Woodchucks 2019

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Haven’t taken any shots yet but have been watching them. This year I intend to use a 410. Got a hand load that spreads 9 #4 bucks (~0.22”) about the size of a groundhog out to 22 yards. Hopefully multiple hits keeps them all around for dinner. If not I have 36 and 38 caliber round balls to try.
The grass is tall and the holes are well known. Babies are loosing their cute friendly curiosity and becoming more shy. Time for harvesting soon because they are growing out of the fun stage. Won’t take them all just a few or so.
Don’t forget to watch the trees for groundhogs.
 
Well my brother got the blonde one the other day and said it was a female. That one that looked like a dog is probably dad, but not sure about the other medium size one. So far one baby and one female down. They have 3 holes all around my shed and one under the back privacy fence.
 
The chuck population is down here, too. Usually, I've shot a couple dozen by this time, but this year I've only managed about 5 all year long. Two of those were at ~75 yards with my 22 WMR, and were DRT. One was with a 22 lr 50 yards, and he crawled into his hole, only to come back out again about 20 minutes later. Another shot did for him. One was running through the potato patch with a 'tater in his mouth, and I barked his furry @$$ with my old 16 gauge. Steal my 'taters, will ya!

The most recent one, however, bears a little explaining. I had a family of chucks living under an old stump at the edge of my hay field. Over the years, I killed them off until there was just the one old, gray chuck left. He was a big dude, one of the biggest I've ever seen. And smart, let me tell ya was he smart. I think he could hear the kitchen door open at 200 yards. I watched him out the window one day for an hour, and finally decided to raise the window. When I did, down the hole he went! So, one day, I got smart, and eased out the front door, where he couldn't see me, and belly-crawled over the hill (~40 yards) with my 25-06, and waited. I laid there for 2 hours before he finally came out. So I eased my gun up, rested the crosshairs on his chest, and sent a 90 grain Hornady ballistic tip the 210 yards to meet him. Needless to say, he couldn't carry that weight. I was about as excited over that as I was the last big buck I shot! It took a lot of work, and most people wouldn't think much of it, but I sure thought I'd done something by outsmarting that old guy. Only took me 3 years, and a couple missed shots, to finally connect with him.

Mac
 
@MacAR

I had a similar instance 2 summers ago with one. Picture a bean field that is about 40 acres and looks like an L. I had just sighted the rifle in with hand loads, buddy shot the gun for me out to 400yards made a range card for bullet drop and we headed out driving around to the 15-20 different fields we had permission for. This particular field runs a rectangle from north to south and L west to east. The corner of the field where it L there is a bunch of grape vines they like to hang out and eat. They also hang out along the North/South fencerow and anytime we drive by on the road to glass and slow down they bolt. The roads about 200-300yards from the fencerow. I couldn't believe every time we slowed down how they would take off into the woods. We then parked on top of a hill that holds a gas line and you can see the whole bottom and the L. Two chucks come out along the North/South line and when my buddy gets out of the truck at 300yards away they take off. I decided to get out of the truck and stand and wait and we ended up getting one along the N/S line. It took about 20minutes to get him though.

Now for the crazy part. I am standing outside the truck and right where the L starts I see one. As soon as I put the rifle on the hood of the truck it bolts. He came back out several minutes later and when I sat down and lifted the bipod he bolted. I ranged him at about 275yards. I then told my buddy I am going to sneak over away from the truck and lay prone on top of the hill because he keeps thinking I am at the truck. He comes out about 10min later and when i lowered my head onto the scope he bolts. My buddy is laughing that this chuck keeps seeing me move and takes off. He comes back out and I throw a round at him and miss low. I adjust the scope up a little more and he comes out and sees me move and runs again. The next and last time he came out he walks over and hides behind a big elephant ear weed and is staring right at me while I am looking through the scope. I move and he gets nervous. He would not budge from behind that weed. He stared at me for probably 10minutes until he messed up and I sent a 55gr V max at him and dropped him. I couldn't believe how nervous he was and how he could spot me move every time.
 
I couldn't believe how nervous he was and how he could spot me move every time.

Its amazing how good the little buggers can see, isn't it? I had missed the one I talked about 2 or 3 times with my 22 magnum, and he wised up I guess. At first, I could get within about 100 to 125 yards of him. But later on, I had to resort to the 25 because a) its my only "varmint" rifle and b) its about the only gun I have that has a scope good enough to shoot that far (6.5-24x50)! It was a hard fight, but you know full well the feeling of accomplishment that comes when you win it.

Mac
 
First hunt of the year we sighted a 22-250 in with 50gr v max reloads and it printed 1/4 at 100yards. Sighted in a Ruger AR15 with frontier HP ammo and a savage 223 heavy barrel with 55gr Nosler BT reloads. We drove around for about an hour stopping at every spot we have and no one has planted. We did find one chuck in an old corn field and he let the truck drive down the hill, me get out and get the rifle and me get settled in before running. Drove by another farm to get permission and a big chuck and baby were in the beans 50yards from the field. As we drove up they both ran like no tomorrow. We joked and said they all know the green truck. No chucks killed today. Hay is coming off this week and beans going in so gonna wait a week or so.
 
I'm also surprised by their eyesight. I got around that problem on my buddies meadow by not parking where I was visible to them and taking the long way in walking through the woods. Then I had a few spots just inside the woods but with a good view of the field. Sneak in there in stealth mode and the success rate was always higher. They're smarter than most folks give then credit for. Fast learners, too. Also rode on the back of my buddies ATV a few times with a .22 because they didn't seem alarmed by that thing driving by. Some would watch you for a few seconds when you stopped. That didn't last long after I shot at a couple when we stopped. After that they's head underground as soon as the ATV headed in their direction.
 
Well no woodchuck hunting for me lately! It has rained almost every day for the last few weeks. Fields are flooded, ditches flooded. My buddy wants to give it a shot tonight around 530pm, so we shall see what happens.
 
there are 2 adult a 7 little ones under my shed, never seen 7 in one group. can't really shoot them to easy, sheds 20 feet from the road. maybe i could pop them with so cb longs. i have notested they don't come out on rainy days. early morning you can see the tracks they left from the dew, looks like someone was playing pac-man on the lawn.
 
Still too wet for woodchucks! Lots of fields not even tilled, let alone planted. Ran the rabbit dog this morning with 5 rabbits jumped from 9am-1130pm. He’s young and in training.
 
Saw some soybean sprouts today.

Maybe zero the .243 this weekend.

No places to go really. Havent hunted for so long. All my farmers proly dead. Some places built up.

Buy a license and hit public land...see if I can pop one off a beanfield there. State ground....reservoir..,.bad flooding two yrs ago proly killed most
 
I almost got one yesterday....... But I missed. It was on the shoulder of the road next to a field and I missed him with my Toyota Tacoma. It saw me coming. Sadly; that was my only chance at one so far this year. One place I can shoot them I haven't even seen one and another place the owner passed away and I'll have to wait and see what happens when the property changes hands.
 
well they just started planting fields last weekend and my hunting buddy is out of town until mid next week. I could go get permission slips signed without him but we go together every year. I just loaded several powders with 50gr V max and going to see how they shoot this weekend.
 
there are 2 adult a 7 little ones under my shed, never seen 7 in one group. can't really shoot them to easy, sheds 20 feet from the road. maybe i could pop them with so cb longs. i have notested they don't come out on rainy days. early morning you can see the tracks they left from the dew, looks like someone was playing pac-man on the lawn.

Got another one this morning at 20 ft with my crossman 760. I still need to pick up a better for rifle, but so far it's keeping them at bay. I'm considering a. 22 cal with velocity of 1050 fps ora .177 at 1200 to 1400 fps. Imy 760 has been inconsistent with penetration. This one at the first hit ran into my fence, a third finished it off
 
Got another one this morning at 20 ft with my crossman 760. I still need to pick up a better for rifle, but so far it's keeping them at bay. I'm considering a. 22 cal with velocity of 1050 fps ora .177 at 1200 to 1400 fps. Imy 760 has been inconsistent with penetration. This one at the first hit ran into my fence, a third finished it off
22lr rifles with cb's or quiet ammo i thin are quieter then the high power air rifles. the 22 air would be more power and quieter them a 17. the 17 is cheaper tho. if noise don't madder get whats accurate,
 
Got out tonight on a freshly planted bean field and saw 2 close to the house/road and one with houses behind the woods it was by so no shots. We watched deer for 30min or so and a large chuck appears. My buddy and I forgot our rangefinders and based on how bad the parallax was we guessed 200yards. He fired his 22-250 and the chuck jumps and runs into the weeds. We headed to another farm and see 5 coons eating in the field and I see two smaller brown things 100yards out so get the rifle and 7 more coons. He’s retiring his mountain cur who coon hunts so he will hunt him in November one last time and mount the coon and squirrel to honor him. Heading out Monday for woodchucks again.
 
Just an update for you guys....

We went out a few more times and didn't see anything. I am wondering if all the rain and fields flooding didn't drown everything. We drove to several farms and didn't see a single chuck. We finally made our way to one of our best farms and got our slips signed. This farm has several old barns that sit atop the hill and a giant river bottom and bean field below them. They hang out under the barns and then make their way to the bottom field through the hillside. That bottom field is usually good for 2-3 woodchucks a day and another larger field where we can sit atop the hill and shoot the river bank area out to 500yards. We setup in the bottom field and the beans were maybe 2-3'' tall. We watched for maybe 30min and a huge chuck pops out at 285yards. I tried using the MOA marks on my Vortex scope and let the 223rem with 55gr Nosler Varmigeddon Ballistic tips bark. My buddy always backs me up and says I shot way high into the weeds/woods. He took the chuck out with his Remington 700 22-250 with 50gr V max. We waited about an hour and half and no more chucks. He kept sneaking to the top field glassing the 400-500yards and says while he was standing there one came out at 30yards next to him and ran back to its hole. We did see lots of deer though.

I ended up going to my other buddies 300yard range and just marked my turrets instead of fooling with the MOA marks on the scope. We will be sitting in a 30ft wooden tower shooting a large cut hay field. They cut and picked up the hay on Monday. This field is along a large stretch of train tracks and usually produces 2-3 woochucks a day.
 
that wood tower field sounds like fun, predators like to walk RR tracks to. hope you get one soon, i have killed all the chuck under my shed, i think the heavy rain did kill the 4 i don't see anymore. the 5 i shot dropped dead outside the hole, but have the smell of death by the shed with flyes.

i remember reading that some guys used a rabbit in distress call or even crow call, guess they get interested and stick there head out the hole?
 
I took out a gopher last week with my 223REM (Ruger Mini14) at 100 yards with iron sights. I was quite proud of myself. It worked well and I would not call it overkilll at all. I could have used a 22LR or my 9MM carbine, but I could have missed it with some bullet drop (especially the 9mm). Like Bill Murray said in Caddyshack ...."the only good gopher is a DEAD gopher!"
Freeze Gopher!
 
that wood tower field sounds like fun, predators like to walk RR tracks to. hope you get one soon, i have killed all the chuck under my shed, i think the heavy rain did kill the 4 i don't see anymore. the 5 i shot dropped dead outside the hole, but have the smell of death by the shed with flyes.

i remember reading that some guys used a rabbit in distress call or even crow call, guess they get interested and stick there head out the hole?
He has two of them overlooking a Hay and Soy bean field. I like the towers because we can use our Caldwell rifle rests and rear bags. You climb a ladder and then pop into a hole like a turret. He sits in the turret and I sit on the platform and glass and we switch. Last summer sitting in the bean field tower I went to stand up and he said don't move something is watching us. He says, look in the drive lane where the two fields meet. I saw something brown about 400yards out but couldn't ID it. Next thing we know a large coyote and 2 pups appear in the small grassy part of the bean field. The adult laid down and the pups began playing. I slowly shoved myself in the turret with him and on 3 we began taking them out. The pups were about 5-6 months old or more as this was early august. Last summer in the hay field we shot about 10 woodchucks in one sitting.
 
He has two of them overlooking a Hay and Soy bean field. I like the towers because we can use our Caldwell rifle rests and rear bags.

Sounds fun and challenging.
I haven't seen any more chuck's in the yard but they are still in the neighbor's yard and the parking lot behind the house. My count so far is 6.
 
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