Pups are out, one photo of a Snerting..

[Nomad47]

Shot 12 today, 6 each on 2 different bean fields. On the first field, I shot a pup and mom at a hole out in the nearer middle (field is 965 yards long) at 206 yards. Then I got a close one - 101 yards. Then a pair of pups stand up on top of the hole entrance that is 206 yards. They aren't exactly one behind the other, I can see half of the one in back. So I aimed at the parts that overlapped. And I got a double. Then one appears near the far end of the field. Difficult to range and I decided on a come up of 16.5 MOA which is 795 yards. The bullet splashed just short of the groundhog, so I went up to 17 MOA (809 yards). Nailed him with that shot. So I'm sitting there with 6 empty cases and 6 dead groundhogs.
Now the question: Do I get to ignore the miss?

 

[hogpatrol]

That's some great shooting Bill, I'd just consider that a Mulligan for the day. After putting a couple ducats on the Belmont at Delaware Park, the wife and I loaded up and headed for the hay fields. Shot six with the Annie, five confirmed and one fell down his hole. I could see his leg way down in there but it was a family hole so not doing the hand dive even with a leather glove on. They were some big fat ones. Buzzards, eagles and foxes are going to eat good tonight and tomorrow.

 

[hogpatrol]

There's a story behind one of these guys on the tailgate. Shot him at about 75 yards, tail goes up. OK, he's history. Hay was off so drive over to retrieve him, he's lifeless. Grab him by the back leg and toss him in the bed of the truck. Keep patrolling and get a couple more, toss them in the truck. Checking out a usually good field, I see a head sticking up. Thwack! Head dust flies. Hay's too high to drive on so I walk out, retrieve him, walk back to the truck and toss him in. He lands on top of another hog who comes to life, growls, snarls and pushes it away. Crap, that guy is still alive!
I'm thinking maybe he still has a little juice in him so I better do something. Get the gloves and the pistol, put one in the chamber, safety off. Drop the tailgate, go to grab him by the back leg and he growls and makes an attempt to bite my hand. In one quick movement, I whip him off the truck and the rat bastard starts crawling away, FAST! What the hell? Now I'm chasing him in to a bunch of high weeds trying to get a shot with this not so easy to hand shoot pistol. Finally he stops for a second and I get one in the back of his head and he is finally dead. The moral of the story is, rimfire ammo is cheap, put another one in him for good measure. You never know when you will come up against a zombie groundhog.

 

[Nomad47]

There's a story behind one of these guys on the tailgate. Shot him at about 75 yards, tail goes up. OK, he's history. Hay was off so drive over to retrieve him, he's lifeless. Grab him by the back leg and toss him in the bed of the truck. Keep patrolling and get a couple more, toss them in the truck. Checking out a usually good field, I see a head sticking up. Thwack! Head dust flies. Hay's too high to drive on so I walk out, retrieve him, walk back to the truck and toss him in. He lands on top of another hog who comes to life, growls, snarls and pushes it away. Crap, that guy is still alive!
I'm thinking maybe he still has a little juice in him so I better do something. Get the gloves and the pistol, put one in the chamber, safety off. Drop the tailgate, go to grab him by the back leg and he growls and makes an attempt to bite my hand. In one quick movement, I whip him off the truck and the rat bastard starts crawling away, FAST! What the hell? Now I'm chasing him in to a bunch of high weeds trying to get a shot with this not so easy to hand shoot pistol. Finally he stops for a second and I get one in the back of his head and he is finally dead. The moral of the story is, rimfire ammo is cheap, put another one in him for good measure. You never know when you will come up against a zombie groundhog.

That reminds me of an experience I had years and years and years ago when I was in my late teens. Had a Remington BDL in varmint barrel and 6mmRemington. Shot one at a REALLY long distance (and a record at the time) of approx 440 yards. Since that was about a half mile walk to check him out and walk back, I left the fairly heavy rifle back at the car (and I didn't own a handgun). Just as I was about to pick him up, he ATTACKED me. After backing away to a safe distance and while pondering what to do, I spied an old metal fence post. After a little cat and mouse, I was able to club him on the head to end the drama.

I don't like to drive on my farmers' hay fields unless its like the day after they pick up their bales and with the kills usually being scattered all around (lots of hiking and I'm 71 years old), I normally don't do an up close inspection of my kills (farmers say let the buzzards and coyotes eat). But when I do, I carry a 22 rimfire handgun - JUST IN CASE.

 

[hogpatrol]

That reminds me of an experience I had years and years and years ago when I was in my late teens. Had a Remington BDL in varmint barrel and 6mmRemington. Shot one at a REALLY long distance (and a record at the time) of approx 440 yards. Since that was about a half mile walk to check him out and walk back, I left the fairly heavy rifle back at the car (and I didn't own a handgun). Just as I was about to pick him up, he ATTACKED me. After backing away to a safe distance and while pondering what to do, I spied an old metal fence post. After a little cat and mouse, I was able to club him on the head to end the drama.

I don't like to drive on my farmers' hay fields unless its like the day after they pick up their bales and with the kills usually being scattered all around (lots of hiking and I'm 71 years old), I normally don't do an up close inspection of my kills (farmers say let the buzzards and coyotes eat). But when I do, I carry a 22 rimfire handgun - JUST IN CASE.

Same here, three to five days depending on rainfall after a cut is about all we can get to drive on alfalfa. I don't leave my hogs on the hills or near the holes. Brings in the eagles, hawks and buzzards and stops the others that live in the hole from coming out for a shot, at least in the areas I hunt. I gather mine up and dump them somewhere where I am not hunting but readily available for the cleanup crews.

 

[hogpatrol]

Had a request the other day, can you please do something about my groundhog problem around the house?
Uh, yeah, how many? There's a lot of them. In two hours, I whacked seven with one crawlaway, then rolling out the driveway smacked #8. Still have a dozen holes to set up on.

 

[Nomad47]

It sure is nice when the farmers call. 4 of my 19 call or text me.