2023 Groundhogs

[JimH]

I wish we had them down here in numbers.

Same here,I used to love hunting them and have a pile of varmint rifles,but distemper pretty well wiped them and grey fox out 30 + years ago. As far as I know,groundhogs are the only critter we have that digs dens-dens that are used by rabbits,foxes and I've even seen tracks in the snow where quail used their holes. Haven't shot one in years and have actually live trapped a few around buildings and turned them loose on my farm.

 

[bwframe]

Careful what you wish for. I had seen no sign of groundhogs for 10 plus years, prior to the year before last.

Summer before last, I shot a young groundhog eyeing my garden, ready to proceed in.

Last year, a huge adult groundhog was plodding through the pasture parallel to the garden.

I'm wondering if the 2-3+ coyote kills that I've made over the past few years have paved the way for groundhogs that might have been coyote eaten in years past?

 

[blain]

Small Bobcat?

That would explain the way the thing moved and the lack of visible tail.
I never thought of bobcats as being brownish, but a google search brought up plenty.
All in all, I think a bobcat is the most likely candidate for what I saw.

Thank you.

 

[Grogmister]

Just smoked the 3rd one for this year. 17HMR dropped it in its tracks at 70yrds. Sorry no pic. Its on the other side of the ditch and I had walk out with binoculars to locate it in the weeds.

 

[Ahap]

I have several traps out on various company properties, inside the city limits, can't shoot here. Had one this morning, took him for a little ride out to the farm and carried out his sentence. Watermelon and baby carrots for bait, have been successful with cantaloupe in the past also. This is all across the river in Henderson, KY so I don't know if they "count" officially here.

 

[Mgderf]

I took one with a Barnett quad 400 crossbow in late deer season this year.
My customer (property owner) has politely requested their removal.
I hit mine broadside, from approximately 10 feet, with a 100gr Megameat broad head moving 340' per second.
That thing cut a 2" hole clean through the groundhog, all but cutting it in half.
It still ran about 15'.

 

[TLF]

One of the best times of the year. Warmer weather with crops and such not grown too tall yet. Groundhogs are starting to show themselves in numbers here in NE Indiana. I hunt with an old Remington 700 ADL in .243.

 

[BiscuitsandGravy]

Just smoked the 3rd one for this year. 17HMR dropped it in its tracks at 70yrds. Sorry no pic. Its on the other side of the ditch and I had walk out with binoculars to locate it in the weeds.

You are making me want to dig our our 17HMR.

 

[Grogmister]

You are making me want to dig our our 17HMR.

I bought it specifically for ground hogs. Its a blast to shoot!

 

[Grogmister]

#4 about 120-115 yrds out in the field. 17 HMR hits them hard.

 

[1DOWN4UP]

Got one at 23yds with a pellet gun the other day. Tossed it in the slow cooker with some BBQ seasoning and made pulled ground hog bbq sandwiches for lunch at work.

Got a young one in the freezer. Gonna slow cook it next week. I was gonna BBQ mine too.Always remove scent sacs under fat legs and on back.

 

[freekforge]

Got a young one in the freezer. Gonna slow cook it next week. I was gonna BBQ mine too.Always remove scent sacs under fat legs and on back.

That's a mistake you only make once, yuck.

I saw a couple young ones in the neighbors yard. Hes putting out live traps and I'll dispatch them if he catches any. Then it's straight to the slow cooker.

 

[duanewade]

I got this bad boy this morning whille he was working on a new home underneath my storage shed

95 yd shot using 55 grain Sierra blitz king with my Remington 783

 

[Ahap]

2 for 1 in the trap this morning, juveniles. They will not be growing up.

 

[DragonGunner]

In the 70’s as a teenager the farmer across the field paid me $1 for every groundhog I killed. Started off with a single shot .22. Later I got a Remington 22-250 and a little hand loader. What fun. Decided I add just a little more powder, don’t ask me why, more is better right? Lol. Anyway couldn’t hit them anymore! I shoot 100 yards and couldn’t even hit a 3’ target! Shoot at 25 yds and bullseye. ??? Then shot at about 50 yards and have little shotgun like shrapnel in the 3’ target? What is going on?! So my Dads friend told me I was shooting too hot of loads and the lightweight bullet was disinigrating literally ! Guess he was right! I saved those loads for 30 yards or less. We hit groundhogs at close range and never an exit wound. They seemed to explode into nothing as soon as they hit something. Those were some fun days.

 

[patience0830]

In the 70’s as a teenager the farmer across the field paid me $1 for every groundhog I killed. Started off with a single shot .22. Later I got a Remington 22-250 and a little hand loader. What fun. Decided I add just a little more powder, don’t ask me why, more is better right? Lol. Anyway couldn’t hit them anymore! I shoot 100 yards and couldn’t even hit a 3’ target! Shoot at 25 yds and bullseye. ??? Then shot at about 50 yards and have little shotgun like shrapnel in the 3’ target? What is going on?! So my Dads friend told me I was shooting too hot of loads and the lightweight bullet was disinigrating literally ! Guess he was right! I saved those loads for 30 yards or less. We hit groundhogs at close range and never an exit wound. They seemed to explode into nothing as soon as they hit something. Those were some fun days.

Read the "safety" part of the reloading manual. Keep shooting with ALL your fingers.

 

[patience0830]

The Eater of Peas. 42 gr Winchester subsonic HP at about 30 yds in his ear. Top side was too bloody for a photo.

 

[TLF]

Got my first groundhog of 2023 yesterday. Too busy working to hunt this week so she fell to a 220 conibear. Dead as a wedge

 

[Hookeye]

Saw a pup in beans on way home yesterday.
First go is this afternoon.
Taking old beater Ruger #1 in .22 250

 

[Hookeye]

Shot 4 in two hours. No bugdope so.left before skeeter fest. Pic of chuck #1, only 150 yards off the bipod.

Did do a quick offhander at 85 on another adult. Scope was at 10x for all of em.

Dont use sling as shooting aid either.
Prefer under 150 if going offhand or kneeling. Will use bipod as much as possible if i have time.

This was a walking hunt, no taking a stand.