Groundhogs~first outing of 2015!

[GrouseWhisperer]

Got a call this past week from a farmer friend of mine, said that there were groundhogs up on his property that needed a little attention. Turns out there were only a couple on his properties...only 1 of which is still among the living. I suspect there are more, but it can take a warmer day to get them up and moving around. Hiking along the tree line, I spotted one in a field to my left, ranged it @ 172 yards and got the .223 into position. It had no idea I was there, the 53gr. V-Max hand loads made short work of him. Here was my vantage point...



Here is the groundhog;



By day's end, I'd been to 2 other area farms I have permission on, and had shot 4 more groundhogs. I have photos of those too, but I'll leave it at this for now. Not bad for a guy recovering form a back injury! Laying prone was fine, getting up...not so easy. Glad there was nobody around to see how long that took...or..to hear the moaning/swearing/groaning! I probably only put about 2kms on the boots, but it felt good after a long winter of recovery. The farmers were as grateful as ever.

Exercise, fresh air, and getting caught-up with some old friends. Hard to beat that.

[Species8472]

Nice work.

[mbhunter]

That's nice shootin. What are you zeroed at with your 223?

[Hunter John]

Nice shooting,. What rifle are you shooting.?

[GrouseWhisperer]

That's nice shootin. What are you zeroed at with your 223?

Thanks mbhunter~rifle is zeroed @ 100 yards. Not because I think that's best, but because the range I have access to (with a proper bench) only has a 100 yard range. The scope has a BDC reticle, so not allot of guesswork if holdover is req. I've had the rifle for several years. The 53gr. V-Max is moving though, so I've found it to be pretty flat-shooting out to 200 yards. They're big enough varmints that barely any adjustment in where I aim is req. Even my daughter (has her hunter apprentice license) has nailed a groundhog with this rifle at a ranged 201 yards, and it only presented a head shot.

Nice shooting,. What rifle are you shooting.?

Thanks Hunter John~the rifle is a Savage "Precision 10 Carbine" in .223. They don't sell them anymore, but these guns (as I understand it) were part of Savage's "Law Enforcement" line. 20" barrel, 1:9" twist, and features Savage's "Accustock". It's one heavy gun! No fun to carry any distance, but boy...it's steady when you get down to business. Shoots 55gr. and 53gr. exceptionally well, the 53gr. having a slight edge.

[GoldenLakePete]

Nice shooting! I've only seen 2 groundhogs so far. Both dead on Hwy 60.

[Gaoler]

'Took a ride around my usual 'hog fields last week... 'Spotted 9 of the critters here and there.
Just waiting for a nice day to call in sick and go do me some groundhog shootin'

[woody1948]

I have popped a few Gophers, but never seen anything near that size, lol. Thanks for posting

[trimmer21]

I've been cruising my favorite fields,too. So far,I haven't seen any. There's still the odd Coyote around. Maybe,they're keeping the GHogs in check.

[GrouseWhisperer]

'Took a ride around my usual 'hog fields last week... 'Spotted 9 of the critters here and there.
Just waiting for a nice day to call in sick and go do me some groundhog shootin'

My fellow groundhog shooter! Hey Gaoler~was hoping you'd be the first to post of groundhog success! Thanks for chiming in. I saw more than I shot, and only stopped in on a few properties I have access to. Seems to be a good crop this year, if Saturday was any indication.

I have popped a few Gophers, but never seen anything near that size, lol. Thanks for posting

Hey Woody1948...yeah...gophers are an entirely different experience, though, if you enjoy shooting lots of ammo like I do..they're more of an action-filled day than groundhog hunting is. I tried gophers for the first time last summer, had a fantastic time. Only spent 2-1/2 days in S. Alberta, and trying my best to get out there this year too. We'll see. Here is a photo from the first 20 minutes of shooting...about an hour after I got off the plane from Ontario. MAN you guys have allot of these things out there...and they really have very little fear of people...the sound of gunfire doesn't seem to phase them...bizarre. You'll never see a groundhog eating one of their fallen brothers either. Gophers? Doesn't take them long for the "cannibal" switch to turn on. Crazy things. We visited one farm SW of Calgary where the field was quite literally crawling with them. Hit an hour-long stretch where I wished I had someone loading mags for me. Real problem out there, and, according to the farmers...they attract the badgers. Gopher holes are one thing, badger holes are huge!