Groundhog almost gets away.

[ohlongarmisle]

Shot this one in a neighbors garden a mile down the road, with my 22 suppressor 75 yards away in a window in the barn, they have Arabian horses so no loud noises allowed. He slipped back in his den and was out of reach barely but doa, I took a shovel and got him. They're multi millionaires they gave me a bottle of Don Julio blanco that'll work.

 

[K22]

I've learned the hard way to try not to shoot them while they are on or near their hole. If I don't make a perfect shot, they will escape down the hole. I'd rather miss than wound one, but hunting is not an exact process.

Sometimes when I make a less than perfect shot several feet away from their hole, they will head for the hole. Most of the time I'll find them expired just inside the hole and be able to retrieve them. But I've gut shot a few that escape down the hole - not a pleasant feeling for sure - hate to see the animal suffer.

There are exceptions of course, but most of the time if you're patient, they will venture out into the field to feed after they surveyed the area for threats. The exceptions I've seen is sometimes in the late evening they will come out and just sit on top of their hole and not feed. If the distance is within my high confidence range, I'll take the shot especially if they are standing and I have a good profile shot.

 

[CaptainMal]

Simple way to get them out of a hole you think they might have made before dying. Take a piece of garden hose and tie a fishing treble hook to the end. Push it into the hole, twist a bit and pull out the dead hog.

I did a multiple-page article for Varmint Hunter magazine years ago on how to do that, showing pictures of the results. It really works. No digging needed.

 

[ohlongarmisle]

I've learned the hard way to try not to shoot them while they are on or near their hole. If I don't make a perfect shot, they will escape down the hole. I'd rather miss than wound one, but hunting is not an exact process.

Sometimes when I make a less than perfect shot several feet away from their hole, they will head for the hole. Most of the time I'll find them expired just inside the hole and be able to retrieve them. But I've gut shot a few that escape down the hole - not a pleasant feeling for sure - hate to see the animal suffer.

There are exceptions of course, but most of the time if you're patient, they will venture out into the field to feed after they surveyed the area for threats. The exceptions I've seen is sometimes in the late evening they will come out and just sit on top of their hole and not feed. If the distance is within my high confidence range, I'll take the shot especially if they are standing and I have a good profile shot.

I agree however cranking a round with a 17 hornet with high strung Arabians 50 yards away is a no no , the 22 subsonic got the job done but as seen here he backed in his hole about 3 feet before expiring. The couple up the road will call when another moves in, impressed by the Ruger 77/22 integrally suppressed rifle a tack driver for sure. He took a round through the back high and about a third way back from head. The bullet hitting him was way louder than the rifle.

 

[vonb]

Simple way to get them out of a hole you think they might have made before dying. Take a piece of garden hose and tie a fishing treble hook to the end. Push it into the hole, twist a bit and pull out the dead hog.

I did a multiple-page article for Varmint Hunter magazine years ago on how to do that, showing pictures of the results. It really works. No digging needed.

I've heard of folks doing something similar with barbwire. Stick it in the hole and twist until it catches.