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Post by davet on Mar 9, 2014 10:55:51 GMT -5
Well.....I know it must be right around the corner. Why? Because on my way back from the Range yesterday I actually saw a road kill groundhog!! Yep!! There it was as Ummmm..."Fresh"?? smileys-whistling-823718 as a daisy right next to the double yellow line!! I do like to hunt these critters as I have a few local farms where I'm very welcome by the farmers to "take out" the breeders early and often!! My .223 Savage and my 6.5 Swede using a 123gr for sure do the trick....and this year I am adding a new weapon....the .17 Hornet to the arsenal!! Well....you can't have too many rifles and too much ammo. You never know when a wild hoard of G'Hogs will come at you from any direction!!!
Dave
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Post by bawanajim on Mar 9, 2014 18:13:57 GMT -5
Shooting them is a great time, but I don't start till after first cutting except for those who choose our out buildings as their home stead.
Then its game on, the 17 for close work and the 264 for the rest.
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Post by davet on Mar 10, 2014 7:09:27 GMT -5
I have a fellow who own's a small airplane and has his own landing field of grass. Of course, groundhog holes are his worse enemy and I've been his best friend in preventing them from encroaching....at least from the hole digging part, onto his landing field. So far, the nearest hole is about 50 yards and I do my best to "fill" it up with any kills. I "sneak" around on my electric cart and when I spot one, stop....take out the rifle from the holder (those upright rifle UTV holders are great....AS LONG as you do your own after market brace for the top. If you don't you essentially have a "sling shot" when you on rough ground. I had my bro-in-law fab me up a upper steel mount!!) pop a round in the chamber and POW!!!  take the shot....then......  ....take care of the "surrender." smileys-whistling-823718 (Last year's (2013) trophy kills) |
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Post by acorn20 on Mar 17, 2014 20:14:44 GMT -5
I would have to agree that I don't usually start hog hunting until after the first cut of alfalfa. My absolute favorite time to hunt the critters is when the corn is almost waist high or higher. I'll sneak along, about three rows from the edge of the corn, and when I'm in the right area, I'll sit down with my .54 Hawken muzzleloader with cross-sticks and pretend I'm buffalo hunting. What fun!
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Post by acorn20 on Mar 17, 2014 20:30:25 GMT -5
Ya know, I think it's getting harder to get permission to hunt hogs around my home. I don't know if it's a liability issue with the farmer as far as you getting hurt or concerned that something might happen as a result of letting you hunt his property. I'm blessed that I have a couple of mennonite farms to hunt on. They are so tickled that I'm cleaning up the farms and I'm just glad to do it.
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Post by dougell on Mar 18, 2014 21:59:49 GMT -5
I used to kill in excess of 60 every summer and had loads of fun.Now I'm lucky to kill a half dozen in a summer.My guess is the coyotes are hard on them because I never see anyone hunting them.Most of the farmers I talk to say the same thing.
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Post by bawanajim on Mar 19, 2014 7:11:45 GMT -5
I drove through the Pymatuning wildlife refuge yesterday on my way ice fishing and saw literally dozens of woodchucks running across the barren fields, spring was defiantly in the air!
And no I don't get the chance to shoot any where the numbers of them that we used to.
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