This depressing time of the year

[ACF]

Well, groundhog season here in PA. is coming to a close for me and I'm depressed. Going to have to wait many months to start again.

However, it was a good year because I accomplished a goal I was trying to make happen.
Been shooting a 25/284 for many years and added a muzzle brake to help see my shots, but was still not seeing enough shots to increase my kill number.

I built a 22 creedmore with a heavy barrel for weight, and a brake hoping to see more shots and increase my kill numbers and I can say it was a success. I'm shooting the sierra 77 gr. TMK at 3500 FPS and it works well killing the hogs out to 875 yds. so I'm happy with it's performance. It is however, a real load to carry, but I usually don't have to carry it to far.

I'm looking forward to next year and may put a higher power scope on to see better at the longer ranges.

Normally, I'd be all psyched up for grouse season, but, grouse here are going down the road that the dinosaur went down.

Anyway, good luck to all with your fall and winter hunting, and as the old guy at camp used to say
"HOOOOOT the bastards".

Chris

 

[Gary in MD]

You are right, there’s nothing like summer ground hoggin’
You’re going deer hunting, right?
Gary

 

[Mark M.]

Well, groundhog season here in PA. is coming to a close for me and I'm depressed. Going to have to wait many months to start again.

However, it was a good year because I accomplished a goal I was trying to make happen.
Been shooting a 25/284 for many years and added a muzzle brake to help see my shots, but was still not seeing enough shots to increase my kill number.

I built a 22 creedmore with a heavy barrel for weight, and a brake hoping to see more shots and increase my kill numbers and I can say it was a success. I'm shooting the sierra 77 gr. TMK at 3500 FPS and it works well killing the hogs out to 875 yds. so I'm happy with it's performance. It is however, a real load to carry, but I usually don't have to carry it to far.

I'm looking forward to next year and may put a higher power scope on to see better at the longer ranges.

Normally, I'd be all psyched up for grouse season, but, grouse here are going down the road that the dinosaur went down.

Anyway, good luck to all with your fall and winter hunting, and as the old guy at camp used to say
"HOOOOOT the bastards".

Chris

There always a bright side

 

[K22]

I hear you - the season ended for me on October 4 because archery started on the 5th here in eastern PA and I can't ghog hunt on those farms during archery. I'm currently going through ghog withdrawal. But boy the memories of some of the ghog safari's this summer pleasantly linger - reliving them over and over again.

I had a great hogging year, 38 safari's. Made some of the most difficult shots ever I ever made but also had some frustrating misses but it was all good. 97 confirmed hogs down, 13 misses, 3 wounded unfortunately. Of the 13 misses I think I reconnected on 10 of them during subsequent safari's - at least at the same location / distance as the prior miss.

But there is no need to get depressed. You can spend the fall / winter as I do - hunting deer and predators. I also spend a lot of range time honing my field shooting skills shooting off my shooting sticks. Besides being a lot of fun, it will give you a realistic picture of your true capabilities in the field. I shoot at a 3 x 5 card taped to a piece of cardboard. If you orient the card vertically, it will closely simulate the vitals of a standing hog. If you orient the card horizontally it closely simulates the vitals of a crawler. I keep a record of each range session and try to work on improving my technique.

Winter is also a good time to reload for the upcoming summer ghog season as long as you don't believe in "bullet weld".

 

[ACF]

You are right, there’s nothing like summer ground hoggin’
You’re going deer hunting, right?
Gary

I agree, there's nothing like ground hoggin' and I guess I'm going through ground hoggin' withdrawal as K22 said.

Yea, I'll put my time in deer huntin', but it just doesn't satisfy like ground hoggin'.

With regards to the grouse situation, went hunting in Michigan some years ago and had a blast.
Question for you Michigan grouse hunters.
Has whatever killed off the grouse here in Pa. reached Michigan yet???

Chris

 

[Rdlningcltchdmpr]

Nope. Still good. No ticks here either.

 

[ACF]

Nope. Still good. No ticks here either.

Thanks for the info.

Chris