Ist groundhog of 2025

[varmintshooter]

Temps up to 63* today so thought I would see if anything was out. I only shot 1 @ maybe 150 yds. 75 gr amax from my 223 AI

 

[WV Hitman]

I just started "groundhog season. Got 9 so far!! with my handguns (don't own a rifle): .223, .22-250, 6mm AI Encore, .250 Sav. AI XP-100. Puts my lifetime groundhog total with handguns at 16,161.

 

[JayHHI6818]

I just started "groundhog season. Got 9 so far!! with my handguns (don't own a rifle): .223, .22-250, 6mm AI Encore, .250 Sav. AI XP-100. Puts my lifetime groundhog total with handguns at 16,161.

Off to a good start

 

[DRK]

Wow, nothing moving here yet.

 

[Pyscodog]

I just started "groundhog season. Got 9 so far!! with my handguns (don't own a rifle): .223, .22-250, 6mm AI Encore, .250 Sav. AI XP-100. Puts my lifetime groundhog total with handguns at 16,161.

That is a lot of groundhogs. Sounds like you take it very seriously.

 

[Webster]

I just started "groundhog season. Got 9 so far!! with my handguns (don't own a rifle): .223, .22-250, 6mm AI Encore, .250 Sav. AI XP-100. Puts my lifetime groundhog total with handguns at 16,161.

I wish I could find 1 GH in Ohio. Your killing Mama before the young are born.

 

[cooperve]

I’m also from Ohio, South-East-Central. The only groundhogs I see any more is in the ditch between the 4-lane and in front of Walmart, or "in town" as you leave the grocery drive thru where there is about four acres. There are no holes in hay or bean fields anymore. I used to average 150 GH’s a year after May 15th or later. Seldom shot one under 250-yards. I don’t waste the gas anymore. I don’t care what some people think. They disappeared after the coyote’s started showing up. I’m too old to be out coyote hunting. Be thankful for GH’s still on the MD Eastern Shore and good luck.

 

[rdremsek]

If you waited until they had the young ones you might see more if you didn't kill them so early

 

[rdremsek]

It's not all the coyotes doing all the damage if everyone shot 150 that could be the reason your not seeing any.

 

[JEFFPPC]

We had a couple adjoing farms we killed probably 100 groundhog or more per year from each for 30 years. Then about 15 years ago a couple guys started coming and for about 3 years they hammered them as soon as they started coming out in early spring. Those farms have never recovered from those ignorant idiots. I feel sad every time a pass them.

 

[1K6BRA]

I know the farmers don’t want to hear this but a good rule of thumb is for everyone you shoot leave 2 or 3 (little ones) that will come to the funeral.

 

[varmintshooter]

To all who say don't kill them so early, let me say this. The farms I hunt raise crops not groundhogs. Traps/poison will be out in a couple of weeks, if I waited until say memorial day I probably would not see any ask me how I know.

 

[WV Hitman]

Guys, the farmers I hunt on want them dead. I check each one for sex. The 9 are 100% males. In the past rarely see females until mid, late March. This place where I killed 9, I've done about700 in the last 35 years. They still come out. I stop shooting there in mid April.

 

[ken158]

If you waited until they had the young ones you might see more if you didn't kill them so early

Yep - I never shoot a groundhog until June 1. Unless you have a deal with a farmer you are just killing out the families.

 

[ISS]

The pups do not leave Mom's den until they can make it on their own. Usually four to a litter out here. Hawks, Coyotes, and Badgers get one, I take two, and leave one for next year. Seems to work out here in SW Idaho.

 

[cooperve]

It's not all the coyotes doing all the damage if everyone shot 150 that could be the reason your not seeing any.

The 150 average GH's per year was from all over the entire county.

 

[WyleWD]

Here in Ohio a hunter MUST have written permission from a farmer or landowner to hunt on their property. When making rounds to get permission slips it is an opportunity to ask that person where to park, and if they want coyotes shot as well, and when can you start hunting. I've found over the years that farmers and land owners are NOT always the same. Some do not want coyotes shot, some completely opposite of that. Some will tell you that as long as you shoot all the chucks and start early, yes you can, and others will say if you wait they'll find someone else that will start early or trap or poison them. So the bottom line is I'm asking for permission on their land so I'll arrange my visits accordingly to make us both happy.

Having been born, raised, and retired farming I can appreciate and understand the economic impacts of 'chucks and coyotes......... and too many deer. JME. FWIW. WD

 

[varmintshooter]

WyleWD your post is spot on. If hunting a hay field you can shoot all summer but in a bean field there is a short window of time to shoot until the beans are to high. I have 4 farmers that don't want me to shoot coyote but most are happy to have them killed

 

[Lee Whitsel]

If you waited until they had the young ones you might see more if you didn't kill them so early

Correct my father would not allow me t0 shot any till May 30 Memorial Day weekend season started for me. He said I want you to be a good shot. Kill a breading male now and he doesn't breed a female you lose a lot of targets for the summer. If you wait you might have 7 targets this summer in stead of 1 now....

 

[Rick in Oregon]

I start out for rockchucks around late April, early May. I try to shoot only adults, and leave the young ones to grow and breed on the local ranches I shoot.

I've got a colony not far from the house on school property that can't of course be shot, but I use them for my "chuck barometer" to tell when they've come up, and gone down in early August. This is one of the 'regulars' that I see often:



Shot taken with my Nikon DSLR and 300mm telephoto.

Two weeks ago we had over a foot of snow. Now it's 70* and sunny, so it won't be much longer. They can't resist a nice sunny day.