First sighting of the year

[mshelton]

Saw one yesterday on the side of 522 just south of Unionville, VA.

Probably eat up with parasites or had gotten hungry because the temp was in the 30s.
Regardless it was my first sighting of the yeah and it got me a little fired up for the upcoming season, com'on late spring.

 

[dedogs]

First one what? Ground-hog, mangy coyote, feral cat, rat...../

 

[mshelton]

Groundhog, got too excited and forgot that little detail

 

[daniel brothers]

... Homeless person...? Solicitor...? Obama-democrat....? Peta Person...?

(just kidding... I knew you meant groundhog)

I gotta spend some time up there this year chasing those pasture poodles.

 

[Eddie Harren]

I believe the females have their young in mid February. It may have been a sow out foraging for food to make some milk.

 

[CatShooter]

Last year, my first sighting in Connecticut was in August - this state sucks!!!

 

[Bangs OH]

I believe the females have their young in mid February. It may have been a sow out foraging for food to make some milk.

Up here, the males are just getting down to the business of knocking-up the females in mid-Feb. Gestation takes at least six weeks, I believe. Young aren't on their own until late May; on farms where I can get away with it, I'll hold off as best I can to begin shooting them until then. Just when the ticks are getting thick.

 

[Eddie Harren]

They must grow really quick. I've seen a litter of 6 outside the hole on May 1st, they were bigger than my fist. They can't be any bigger than your thumb when they're born.

 

[hedditch]

Saw one out here in Victor, MT. We have been having unseasonably warm weather and it is a trick mother nature is playing on these varmints and trees.
Dave

 

[stacy]

SAW ONE TODAY IN WESTERN NC IN BLOWING SNOW LOADING UP ON GRASS BESIDE I-40 SAW ON LAST WEEK ALSO IN WEAVERVILLE NC BUT IT WAS 54* NOT 30* LIKE TODAY

 

[IMMORTAL]

Saw one about 5 days ago going up interstate 81. Won't be long now.

 

[TheOtherZilla]

Saw 8 of em here in Wyo last week.. Smoked em all

 

[dieselmudder]

Iive seen one, in 5 years of living in my house in rural Indiana. Couple years ago, took a weekend trip to WV.Iin late summer, was blown away at how many i seen. The coyotes have decimated them, and were playing hell shooting those too.

 

[hpshooter]

My wife spotted one on the hole on Rt. 501 outside of Rustburg VA last week, we turned around and confirmed it. Was in the mid 20's. Best one ever was one I shot in the snow while deer hunting in the Blacksburg VA area.

T W Hudson

 

[CatShooter]

Maybe Mom wasn't exactly the homecoming queen either.

You made me laugh....

 

[hunter243sgk]

I grew up here in Ky and in the late 70s and 80s they were everywhere.Now I see one or two a year.The damn coyote have ate them I guess. I did see a fat one in my garden last year that I could never get a shot at.Now my neighbor told me to shoot it on his side if I have to so I will get it this year.I sure do miss hunting them.I think it is past time for me to put a large dent in the coyotes!!

 

[Gabe22BR]

easy on the coyotes, they have been keeping the turkey pop in check. They eat more than a GH every will, and multiply 4 times as fast.

 

[hunter243sgk]

I would rather have the turkeys.I can eat them.But the downside there is they eat a lot of acorns which the deer depend on.Everything has to be balanced out I guess.

 

[rwk]

I saw one Feb. 2 on TV>

 

[Gabe22BR]

I would rather have the turkeys.I can eat them.But the downside there is they eat a lot of acorns which the deer depend on.Everything has to be balanced out I guess.

depends on if you got any money invested in a crop I guess, we have several deer, always hunters look for the trophy, not for food.. we get a permit and have some fun night shoots with spotlights. The turkeys are becoming a real pest here, I have counted 203 in a flock one evening cleaning the fresh planted corn rows. Crows aren't that bad!! The ground hogs are all but gone around here, might see 3 a year now. Only if our state allowed rifled turkey hunting.....

I keep my eyes open for ground hogs when I make the second pass spraying the beans.