• This Forum is for adults 18 years of age or over. By continuing to use this Forum you are confirming that you are 18 or older. No content shall be viewed by any person under 18 in California.

Shoulda worn longjohns

Nomad47

Went out groundhog hunting this morning (almost a daily activity for the past 6 months). It was 43 degrees and I was sitting on a recently combined 60 acre bean field. Then it got breezy. I was shaking so bad from the cold that I doubt I would have seen a 'hog if it stood up 200 yards away. Then it started raining. I was actually glad to see the rain - gave me a good excuse to pack up.
444 so far this year and 2020 since 2011 when I started keeping a log. My previous personal best was 427 in 2012, so I'm setting a new personal best every time I shoot one. Yahoo!
 
Last edited:
Nomad47 said:
Went out groundhog hunting this morning (almost a daily activity for the past 4 months). It was 43 degrees and I was sitting on a recently combined 60 acre bean field. Then it got breezy. I was shaking so bad from the cold that I doubt I would have seen a 'hog if it stood up 200 yards away. Then it started raining. I was actually to see the rain - gave me a good excuse to pack up.
444 so far this year and 2020 since 2011 when I started keeping a log. My previous personal best was 427 in 2012, so I'm setting a new personal best every time I shoot one. Yahoo!
Click to expand...
now that's what I call a very good year
 
40 degree with wind and then throw in rain, it would be cold. I like Gore-tex.

I had an eagle land on a groundhog I shot one time. The funniest thing I saw was I shot a groundhog at 1080 and while it was still kicking a Red tail hawk swooped down and landed on it. A little while later another Red tail landed and they fought over the groundhog. I never heard of that happening. Matt
 
I had a similar thing happen a couple years ago. I spotted a chuck around 400 yds away feeding in beans that were a few inches tall. The shot was a little tricky as I had to shoot through a small opening in trees that lined a creek. After the shot I thought I nailed the chuck but I wasn't positive. Then 3 buzzards landed nearby, kill confirmed. Then 2 hawks landed, and just like you observed, they bickered over who got to eat first. Then an adult bald eagle landed, hawks left. The bald eagle tried 3 times to fly off with the kill but could only get a few feet off the ground each time.
 
Hi Nomad, how often do you go out, do you hunt in the morning or evening or both? Also can you tell us about the guns and calibers and scopes you use.
Drags
 
drags said:
Hi Nomad, how often do you go out, do you hunt in the morning or evening or both? Also can you tell us about the guns and calibers and scopes you use.
Drags
Click to expand...

LOL. Sometimes mornings, sometimes evenings, sometimes afternoons. Sometimes two of the three. And sometimes all three. I have probably averaged 30 hours per week going back to mid May. I wouldn't be surprised if those 444 kills took 650-700 hours. My wife says I'm going to turn into a groundhog. Lordy, if there is reincarnation, I sure hope I don't come back as a groundhog. But if I did, I guess I would know the safest places to live - and certainly not out in the middle of an alfalfa field.

I have 2 Savage PTAs that I shoot groundhogs with. One is a 6SLR, the other a 6XC. I have 2 barrels for each. The barrels currently on the actions are both 30" Brux barrels, 1.125" straight, no taper and chambered by Preacher. I also use a 10" Form 1 suppressor and a wide bipod. Both rifles sport 10-50x60 Sightron SIII scopes. And all barrels shoot the 105 AMax coated with hBN.
 
Last edited:
Nomad has it right. With the right weather a fellow can score some REALLY big chucks as late as Thanksgiving. The day this pic was taken I got 3 about the size of the one on the left and the smaller one weighed in at 11 pounds if I remember correctly. They make a very unique Whoooomph when hit with a 17 Rem, 6xc, or the Swift when they are this big and fat. WD

1106131222-800x600fallchucks.jpg
 
Hi Nomad, I have been hunting groundhogs for 56 years and I hunt mostly mostly in SW Pa. Beaver Co. and hunt farms in about a 15 mile radius from my home. I use a 22x47 lapua with 80 gr hornady a-max bullets a 204 ruger a .223 and a 22-250, last summer I used the 22x47 for the longer shots and the .223 for the closer ones. I also shoot in the local groundhog shoots in the summer I shoot 3 weekends per month, I have just hunted the live groundhogs last summer in the mornings due to the hot summer we had.
For the groundhog shoots I shoot 6 dashers, 6 br and 6ppc all Kelbly's actions with krieger and brux barrels and nightforce competition scopes. I go out hunting groundhogs about 12 hours per week in the summer and shot 104 last year, I had 3 kills over 500 yards with the 22x47 longest was 568 yards. I really enjoy reading you posts.
Drags
 
Went out this afternoon. It was 54 degrees and breezy. I was a little uncomfortable but decided to tough it out. (My blood is still a little thin from all those years in AZ.)
After a few minutes, one came out and I ranged it at 679 yards. After checking my range card and dialing in 12 moa, I let a 105 AMax fly. Bullet splashed just under it. Well, dang. After a couple minutes he came back out. So I added .75 moa and touched off another round. Whack. Dead 'hog.
Now I'm scratching my head. Re-checked range. Yep, 679. And I've been using the same range card all summer. OK, check Shooter app. Aha, Shooter says 12.8 moa for 679 yards at 54 degrees. Doh!!!!
 
Nomad47 said:
No sir , year round in central Ohio. We had to sell our winter home in AZ due to medical issues with my wife .

Drags, what part of Beaver County? Any where near Hookstown? Do you compete in McDonald? And thanks for the kind words.
Click to expand...
Nomad, I live in Monaca Pa. which is near Hookstown Pa. Yes I have been shooting the groundhog shoots at McDonald since they started having them. I also shoot at the Lawrence Co. club's varmint shoots (groundhog target same as McDonald's) we have two shoots per month a 100,200,300 and a 300,400,500 and I help run this shoot.
Drags
 
drags said:
Nomad, I live in Monaca Pa. which is near Hookstown Pa. Yes I have been shooting the groundhog shoots at McDonald since they started having them. I also shoot at the Lawrence Co. club's varmint shoots (groundhog target same as McDonald's) we have two shoots per month a 100,200,300 and a 300,400,500 and I help run this shoot.
Drags
Click to expand...

I lived in the country near Hookstown until I moved to Ohio in '69. I had aunts that lived in Aliquippa and Sewickley. So I've been thru Monaca numerous times.
 
Baden boy here...went to Penn State Monaca too. Was just in Monaca last week. NY now, for 29 years
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Night time squerril activity
Replies
17
Views
797
Kenneth66
!coyote down
Replies
15
Views
5,672
calib
First Blood...
Replies
5
Views
1,776
rwk

Upgrades & Donations

This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.


Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.

You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.


To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.

Classified Ads

Forum statistics

Threads
167,226
Messages
2,228,991
Members
80,299
Latest member
SuaSpontae

Share This Page

Back
Top