[Plinker]

 OK Guys its time to get out
and do some Ground Hog Hunting!
 Most of the farmers here in
ole Va. have started cutting
hay,young hogs are coming out.
I seen one on side of highway
this afternoon,so itll be good
hunting soon.
Lets here some good stories and
accounts of the hunts,whatever
they may be good,bad or ugly.;D
 So lets get out there and getem,with weapon of choice
17HMR,22mag,22LR,bows and arrow,
gravel shooters er well you get
the picture.
    GO GET EM. 8)


Goodluck & Goodshootin.

 

[229]

gladly,  all I have to do is find some land to hunt on! :-[

 

[Plinker]

CoyoteTm     Welcome!
Get out and vist some farmers
some will let you hunt HOGS even
if they want let you hunt anything else.
Ask around,post add in news paper,check around feed stores,
country stories( the fellow standing next to you might own
500 acreas full of HOGS that need
shootin.) Lot of store owners
here farmers grumbling about
HOGS,so its planty out there
you just have to look in every
direction.
 Hope this gives you some ideas.
If you get one farm to hunt on
word spreads between farmers fast. Keep gates closed,dont
leave litter around,take care
of things,you will be invited
to hunt again.


Goodluck & Goodshootin.

 

[395]

I have one!!! Just recently, the hogs have come out in force on my place. Oh HAPPY DAY!! I like nothing better than to send a pointed piece of metal into a dirtpig! Got HUNDREDS of them..... To the story...

I had just finished shooting my .300WM on the range... Put a 200 yard zero on it... and had went back in the house. I KNEW that there was an active hole near my berm, thus the rifle stayed out close to hand. I went about my business in the Kitchen (hunting of a different sort) just keeping one eye toward that area... It took about 20 minutes.... but low and behold, here he came. BIG PIG... Hard to miss at THAT range. (so I have a great rifle I have to go out the front door and around the house to not spook him.. close to 220 yards from the side of the house.... settle cross hairs...breathe......relax......prep mental trigger...there it is! perfect alignment.... BBBOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM.... One .240 gn. Sierra in flight....... it connects!! ;D red cloud in air as rifle comes back in the general area of target..... Amazing what those "heavy hitters" can do!

Share your stories!

Sincerely,
GAU-2

 

[Plinker]

GAU-2
I shot a HOG one time with
a 300WM,one shot was all I
needed.hahahahohohohheheheheh
Not much of HOG left.

Goodluck & Goodshootin.

 

[Plinker]

Well guys I finally got out
and got a couple of HOGS
this weekend with my 17HMR
conversion.Both were head
shots 90 or so yds.
Also shot a couple starlings
at about the same distance.
This Hummer is something,
just put cross hairs on bird
pull trigger,watch dead bird
fall to ground.They were feeding in a cow pasture,every
now and then one would fly up
and set on weed stalk. Bad
move with me around,long as
I have a good back stop to
shoot into.
Poof!!!! Bye Bye Birdy ;D ;D

 

[Plinker]

Went out shootin this
mourning,got one more hog on
the way out. Pretty good size
Hog,17 rolled him like he was
hit by lighting,never moved,
about 100 yds.
Soon as I get through playing
with the 17 will have to do
some serious HOG hunting.;D


Goodluck & Goodshootin

 

[RealBow]

Hey Plinker...

Yeah baby!!

Took the 17HMR out today after work. WORK!!?? on Saturday. You betcha..

Got home at 5:30 pm. Said to myself......"self....youve had 1 day off in 15 days.....all work and no play makes RealBow REAL MAD!!!

So......I went to one of my favorite farms about 3 miles from home. As I drove by one 20 acre hayfield I was happy to see that it was finally cut, BUT not yet baled....you see weve had maybe 11 sunny days TOTAL since the first of May here in RAINY OHIO!! The farmers are having one heck of a time gettin in their first cuttin.

Anyways....I setup about 1/4 mile away in another field to check the zero on the 17HMR....with the Tasco S/S 20X-42mm with mil-dot reticle. Ive got the 17HMR sighted in at 3" high at 100 yards. The mil-dots are spaced 3.6". At 200 yards Im around 1.2" low....at least from "my" shooting. Same old...same old....10 shots into 1/2".......7 into the same 2 hole group!!

So.....I figure Im ready for that elusive North American Groundhog!!! I walk back up the gravel road....climb an embankment....slither thru this fencerow about 5 feet into this freshly-cut field. To my South is the 10 acre "rabbit patch". To my North is another field that is uncut. I wait for probably 30 minutes facing East....the sun is at my back.

There....over there....check the laser rangefinder.....near the edge of the rabbit patch.....hmmmnnnn.....124 yrds..man....he looks further than that.....I hope my rangefinder is still workin.......hold dead-on with the 1st mil-dot centered on his head...

KeeeeraaaaackkkThaaaawuuuuuuummmppp.

11 shots later........8 ghogs down for the count...ranges from 103 yrds out to 178 yrds....3 misses, 1 gimme and 2 "almosts!!"....

BUT.....I think no ghog....save for the older ones made it back to their den.

Earlier.....when I shot the first one......I still couldnt believe the RANGE??? Well, after laying down on the ground for nearly 2 hours.....I finally got up to check the damage. Lo and behold......every ghog was definately a youngin.......all were about 12" long and lucky to weigh 3-4 lbs......hmmnnnn good eatin!!!!

The difficulty in all of these shots was the fact that their den was on the edge of the rabbit patch, the hay laying about 6-8 inches on top of the ground, save for the 6" wide rows, and a little knoll about 20 yards closer to me from their den. Most of the time all I could see was the tops of their backs.

Damage Report.......(3) Head shots, (2) were decapitations....(4) lung shots......(1) Texas Heart shot...

The (3) Head shots were just THAT.....all I could see was their 1" diameter heads poking through that hay.

I think the 17HMR and me are going to be very GOOD Friends!!

[glow=red,2,300]HHUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEERRRR.............KeeeeraaaaackkkThaaaawuuuuuuummmppp.[/glow]

 

[Plinker]

Realbow thats what I call a
HOG report.Fun ! Fun ! Fun !
I need to get out more,has
realy been hot and dry around
here lately. Ive shot 3 hogs
so far all have been head shots.A few starlings ,now thats a fun target if you can
get them in right location
with a backstop.
After working all day its
hard to go out in this 90 +
heat looking for HOGS.
Got some vacation comeing
watch out HOGS.

 

[Plinker]

Well at the rate Im going
a box of 50 17s will last
me most of the summer.
Went out today seen 2 HOGS
got one at 25yds.;D
Hot and muggey around here
not much game moving,at least
while Im around.

Goodluck & Goodshootin.

 

[990]

Well 2 things,
First off at my moms house we have a family of groundhogs livivng under our shed thats about 10 feet from my bedroom window, Well i know that all you guys are syaing that "thats a great place to take a shot froma bedroom window to 10feet away" well that would be fine except for we live in a Mobile home park!! (best in the state of maine) I ahve thought of just throwing a machette at it or shooting it with my .22airgun but thats just the sorta thing that will get my mom kicked out.

Another question. We live not to far from prime HOG habbitat and I right now have just installed a new GM barrel on my 10/22 and i would like to test it on some hogs, Well my question is I know the max Shooting range of a .22 is around 100yards but what is the max HUNTING range on groundhogs with ammo like CCI Mini Mags? and also for me the biggest animal i would ever take with a .22lr is a fox but is it possible ot kill a 30lb yote at clos range? I am not a person that goes after a deer with a bbgun but i am new to rimfire hunting(some what) and I am not sure of the max weight of an animal that a .22lr can EFFECTIVELY dispatch, I know that i would never go affter an animal with a weight near 50lbs but i am just curious because there have been reports over coyotes up around the area where i hunt and stay on weekends.
Thanks

Todd McLaughlin

 

[Plinker]

Todd
I started out hunting HOGS
with a 22 many years ago.
Its fun stalking them.
I didnt have as good equipment as you, but keeping
your shots 50 or so yds max.
and going for head shots,
makes for some fun hunting.
Nothing better than Mini Mag HPs to get the job done.
Get out and have some fun!

Goodluck & Goodshootin.

 

[281]

Todd,

Shot placement. I cant stress it enough. A rimfire can be used to dispatch yotes above 50 pounds. I have shot 70 pound beaver, with out a problem. That is head shot only but it does the job. If I saw a yote with my .22lr. I wouldnt hesitate to pull the trigger. Just make sure your ready for follow up shot if need be. Never leave your game wounded.

Dean_311

 

[Plinker]

Also Todd although you
dont need full camo,white
t shirts are out.
A set of shootin sticks
also helps.These can be either
home made or bought.
Couple of saplings and a foot
or so of twine. Dont laugh
it works.

Goodluck & Goodshootin.

 

[990]

hey thanks Dean_311 and Plinker.
Hey what do you do with the woodchucks once u kill them? U dump them or Eat them? Just curious. Also would it do harm if i killed a beaver that has a huge dam in a swamp? Because it has flooded one of my favorite ATV trails and it really pisses me off.

Thanks

Todd McLaughlin

 

[281]

I shoot beavers all the time with my 10/22. Make sure that its lawful to take it, make sure its not private land or have permission. If you want info on the easiest ways to attract a beaver out so you can shoot it let me know.
As far as chucks go. I have heard of people eating them. I personally have not eaten them.

Dean_311

 

[Plinker]

Some people eat HOGS but
I dont. always try to give
them some,if they want them rather than leave them for the Buzzards.
But Buzzards have to eat too.


Goodluck & Goodshootin

 

[990]

Hey thanks guys. Dean_311 how would i go about attracting them out of the dam? Every winter i have gone trapping with my friend and we always get a few beaver but i have never tried to hunt them. Thanks

 

[281]

Well, Now this comes from the trapping part of me.
The simplest way I have learned (was taught by my father) is to go out on a nice day around 2 or 3 pm. Take a beaver fork with you if have one (lookes like a pitchfork with bent tines) Otherwise, take a pitch fork and tear a hole in the dam, a decent sized one about 3 feet wide and pretty deep so that the water is really flowing. Go back that evening probably about two to three hours from dark. Approach quietly. Go in and sit where you can see a large area, the dam mostly. Try to conceal yourself, and sit and wait. When I have to do this I often take a little cloth type fold up chair and set it up when I tear a hole in the dam.
Now when that beaver hears that running water he will know that oh crap water levels going down. Now even though you would think the second he hears it he will be out there, he wont be. He will wait till later afternoon, and the evening hours before he will move. He will more than likely come out of the house/den and come straight to the dam. SHOOT TO KILL!
Try that!

Dean_311

p.s. one other tip: take a magazine with you

 

[Remmy]

Thanks Dean 311, I was interested about the way to get them out too... The land i have, i am not sure of how many beavers are around, i know last year there were a few. But this year i only see 1 d**n, whats a good way to know how active the beavers are...I dont see too much signs off knawing on trees.

I am going back to the land this weekend, taking my .22 LR only, and will be up from sun up to sunset, maybe hunting dogs, and yotes and the like. Yotes in the a.m. and i know nothing about dogs, if someone could clue me in. My land is in the upstate of S.C., there are a few fields around 1 or 2 good sized ones. Whats the skinny on that?

TIA