CatShooter
New member
No Ground hogs yet, but starting a new thread for 2013!
Annual Groundhog tally for 2013
- Thread starter CatShooter
- Start date
No Ground hogs yet, but starting a new thread for 2013!
Back by what appears to be popular demand!
Well, absent any other posts of groundhogs for 2013, I'll start it up. Two days ago we had 9" of wet, heavy snow. Today, most of the snow has melted, and it was 61 degrees! I had to work today retrieving trucks and generators from telephone remote sites, after the utility power was back up, but after I got off, I grabbed a couple rifles and went looking for groundhogs....and found a bunch of them sitting on the edges of their holes.
The first safe shot presented to me was just under 150 yds, with just a head protruding from it's hole. The 40 grain Berger did what it's supposed to do:
Then I missed one at a little over 300 with a strong crosswind!
No more safe shots there, so I drove to another farm.
Two piggies were out, and I picked the closer of the two at 334 yards. This time I used the swift. The wind was just slightly quartering, so I held on the left edge of the poodle, and a little high, and turned the 50 grain SBK loose.... bingo, tail salute
I did't shag that one in the interest of saving time to hurry to another farm a couple miles down the road.
No cooperating groundhogs were found at the last farm
So for my first outing, I'm two for three shots, and not complaining.
Chime in....
F1
Well, absent any other posts of groundhogs for 2013, I'll start it up. Two days ago we had 9" of wet, heavy snow. Today, most of the snow has melted, and it was 61 degrees! I had to work today retrieving trucks and generators from telephone remote sites, after the utility power was back up, but after I got off, I grabbed a couple rifles and went looking for groundhogs....and found a bunch of them sitting on the edges of their holes.
The first safe shot presented to me was just under 150 yds, with just a head protruding from it's hole. The 40 grain Berger did what it's supposed to do:
Then I missed one at a little over 300 with a strong crosswind!
No more safe shots there, so I drove to another farm.
Two piggies were out, and I picked the closer of the two at 334 yards. This time I used the swift. The wind was just slightly quartering, so I held on the left edge of the poodle, and a little high, and turned the 50 grain SBK loose.... bingo, tail salute
I did't shag that one in the interest of saving time to hurry to another farm a couple miles down the road.
No cooperating groundhogs were found at the last farm
So for my first outing, I'm two for three shots, and not complaining.
Chime in....
F1
Freezer Pig
New member
One less chuck in NW Ohio. I went out Saturday, by myself, but it was cool and cloudy..... I just ended up scouting.
Yesterday afternoon, I went out with my buddy and his 13 yr old son. My friend got one, but it was accross a ditch and we couldn't get a good picture for proof. We had a couple whistle at us at another spot, but we never saw them.
All in all, we hit 5 of our favorie spots and probably walked about 5 miles. Just a little fresh digging around here, it's still pretty early.
The best part of the day was my friends son carried his own .22 for the whole day yesterday. You could tell he fully understood the responsability of this right of passage. Last year, he went with us almost every hunt, but he carried a pellet gun most of the time, while we kept an eye on him and taught him gun safety.
He's learning well and will give us a run for our money when he moves up to a high powered rifle.
The day ended with a few cold ones and our wives throwing together an impromptu cookout.
It was a nice ending to the first real hunt of 2013.
Tim
Yesterday afternoon, I went out with my buddy and his 13 yr old son. My friend got one, but it was accross a ditch and we couldn't get a good picture for proof. We had a couple whistle at us at another spot, but we never saw them.
All in all, we hit 5 of our favorie spots and probably walked about 5 miles. Just a little fresh digging around here, it's still pretty early.
The best part of the day was my friends son carried his own .22 for the whole day yesterday. You could tell he fully understood the responsability of this right of passage. Last year, he went with us almost every hunt, but he carried a pellet gun most of the time, while we kept an eye on him and taught him gun safety.
He's learning well and will give us a run for our money when he moves up to a high powered rifle.
The day ended with a few cold ones and our wives throwing together an impromptu cookout.
It was a nice ending to the first real hunt of 2013.
Tim
ARCOREY
New member
I've got the itch bad. Probably be riding the 243 and 17rem most of this year. The AR is getting paint soon, so it may miss the early hogging. I'll probably pick on a few in the "no mow" areas and the ones that'll get planted for corn before they are unreachable. I need to go hole scouting now while the mounds are fresh. Just so darn muddy and windy lately.
Nice job getting the early kickoff guys.
Nice job getting the early kickoff guys.
Widow maker 223
Active member
Headshot one today at 200yds. Aahh that felt good. Forgot to get a pic, seen a few out along the roads.
I'm working up some news loads and can't wait. IMR-4350 under 80 SBT's for my 243, and both 50 & 55BK's in my 22-250 (hopefully to the same exact POI, or with the 55's just 1/4" higher at 100 yards). The 50's are with Reloader 15 and CCI-BR2's, the 55's - which just feel so right!, are going to be Varget/Fed210GM driven.
We've been seeing them plenty for the better part of a month now I guess, but they are still hugging the holes quite a bit because it has been so darn windy here, and colder than normal too. So a slow Spring green-up, but hoping to shoot some this Saturday and then I think I'll be ready to tell the wife... I'm going for a little walk.
We've been seeing them plenty for the better part of a month now I guess, but they are still hugging the holes quite a bit because it has been so darn windy here, and colder than normal too. So a slow Spring green-up, but hoping to shoot some this Saturday and then I think I'll be ready to tell the wife... I'm going for a little walk.
CatShooter
New member
Originally Posted By: sbrandenI'm working up some news loads and can't wait. IMR-4350 under 80 SBT's for my 243, and both 50 & 55BK's in my 22-250 (hopefully to the same exact POI, or with the 55's just 1/4" higher at 100 yards). The 50's are with Reloader 15 and CCI-BR2's, the 55's - which just feel so right!, are going to be Varget/Fed210GM driven.
We've been seeing them plenty for the better part of a month now I guess, but they are still hugging the holes quite a bit because it has been so darn windy here, and colder than normal too. So a slow Spring green-up, but hoping to shoot some this Saturday and then I think I'll be ready to tell the wife... I'm going for a little walk.
I saw one out the other day...
... pushing a snow blower
This is the latest winter I have ever seen. We still have 6" on the ground.
.
We've been seeing them plenty for the better part of a month now I guess, but they are still hugging the holes quite a bit because it has been so darn windy here, and colder than normal too. So a slow Spring green-up, but hoping to shoot some this Saturday and then I think I'll be ready to tell the wife... I'm going for a little walk.
I saw one out the other day...
... pushing a snow blower
This is the latest winter I have ever seen. We still have 6" on the ground.
.
The Virginian
New member
Saw my firast one this week but the temps have dropped again.
ARCOREY
New member
In the immortal words of Si Robertson, "It's on like Donkey Kong, JACK". I went to a local farm to try out my new chronograph. The fields were full of holes. I loaded the 17rem and grabbed the sticks and started scouting out the new holes. After checking about 10 fresh dug mounds, I spot a chuck in the next field. I tried to put on a stalk, but the chuck busted me when I crawled under the fence. I sat up and broke my shooting sticks down to the last joint for a makeshift bipod, then went prone and watched his head sticking out of the hole at 110yds. Finally it raised up high enough to clear some brush and I dropped it in the mouth of the hole with the 17rem shooting 25gr. Berger match target HP's. pin hole entrance, no exit, very little blood. Hit right in the shoulder broadside.
I started my walk back to the truck and was about 100yds from getting there when another chuck takes off on a mad dash toward the hole when I topped the rise. I dropped to one knee, flipped the sticks out and got the digger in the scope and took a quIck shoulder shot at about 40yds. The chuck balled up and was DRT. No blood and again, no exit.
After looking this one over, I saw another take off where I shot the first, but couldn't get a safe angle before he hit the hole. The little farm is about 40 acres and full of critters. The owner has declared war on all furry stuff and gave me the go to clear the place out
.
Finally got to do some range time and got my 17rem chronographed. The 25 gr Berger match target HP's with CCI 450's and 20.7gr. of H-322 are averaging 3494fps out of an 18.5" pencil barrel.
I started my walk back to the truck and was about 100yds from getting there when another chuck takes off on a mad dash toward the hole when I topped the rise. I dropped to one knee, flipped the sticks out and got the digger in the scope and took a quIck shoulder shot at about 40yds. The chuck balled up and was DRT. No blood and again, no exit.
After looking this one over, I saw another take off where I shot the first, but couldn't get a safe angle before he hit the hole. The little farm is about 40 acres and full of critters. The owner has declared war on all furry stuff and gave me the go to clear the place out
Finally got to do some range time and got my 17rem chronographed. The 25 gr Berger match target HP's with CCI 450's and 20.7gr. of H-322 are averaging 3494fps out of an 18.5" pencil barrel.
1up5down
New member
Nice shooting Corey.Way to go getting started early. I've been wanting to get the Cooper 204 to the range to get it dialed in before the season really starts but the wind has been too much. Also gotta get the 223 AI loads worked up when I get it.
I found about six more farms I think I can hunt so this should be a very good year!!
I found about six more farms I think I can hunt so this should be a very good year!!
I went out yesterday afternoon to try to cap a piggie at one of my old honey holes, and there were seven out at one time.....and not a safe shot in the bunch!! I moved the truck a little to get a better angle on one, thought "this'll do" and reached for the case with the Anchutz .22 mag....oops! it turned out to be an A-bolt .223! Just a little more rifle than I wanted to use for that shot...so I had to pass it up.
I drove around the farm some, and spied one out about 200 yds. with plenty of dirt behind it...204 did the job:
Then I drove East several miles to the next farm...two digging their holes out on a distant berm just under 400 yds away...
I had a strong left to right crosswind, but by the time I got set up, both piggies had already slinked into the holes
On to the next farm, and there was one out a little over 300, with the same L to R crosswind. This time I grabbed the swift, held into the wind to the left of it's head, and shwump! Tail salute
I was getting pressed for time so I headed back towards home with the idea of stopping by one of my all time favorite farms to renew permission...something I'd been dreading because the farm had been passed on to a son, that I was a little unsure of... The visit paid off so I'm good to go again under the new ownership! That is the place where I had the pic of 14 piggies last year
On the way there I ducked into one othe place and caught this one munching some cresses:
Now there were three! First blood in the back of the new truck too
Five so far, and counting...........
F1
I drove around the farm some, and spied one out about 200 yds. with plenty of dirt behind it...204 did the job:
Then I drove East several miles to the next farm...two digging their holes out on a distant berm just under 400 yds away...
I had a strong left to right crosswind, but by the time I got set up, both piggies had already slinked into the holes
On to the next farm, and there was one out a little over 300, with the same L to R crosswind. This time I grabbed the swift, held into the wind to the left of it's head, and shwump! Tail salute
I was getting pressed for time so I headed back towards home with the idea of stopping by one of my all time favorite farms to renew permission...something I'd been dreading because the farm had been passed on to a son, that I was a little unsure of... The visit paid off so I'm good to go again under the new ownership! That is the place where I had the pic of 14 piggies last year
On the way there I ducked into one othe place and caught this one munching some cresses:
Now there were three! First blood in the back of the new truck too
Five so far, and counting...........
F1
Alright boys and girls, I don't see any new activity here in several days! The piggys are out and digging for all they're worth!
I know it's a dirty job, but somebody has to do it....
I had to burn or lose my last vacation day from 2012 today. So amongst chores, and other annoying demands placed upon my time, I managed to sneak in a little over an hour's worth of poodle popping! this was all on the same farm just outside of town:
First one down with the 22 mag. at just a tad over 100yds.
This one was out about 220 yds, so the 204 was called into play
I had no sooner shot that one, when another head pops up at 89 yds...22 mag again:
I walked out and shagged those two and got a pic with the Anchutz.
I drove back to the front of the farm, and there was another one perched on it's hole in the ditch line, a couple hundered yards, give or take a couple...204:
More blood in the back of the new truck!
My watch was telling me it was about time to leave to go home and get cleaned up for a Friends of the NRA dinner in Culpeper, but another piggy challenged me!
The shooting angle wasn't good from a safety standpoint, so I just drove out in the hayfield for a better angle....and the groundhog just stayed there! Natural selection and the .22 mag took over at 50ish yards:
and that is how the afternoon ended.
The eagles and buzzards will eat well
I'm planning on smacking more tomorrow......go get some!
F1
I know it's a dirty job, but somebody has to do it....
I had to burn or lose my last vacation day from 2012 today. So amongst chores, and other annoying demands placed upon my time, I managed to sneak in a little over an hour's worth of poodle popping! this was all on the same farm just outside of town:
First one down with the 22 mag. at just a tad over 100yds.
This one was out about 220 yds, so the 204 was called into play
I had no sooner shot that one, when another head pops up at 89 yds...22 mag again:
I walked out and shagged those two and got a pic with the Anchutz.
I drove back to the front of the farm, and there was another one perched on it's hole in the ditch line, a couple hundered yards, give or take a couple...204:
More blood in the back of the new truck!
My watch was telling me it was about time to leave to go home and get cleaned up for a Friends of the NRA dinner in Culpeper, but another piggy challenged me!
The shooting angle wasn't good from a safety standpoint, so I just drove out in the hayfield for a better angle....and the groundhog just stayed there! Natural selection and the .22 mag took over at 50ish yards:
The eagles and buzzards will eat well
I'm planning on smacking more tomorrow......go get some!
F1
Well, it was a beautiful day - I snuck up over this one ridge where there are always hogs. Sure enough, found this big one out and took him off-hand at short range with my 22-250 shooting 55 Blitzkings now at just over 3,700fps.
Then I found this one out on the other side of a creek as I drove around the barn on the lower side of the the same farm. Took him prone from 201 yards.
But I missed a perfect shot at about 220, after walking a mile for that guy! Could have kicked myself. Had all the time in the world, just rushed it.
Good time though!
Then I found this one out on the other side of a creek as I drove around the barn on the lower side of the the same farm. Took him prone from 201 yards.
But I missed a perfect shot at about 220, after walking a mile for that guy! Could have kicked myself. Had all the time in the world, just rushed it.
Good time though!