Targeted at the Airport

[WV Hitman]

I moved to my town 49 years ago. After 4 years people told me I should look at the airport and the groundhogs that were on very large fields on both sides of the runways. I was blown away. The fields looked like they were inhabited by flies- dark spots everywhere. Scads of groundhogs!!
I went to the airport manager and asked permission to shoot them. By that time I already had a reputation of a serious groundhog hunter using only handguns.
After 45 years I've taken over 700 groundhogs there with my handguns. I've taken so many groundhogs in WV that I've had to go to ID to hunt rockchucks, my groundhog's cousins.
I've kept excellent records these 49 years of the numbers taken with each gun & the distances. Since both animals

are basically the same I include them together. This year in ID I reached a milestone that I think is unique
A week and a half ago I finished my summer crop damage deer hunting- 88 with my handguns. I returned to the airport thinking there may be a few groundhogs left over from my spring hunt. In 4 days I spent 2 hours each and took 18 groundhogs, a surprise. Four of them were very spooky the first 3 days. Day #4 I decided to target these 'hogs.
I did a walk around in a secluded part of one field with my .41 Mag. Taurus Raging Bull. The first 'hog was out feeding facing away. I took my time and shot him offhand at 68 yards with a 210 gr. Horn. XTP in the neck. #1 target down. The damage was minimal. I've never liked XTPs on deer due to this. THere are much better bullets, but they do fine on groundhogs. I'll try a turkey with them this year.

I moved to the other side of the runway to a much larger field. I set up on a small knoll with my BogPod tripod and PSR handgun rest. over the next 90 minutes the other 3 targeted groundhogs came out. I shot them at 159, 170, and 198 yards with my SSK .22-250 XP-100 handgun and 50 gr. Nos. Ballistic SilverTips . All 3 were very large with the center one a monster. It had evaded me since the 1st week of March. All these 'hogs were males.

That about does my groundhogs for this year. Just a few days left. Guess I'll have start bow hunting until I can use my handguns on turkeys, does, bucks, and maybe bears the rest of the year. I really love this handgun stuff!!

 

[steel2]

Keep up the good work….i have shot milk jugs 100 to 200 yards with my 44 but they didn't move so I would get a second or third chance lol n years ago would shoot groundhogs with 22-250 so you merge that all together that is some good shooting……congratulations on your mile stone

 

[FEENIX]

I moved to my town 49 years ago. After 4 years people told me I should look at the airport and the groundhogs that were on very large fields on both sides of the runways. I was blown away. The fields looked like they were inhabited by flies- dark spots everywhere. Scads of groundhogs!!
I went to the airport manager and asked permission to shoot them. By that time I already had a reputation of a serious groundhog hunter using only handguns.
After 45 years I've taken over 700 groundhogs there with my handguns. I've taken so many groundhogs in WV that I've had to go to ID to hunt rockchucks, my groundhog's cousins.
I've kept excellent records these 49 years of the numbers taken with each gun & the distances. Since both animals View attachment 604545View attachment 604545are basically the same I include them together. This year in ID I reached a milestone that I think is unique
A week and a half ago I finished my summer crop damage deer hunting- 88 with my handguns. I returned to the airport thinking there may be a few groundhogs left over from my spring hunt. In 4 days I spent 2 hours each and took 18 groundhogs, a surprise. Four of them were very spooky the first 3 days. Day #4 I decided to target these 'hogs.
I did a walk around in a secluded part of one field with my .41 Mag. Taurus Raging Bull. The first 'hog was out feeding facing away. I took my time and shot him offhand at 68 yards with a 210 gr. Horn. XTP in the neck. #1 target down. The damage was minimal. I've never liked XTPs on deer due to this. THere are much better bullets, but they do fine on groundhogs. I'll try a turkey with them this year.View attachment 604550

I moved to the other side of the runway to a much larger field. I set up on a small knoll with my BogPod tripod and PSR handgun rest. over the next 90 minutes the other 3 targeted groundhogs came out. I shot them at 159, 170, and 198 yards with my SSK .22-250 XP-100 handgun and 50 gr. Nos. Ballistic SilverTips . All 3 were very large with the center one a monster. It had evaded me since the 1st week of March. All these 'hogs were males.View attachment 604551
That about does my groundhogs for this year. Just a few days left. Guess I'll have start bow hunting until I can use my handguns on turkeys, does, bucks, and maybe bears the rest of the year. I really love this handgun stuff!!

Well done, Sir! That's an incredible accomplishment, esp. with a handgun. Congrats!

 

[epoletna]

What Feenix said -- heck of an accomplishment! Well done!

 

[DLJ6]

Nice work… no need to ask how you got your handle!

 

[WV Hitman]

My "handle" came out of the desire to get "business" on my groundhog and deer permit passions. I made up business cards say "West Virginia Hit Man" and put them in many country stores in my part of WV. That was sort of catchy & it caught on pretty fast. All the locals know me as "the hit man" . It stuck. I tried to get a rear WV license plate saying that. WV refused as "inappropriate". We've not required to have a front license plate so I got this one for all my vehicles. I get a lot of strange looks in the big cities like DC, Richmond, St. L,.
I'm also a member of a handgun organization- Handgun Hunters International for 45+ years. Everyone there knows me as the hit man. I rarely get called my real name.
I give all my permit deer kills to elderly, friends. None gets wasted. I learned to clean a deer in 7 1/2 minutes. Now that I'm older, it's 8 minutes.

 

[Beluebow]

Awesome story!!......what is your most memorable handgun shot?

 

[YZ-80]

WV Hitman for President!

I'm sure there are Grondhogs on the Whitehouse lawn too!

 

[WV Hitman]

Beluebow, easy. This guy, full blown charge. Saw me at 50 yards. Came screaming, ears out, trunk tucked in. Dropped him

at 12....12 YARDS!!!!!!! With my single shot Encore in .416 Taylor and a Horn. 400 gr. DGS
What a rush!!!

 

[KsKevin]

Holy . That's a truckload of varmints and done with handguns to boot. Fantastic work

 

[Baker Alvin]

Congratulations!

 

[Allen Kitts]

Congrats, that is quite an accomplishment and a lot of dollars spent on ammo! I am very jealous.

 

[K9TXS]

What handgun are you using in the 1st photo where you have groundhogs on sides of you? Barrel length?

Great shooting.

 

[WV Hitman]

The 1st pic gun is a Rem. XPR-100 rear grip .22-250 with 14" barrel. I take it to ID for rockchucks because they are a lot & the shooting is fast & frequent( those are rockchucks in the pic). The XP-R has a magazine for 4 rounds. Don't have to reload as often. The other XP was a mid grip single shot. It's my WV gun & the R is my ID gun. Both of these shoot 3/8" at 100 with 40 gr. Nos. BTs. I've taken over 2500 groundhog/rockchucks with these 2 guns and Burris 3-12 BPlex handgun scopes.