First Game in 18years!!

Congratulations and welcome back! That was a beautiful story. Reminds me of when I quit hunting for a few seasons after I met my wife who, back then, didn't. It didn't take me 18 years to give in to the lure of hunting, though.

Congrats. I only started hunting three seasons ago and haven't gotten anything yet. Mostly see squirrels and no deer or bear or hogs (plenty of old tracks). My wife informed me that even if it is a squirrel I get first, we are getting it mounted.

congrats from the southern ward of the PR of NJ. I just got into hunting myself last year at 34, this is fun stuff!!

nice 'chuck those edible remember!

Thanks for a nice story. Must feel good to get back into it again. Can you chuck hunt with a rimfire? If so you can bag chucks with a 22LR if you can do head shots at about 50 yds. or less. My dad used to do that back before WWII when all he had was a Model 67 Winchester single shot bolt action. After about 20 years of using centerfires on 'em I decided to give the "old way" a try. It turned out to be challenging and a lot of fun. My buddy had a field that needed thinning out, chuck-wise, and we would stalk up to the edge of the woods where there were chuck holes not too far away from the woods. I've even got some with my dad's old Model 67, but for most I use my 10/22 or a Model 121-D Winchester. Now I just realized that I've NEVER got a chuck with a shotgun; maybe next season I can rectify that. That would indeed be fun cause, like with a 22LR, you have to be able to stalk within range and sometimes that's more exciting than laying in the shade 200 yds. away with a varmint rifle. Plus it would be neat to have a chuck mounted because that mount symbolizes and comemorates a very special memory. But if I had one mounted my wife probably wouldn't let me bring it in the house.

22250Rem said:

Now I just realized that I've NEVER got a chuck with a shotgun; maybe next season I can rectify that.

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I just got the mental image of shooting one with a 12-gauge slug. Can we say "Red mist"?

Yup. Groundhogs are definately edible. They're not in my top ten, but they aren't bad at all. Younger ones, slow cooked with garlic and onions, are the best. Dutch oven is perhaps the best way to do it.

And congrats, by the way. getting to within 40 yards of a prey animal (one who is used to being toward the botom of the food chain) is an accomplishment. Doing it over open ground in broad daylight is great.

All our good stories are about big game, but we often have the fondest memories and best learning experiences with small game. Perhaps it's because of the people were with (usually our kids or parents) and are enjoying the experience, not fixated on the outcome.

After my previous post mentioning never having taken a chuck with a shotgun, I too got to thinking about what a 12 ga. slug from my fully rifled 870 would do to a chuck. What a mental picture that makes. Then I thought about using my 12 ga. Mossberg turkey gun with turkey loads, like the OP did, that would be feasible as long as you have the patience and stalking skill. Either way would be fun. Then I realized I've never gotten one with a handgun, although I know some guys who have. So maybe now I'll have to broaden my experience and try a couple new things. So maybe someday I could claim to have taken chucks with centerfire rifles, rimfires, shotguns, and handguns. Then my list would be complete; except for maybe bowhunting, (grin).

WardenWolf said:

I just got the mental image of shooting one with a 12-gauge slug. Can we say "Red mist"?

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Got a squirrel with a 20ga slug once. Three pieces went different ways, the furthest about 40ft. It was impressive to say the least. I would imagine the slightly larger chuck would be a little more impressive as the slug would have a bit more to go through.

Yeah, those slugs are really "overkill" on smaller critters and I've gotten a lot more frugal about pulling the trigger when I 'm paying over $2. per round for the 12 ga. sabots that my 870 prefers. For the last 8 or 10 years now during deer season I've been carrying the 9mm German Luger that my late uncle Marty brought home from Germany in 1945. It's not mint but it works. He hunted in his earlier days and a couple years before he passed away we talked about using something like that in the deer woods in case a deer needed a close range finishing shot. So every year it's in a soft case in my backpack but every year it was either "no deer this year" or they were dead after the first or second shot with the 870. Then on opening day 2011 in a shotgun zone it happened; I downed a buck and he was struggling but couldn't get up. I approached to 5 ft. away and normally would have finished things right there with the 870. But there really is a better way than a 12 ga. at spittin' distance. I grabbed the Luger, chambered a round, looked up at the gray sky and said; "Thanks Marty, I know you'd get a kick out of this". Then gave the buck a couple rounds to the back of the neck near the head. Then it was over and I didn't have to use another two dollar sabot to end it, (so call me a cheapskate). But I wouldn't have done it any other way as it was a fitting tribute to one of the "greatest generation" and the first time I ever used a 9mm on any game animal.