Varmit season!

Sounds like fun. I have a 22-250 on the way but it wont be ready for the field for a bit. I have to sight in the scope, break in the barrel and load some test rounds for accuracy. Hopefully I can have it ready mid April time frame.

When you say, whistle pigs (ground squirrels), are you talking about the Ohio groundhogs? They've popped out here already on the couple warm pre-spring days. Getting ready to walk the farm land and catch them poking along. Will carry my 22/45 for the job. Screwed up last year and walked empty handed. Saw four or five lumbering around in a daze. Got so close, I was using rocks to hit them.

We have ground hogs and coyotes here in Arkansas, but I shoot more crows than anything else. We're getting to the time of year when you see crows flying with baby birds in their beaks, being buzzed by Mama and Papa Bird.

I use a .22 Hornet, which is just about ideal for varmit hunting in the Ozarks -- especially with the 35 grain Hornady V-Max and a case full of Hodgdon's Lil Gun.

Here's to the pr. dogs Larry-- going out for coyotes today-- will see if those Big Eyes will work-- in fact, getting ready to go right now- later.

Oh hey Dave R-- how do u like that 17 wildcat of yours. I remember readibg some of Dick Saunder's stuff about a similar wildcat.

Larry-- had 1 coyote @ 650 yds. -- probably a little too far for the Striker (or me maybe). I lobbed 1 in at him, and missed somewhere (no spotter). The dog was facing toward me laying down, so i figured if i hit him there was little chance of wounding with that presentation. I'm using the 87 v-Max for now with a BC of .4-- and it's exiting @ 2960. This brings me to 575 yds. at the Leupold Varmint Hunter reticles lower post of the 4.5-14X LR VX-III with a 230 zero. Beyond that i needed 3 minutes turret comeup. All that for 1 big fat miss.

MAN let me tell u about the Big Eyes tho. That setup has got to be the most cumbersome system i've ever used afield, BUT i swear u can see everything with it-- u just can't carry it too far. I was hunting Emmett Seal's ranch with all the bluffs on it. The 22X WA oculars are impressive-- u've gotta see it to believe it, i tell ya'. I got some good photos of it next to the Striker sitting on top 1 of the buttes with the Greenhorn mtn. in the background-- if they turn out good, i'm gonna try for cover photot of Small Cal. News-- we'll see.

I don't have 1-- but i will post a pic as soon as i get the photos done.

I have been waiting for this all winter. I have been modifying my varmint gun with a canjar trigger and new leupold scope. Its a ruger m77 tang safety with target barrel in 220 swift.

Makes the rock chucks (whistle pigs, groundhogs etc.) go POP!

Kelsey
www.luvtohunt.com

In the head usually............


Alright, Washington State in the town of Quincy. My family farms there and one thing about alfalfa, it makes for really healthy populations of chucks.



Kelsey
www.luvtohunt.com

Hey, welcome, Kelsey!

One of the few guns I've regretted letting get away from me was a heavy-barrelled Ruger in .220 Swift. I'd put a Canjar single-set trigger on it and a 3x9 scope (Leupold? Redfield? Don't remember, now.) It was a tack-driver with the Sierra 52-grain HPBTs. Five shots into 3/8 MOA wasn't at all difficult.

I mostly ruined feral cats out around 300 yards, as they erroneously wandered through my pasture. That load was a DRT Special.

, Art

Dave R. - Please be carefull of shooting whistle pigs this early, I know every one is out doing it, but as a native Idahoan, it is way too early by about a month. The yougn havn't been weened yet so for every adult you kill right now you are killing 15. I went out last Monday and the newlings aren't out yet, please wait, I will be out there with you once next years pigs are ready.

As for what they are, officially they are Colubian Ground Squirrels and Townsend Ground Squirrels. Locally they are called Whislte pigs, squeaky squirrels, gofers, and just plain squirrels.

"...the whistle pigs (ground squirrels?)..." Whistle pigs are ground hogs. Ground squirrels are gophers. Seems to me that prairie dogs are ground squirrels too. Much smaller than any ground hog.
ID has a point except that they're rodents that, well, breed like rats. You can think you've shot 'em out of an area only to find more next year. They do migrate.
Here in Southwestern Ontario, I've seen road killed ground hogs, but nothing in the fields. Seeing robins doesn't count for Spring to have sprung. Seeing a ground hog does.

ID, we have full on ground hogs too and they are extremely destructive to our fields. We shoot for fun, but we also shoot to eliminate. No worries though. We have been shooting them hard for the last 20+ years and still haven't gotten to the bottom of the barrel.


Kelsey
www.luvtohunt.com

Kelsey,

Whistle pigs in a farmer's/rancher's fields are one thing, sure wipe them out, need help?

The ones that I am referring to are on the BLM land here in our desert, in thier natural environment. Lots of people, me included, shoot them recreationaly; however, if we shoot them out, someone will get the idea that they need to be protected.

I am just saying we need to just wait for the young to be independent before we start shooting.

They're called whistle pigs because they make a high-pitched whistle when alarmed.

Click to expand...

ohio groundhogs do this as well. in fact, they will run down into their den,turn around and just poke their head out and make loud siren like sounds. sometimes, I carry a small "dog sqeek toy" and it makes chucks stand up and look when I tap it on my gun stock.gets them every time.


I use my ruger m77 in 223 for long range shots...remy 12 gauge for the fence rows and occasionally anything I can carry just for fun. theres no danger of groundhogs becoming endangered in my area. I shot well over 150 from june to early september one summer and they are still moving in.

The sqeaky toy is about one of the more ingenious ideas I have heard. I am going to have to try that!


Kelsey

Wish we had more groundhogs around SW Ohio. You see them once in a while but the coyote's have gotten most of them. I only got 2 last year. What part of Ohio are you from? Anyone need help getting rid of groundhogs? I volunteer to help if anyone does.

Here are my Varmint guns

Kelsey....I dont know why but the sqeek toy makes them real curious. I have this baseball sized "bug" that I carry, I set up and do a quick scope of the field..tap it a few short times and if theyre out, theyll stand up, they have excellent hearing. Ive heard that sometimes whistling will bring them out and standing up, Ive tried it but not had much luck..it usually makes them run.


*** groundhogs will climb trees, especially apple trees.

A lady in town had a bad groundhog problem last summer( they were coming up on her porch and getting into fights with her cats and her poodle), couldnt shoot them,she didnt want me to trap them,she didnt want me putting gopher bombs down the holes(they were getting into her basement) so I used fruit flavored bubblegum..they eat it but cant digest it. It took a couple of months but her groundhogs did eventually dissappear.