best time of day for groundhogs

[jrcampbell]

what's the best time to be out, I live in western PA?

 

[Tim Neitzke]

Depends on the time of year. Early spring they seem to me out mid-day when it's the warmest. Summer they seem to be out mid morning and early evening. They are alot like people,some get up early ,some sleep in and some like the boiling heat of the summer day.

 

[swift one]

The socond one I killed this year as around 5 in the afternoon. The first one I killed this year was mid morning. I generally see them out more in mid day when the early spring comes. Like Tim said though. I like to hit them about an hour after sunrise in the morning, and the late afternoon when summer hits.

 

[BAYSTATE YOTE]

In the summer,6;00 p.m. is magic time for chucks.And right after a summer rain,oh man they are like night crawlers!!

 

[6mm06]

Originally Posted By: BAYSTATE YOTEIn the summer,6;00 p.m. is magic time for chucks.And right after a summer rain,oh man they are like night crawlers!!

I'll second that. I generally hunt from around 3:00 PM to just before dark. I find that after 7:00 PM the pigs get scarce. Around the 6:00 PM time frame or slightly before is where I generally see more groundhogs, and when the sun comes out after a summer rain.

 

[pahntr760]

Mid morning or early evening. Now, with overcast sky's just after a rain storm on a fresh cut hay field...perfect!

I killed a ton of em in the above mentioned conditions in Crawford County, PA.

 

[trigger creep]

I've had my best luck at around 10:00 A.M and around 6:00 P.M. As mentioned above, hunting them after a rainstorm is dynamite.

 

[wahoowad]

I have some I see every day on the way to work. Always out there when I go by about 7:45 AM, only sometimes out when I go back by around 5:30.

 

[ARCOREY]

The best time for me is when I have a rifle and the time. I've killed them from sunrise to sundown. Some I've shot when my Kestrel was reading near 120°. Like Tim said, they are like people. They run different schedules. I will agree about after a rain though. That's how they get thier drink on.

 

[swift one]

I'm going to have to try the post rain hunt. Makes alot of sense.

 

[xhairs1970]

I can't get out until after work and that puts me in the fields between 5:30 and 6:00 and that seems to be perfect this time of year.

 

[jrcampbell]

thanks guys

 

[Mr Benelli]

When I hunted Eire and Crawford PA Counties... We saw chucks all day. after 530 was great but some of my best hunts were in the afternoon. We just drove around and spotted fields. The key for us was to go just after the farmers cut the hay and be up high on a trailer.