Groundhog "season"

[JungleShooter]

WV Hitman,

because of YOU I started a section in my extensive notes on guns, ammo, shooting, and hunting — entitled:

Hunting Heroes

You are the first entry:

➧ 15,677 groundhogs
Exclusively with handguns!

I'm rooting for you!!

Would you mind telling me for how many years you have been working at this staggeringly high headcount?




Just read a thread* on another forum from a couple guys about your age who are the second entry in my Hunting Heroes list.

At a large cow farm in Ohio an infestation of rats with wings (pigeons) are covering the cows and their feed with their excrements. They rob the farmer of the cow feed by the tons.

The roof is fiberglass, so shooting these pests requires a lot of finesse. The two heroes have been on a killing spree with their airguns for a total of just 5 years —
killing over 10,000 pigeons.



I'm celebrating guys like you.

Matthias



*Link to the numbers of the pigeon killers (the whole thread contains photos, and a link to some videos on Youtube):

Set a new world record today 306 … and shattered that record again 451 and AGAIN ... 540!

It’s nice to be handy and be able to make stuff. I use the same primos shooting sticks, but I am 6’4”, so they are usually maxed out when I’m just shooting level. An extension like yours would certainly be very useful for me! I’ll have to get creative and find something fit for purpose. How have...

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[dan1953]

I get bored each winter for 2 months. I usually start looking for my furry friends on 2/21. This year it was sunny & in the 50s. Went at a large chicken house complex that has lots of groundhog holes on the periphery. Walked around them with my BogPod rest with PSR handgun rest. Carried my Taurus Raging Bull .41 Mag (don't own any rifles). Soon I saw a 'hog digging out his hole. I set up at 41 yds. When he stopped to rest I put a 210 gr. Horn. XTP through both shoulders.
Next I went to the local airport where I've been animal control for 35+ years. Saw one at 129 & 186. Got both of them with my .223 Contender and a 40 gr. Horn. VMax. A good start to the year. Makes my lifetime handgun groundhog total 15,677.
View attachment 546362

 

[skipglo]

The difference between Varmint exterminator and Varmint target shooters....is only the month they start in! Definitely saves on buying targets if you let em reproduce! I call that that ....a renewable resource!

 

[HRM Johnny]

I get bored each winter for 2 months. I usually start looking for my furry friends on 2/21. This year it was sunny & in the 50s. Went at a large chicken house complex that has lots of groundhog holes on the periphery. Walked around them with my BogPod rest with PSR handgun rest. Carried my Taurus Raging Bull .41 Mag (don't own any rifles). Soon I saw a 'hog digging out his hole. I set up at 41 yds. When he stopped to rest I put a 210 gr. Horn. XTP through both shoulders.
Next I went to the local airport where I've been animal control for 35+ years. Saw one at 129 & 186. Got both of them with my .223 Contender and a 40 gr. Horn. VMax. A good start to the year. Makes my lifetime handgun groundhog total 15,677.
View attachment 546362

Holy mother of pearl! That is an impressive record. Thanks for sharing this.

 

[HRM Johnny]

Here's 32 of 64 rockchucks I killed 2 years ago in 2 1/2 hours, the year I killed 479. Farmers are getting to like me.
.223 Contender, 40 gr. Nos. BTs from 150-275 yards. One day later only 3 bodies were left-buzzards, eagles, coyotes, badgers.View attachment 546555

Once again, congratulations.

 

[HRM Johnny]

Yeah, I realized all of this from my 50+ years of persuing groundhogs. I know the behavior of my locals, when they come out on each farm.
I've listened to them communicating They have a definite warning whistle & I discovered a "who are you whistle". I've learned this. If I approach a hole within whistling distance & use it (with me not being seen or shots fired) I can bring out a groundhog about 60% of the time. I use my revolvers & semiautos for this.
I also use whatever gun I'm using on big game hunts on my local 'hogs. Makes me a much better shot on those hunts. Ever see a 'hog shot with a .416 Taylor Encore handgun? I did 20+ with mine offhand, then had no problem taking my charging lion at 30 yards, charging brown bear at 25 yards, & charging elephant at 12 yards.
Groundhog hunting has made me the shot that I am. I'll never give it up.

Thanks very much for the information.

 

[HRM Johnny]

I have hunted groundhogs since 1970...the start of my long range passion. Like others here, I always forced myself to wait until June to shoot any so that I would not leave starving babies in the hole.

I went to Ohio to shoot groundhogs with a commercial guide service (Mike at North Central Ohio Varmint Express) and learned a LOT about groundhog biology and behavior. We also shot quite a few groundhogs.

One thing I learned is that nursing females stay in the den with the babies until they are weaned. When she finally comes out, they come out with her and within a few days, she will run them off, forcing them to leave her territory.

I never knew any of that.

The process is that in late summer, the female groundhog will fatten herself up and will also put away dried grass ("hay") in a spare chamber in the multi-chambered burrow. When the female goes down for the winter, she has not yet been bred.

In February and early March, males come up and look for females (hence 'Groundhog Day'), visiting burrows and sniff-checking for eligible females. When the male finds a female, he will mate with her in her den, then leave her, moving on to look for other females.

The fertilized female will sleep during gestation and when the babies are born, she will live on accumulated fat reserves and the dried grass she has put away. She stays underground with the babies until they are weaned.

This means that the groundhogs one sees early in the season are most likely either males or dry females. Killing either of them then has no effect on the young of the year or nursing females.

In late May and early June around here (MD/PA/VA/WV), the mothers and babies appear and the little guys are fully weaned and independent.

Mike books trips almost year-round and when setting up dates, I asked him about shooting them too early, which led to him explaining all this. He does this for a living and would probably like to conserve his resources by not killing nursing females.

I didn't fully believe this at first, but after my trips with Mike, I started shooting groundhogs here as soon as they started appearing in the spring and found them to be either males or dry females. I never got a female with signs of nursing (swollen mammaries/no hair around nipples) until I started seeing young ones out too.

I really regretted my previous habit of waiting, because by the time June rolls around, a lot of the grass and vegetation is getting tall enough to make spotting them difficult. I had passed on MANY opportunities to hunt them early.

Thank you very much for sharing this. I had never heard that before.

 

[WV Hitman]

jungleshooter, I started keeping records when I moved to hunting paradise in eastern West Virginia in 1975. I also did some pidgeons at the request of farmers with my Thompson Contender .410 handgun barrel. Only did about 50 or so until they were wiped out. Plus, I keep records of my handgun deer kills (2720) since 1975. I clean all of these by myself & give to older people, poor, needy.

 

[JungleShooter]

JungleShooter, I started keeping records when I moved to hunting paradise in eastern West Virginia in 1975. [...]
Handgun deer kills (2720) since 1975. I clean all of these by myself and give them to older people, poor, needy.

Thank you for sharing this.
You are an amazing person.

● The handgun kills of 15,000 groundhogs —
make you a HERO among HUNTERS.

➧ However:
● Helping the poor and needy with
150,000* pounds of meat —
that makes you a HERO among all HUMAN BEINGS.



We need more of your kind.
May God bless you, as you have been a blessing to so many others.

Sincerely,

Matthias,
from Peru, South America




*Calculation:
2720 deer x 140lbs average weight x 40% average venison yield = 152,320lbs