Woodchuck Hunting

[LaOtto222]

It is getting that time of year to think about doing some Woodchuck hunting. Yesteryear, I used to set up in a good spot and shoot Woodchucks out to 200+ yards. Now days that just does not work for me. There are not nearly as many and I find them along drainage ditches, fence rows, and woods edges. Rarely do I see them out in the open. As soon as they see you they high tail it to the thick brush or down their hole, which is in thick brush. I have to see them before they see me. So, I like a light gun, easy to carry. Range is usually under 100 yards. I have been using a T/C Contender with a 23" 221 Fireball barrel. How do you fellas hunt Woodchucks and what gun do you use?

[Old Syko]

Back in the day, many many moons ago, when I was in high school.  Yes I actually went to high school!    As soon as school was out, me and a buddy of mine would haul as fast as we could to his uncles place and hit the hayfields and pastures.  The ground was quite rolling and at each bottom there seemed to live a number of whistle pigs.  For years we shot 22s and got good enough that we would spot one, then assess the area to determine how we could back off far enough to get the longest shot.  It was hard to get much over 130 yards away for the most part with exceptions out to around 200.  Wasn't unusual to get 20 in an afternoon and this was repeated as much as twice a week.  We had a few thousand acres to work.  We also had to bail hay from these same fields and some had cattle running in them.  The holes lead to broken axles, wagon tongues and broke down cattle so our hunting wasn't viewed as all play by the owner regardless of how we felt about it.  Tried filling up the 2,000 gal water tank from the ponds and flushing the stubborn ones out a few times but quit that after flushing out a family of skunks once while sitting atop the tank.  That was the last time we tried that.  

Nowdays the property has been sold and there are mcmansions all over the place.  I now have guns capable of unreal range and more time and guess what?  It just isn't fun any more.  The groundhogs are confined to wooded areas along roadsides and railroad tracks these days so I just leave them alone since I don't feel safe shooting at either.  If only we could just go back.  I still shoot the same 22.  Nowdays it's mostly coyotes and skunks for me and the occasional fido that some dumb city dweller decided to dump in the country.

[OLDHandgunner]

Here in VT woodchucks seem to be making a little comeback. The fields and meadows where I hunted years ago are long gone. They are either grown up into brush or have million dollar houses on them. We have a few working farms left around town and my son has shot many chucks in the early part of spring & summer. The chucks have changed there field habits the pass couple of decades and I beleive it is because of the larger coyote population which we didn't have back in the 60's thru the middle 80's.
My guns of choice back then were my trusty 222, 22-250 HB Varmint rifle & 25-06. Now when I do get out it is my 222, 223, 22K Hornet all in T/C now. Like you said they are alot lighter.
My sons uses a 243 & 17HMR. I believe that the 17HMR is too light at longer ranges. Only my opinion.

[fireball168]

The cropduster used to call the houses after seeing grounhogs or hog damage in the field.  One family in particular got most of the calls, they had a lot of river/creek bed fields.

The kids would start calling around, the next thing you knew there would be several of us in the back of a pickup truck with our rifles heading to the fields.

Today, I'm certain that would make the front page of USA Today the way things are going.


22 Hornet and 6 BR for me.

[Old Syko]

The chucks have changed there field habits the pass couple of decades and I beleive it is because of the larger coyote population which we didn't have back in the 60's thru the middle 80's.

Ain't it the truth!  Used to see chucks far out in the open without a hole in site or even traveling through the woods heading for a second dwelling.  Anymore they don't seem to get more than a few feet from a hide and that hide is seldom out in a pasture as in days past.

A few years ago had a guy call wanting to get rid of some chucks that had bored into the dam of his 11 acre lake.  About 350 yards was as close as you could get without being spotted and them going to ground.  22-250 was my choice as usual.  Wiped out the whole clan easily enough in 2 evenings but the damage was already done and the dam had to be lined to save the lake.  They took up residence there because they could see quite some distance and protect themselves. 

[Saloon slug]

Being from the South West I never hunted ground hogs. I have been the cause of death of many ground squirrels . I am always willing to try something new if you need some company let me know.

[woodchukhntr]

We used to routinely have opportunities for shots from 20 yards up to 400 yards and went out on our 'chuck safaries armed with everything from .22's up to a .240 Gibbs.  We would carry different rifles and take turns shooting.  Now I mostly go out alone and have 2 rifles in the car;  a Contender Carbine in .17HRM, .22 Hornet or .204 Ruger (new this year), and/or a Encore in .223.  The .17 usually with one of the other calibers for longer shots.

I have fewer places to hunt nowadays due to land usage, or new landowners posting all land to all hunting.  There are also fewer 'chucks due to coyotes and land usage.

It's still a lot of fun, just different from what it was.

I have a new place to hunt this year where a farmer I met this winter wants to reduce the 'chucks.

[bigvarmnt]

Must be getting time for Chucks. There's one sitting on top of my 200yd backstop Chubby little rascal There were 4 sitting up there in a row last year and I didn't shoot one of them Think I'll wait a bit to see if it grows me some more

[OLDHandgunner]

Saw my first woodchuck yesterday on my way to pick up tractor parts in NY state. Putting my 22K-Hornet barrel on today. Still alot of snow on ground on some of the farm land. But it's going up in the mid 50's all week. That should bring out a few chucks.

[bigvarmnt]

Looked out a little later and there was two  
Wonder what they are up to
Bet there will be more soon

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

   When I get the chance, woodchucks are my second favorite varmit....Generally, my .22-250 is the top choice, but as mentioned there is not as much ag. land as there were in days gone by...still in some areas there is still lots of farming...but in my old stomping grounds more fields are brushogged and in a few years there are no chucks in the weeds that follow...still there is country that looks good to me...if I ever get back there , I plan to give it a try...My favorite chuck guns, are the .22 Hornet, .222, and .22-250...I am planning to put a Swift on one of my custom stocks sometime in the future...it is a coyote killer delux...Once not long  ago, I bumped in to a chuck hunter that hunted southeast Pa....his favorite cal. was a.30-338!!!!!!!!!!!!!he had 4 of them in the Rem. 40x with the old B & L 6 to 24 on them...He was SERIOUS......It is fun to shoot chucks with about any suitable rifle...the last summer I hunted them, I shot a few with my .25-35...For stalking my Hornet is perfect..for medium fields my .222 and for larger fields the Swift or .22-250... I think I would also have a couple of my favorite heavy coyote rifles incase I got some extra long shots in safe country...my old .25-06 and heavy .300...

[bigvarmnt]

We used to shoot Chucks all the time in the 70s. A few years ago I stopped seeing them. Used to spot them along interstates all the time and for a few years there were hardly any. They seem to be coming back slowly. I have dirt mounds along a woods and they have holes at the woods edge. They sit on top and take turns watching while the other one eats. 200 yds isn't much challenge for my 22-250 and Hornet is a bit of a stretch. Have to try one of my 223s but I need to work with them a little more. Don't want to wound them. Been needing to dust off my 221 fireball. That just may be the gun of choice for this task. Had the most fun for years floating the river and popping them with Hornet. Now there are houses all around. Sometimes we would tie up on the other side from active holes and wet a line drink a cold beverage and wait. Its funny to barely see their heads back in the holes in the high banks looking out at you. Then they get brave and come out after a while. BANG!

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

  Never tried floating and hunting chucks...bet that would be a hoot...

[woodchukhntr]

Floating and 'chuck hunting would be cool.  The closest I have been to that was when I was fishing from my kayak on an old canal and moved right up next to a 'chuck to take a picture of him.  I might have had a .22 pistol, but it was so cool being so close to him that I wouldn't have shot him anyway.

[bigvarmnt]

Float hunting is very relaxing until you spot one. I took my daughter many years ago and she spotted one. "There's one dad" and I snap shot it dead with Hornet. Guess she didn't know what I was really going to do. She didn't like that part very much. Once I floated past some and turned and shot one with Hornet. Went back upstream and it was a very young one with NO HEAD. After the shot there were three little ones running all around. Hunted squirrel that way many times. It's still and you float so slow it's like watching a movie go by. The squirrels just sit and all the sudden you spot them and they are pretty close sometimes. When I first got my 22 NEF sportster, my buddy SQUIRREL NUT was with me. I said watch that BIG tree back there in the woods. I saw an odd bump on it. POP, and a red squirrel dropped. He couldn't believe it as it was quite a ways away and we were floating and it was a small squirrel he didn't even see until it dropped. I take a 410 3in #4s for when they start running through the trees. It reaches out there pretty far. Now there are houses and signs posted all over and when you shoot someone yells and then you have to watch for the C.O. Miss the old days. Never had problems 35 years ago. Now it's a gamble with the law to even go. Trying to find a secluded river somewhere, it's worth it. Have used canoes, jon boat and bass boats. Like to try my pontoon for some real comfort. Put the grill on it and cook em fresh.

[bigvarmnt]

OK, It's on. I haven't seen them WOODCHUCKS out back for a couple weeks and one was out eating last night next to my 200yd backstop. I figured she was in the den with her young. Soon as I see the little ones out it's on. BANG!