Groundhog sightings are getting rarer and rarer. I've resorted to doing mostly airgun hunts for them, focusing closer around farm buildings or smaller farms. It's sad. I keep saying I'm going to switch to coyote hunting to get some hunting action but haven't done so yet.
Anyway....popped 4 'hogs so far this year, probably been out twice that many times. I call those trips where I don't shoot anything "scouting trips"
Pathetic really...
Yesterday was my first centerfire harvest, actually getting 2 of them. The longest was 165 yards and he was next to one of those bunches of trees up the hillside. I was shooting the Browning Abolt Micro Hunter in 22 Hornet - as sweet a carry rifle as any made - and hadn't confirmed the zero in several years so was a little worried. But after firing I heard that satisfying thwuump! that signaled a solid hit.
No entry or exit wound was visible - the 35 grain Vmax shed all it's energy inside - sounded like the 'hog was filled with water when I picked it up. Finally little blood leaked out and confirmed the neck shot I was aiming for...
A little later an ATV rolled up with the farmer's little 8 year old daughter checking up on me. She told me where some others have been sighted, and no less than 30 seconds after relocating to another field did I pop another at 140 yards! She came with me to inspect the 'hog and asked me several times if it was actually a rabbit!!! She had never seen a groundhog up close but had fallen in a hole before and told me to keep shooting them!
Here is one of my earlier groundhogs shot with my .25 cal airgun. He was playing peek-aboo and finally presented a frontal skull shot which I took and dropped him like a rock.
Good luck this season guys!