Groundhogs are here again

[ghoster]

been hunting and eating hogs since i was little. i seem to have trouble with big ones but the little ones i cook in crock pot over nite and debone with a fork then add stew fixin and cook all day.---oooooooh so good.

i like to use my 22-250. blows em up. very, very fun.
just have to make head shots for eaters or too messed up.

i got a new 223 this winter and am excited to pop some with it.

as for got all the local population. --- impossable
leave the area alone for a month and there will be a hog in every hole the things breed like rabbits.

good thing too, its the only reason there not extinct. dumb as a rock, whisle real loud and they all sit up for a better shot. god love em.

 

[bang_bang]

dumb as a rock, whistle real loud and they all sit up for a better shot. god love em.

I remember a few years ago, my technique was to try and see how close I could sneak up on them. It was quite fun, and was able to get within 10 yards of a few before I took the shot. Even if the general population are dumb, I've ran across a few "smart" ones that I had to work to get.

 

[bang_bang]

Been a while since I had anything to add to this thread, but here is another successful hunt.

I actually shot this one from a hole I had previously taken one of the two larger groundhogs back in the Spring. I used my Ruger 10/22 with Federal Bulk Pack ammo...but without my red-dot scope. Upon entering the field, I noticed my battery was too weak to visibly see in the sun light. I took it off, hid behind a hay bale not far from where I last spotted it and waited. About 25 minutes later, it popped up from the creek bank and presented a shot. I pumped this one full, 4-5 shots in the vitals before it expired. Distance around 30 yards.

 

[AirplaneDoc]

+1

I don't think I'm hungry enough yet to eat groundhog.

Pretty far down my list of things to eat as well.

 

[The_Shootist]

Ok - What Gun?

Seems to be a few Centerfire rifles described here - but isn't ol fashion .22LR in Velocitors/Interceptors good enough? I remember using a .22 on groundhogs 30 odd years ago (loads of fun too) and it worked ok. Can't imagine with all the hot new ammo for it out now it would be any worse.

 

[bang_bang]

I've shot 3 this year...2 with my 300 Win Mag and 1 with my Ruger 10/22. My Marlin 22 Magnum has claimed the most, except I haven't took it out this year.

Your right though, .22lr is the most fun when groundhog hunting. I haven't tried any Stinger rounds or anything in mine....I just stick with the bulk pack stuff.

 

[Dr_2_B]

I guess I'd want to use the 22mag. I don't know why I'm so down on 22lr, but it just doesn't blow my whistle.

 

[butcherboy]

in the last week i have killed 2 woodchucks. 1 with marlin 22mag ,2nd with ruger 10/22.
22mag was 1 shot dead, ruger 22 i will not use again. had a good shot behind the left ear and he ran. found his hole ( im under 10feet from his hole) he popped up i shot hit him and he is dragging himself into his hole. i dont like to wound animals so i pumped him full of 6 shots. and he finally died.

that has made me into a 22mag fan for anything larger than rabbit. just my experience and opinion.

 

[MYREDTAIL]

Savage 99 is right here in NYS the woodchucks got smart & are living underneat the barne's & buildings to avoid the yote's & foxe's & even us hunters their population has fallen next to none within the last 10 yrs. I remember combing the dairy farms & in one day shot about 12 nice fat chuck's with my Rem 700 hvy BBL 22/250 & good handloads, Hopefully the chuck's will return as soon as we dwindle down the Yote population again.

 

[MYREDTAIL]

BUTCHERBOY looks like Hudson has more chucks than they do in green county.?

 

[Grumulkin]

Groundhogs like to live under my front porch. I got this one out of my office window with a 44 Magnum.

As far as I can tell, I've gotten all the groundhogs on my property cleaned out this year and I'm glad because they can be a real nuisance. I got a couple with the 44 Magnum. one with a snub nosed 357 Magnum, one with a Glock 19 and the last out of one of the skylights of my house with a 270 Winchester. Oh, and I ran one down in a field and killed it with my shoe.

In past years I've taken them with a 22 LR but in my experience they go quite a but further after being hit with one of those than they do after being tagged with a big centerfire round.

 

[butcherboy]

MYREDTAIL: i dont know if you know where the Hudson Humane Society on rt66 is, but there are a a lot of them there. aslo ive seen a bunch in stockport also.

 

[sansone]

we got these little "pocket Gophers" here and they don't come out of their hole. In fact they plug the hole. They're a nuicance because they build foot high pyramids that screw-up the mower blades. The only way I can shoot them is to expose the tunnel under one of their many "pyramids" and sit in a chair with shotgun. When they return to plug the hole, BOOM wife says I look like a fisherman waiting for a bite.

 

[Grumulkin]

I just noted above that I thought I had all my groundhogs cleaned out. Probably less than 2 hours later there was one in front of my house that succumbed to another 270 Winchester bullet. What I like about hitting them with a big centerfire rifle is they usually done go anywhere no matter where you hit them from stem to stern.

 

[Freedom_fighter_in_IL]

Last one I assassinated was with my bow!!! (I always carry a "junker" arrow and broad head for just such an occasion such as an irritating squirrel or groundhog)

I generally use the 220swift with 50g Sierras traveling at a meager 4000fps. Can you say "pink mist"

And dangit I fell for another zombie thread!!!!

 

[CoastieShep]

My first time hunting and actually shooting, not just following behind my dad, was ground squirrels on a friend's ranch. We killed em by the hundreds with a couple .22's yellow jackets were our bullet of choice. One shot kills out to 100 yards. Never hunted ground hogs though.

 

[cottswald]

Pistol shootin groundhogs. Nice!