Where are all of these Ground Hogs?

That sounds like fun, we don't have many of anything in Minnesota - aside from Walleyes up north mixed with a little bears and Wolves. Although, the DNR doesn't let us shoot wolves anymore. Because all of the protesters think they are sacred animals....so we just pay more in taxes so that the state can hire trappers and snipers to clear out 600 a year - A$$ Backwards, you bet!
 
Growing up I would shoot 100+ in a summer. Now we have yotes and I only shoot 5 or some, but the plus side is 15-20 yotes a year now day. Everyone claims the yotes are killing the ground hogs around here, but I will still do my part.
 
Used to be a lot of them around here but the Coyote have thinned them out, I also noticed that around here they no longer set up shop in the middle of fields, they are almost always coming out of tree lines or big brush/junk piles.
 
Originally Posted By: RustydustYou know Dave, rumor has it that you enjoy shooting those ground hogs because they are so much bigger than prairie dogs and that makes it easier for you to hit one on occasion.

Any truth to this rumor?
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That's what I say about the ground squirrels I shoot, it's no wonder guys shoot prairie dogs at 1000 yards and more, they are so big it ain't even sporting unless you are using a .22 with iron sights.
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Originally Posted By: jndOriginally Posted By: RustydustYou know Dave, rumor has it that you enjoy shooting those ground hogs because they are so much bigger than prairie dogs and that makes it easier for you to hit one on occasion.

Any truth to this rumor?
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Yes they are much bigger and much harder to kill and in most cases and you can't walk your shots in on a groundhog like you can with a prairie dog because a groundhog usually does not hang around.
Joe

The effective target width of a ground squirrel is about 2 inches, and they almost never give you a second shot if you run one by their head. The slightest breeze wreaks havoc on different distances with a 17 HMR. To get used to what the breeze was doing at my shooting distances I put target stands out at 55, 75, 90, 105, 125, and 150 yards. If I missed I sent a shot or two at the target until I had the drift right. Just for the fun of it I use my 17 HM2 that drifts more than twice as much as the Hummer. I made a shot at about 160 yards that had a 12 inch holdover and almost a foot of drift. I had to try it a few times every time that squirrel would come back out, but got a charge out of finally hitting it square enough that it dropped right there on top of the rock to where I could see it. I was jazzed and told my wife that I finally got the long shot with the little 17, she said, "that's nice dear". she just doesn't get it.
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Zane Tucker, I too live in Pa. 15 min. east of Erie on the Lake.I too hunt the fields of South Ripley,Frenchcreek,Clymer, Sherman ect....shot 75 chucks last yr w/o trying...lol,small world huh? One of the problems is they get hunted too early in the spring. I try not to hunt them till after turkey season so the pups are weaned,why kill a pregnant chuck n kill 6 in one shot? Still wonder why they are scarce? yotes have always got their share what has changed is the # of hunters who don't realize what I just explained. If ya shoot 50 chucks early, half is 25 x5 pups that never see the light of day~ 125 chucks that wont be there. chucks have 2-9 pups every spring.
 
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Originally Posted By: anthonyinvaGrowing up I would shoot 100+ in a summer. Now we have yotes and I only shoot 5 or some, but the plus side is 15-20 yotes a year now day. Everyone claims the yotes are killing the ground hogs around here, but I will still do my part.

Out of curiosity, where in VA are you located? I'm in central VA outside of Richmond. Somewhat new to the area and am amazed at how few chucks I see. I've hunted several leases and have yet to see one chuck. It seems I may see a couple an entire year driving around back roads but we definitely don't seem to have them in any great numbers.

With as much agriculture / fields in the areas I hunt...I'm just floored that I never see any. We don't even seem to have many coyotes or foxes in the area either. I keep trail cams out a good portion of the year and only occasionally do the predators show up.

I love chuck and prairie dog hunting and when I first moved to VA, assumed there would be a ton of chucks in the area. Totally amazed how few there are here where I'm at.
 
I always hear coyotes got them groundhogs. groundhogs were gone here before coyotes arrived. I have yet to see a coyote with a groundhog, or even looking like he was hunt'in for a groundhog.
 
Originally Posted By: vahunterThey are here. You just have to look hard for them.

I've heard there's more on the western side of the state. Do you have any experience with them out there?
 
Originally Posted By: old catI always hear coyotes got them groundhogs. groundhogs were gone here before coyotes arrived. I have yet to see a coyote with a groundhog, or even looking like he was hunt'in for a groundhog.

Yeah, I question the impact coyotes have on the chuck population too. It seems like the further south you go, the less chucks you see. And I don't think it has much to do with coyotes.
 
I hunted them every year (a lot) from about 1979 to the mid 90's, then took a break from it and began hunting them more in the early to mid 2000.. We always had an abundance of them. The coyote began to show up in small numbers in the mid to late 80's. We continued to have good groundhog populations up to maybe 10 years ago when I began to see a decline.. Coyote numbers had climbed a lot by that time and we noticed a definite decline in the groundhog population. It has steadily declined since.

Whether or not the coyote is to blame or if there is another reason for the decline, remains to be seen. It sure is coincedental though that it happened as the coyote increased.

 
kinda reminds me of the theory that dnr & insurance companies brought coyotes to wv. even had people swear the seen dnr turn them out, & people swear they killed them with geico, allstate, nationwide, & who ever else's tag in their ears, but never any proof.
 
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