Some of my terrain I shoot in, the telephone pole is 176 yards, I sit underneath this raised deer blind and take them out when they come into the field. Mohican river dropped 2 across it but obviously couldn't get them. These round hay bales make for good hiding and good rests, the hilltop is 145 yards. Range finder binocs,bug spray all a must have.
Some serious groundhog hunting going down.
- Thread starter Ohlongarm
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I have trapped them occasionally over the years in places where a firearm cannot be used. They are remarkably strong and very difficult to hold in a leghold trap. A 220 conibear is very effective, but be mindful that this trap is not selective and catch-and-release is not an option.
xsn10s
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Sure is some pretty country. Ever fish the river?
Not sure I would want to meet a groundhog that can move giant rocks!
you might want to bait a trap with peanut butter and catch them, or, depending on where your shop is, make a blind 25 yards away and shoot them with a .22.
I read a book a while back about Arizona in the 1880s. Seems ranchers had a problem with prairie dogs and hired Navajos to kill them. They set mirrors by the holes and when the dog came out it would see it's reflection and get all riled up, allowing the Navajo to sneak up and pot it with an arrow. Book went on to say that the dogs were considered a delicacy, by the Indians, who ate all they skewered. Might be an option. After all, dining on your hogs would be the best sort of payback!
nicholasjohn
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't want to be a woodchuck living in your part of the world. Anybody who shoots so many chucks that he needs a machine to haul them all out is a very serious chuck-slayer. Once - just once - my friend Buster and I shot a full dozen of them in a morning hunt, in northwestern PA. It was far more typical to get three or four animals in a morning stroll around the edges of the fields. That day, though, we hit the jackpot. The fact that it was an unusually cool morning was probably why. Usually they have to go underground once the sun gets much above the treetops to get out of the heat. One of the chucks was a really big one, which I shot at close range - maybe 75 or 80 yards off the muzzle of the 222. My buddy was watching through the scope, dialed up to high power, and he said that the look on its face was priceless when the bullet hit the chuck in the chest. It was one of those tri-color animals, which I think may be a function of old age. Lots of red on the chest & front legs; silver face & dark brown body. I wish that we had arranged all those chucks in a row and taken a picture, because it would have fit right into the program on this thread. Next time .......
jd palmer
Well-Known Member
conibear trap over the hole.dead right there.
Barrelnut
Well-Known Member
Would be fun to try a 17 WSM.
WallyM11
Member
If you're looking to shoot them, they're usually come out in the cool morning or evening. You can setup in plain sight if you're motionless; their eyesight isn't great. Last chuck I shot was from 8 feet away. I walked up closer than intended ( in the woods ), noticed the hole and stopped all movement immediately. Looking at the hole I noticed the chuck's head showing an eye and nose. I stood frozen until it dropped then stepped back and got the gun ready. It eased back up in a minute, just enough to shoot it.
I don't go near them here in Wy-dam-oming. They often have fleas that carry bubonic plague. Really! Fun to shoot off my back deck, though. Same with the 13 stripe ground squirrels that we have everywhere.
nicholasjohn
Well-Known Member
Best to call them long-distance. Reach out an touch them, but not with your hands. I never touch PD's or digger squirrels, except with the lead implant.
iShoot17
Well-Known Member
@Ohlongarm What 17WSM are you shooting behind?
I've been debating picking one up! I enjoy the looks of the Winchester 1885 and would be a break up to the standard bolt action approach - though, I've heard hit-and-miss on their accuracy and production issues.
In all honesty, I actually bought some 17WSM ammo. An LGS had it on the shelf for many months, at just under $14 a box, so I figured maybe buying a box or two would at least prep me for when I find the rifle I want!
I've been debating picking one up! I enjoy the looks of the Winchester 1885 and would be a break up to the standard bolt action approach - though, I've heard hit-and-miss on their accuracy and production issues.
In all honesty, I actually bought some 17WSM ammo. An LGS had it on the shelf for many months, at just under $14 a box, so I figured maybe buying a box or two would at least prep me for when I find the rifle I want!
Poisoned grain.....make sure you throw it down the hole!
