Annual Groundhog tally for 2012

Originally Posted By: marcoWahoowaow, love the Hornet pics, its doing a number on the ground hogs! I wish we could shoot them down here. Now how about breaking out old Maggie one time for us 22 magnum fans.

Yes, I was regretting not bringing the Ruger 77/22M yesterday. I was not sure which farm and fields would be available so I took the 22 Hornet and 17 Fireball. Turns out the best area would have been ideal for the 77/22M. Oh well...the Browning is sweet to shoot as well.
 
You guys sure haven't been slacking on the groundhogs, I'm way behind as of this time last year but I did manage to get out this morning, I hit four fields and only one was low enough to see anything in, I left the fireball at home with the rimfires and took along the 20br

I got both of these just over 200 yrds
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Same issue here Rich - almost everywhere I went had fields under cover. I stopped at a new place and the owner said "sure, but you won't see any as they are all in the beans." But I saw one and popped it at 250 yards with my 243. It was a bit breezy so I held off a few inches and that was just right.

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Always fun to snipe them when it's difficult to see. Forces you to wait and make the best shot you can under the circumstances.
 
If It's Tuesday It Must Be. . . The Golf Course

Got a call yesterday that one of the nine holes would be closed for maintenance at the golf course.

Cruised the nine from 10:30 to 2 and shot five ghogs at 24, 34, 64, 66 and 78 with the .17 HMR. All were head or neck shots. Two were sniped by crawling up behind a small elevation. The rest were from the golf cart. All were along the edges of the course either from tall weeds or wooded areas, except for the first one which was at the edge of a lake between the weeds and the cart path. A variety of males and females. All were good sized. No monsters. No youngsters. 2 pics per hog.

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Running out of targets here too. The golf course seems to be the only target rich environment on my list of places to shoot. Going to start knocking on doors for next year.

Headed to OH next week to visit the family and shoot with a friend long range. Wish me luck!
 
Thanks for the posts Dogbone and bolski. I love reading about other's trips when I can't get out after the groundhogs.

I spent the past week unsuccessfully chasing coyotes at a sheep farm...burned up some prime groundhog time. Went yesterday with a buddy who is getting the groundhog fever too. We took his new Savage 7mm-08 out to bloody it up for the first time. He had a scope issue so we stuck to shorter range shots. He hammered 2 around 120 yards and I think I had as much fun as him because I got to watch the hits through my binos. He only had softpoint ammo yesterday which passed through, although I assure you neither groundhog moved an inch after being hit
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. That thing is gonna be merciless when he gets some varmint-tipped rounds zeroed.

I popped one around 250 with the 17FB...initially it was sitting perfectly on a large stump but moved off as I was lining up my shot. I followed it with the scope through some tall weeds when it stood up and looked huge. I sent a 20gr. Accutip his way, saw the impact and heard it a split second later. We used my 243 for the rest of the shots as the wind was blowing a bit today. He connected on one at 264 yards, then I dropped one at 342. We flung lead at several others out to 525, scared them but no hits
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I got infected with the pig virus this year. It s been a busy year chasing em. I started in early spring as much as I could. We had the best evening with 11 sighted in one long Alfalfa field. Unfortunately i missed 10 times that evening. Which after much debate was attributed to the ammo that when i got into a new box. From then on out its been White box winchester ammo for me. 22250 45 gr hp. I m up to 32 this year already and still counting. Farmers have been mowing hay this week around home so it might get better,
 
It's a sickness for sure.

I use the same ammo in my 22-250. Works great! I'm at 50 or 54. Have to check the numbers when I get back home.
 
Good shooting guys and Happy Birthday Dogbone. I went out and did a couple calling stands with no takers and saw one chuck in the barn lot. No safe shot angle for all the buildings and equipment. He was a fat old chuck too. Maybe I can get back in there with my Contender pistol in 22LR and set up to get him later with a safe shot. I went to the only mowed pasture I have and saw a skunk at 409yds. Hit him on the second shot with the 243. Went up to look for him and almost stepped on him in the high grass. He wasn't done, so I gave him a close up sleeping pill. Thought I was going to get a shot of perfume for my efforts
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. This farm is overrun with spray cats and the farmer asked me to take them when I can.

I did meet up with fellow PM member and chuck hunter Jim Wallace on my way home. We talked a bit and I showed off a my 243 and 17rem while swapping hunting stories. It was a pleasure to finally meet him and his buddy. So far I can say I haven't met a PM member that I didn't like. When you have a group of like minded people as passionate about their sport as the PM group, it's hard not to get along.
 
Thanks Acorey and Eric. I appreciate that very much!

Happy to be here in OH with the family and our very special little granddaughters.

Also looking forward to meeting and shooting with Nomad47 this week.
 
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