is zeroed for 100yards but i need to check scope dope for 200-300yards with the new load. I still need to come up with a bipod, pillar and glass bed the stock, get permission slips signed, Still have to check 50-55gr V max loads, etc.

I never really hunted woodchucks until about 4-5yrs ago when I met this guy ^^ and he invited me and I was hooked. The first year we took about 30 chucks from various farms and he had some milestones of almost 400yards with a 22-250 and my milestone last year of 287yards with the 223rem. Now that i have the new stock and the rifle will be more stabile I plan on breaking that 287yard mark.

Saturday evening ill be sitting on a hillside or tripod stand watching a bean or hay field. Summer is here boys!!
 
Shot many a woodchuck in New York. On my dad's farmland, we only shoot the ones that are causing a fuss. The one under the shed gets to live, the one that lives near the target range, too gets a pass. The one that makes a hole in the middle of a hay field, get his hole as a grave. I don't regularly hunt them. I got one last year that was digging a hole in a pole barn. Caught him outside. I had my K31 Swiss with me and I hit him on the run (both me and him). He tumbled into the high grass. Some get pretty big. Coyotes around here are eating them so we don't see as many as we used to. Coyotes get shot on sight and actively hunted.

Its a fun way to shoot and to rid farms of pests. Most of the time I used what I have available. Most shots are 100 yards or less. Shot one with a Nagant, another with a Hakim in 8 MM. They die just the same.
 
dh1633pm said:
Shot many a woodchuck in New York. On my dad's farmland, we only shoot the ones that are causing a fuss. The one under the shed gets to live, the one that lives near the target range, too gets a pass. The one that makes a hole in the middle of a hay field, get his hole as a grave. I don't regularly hunt them. I got one last year that was digging a hole in a pole barn. Caught him outside. I had my K31 Swiss with me and I hit him on the run (both me and him). He tumbled into the high grass. Some get pretty big. Coyotes around here are eating them so we don't see as many as we used to. Coyotes get shot on sight and actively hunted.

Its a fun way to shoot and to rid farms of pests. Most of the time I used what I have available. Most shots are 100 yards or less. Shot one with a Nagant, another with a Hakim in 8 MM. They die just the same.
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We are nothing but hay and beans around here so they can reek some damage on the fields. One farm we took something like 25 out of two fields. I was walking out one evening from deer hunting and had a large hole he size of a volkes wagon beetle in the field.
 
It used to be that way around here. Not so anymore. When I was a kid I worked on a golf course. We used to smoke bomb them. Light it throw it down the hole, fill it, and then look for the secondary entrance with the smoke coming out and then fill that one. Can't have holes on a fairway or even in the rough.
 
I used to have a dog named Sarge when I was growing up. Got him at the pound nearby Griffis AFB when it was active. I would guess that he was an Air Force dog at one time. Hence the name Sarge. He was a black lab. He hated wood chucks with a passion. He was experienced and could kill them in seconds. He would bite em, then shake em, throw them, and that was that. I took him hunting many times for woodchuck.
 
Once upon a time I did a lot of woodchucking. Helped a buddy keep his property thinned out and another friend had a large farm and hated woodchucks. Along with several other places where I did some "critter control" for the owners. But over the years some folks pass away or retire and properties change hands. Now I hardly have access to any decent 'chuck fields but one of my buddies has some farms he can hunt and I may get in on some of that. When I was younger there were more opportunities but I was always working or busy with other things. Now that I'm retired and have more time I hardly have any opportunity other than a few small spots. Hopefully this summer I might get into a few more new spots.
 
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I understand the need to hunt woodchuck around farm land as cattle can break their legs in "chuck" holes and equipment can be damaged by the same. I don't understand needless killing of these animals. I have a friend that lives out (meaning few people around him) and he kills every chuck he sees. He doesn't have cattle and he doesn't farm. He has 7 acres on one side of his house and seven acres on the other side. He regularly sees deer and turkey on his place that he and the wife love to watch from their front porch. If it was me I'd throw chucks in this same ''watch" arena as opposed to killing them just because they're there. I've asked him why he kills them and he doesn't have a justifiable excuse. I don't understand it and needless to say he isn't a close friend!
 
Milt1 said:
I understand the need to hunt woodchuck around farm land as cattle can break their legs in "chuck" holes and equipment can be damaged by the same. I don't understand needless killing of these animals. I have a friend that lives out (meaning few people around him) and he kills every chuck he sees. He doesn't have cattle and he doesn't farm. He has 7 acres on one side of his house and seven acres on the other side. He regularly sees deer and turkey on his place that he and the wife love to watch from their front porch. If it was me I'd throw chucks in this same ''watch" arena as opposed to killing them just because they're there. I've asked him why he kills them and he doesn't have a justifiable excuse. I don't understand it and needless to say he isn't a close friend!
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I once felt the same way and would not hunt "pests" or varmints until i began seeing large spots of beans missing from chucks and taking over 20 chucks from one large bean field puts a damper on the farmers wallet. 3yrs ago we were watching a field and had 9 chucks all feeding in an acre area.
 
ohihunter2014 said:
I once felt the same way and would not hunt "pests" or varmints until i began seeing large spots of beans missing from chucks and taking over 20 chucks from one large bean field puts a damper on the farmers wallet. 3yrs ago we were watching a field and had 9 chucks all feeding in an acre area.
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What you've stated falls within the "I understand why". Certainly crops need to be protected but as I stated this guy doesn't have cattle and doesn't farm, in fact I've never seen a garden of any kind on his property. Most of his land is tree covered although there is farm land surrounding his place. But in this section of the state we don't have a large population of these animals. In fact they are somewhat rare. His shooting of these animals falls within needless killing IMO.
 
Back in the day I can recall old farmers who absolutely hated woodchucks. Twenty something years ago I was talking to one of them and the old boy told me to get out there and "shoot the bast*#&'s". They aren't even close to rare in these parts and many folks consider them an invasive pest. Although nowadays there are more people who don't consider woodchucks as game animals. I grew up among hunters including my father who did a lot of woodchuck hunting pre- WWII with a rifle chambered in 22LR.. Years ago I heard old timers extol the virtues of things like the 22 Hornet on woodchucks because they had all grown up using 22LR stuff on them and were impressed to use a centerfire. To me and my contemporaries they were always just another game animal.
 
Rock chucks as we call them (most live in rock piles and head out to do their damage) are a big nuisance and if one doesn’t want them on his or her land more power to them to eliminate them.

There is a reason why they are open season with a hunting license, they cannot be controlled.
 
<*(((>< said:
Rock chucks as we call them (most live in rock piles and head out to do their damage) are a big nuisance and if one doesn’t want them on his or her land more power to them to eliminate them.

There is a reason why they are open season with a hunting license, they cannot be controlled.
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Every state ive hunted has open season on them.
 
Grumulkin said:
View attachment 790827

I gave them a pass and then the ones under my porch chewed the wire for landscape lighting. They are now on the list.
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Armored farmer said:
View attachment 790832
Mamma groundhog and her brood can ruin an acre ($500.00) of soybeans.

This one was taken at about 35yds with my LCP.
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Nice shooting guys!! I was rabbit hunting 2yrs ago in late February and it was about 45 degrees and while walking back to the truck across a cut hay field i noticed something brown lying in the grass and not moving. I got about 40yards from it and it was a huge chuck. I had a 20ga O/U and my buddy a 12ga pump and i said on 3 we will get him!! I let both barrels go and my buddy hit him with the 12ga!

Now i have a buddy who hates them and told me he chased one down on the farm with a metal dog leash and killed it.
 
One more day and we wage war!!!

Checking zero on the rifle tonight, attaching the bipod, my Primos trigger stick short tripod will be here today also.
 
Well i just got confirmation my Primos shooting stick tripod has arrived to my house. Going tonight to check zero with 55gr Nosler Varmageddon BT, 25.3gr Benchmark, cci 450 out of a savage axis heavy barrel with 6-18-44, Blackhawk 6-12 bipod.

I'm starting to feel like a kid on Christmas eve.
 

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A farmer with cows or horses could have a problem with one of his livestock getting caught up in their holes. They can be very pesky critters. I can remember when I was like 14. I just got a job on a Golf Course. I had to rake and weed the sand traps. How I hated that. Anyhow I saw a woodchuck on the back 9 and tried to chase him. He charged me. I used my rake to fend him off. It was then my dog Sarge came to my aid. Dog 1 - Woodchuck 0. End of story. They will come after you if you get between them and their hole. Funny growing up around here there are so many woodchuck stories.
 
Shanghai McCoy said:
^^^
On a traditional archery site I have read some of the guys referring to them as "ground grizzlies". Guess they weren't kidding..? :uhoh:
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As a kid we would sneak through bean fields and hay to fish a small secluded pond but were courteous enough to walk on the edge of the field in the tall grass. One day my buddy starts running and says a ground hog is chasing him and sure enough every evening after school this thing would chase us away. 5-6yrs ago I was fishing a local public hunting and fishing spot and while walking down the gravel road I seen a baby g hog laying in the gravel. I wasn't sure if it was alive so I threw some gravel near it and the dang thing attacked the rocks and made some weird growl. I got closer and it came after me so I kicked gravel at it and it went into the weeds to come out at me when I walked by. I told my uncle/fishing buddy about it and he thought I was full of it so he went with me a few days later and there is was. He threw some rocks at it to get it to move and it growled and started biting the rocks.
 
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