Annual Groundhog tally for 2012
- Thread starter Flyrod1
- Start date
Dogbone
New member
After being away for nearly three weeks in OH, VT and DE, visiting family and friends, I managed to get out hunting this evening.
But let me digress. I had planned to go to the range yesterday afternoon after cutting the grass. By the time I finished I had no energy to pack up the truck and go. Instead I went this morning and spent a few hours re-zeroing the 243 and 223 at 100 yds per Nomad's suggestion after we spent some time shooting together out in OH. I managed to get some very good groups with both guns.
First I drove to the garden farm. Most of the hay was too high to see. Sat for about a half hour. Nothing. Then I went to the pumpkin farm just down the road. I drove around the property just looking and ended up at the large boulder seen at the left side of the following picture where I saw a hole earlier in the year. I got out of the truck and walked around the area and found many trails in the grass by the boulder and around the adjacent buildings.
So I decided to drive the truck up to the pole barn in the back of the property, sit in its shade and glass the area I just scouted. Here is a view from the truck. I had ranged the small barn at 199 yds.
I kept glassing the whole area when I saw something in the shadow between the two barns. As I watched a ghog came out of the shadow and into the light, but staying in the tall grass. Of course I didn't have the gun ready, again, so I had to reach back, get it out of the case, load a round in the 223 and find the hog in the scope. Once I found it, I tracked it several yards where it stood up right in front of the small barn in the center of the picture. I pulled the trigger, heard the gun go off, then the echo off the surrounding buildings and then a super loud whack. Down went the hog right where it stood. Ranged it a 194 yds. My practice at the range paid off! Here he is.
As you can see the shot was in the chest where I placed the crosshairs, but a little left. I think I jerked the trigger trying to get the shot off before the hog disappeared. Plenty of damage. No exit wound.
Here's a picture of the pole barn where the shot came from.
I decided to go back to the pole barn because I figured that maybe more than one ghog roaming around that area. No more than five or six minutes of sitting in the truck, I spot another ghog that came out while glassing the barns in the distance. He was perched on the trailer hitch seen in this picture. Ranged him at 59 yds.
As soon as I got the gun into position, the hog dropped to the ground. I kept the scope on the area when he popped out the grass. I placed the crosshairs right where his body met the ground and lowered the hammer. Not nearly the same lound whack as before, but it was clear the 45 gr hp made contact. DRT. 57 yds. No entrance or exit wound. I don't get it? 194 yds and there's a hole the size of a golf ball. 57 yds and nothing! ????
Here's another male, albeit a bit younger than the first.
That was a fun day all around. Good to get back out in the field satisfying my hobby, habit, sickness, etc.
But let me digress. I had planned to go to the range yesterday afternoon after cutting the grass. By the time I finished I had no energy to pack up the truck and go. Instead I went this morning and spent a few hours re-zeroing the 243 and 223 at 100 yds per Nomad's suggestion after we spent some time shooting together out in OH. I managed to get some very good groups with both guns.
First I drove to the garden farm. Most of the hay was too high to see. Sat for about a half hour. Nothing. Then I went to the pumpkin farm just down the road. I drove around the property just looking and ended up at the large boulder seen at the left side of the following picture where I saw a hole earlier in the year. I got out of the truck and walked around the area and found many trails in the grass by the boulder and around the adjacent buildings.
So I decided to drive the truck up to the pole barn in the back of the property, sit in its shade and glass the area I just scouted. Here is a view from the truck. I had ranged the small barn at 199 yds.
I kept glassing the whole area when I saw something in the shadow between the two barns. As I watched a ghog came out of the shadow and into the light, but staying in the tall grass. Of course I didn't have the gun ready, again, so I had to reach back, get it out of the case, load a round in the 223 and find the hog in the scope. Once I found it, I tracked it several yards where it stood up right in front of the small barn in the center of the picture. I pulled the trigger, heard the gun go off, then the echo off the surrounding buildings and then a super loud whack. Down went the hog right where it stood. Ranged it a 194 yds. My practice at the range paid off! Here he is.
As you can see the shot was in the chest where I placed the crosshairs, but a little left. I think I jerked the trigger trying to get the shot off before the hog disappeared. Plenty of damage. No exit wound.
Here's a picture of the pole barn where the shot came from.
I decided to go back to the pole barn because I figured that maybe more than one ghog roaming around that area. No more than five or six minutes of sitting in the truck, I spot another ghog that came out while glassing the barns in the distance. He was perched on the trailer hitch seen in this picture. Ranged him at 59 yds.
As soon as I got the gun into position, the hog dropped to the ground. I kept the scope on the area when he popped out the grass. I placed the crosshairs right where his body met the ground and lowered the hammer. Not nearly the same lound whack as before, but it was clear the 45 gr hp made contact. DRT. 57 yds. No entrance or exit wound. I don't get it? 194 yds and there's a hole the size of a golf ball. 57 yds and nothing! ????
Here's another male, albeit a bit younger than the first.
That was a fun day all around. Good to get back out in the field satisfying my hobby, habit, sickness, etc.
The Virginian
New member
That's what I'm talk'n about! Nice shooting!
Eric
Eric
wahoowad
Member
It was a nice day to get out - it threatened rain and lots of clouds, but the rain stayed away. I took my 17 Fireball and 243 for a drive to the country.
Visited several places...dove hunters were out so I left the first place and went elsewhere. I was watching 3 active holes at the next place when a dove hunter showed up, parked next to my vehicle and sat facing my way across the field. He seemed to know I was there judging by how he kept looking right at me, but it didn't stop him from shooting towards me twice. I was maybe 200 yards away...certainly not lethal distance with dove shot...but still against everything I've learned about safe firearm handling, sportmanship and just good manners. I suspect he wanted to get out hunting so bad that he wasn't thinking right, or maybe this is just how he thinks all the time. I walked off the field in plain view, walked behind him to my truck, and then he fired straight up above us both. Fortunately no shot came down and hit me or my truck. I said to him "Don't mind me!" and he said right back "you are fine". His truck had a big logo on it saying "Albemarle Fine Arms" so I assume he owns some kind of firearms business. I hope he is better businessman than he is a fellow sportsman. He didn't appear to be a very good shot either. I left.
Next place was also a bust, although fortunately no slobs were there shooting towards me.
The last place pulled through an offered me some action. I shot my first groundhog around 150...headshot from the 75gr. V-Max photo here if you wanna see it
.
Next I think I came across one my partner missed last time we were here. Same hole at least
. The 17 Fireball dropped it at 237.
Last one I looked over as I thought it was just a bump on a rock. But after skipping it over several times using the binos I decided to take a closer look with the scope cranked up. Sure enough it was a groundhog hugging the rock and laying pretty flat. I didn't have much room for error...dialed in my 287 yards of drop...held on his neck and let it go downrange. POP! I expected it to go flying from the impact but it did not, so I thought maybe I had missed. Then it slowly slid backwards down the rock and slumped on the ground. I never did see a twitch.
Had a couple exciting moments scrambling to get set up for opportunities at 425 and 525 but never was able to get a shot off at either.
Visited several places...dove hunters were out so I left the first place and went elsewhere. I was watching 3 active holes at the next place when a dove hunter showed up, parked next to my vehicle and sat facing my way across the field. He seemed to know I was there judging by how he kept looking right at me, but it didn't stop him from shooting towards me twice. I was maybe 200 yards away...certainly not lethal distance with dove shot...but still against everything I've learned about safe firearm handling, sportmanship and just good manners. I suspect he wanted to get out hunting so bad that he wasn't thinking right, or maybe this is just how he thinks all the time. I walked off the field in plain view, walked behind him to my truck, and then he fired straight up above us both. Fortunately no shot came down and hit me or my truck. I said to him "Don't mind me!" and he said right back "you are fine". His truck had a big logo on it saying "Albemarle Fine Arms" so I assume he owns some kind of firearms business. I hope he is better businessman than he is a fellow sportsman. He didn't appear to be a very good shot either. I left.
Next place was also a bust, although fortunately no slobs were there shooting towards me.
The last place pulled through an offered me some action. I shot my first groundhog around 150...headshot from the 75gr. V-Max photo here if you wanna see it
Next I think I came across one my partner missed last time we were here. Same hole at least
Last one I looked over as I thought it was just a bump on a rock. But after skipping it over several times using the binos I decided to take a closer look with the scope cranked up. Sure enough it was a groundhog hugging the rock and laying pretty flat. I didn't have much room for error...dialed in my 287 yards of drop...held on his neck and let it go downrange. POP! I expected it to go flying from the impact but it did not, so I thought maybe I had missed. Then it slowly slid backwards down the rock and slumped on the ground. I never did see a twitch.
Had a couple exciting moments scrambling to get set up for opportunities at 425 and 525 but never was able to get a shot off at either.
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jim wallace
New member
You know I kinda work with the other hunters or try to Dove season comes in for a few weeks then goes back out to later come back in then deer season as a general rule my hunting has come to a null by this time anyway . Not because I dont want to hunt but to try to make everyone happy .As a general rule most the land i hunt has deer clubs and we rent land to a Dove club and some swear that the groundhog hunting spooks or runs the Doves away at Dove Season with the rifles going off . Who knows I've learned August is about the last month to hunt and with the heat and all generally its before then.
Dogbone
New member
Got back yesterday afternoon from a long weekend BMW Motorcycle Rally at Watkins Glen in the Finger Lakes. Picked up a cell phone message on the way home that one of the nines would be closed at the golf course today.
I showed up at 10, grabbed a golf cart and started cruising the nine holes. Got two with the 204 within a short period of time. An older one and a young one. The old one was on the side of an upsloping fairway at 183 yds. The 34 gr ballistic tip hit it really hard, zippering is belly. When I got there it was still alive so I issued a coup de gras to the head. You can see the crater in the ground. Nasty to say the least.
The younger one was shot at 57 yds, but showed only a small entrance wound. You would think that the higher velocity, shorter shot would be more devastating that the long one. Go figure??? (sorry about the cigarette butt. just noticed it)
Called it quits about noon and went home to cut the grass. It's been so dry here that the grass did not grow much since last week, but still enough to need it. After a brief rest and some rehydration, I decided to go back to the golf course to try my luck after all the maintenance was done and the crew had gone home. Managed to get four more.
The first was at 87 yds. Touched off the 204's hair trigger unexpectedly, but still hit it hard enough in the rear to put it down.
The second was at 187 yds. Shot it in the spine from behind. What a pig. 11 lbs 10 oz.
The third, another young one, was hit in shoulder at 57 yds.
And the fourth was shot at 67 yds. Another pig. 11 lbs 2oz. There's a quarter size entrance wound you can't quite see.
This one and the other big one were mature ghogs that had been around a long time. Smart enough to have stayed out of my way for a number of years. Looking forward to next Tuesday already!
I showed up at 10, grabbed a golf cart and started cruising the nine holes. Got two with the 204 within a short period of time. An older one and a young one. The old one was on the side of an upsloping fairway at 183 yds. The 34 gr ballistic tip hit it really hard, zippering is belly. When I got there it was still alive so I issued a coup de gras to the head. You can see the crater in the ground. Nasty to say the least.
The younger one was shot at 57 yds, but showed only a small entrance wound. You would think that the higher velocity, shorter shot would be more devastating that the long one. Go figure??? (sorry about the cigarette butt. just noticed it)
Called it quits about noon and went home to cut the grass. It's been so dry here that the grass did not grow much since last week, but still enough to need it. After a brief rest and some rehydration, I decided to go back to the golf course to try my luck after all the maintenance was done and the crew had gone home. Managed to get four more.
The first was at 87 yds. Touched off the 204's hair trigger unexpectedly, but still hit it hard enough in the rear to put it down.
The second was at 187 yds. Shot it in the spine from behind. What a pig. 11 lbs 10 oz.
The third, another young one, was hit in shoulder at 57 yds.
And the fourth was shot at 67 yds. Another pig. 11 lbs 2oz. There's a quarter size entrance wound you can't quite see.
This one and the other big one were mature ghogs that had been around a long time. Smart enough to have stayed out of my way for a number of years. Looking forward to next Tuesday already!
Dogbone
New member
Originally Posted By: wahoowadA gold course sounds like a wonderful place to shoot. You are very lucky. Given any thought to trying a handgun at those under-100 yard shots? Maybe one of those TC pistols in 223 or 204..
No handgun hunting in NJ. Go figure. If you lived here you would not be the least surprised.
No handgun hunting in NJ. Go figure. If you lived here you would not be the least surprised.
