Author Topic: how to hunt groundhogs. (Read 1895 times)

french · « **on:** March 19, 2005, 03:13:57 PM »

how do you go about groundhog hunting.

earschplitinloudenboomer · « **Reply #1 on:** March 19, 2005, 08:11:44 PM »

If you own your own property, watch for one to come into range of what ever you would like to kill it with (.460 Weatherby to broom handle). If you hunt on some one else's property, be sure to get permission first. Lots of farmers will welcome you if you are courteous, don't leave gates open, "ride" down the fences, and leave a bunch of trash on their property. You may want to offer to dispose of the carcass also (Usually back down the hole will suffice)
A popular method of groundhog hunting is to locate an area populated by the animals, secure permission to hunt them there, check and abide by local game laws, then watch for them to exit their holes into the open and shoot them with a gun, calibre, cartridge combination that appeals to you. Lots of folks use guns with small bullet diameter and high velocity. (.17, .224, .243 etc). Choosing a bullet which will fragment instead of ricochet is also desireable, especially in populated areas. There is also trapping and poisoning, but I assume you plan to shoot them. There are a lot of very dedicated varmint hunters who post here, check the boards, they will be invaluable in getting you started.

best to you and yours...
ears-

Gregory · « **Reply #2 on:** March 20, 2005, 02:08:15 AM »

It would be helpful to know what state you plan to hunt. I used to bowhunt groundhogs as a kid growing up in NJ and found good chuck hunting in southwestern PA on private farm land when i lived in that area.

Here in Illinois, although it's farm country, groundhogs are about as scarce as albino deer.

RodentRidder · « **Reply #3 on:** March 20, 2005, 03:44:16 AM »

You got that right Greg. I hardly ever see any groundhogs here in Illinois, but when i do they are either out of season or I don't hae a gun close by. Where in IL do you live, I from the Quad city area out in the country.

Rodent Ridder

french · « **Reply #4 on:** March 20, 2005, 06:46:01 AM »

i live in illinois to if you know where marion is i live just an hour noth of there. i live about an hour north-east of the big carlyle lake.

Gregory · « **Reply #5 on:** March 20, 2005, 04:37:59 PM »

Quote from: RodentRidder

You got that right Greg. I hardly ever see any groundhogs here in Illinois, but when i do they are either out of season or I don't hae a gun close by. Where in IL do you live, I from the Quad city area out in the country.

Rodent Ridder

I'm in Crawford Co, Robinson is my current home.

Glanceblamm · « **Reply #6 on:** March 20, 2005, 05:28:04 PM »

Quote

I'm in Crawford Co, Robinson is my current home.

Holy Cow Greg!!! You are a stones throw from my late season Deer ground.

Now....about them hogs...Used to be a bunch of them. I suspect that the coyotes got alot of them although habitat such as hedge rows have been taken out to expand farm acerage.

earschplitinloudenboomer · « **Reply #7 on:** March 20, 2005, 07:05:50 PM »

Glanceblamm;

Good point on the coyotes. I can't get used to having them around. I build brushpiles and habitat for rabbits and stuff on my place, but I haven't seen a bunny in a while. Need to get my butt in gear and start hunting coyotes. A buddy run across some breaking up a turkey nest last spring, he was hunting mushrooms, didn't have a gun. I'm checking to see if I can legally carry a handgun while I'm 'shroomin' this spring.

french · « **Reply #8 on:** March 22, 2005, 03:41:40 AM »

i live in clay county.

victorcharlie · « **Reply #9 on:** March 22, 2005, 05:10:11 AM »

French: I suggest you ride the back roads.......if you see one, stop at the nearest farm house and ask if it would be ok to shoot it........I hunted a lot of ground hogs in my younger day......back then, few farmers would decline....most would tell me about where to look, and what time of day they would see them....where I might set up to get a shot...which way not to shoot....etc........If you respect the farm, pick up your trash and show the owner your responsible and not going to tear his fences down climbing over them, or leave the gates in a state other than what they were in......you probably won't have to look for places.....I used to have farmers calling me to come shoot them.........I got more deer hunting and small game spots this way as if you do the farmer a favor and take care of the ground hog problem in the spring, most all would have no problem with me hunting in the fall.

Once I had permission and as much information as I could get.......I'd spread out an old army blanket in the shade or shadows.....and wait......take a book, some water, maybe a sandwich or some snacks......try not to move any more than you have to, use a back pack or shooting sticks for support, and have fun.....you'll be amazed about what happens in a soybean field this time of year if your there for awhile....! The most I ever got in one day was 12........I sure wish I still had that Remington 788 in .243!

earschplitinloudenboomer · « **Reply #10 on:** March 22, 2005, 07:49:17 PM »

VictorCharlie;
That stuff about shade trees, blankets 'n' sammiches brings back a lot of memories. Might have to blow the dust offen' ol' Betsy.

ebonitekid767 · « **Reply #11 on:** April 11, 2005, 07:52:29 AM »

woodchuck hunting can be as serious or as relaxing as you like.you can set up in a field with a centerfire rifle chambered in anything from .22 hornet to a .338 ultra mag and just wait.or you can use a rimfire,shotgun or bow and spot and stalk them.great fun either way

koli · « **Reply #12 on:** September 12, 2005, 05:08:30 PM »

My buddy and I started hunting them a couple of years ago. Now I would say that it is more of a passion. I need to get out, I have 11 so far this year. My best count yet. It's been about 4 weeks since the last.

myarmor · « **Reply #13 on:** September 17, 2005, 07:30:12 AM »

Well call my method "different" if you will. Me and my brother usually pull the truck out in the shade along the river, turn up the stereo and sit back and wait for them. Groundhogs around here are very curious and will pop up in no time

. We also have found that shooting off the cooler placed long wase between your legs while sitting on the ground makes for a great rest.

sk330lc · « **Reply #14 on:** September 27, 2005, 01:15:01 PM »

Still Hunting works best here in SE Ohio.....
Walk the fields slow Like, When you see One whistle real Loud. They'll stand right up for you. Shoot with what ever you Like .... If you Miss watch where he goes.. they will usually hit the Hole, then lay there with just their heads sticking out.
whistle again and be ready!!
Best time of year is spring through fall, or when ever the hay is short. best time is during or right after a good Rain..

KyBlue51 · « **Reply #15 on:** September 28, 2005, 09:35:42 AM »

Not sure if this is true but here is some advice given on another gun site. It was suggested that groundhogs are attracted to marshmellows. (Not sure if some states prohibit baiting them though.) But I do know that hogs like very ripe apples and pears so I imagine that they would like sweet stuff like marshmellows. Never tried it myself...might work though.

swiftman · « **Reply #16 on:** October 03, 2005, 05:30:25 PM »

Hi french I live in east centrel Illinois. Ground hogs are seldom seen around here any more except in or on the edge of towns. The habitat loss plus the coyotes pretty well wiped them out. When I was young and only had a 22 they were everywhere ,but buy the time I got my first high power they were pretty well gone except in places that still had cover and not alot of coyote. There is also a season on them here in ILL. So can only hunt them when it is open. There used to be a 50cent bounty on them along time ago. The habitat loss and the varmints you can not legally shoot any more has also wiped out the quail and rabbits to. The drought and hot weather as not done the squrril and rabbit population any good this year. I have only seen 2 rabbits so far this year while shelling corn. We have about 20 acres in set aside that I have some milow stripps in for the last 3 years and never see more than maybe 6 qauil. There was acouple pheasents around last winter but have not seen or heard any thing from them this year. When my brothers and I fist started huntind back in the 60s there where hedge rows east of our place that were 20 to 30 ft wide full of quail and some phesant and rabbit. But there are not any fence rows with brush left in the hole 2 mile section except on our place. OF course my dad said that when he was young alot of that sectoin had not been ditched yet and was too wet to farm. so it was still full of praire grass and full fo praire chickens. He could go out and be back home with agood meal of wide game in under a half hour. The only wide game that there is still plenty of is deer. I remeber when if you just saw a deer track around here it was something to talk about.

swiftman · « **Reply #17 on:** October 09, 2005, 05:44:42 PM »

My brother lives down your way in Kinmundy. There were still alot of ground hogs around kinmundy at least till he moved there can't remeber how many he shot that first year he moved there but it was alot, but that was about 30 years ago.

varmit_master · « **Reply #18 on:** October 09, 2005, 07:41:08 PM »

You dont see many around here. The ones i see are setting beside the road eatting the green grass. VM

swiftman · « **Reply #19 on:** October 10, 2005, 05:26:51 PM »

Ground hog season runs from June 1 2005 to march 31 2006 and closed during deer gun season in Ill .. You best bet is to cruise around the part of you area that has some fields of soybeans or clover pastures with some grown up fence rows or woods next to them, when the beans are up around a few inches tall and on up you should start to see ground hogs if there any around. Also old abandoned farm steads. If there any old abandoned rail road tracks around there they may be found there also, if you can hunt on them. Just make sure you get permision before you start shooting on some farmers land. Most of them will be glad for you to get rid of them but not all will let you espesially if they have live stock around where you want to shoot.. Not worth losing you car or truck and gun and the privilage of going to jail for. You need to find the owner or renter of the land to find out about permision. you all so have to have permision to shoot with in I think it is 300 yards of any ones house with a high power or slugs even if they don't own the land your hunting on. You should be able to get Ill hunting regulations at a Wall Mart or sporting goods store.

Good luck.