Another One "Bites" The Dust

[K22]

Even though I know it wasn't wise because I my age and the heat we're experiencing, I went out ground hogging late Tuesday evening - just had to get out of the house. Actually, it wasn't that bad, sure it was hot but there was a breeze, and I was sitting in the shade.

I won't go into the details of the hunt since I don't have pictures and from past posts, I know that creates controversy, besides that's not the point of this post. Before arriving at this farm, I check another farm I frequently hunt to see if they cut hay yet. There was a survey crew in the field - bad sign. I stopped and talked to the farmer. He's an old guy like me and is selling his farm to a rich guy from Philly who intends to turn it into a horse farm. That news was a real downer for me - I've had 22 years of hunts on this place, and this will be the last year I can hunt it. Many fond memories at this place especially the first 15 years or so I hunted it when there were field after field of rolling hay fields before he started farming in strips and planting mostly corn.

For many reasons, not the least of which is my declining physical ability, I'm considering retiring from varmint hunting. I knew this day was coming and I really can't complain, I've had a great run at it but huntable farms are disappearing and changes in farming practices are making it extremely difficult to hunt varmints.

Add in this component mess and high inflation, well it's becoming painful just to shoot. Oh, I'll still visit the remaining farms from time to time, take a good book and fine cigar and sit on a tree line that I can easily walk to and if I get lucking a see one beyond 100 yards I'll take a shot, but the days of serious and intense ground hog hunting is coming to a close for me.

 

[chutem]

Oh, I'll still visit the remaining farms from time to time, take a good book and fine cigar and sit on a tree line that I can easily walk to and if I get lucking a see one beyond 100 yards I'll take a shot, but the days of serious and intense ground hog hunting is coming to a close for me.

Understand completely K22. It will happen to all of us. Just don't ever let this get away from you. Hard to beat the shade with a fine cigar and maybe a shot. Beats youtube all to heck!

 

[Randall Hardy]

It's even hard to beat the shade and a cheap cigar

 

[jpx2rk]

Sad to hear, but you seem to have a good handle on things. Enjoy it while you can.

 

[vonb]

Loss of land is happening everywhere and makes me truly sad that all we see now is urban/suburban sprawl. I got tired of searching out land to hunt on so I ended up purchasing some land a few years back to appease my need to get outdoors.

 

[K22]

Loss of land is happening everywhere and makes me truly sad that all we see now is urban/suburban sprawl. I got tired of searching out land to hunt on so I ended up purchasing some land a few years back to appease my need to get outdoors.

Yea, my friend purchase land in north central PA (the "big woods" area) and it's next to State Game Lands and Forest which provides a lot of "free" area to hunt and roam. True, it's public hunting but he has seen a large decline in deer and bear hunters the last 3 years as the older generation either dies off or like me, can't climb those mountains anymore. The predator hunting is fairly good up there too.

But for a younger guy, it might be a good strategy to provide easy and ready access to hunting lands.

 

[Rick in Oregon]

K22, I feel that pain. I'm also into 'Geezerhood' and after two hip replacements and 30 surgeries for my wild past life, I can't hump the elk mountains or cruise miles of hills in the open desert for mulies any more either. Varmint shooting is and always has been my favorite activity out of the house with a rifle, so I've hopefully got a few years left for that. But your comment about less farms or ranches to shoot rings true here also, even though we've got literally hundreds of thousands of BLM land to hunt on. All the good varmint shooting is almost always on private irrigated property, and as the old fellows pass on, things almost always change for the worse. Then we've got "guides" here now that make deals with the ranchers with the best fields to lease the land to pay-to-shoot. That equals less places for those of us who've lived here most of our lives, as no one I know will PAY to shoot rockchucks or ground squirrels that's lived here for years.

I'm glad I'm no younger than I am. I think "we" lived in what could now be called "The Golden Age of Shooting".

 

[Liven The Dream]

K22, I feel that pain. I'm also into 'Geezerhood' and after two hip replacements and 30 surgeries for my wild past life, I can't hump the elk mountains or cruise miles of hills in the open desert for mulies any more either. Varmint shooting is and always has been my favorite activity out of the house with a rifle, so I've hopefully got a few years left for that. But your comment about less farms or ranches to shoot rings true here also, even though we've got literally hundreds of thousands of BLM land to hunt on. All the good varmint shooting is almost always on private irrigated property, and as the old fellows pass on, things almost always change for the worse. Then we've got "guides" here now that make deals with the ranchers with the best fields to lease the land to pay-to-shoot. That equals less places for those of us who've lived here most of our lives, as no one I know will PAY to shoot rockchucks or ground squirrels that's lived here for years.

I'm glad I'm no younger than I am. I think "we" lived in what could now be called "The Golden Age of Shooting".

You said it well.

 

[nakneker]

Sorry K22, I guess we all go down that road but I love your attitude about it all. Born and in raised in northern Arizona in a rural town. Logging and ranching were big growing up but you could barely make a living here. Then around 1995 people started coming and now there are waves of out of staters moving here, I know many of the surrounding states are experiencing the same. Most all of my old haunts I frequented as a kid are gone. Most all of my old calling spots are found. 20 years ago I could go within an hour of town have expect to call 5-10 coyotes now I have to travel 3-4 hours to the last secret spots I know and those are getting found too. More people, less land and opportunity sounds like a theme we’re all experiencing, I think Rick hit in the above post, the gold age of varmint hunting and other hobbies is behind us. There’s still enough opportunities to keep me going out there but it will never be like it was. If your lucky enough to live in a place that is not experiencing an onslaught of people and development enjoy it while you can.

 

[K22]

Sorry K22, I guess we all go down that road but I love your attitude about it all. Born and in raised in northern Arizona in a rural town. Logging and ranching were big growing up but you could barely make a living here. Then around 1995 people started coming and now there are waves of out of staters moving here, I know many of the surrounding states are experiencing the same. Most all of my old haunts I frequented as a kid are gone. Most all of my old calling spots are found. 20 years ago I could go within an hour of town have expect to call 5-10 coyotes now I have to travel 3-4 hours to the last secret spots I know and those are getting found too. More people, less land and opportunity sounds like a theme we’re all experiencing, I think Rick hit in the above post, the gold age of varmint hunting and other hobbies is behind us. There’s still enough opportunities to keep me going out there but it will never be like it was. If your lucky enough to live in a place that is not experiencing an onslaught of people and development enjoy it while you can.

Yea, I guess the old adage, nothing "last forever" is painfully true. I was blessed to be raised in a very rural area and I spent most of my free time in the woods until I went away to college then Army.

The woods next to our old home stead is now a large development - the woods are gone. 

When we move to Berks County in PA in the late 80's, there was an abundant of large dairy farms with long rolling hay fields loaded with ground hogs. I had seven excellent farms to hunt, and the farmers (salt of the earth type people) were eager to have the hogs eliminated. Made some really good friends. These were great days of varmint hunting. I was known in the area as "The Ground Hog Man" - the man with no name - just the "Ground Hog Man" or as one farmer termed it, "The Vulture's Best Friend". He claimed to see the vulture's following my truck when I visited his farm eager for a free meal.

Fast forward to 2022, down to 3 farms due to overdevelopment, very few hay fields anymore due to changes in farming practices and farmers getting out of the diary business because they can't make any money. Also, three of the farmers (good friends) have passed and their children sold the farms.

But hey, I had a great run and have some great memories of great "groundhog safaris".
At least we had our time.

PS: Side issue - While I stopped hunting public land about 20 years ago, hunting public land in this area now has become risky. Criminal activity is on the rise - the favorite is stealing catalytic converters from vehicles. While hunters are fairly safe from muggings, I know one jogging and fisherman that was robbed / mugged on public land. Welcome to our brave new world!

 

[K22]

K22, I feel that pain. I'm also into 'Geezerhood' and after two hip replacements and 30 surgeries for my wild past life, I can't hump the elk mountains or cruise miles of hills in the open desert for mulies any more either. Varmint shooting is and always has been my favorite activity out of the house with a rifle, so I've hopefully got a few years left for that. But your comment about less farms or ranches to shoot rings true here also, even though we've got literally hundreds of thousands of BLM land to hunt on. All the good varmint shooting is almost always on private irrigated property, and as the old fellows pass on, things almost always change for the worse. Then we've got "guides" here now that make deals with the ranchers with the best fields to lease the land to pay-to-shoot. That equals less places for those of us who've lived here most of our lives, as no one I know will PAY to shoot rockchucks or ground squirrels that's lived here for years.

I'm glad I'm no younger than I am. I think "we" lived in what could now be called "The Golden Age of Shooting".

Oh yes - we certainly did live in the "golden age" of hunting and sports shooting. In my day, it was about hunting and shooting, not about a race for the latest and greatest gadget, scope with "Christmas tree reticles, new calibers, etc.

If you placed your money down on a Rem Model 700 or Win Model 70 and a Leupold, Weaver or Redfield Scope, you had excellent equipment for deer and varmint hunting. My factory 243 Win and later, my 222 Rem were outstanding, enhanced eventually with tailored reloads. But even with factory stuff, which wasn't really great on those days, you could still be successful.

I also lived in the "Golden Age" of revolvers and still shoot them today. I shot NRA precision competition, NRA Hunter's Pistol Silhouette, and hunted with S&W revolvers. Some of my fondness memories was shooting on a Club Pistol Team and roaming the hay fields of remote Greene County in western PA in search of groundhogs with my S&W Model 27, 357 Magnum strapped to my hip.

We have those memories - nothing can take that away - it's events that add value to life, not material possessions - it took me some time to realize that but at least for me - I strongly believe that to be the truth.

 

[snert]

K22,

I am a few years from your situation...I am almost 60. In Western PA there are few, few groundhog shooting places, and my haunts in NY are endangered as the dairy farmers age out. I take solace in a once a year hunt in NY and a trip west for PD. The rest of the time I fiddle with (caretake?) old guns that once belonged to someone I knew or admired. They are place/time markers that evoke memories of people...the only really important thing.

For years (since I was 14!) I have coveted my cousin's 40x rifles. He is 80 now and while I try to get him to go out...even to the range...he seems content to stay home. Sadly, should I now inherit his rifles (more likely he will sell them and I can't afford them) I would find them redundant to ones I have now. Which kills me because I would want HIS, to remember him by and years of great memories with him. In years past he said they would all be mine, but I think he would want them sold to care for his bride after he is gone. Stuff that hold memories remind me of the goodness of God over my lifetime.

Every time I go to the gun room I walk by two Superiors, made by Ross Sherman, rebuilt and owned by Fred and Becky Sinclair. They remind me of my great friend Bud Andrew Morse, who never once in 30 years was too busy to let me visit when I dropped by. He was Ross's friend, and helped buy one of them for my daughter. I see my Grand dad's 1884 TD, my pop's 88 Winchester, my Uncle's 42 Winchester, my first 22, (thanks Grand dad) and my Granpa L's early Single Six. I see a Stevens 414 that has been in the family for generations, and I didn't even know I had it till a cousin inquired what my dad had done with it..?? I found it tucked in a rafter in the closet of the house I inherited. I see my first handgun, a TC Contender bought 34 years ago by my wife as our first wedding anniversary gift. I see newer guns that belong to my kids...their first guns. And I remember.

Stuff can be a burden, and it often owns us in ways that are unhealthy. I hope that when my days diminish I can find someone to caretake the things I found to have value. But I must remember...times change and my memories are not those of others. But I hope there is someone who will appreciate the memory markers as I have.

As you close out your groundhogging days I pray God blesses you with a few more highly memorable hunts.

Snert