How many groundhogs for 2008?

You guys are really getting out already. I've got 3 so far for the year. One at point blank.. he was in a hollowed out tree. One at 170 yards and one at 205 yards. Everything I shoot this year will be with .204 40 grain Hornady V-max. They really do a number on them. I had never hit one with a v-max til Saturday. It did more damage than my .300 win mag at that distance. I'm lovin it.
 
seen 2 groundhogs and killed one last week. I usually only kill 3 a year. This was a big ole boar.

here is the pic.. 243 does the trick.

80 yard shot with a 100gr power point winchester CXP2

I know, its a deer cartridge, but the fur damage was nil

groundhog3-24-08.jpg
 
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"... 80 yard shot with a 100gr power point winchester CXP2.

groundhog3-24-08.jpg




80 yards... you could'a lassoed that rascal and taught him to predict the weather!

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

How much did he weigh?


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1 more today brings me up to 5. Of coarse I forgot the camera /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif. On a side note I did see a red and her litter out playing in the sun today. Atleast I know I will have some targets this winter.

TJ
 
Got another one today at 105 yards. Makes either 12 or 13 for the year. Do you guys usually take pics of your kills or do you just toss them down the hole and be doen with it?
 
I'll take pictures, occasionally. I NEVER throw the carcasses back in the holes! If anything, I'll move the spent hog away from the hole to encourage new residents /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
Sometimes, I'll set the dead hog up somewhere so the next "hunter" will think it's alive and shoot it again /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif I only set that trap for certain "friends"
F1
 
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I'll take pictures, occasionally. I NEVER throw the carcasses back in the holes! If anything, I'll move the spent hog away from the hole to encourage new residents /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
Sometimes, I'll set the dead hog up somewhere so the next "hunter" will think it's alive and shoot it again /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif I only set that trap for certain "friends"
F1



I have set one up where it looked as if it was alive, got my dad with it.He shot at it a few times before i told him it was already dead /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
I have been out twice this year. 11 the first day and 28 the next (in under three hours hunting)!

It's going to be a good year I think. I usually kill from 200-700 in a good year.

Mike.
 
If you guys really want to increase your kill ratio, leave them alone for another month. I really think you're cutting your own throats shooting hogs this early. Give the little ones a chance to get weaned first.

I know I'm going to catch a LOT of flack for this and let me make one thing clear now, NOBODY loves shooting chucks more than me, but I've seen what hunting them too early in the season does to an area. You've got to know that for every female you shoot now, you're eliminating about five for later in the season and possibly 25 for next year.

I know some farmers want them gone, but if you want some for next year and the year after that, give 'em a break while the snow's still on the ground. May is early enough.
 
Goneballistic,
No snow here, we're in full blown Spring! Stuff is green and I've had to cut the grass three times already.
I agree that waiting for a first litter to be weaned will ensure more targets later, and thats what I do on most of the places I have to hunt. However, I have a half dozen, or so, properties that will gas them if I don't keep them to a minimum.
On one of my main honey holes, they covered up close to 500 holes last fall, and gassed a good portion of them in the process. All this was on several thousand acres. They're really harder to put a dent in than you might think.
F1
 
F1, I agree there are exceptions and it sounds like you may have some, but I'll bet the majority of these postings above don't have a clue what they're doing to themselves.
 
I feel obligated to the farmers who allow me to hunt their ground to kill as many as possible and to kill them as quickly as possible because of the threats these beasts pose to the farmers' livelihoods. I don't want the hogs maturing and digging new holes and neither do the farmers. Part of the reason I'm permitted to hunt these farms is because I assure the landowners that I will NOT kill only a few hogs and only return later when I feel he has enough new targets for my increased entertainment value. That is of no help to them and it would be selfish on my part. I promise the farmers I will visit very frequently and keep the hogs at bay as best I can as long as they give me free reign of their farm and not force me to phone them and "check-in" every time I want to hunt. On initial contact with the landowners, I present myself as a service to them, therefore, I rarely get turned away. This "method" has procured for me more new hunting ground by word of mouth than I could have acquired on my own. I receive impromptu invitations to hunt elsewhere by keeping the hogs invisible to my current "customers" and I then benefit greatly from their word of mouth references. One farmer informed me that he has broken 3 tractor axles in groundhog holes over the course of his farming career and he spent close to $1000 the year before I arrived trying to gas them. He didn't want somebody coming on his farm and killing just a few occasionally. He wanted the the bulk of them gone as quickly and as safely as possible. He is also continually concerned that he will lose cattle and other livestock to broken legs. I would not rest so comfortably should any of these farmers suffer the smallest economic impact because I merely wanted a few more targets, as rare as that occurrence might be.

So, I beg to to differ. Most of us do have a clue as to what we're doing. We're fulfilling our part of the "contract" in exchange for permission to hunt while we protect our neighbor's and friend's finances; all the while having fun in the process.

I'm guessing you'd be mighty upset if you called an exterminator to kill your cockroaches, but he then decided to leave a few behind so he could come back and kill them later when their numbers increased because it's fun. You'd get billed for the second visit just like the farmer might suffer additional, unnecessary economic loss.
 
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I'm guessing you'd be mighty upset if you called an exterminator to kill your cockroaches, but he then decided to leave a few behind so he could come back and kill them later when their numbers increased because its fun. You'd get billed for the second visit just like the farmer might suffer additional, unnecessary economic loss.





You got that right! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
 
cngerms, sounds like you agreed to the same contract I did. My farmer gets giddy when I tell him about or show him a big dead female this time of year. Five more holes this fall is exactly what he doesn't want. I have free run of the farm for hogs, yotes, and fox. It's probably around 1600-2000 acres of prime hunting and I have exclusive permission because of my kill numbers for hogs and my efforts for chasing yotes. I rarely ever take a guest to this farm, maybe once or twice a year and always the same few people, and even though my kill numbers don't come close to Flyrod1, it is noticable that I've put a good dent in the population come late summer. I try to kill them all for my farmer, but they are very tough to eliminate, and the ones on neighboring properties move in and join up with the missed ones to provide plenty of targets the next year. I would be out this weekend getting the early sows, but I re-injured my back and can barely move my head, hard to shoot prone and carry a 15 lb AR that way /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif.
 
Ugggh, Corey! Man, I hope you get better soon. As I'm sure you know, when your back's out, your whole body's out. I know firsthand.

Yep, I may have a few less targets on one particular farm because I hunt early, but I have very happy farmers who spread the word and bring me new farms with more targets to hunt all Summer. I specifically tell them, "It's mating season and I want to get 'em early." When they learn you're safe, that you don't climb their fences and gates causing additional property destruction, AND they're seeing fewer hogs and holes, you're GOLDEN!

I agree. They ARE tough to eliminate, but it is dang fun trying. Man, forget about competing with you for the body count. I'd just like to catch up to you in huntable acreage. I sure could use 1600+ acres. Kills or no kills, I can still have a GREAT day just walking these terrific farms.
 
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IN Utah...???? I think you are smokin some good stuff....share it would ya? 200-700 per year...come on dude....



I can vouch for Stormbringer's numbers. He and I have had many 50+ chuck days together, and several days hovering around or even into three digits. The biggest number days have all been in one of his good spots, that I do not, will not go to without him. I usually end up with close to 200 a year myself, but Stormbringer usually gets to go a lot more often than I do, and has better places as well (mine are all public land - he has some SWEET private ground access).

- DAA
 
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I can vouch for Stormbringer's numbers. He and I have had many 50+ chuck days together, and several days hovering around or even into three digits. The biggest number days have all been in one of his good spots, that I do not, will not go to without him. I usually end up with close to 200 a year myself, but Stormbringer usually gets to go a lot more often than I do, and has better places as well (mine are all public land - he has some SWEET private ground access).



Dang! That settles it; I'm movin'!

Congratulations on procuring some fine hunting ground. It must be a blast.
 
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