2012 PA groundhogs

[chino1969]

Well here we are, another spring and groundhogs are on the ticket.

I put together a new rifle in the past year. It is a switch barrel rig using a Borden single shot Alpine action, Jewell trigger, Bell & Carlson tactical stock. Borden supplied the action, timed the trigger and chambered my barrels. It has a 20 moa Farrel rail with Nightforce 12 x 42 NXS, 1/8" turrets with NP 2DD reticle. I bedded it myself with lead in cavity that would normally hold the blind magazine. It currently has a Bartlein 1 in 8" HV barrel chambered in .243 A.I.. The load I'm currently shooting is a 95 grn. Berger VLD hunting with a healthy load of H4831sc.

The first whistle pig taken so far was a 275 yd. shot. The Berger did a good job, opening and exiting the neck area. The other night I missed a shot on one at 480 yds. The reason I missed is I wasn't quite sure of the distance and my clicks were dialed in for 550 yds. I'm currently awaiting the new Leica 1600 which is not out as of yet. The hog was aware it had been shot at, dropped to all fours and went to ground.

At any rate, I can't say enough about this package. This is my first true custom action and have got to say that Jim Borden is a consummate professional to deal with. He has all my dimensions and having other barrels chambered is as easy as a phone call. I've been using Bartlein barrels and have to say I've been impressed with the performance. I'll post some pics soon.

 

[CaptainMal]

Those hogs take a good "smack". Friend in Pa. uses a heavy-barrel 270 for them and it's not overgunned past 500 yards.

Like hog reports from Pa. Keep 'em coming.

 

[Gary in MD]

Chino, I guess I'm a little south of you. I live and do a lot of groundhog hunting in western Maryland. I haven't been out yet this year, but getting ready. I have been hunting groundhogs in these areas for about 35 years. I have noticed in the last few years that there has been a huge decline in the number of groundhogs in the areas that I hunt. I know we have not shot them all, we always try to leave plenty of seed. Have you noticed this in PA? I wonder if they go through population declines from disease?
Gary

 

[mikecr]

I glanced a 95VLD off a GH's forehead with a 6br @~280 once. Seriously rang his bell as he staggered & rolled around 10mins before floating off to some clover patch in the sky Left a hairless streak from right between his eyes back, no blood.

Don't forget to mind your level up there

 

[Nomad47]

14 so far this season - 7 in Greene Twp, Beaver County, PA and 7 in Knox County, OH. Longest is 519 yards with my 243 WSSM & 105 Amax bullets.

 

[Gman]

I do realize that most farm owners want ALL of the ground hogs dead, and I don't want to open up a can of worms, but if you are killing mature female hogs before their young are weened, then you are reducing your amount of targets before the first cutting of the hay. Which is usually right after Memorial Day here in SW PA. Most experienced "earth pig" hunters that I know, won't even start hunting them till then. Just sayin'.

 

[mikecr]

I always wondered about GH 'natural adjustments' I cause with hunting. Especially when I'm confident that I decimated the lot of them(like 50+ on one farm).
I know around here that for one killed squirrel, two more result(counter productive). But not sure about GHs.

 

[model 12 toby]

we've noticed a great decline in ground hogs here in eastern Ohio and a great incline in coyote population. Coincidence?

 

[Nomad47]

The young are out here in central Ohio. I killed three at 397 yards. I also killed a mature chuck at 698 yards. After shooting it, I got to thinking that I should have moved my portable bench back two yards.
Season total for PA and OH now stands at 18.

 

[model 12 toby]

what cha shooting bill?

 

[Bradley Walker]

I do realize that most farm owners want ALL of the ground hogs dead, and I don't want to open up a can of worms, but if you are killing mature female hogs before their young are weened, then you are reducing your amount of targets before the first cutting of the hay. Which is usually right after Memorial Day here in SW PA. Most experienced "earth pig" hunters that I know, won't even start hunting them till then. Just sayin'.

True.

 

[drags]

It has always been my practice to hunt after the first cutting so the young ones are weened. The woodchuck # are down where I hunt I don't know why maybe the coyotes, but by shooting woodchucks before the young are weened we are just hunting ourselves. I have been hunting woodchucks for 52 years and have always waited until after the first cutting. I have shot woodchucks on one farm every year for 52 years and I always hunted after the first cutting.
Drags

 

[MrMajestic]

I try to limit my shooting until after Memorial Day to "Targets of Opportunity" or those areas where total eradication is desired. There are areas around buildings where nuisance Chucks burrow and reproduction is not wanted by the landowner. Killing theses insure an invite to return!
I have seen young out along the Highways already and must wonder how our warm winter and early Spring has affected the mating season.

 

[Nomad47]

what cha shooting bill?

105 Amax's out of a 6mmXC.

Three more Ohio hogs today - 235, 208, and 754 yards.

 

[model 12 toby]

how many shots to get the 754? Farmer hasn't done first cut yet. I haven't went yet. can't wwait though. got dies for my 6.5x47 lapua today. ordered barrel last august and still haven't got to shoot it yet.

 

[stenger]

I always wait till the first cutting of hay. I also have seen young coyotes and fox going into large G-hog holes. I never shoot all the hogs on a farm just enough to make the farmer happy then on to the next farm.

 

[Nomad47]

model 12 toby, what bullet will you be shooting the hogs with out of that 6.5x47?

754 yards was what my range card indicated as I couldn't range him. It took three shots. The main problem was the lay of the land. At 240 yards the field sloped away then started a gradual rise with the end of the field at 950 yards. My rangefinding binoculars kept picking up the near rise. I guessed 650 yards for the first shot and was miserably short. The second shot was a little short but must have kicked some dirt on him as he wasted no time going down in his hole. He came out about twenty minutes later and the third shot got him. I missed one at 650 and another at 800. The 650 was just a simple miss. The 800 was not enough wind correction and the bullet splashed in front of his nose sending him running to his hole.

On the issue of the young getting weaned... I don't hunt them hard until the young are out. Last spring I was dragging my feet and on one of my farms I hunt the farmer set out a dozen conibear traps. So I lost out on a few kills. Another farmer was gassing them and wouldn't let me shoot them.

 

[Nomad47]

Stenger, how do you not "shoot all the hogs on a farm"? Do you just shoot the odd numbered ones?
I've shot every hog I've seen on a farm and a month later there are new ones to take their place. Holes with plentiful food nearby don't stay unoccupied very long where I hunt.

 

[chino1969]

Chino, I guess I'm a little south of you. I live and do a lot of groundhog hunting in western Maryland. I haven't been out yet this year, but getting ready. I have been hunting groundhogs in these areas for about 35 years. I have noticed in the last few years that there has been a huge decline in the number of groundhogs in the areas that I hunt. I know we have not shot them all, we always try to leave plenty of seed. Have you noticed this in PA? I wonder if they go through population declines from disease?
Gary

Gary,
I have witnessed the same thing and it's hard to figure whether I've hunted them too hard or something else is going on.

 

[chino1969]

I do realize that most farm owners want ALL of the ground hogs dead, and I don't want to open up a can of worms, but if you are killing mature female hogs before their young are weened, then you are reducing your amount of targets before the first cutting of the hay. Which is usually right after Memorial Day here in SW PA. Most experienced "earth pig" hunters that I know, won't even start hunting them till then. Just sayin'.

Gman,
I hear what you are saying and wait until after Memorial Day for most of my hog hunting. Unfortunately, many farmers gas the hog holes as they cannot afford to lose their crops to hungry hogs. This is the only farm where I hunt them this early.