I have a yearly problem with groundhogs. They've chewed up porch furniture, chewed through wiring for outside decor lighting, have girdled young trees, etc. They're very sneaky and every year one or more have manage to live under my front porch. I pretty much hate them.
A couple of weeks ago, I saw my first groundhog out after the winter's hibernation and was hoping to be able to cap the one I knew had gone to sleep in the burrow under my porch. Several days ago, I looked out my upstairs window and saw one on the lawn. I went to get a rifle which I took upstairs and then opened the window from which I had already removed the screen. Sure enough, there was a groundhog out in one of the flower beds sunning itself and, not only that, there was another a few feet away also enjoying the sun.
It was a bit awkward leaning out the window with a rifle but I took a shot anyway and missed. At the shot, taken with a 458 SOCOM, mulch went flying a couple of feet up and onto the porch but the groundhog made its way unscathed into its burrow. Later that day, I saw a groundhog, probably the smaller one of the two, making its way across the lawn to a woodpile but, by the time I got a rifle it was gone.
A change in strategy was needed. I decided on a Ruger Redhawk in 44 Magnum on which I had recently installed a gold bead front sight and v rear sight from Gary Reeder. That type of sight, by the way is my favorite revolver sight. It was probably a poor choice since I could instead have gone with something more substantial like a 454 Casull or 50 AE. When you respect an animal you should shoot it with more expensive ammo.
The day before yesterday, after the sun had started to hit the side of the house the groundhog burrow was on, I looked out the window and the varmint was enjoying the sun again. I got the Redhawk, leaned out the window, and BANGGGG!!! The groundhog managed to get maybe 2 feet to it's hole but no further so I was able to drag it out by its tail. The Nosler 240 gr. HP, a factory second by the way, had done its job with a complete pass through but I don't think it expanded; bullet failure no doubt. I'm sure you'll all be relieved to know that the cases, being reloads, had all been full length sized which is much less hazardous than using unresized new brass.
I can only imagine what probably happened yesterday. If we call the large groundhog Emily (who stayed under the porch) and the smaller one Carl (the smaller one that went to the woodpile) I'm thinking that Carl thought, "It's a nice day. I think I'll visit Emily." Carl, upon coming to Emily's home found no one there and thought, "I guess I'll just catch some rays while I wait for Emily to return."
Anyway, I looked out the window and there was another groundhog which I also dispatched from the upstairs window with the Redhawk.
I think I've killed all the groundhogs under the porch since I filled in the hole and there has been no further sign of disturbance. I have no doubt more will come and I'll be ready for them.
