BADUNAME37
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- Joined
- Aug 10, 2008
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I shoot many woodchucks (aka, groundhogs). I shoot them around my place, and certain friends call on me when they have a woodchuck eating their garden.
Many times, when there are other nearby houses, I use my 22 Target pistol (as opposed to a high-powered rifle).
Last summer, I took three shots at the top of a woodchuck's head which was happily eating bird food that was on the ground. I was no more than 20 feet away, and I was resting the gun on a large tank. Anyway, I thought with the first shot, that the woodchuck would collapse, however it just laid there, eating, with the top of its head squarely facing me! Shot two and shot three had the exact same results, although I think I could have knocked him unconscious. Anyway, it saw me and scurried off.
Two weeks later, same location, I shot a woodchuck with the same gun, this time it was a shot to the side of the head. Upon close observation, I could see healing wounds (like front-to-back lines in the fur) on the top of this woodchuck's head! I didn't think much about it at the time.
Last week, I happened to be reading about woodchucks, how they make their dens, how they live, habitat, etc. What stood right out at me was the fact that their skull is apparently much thicker than other animal skulls of about the same size! The article even stated that, where a lot of other animals would die from some kind of hit to the head, many times the woodchuck will survive that same hit!
I immediately thought of all the times I "KNEW" I had hit the animal, yet it ran off! In fact, several weeks ago, I shot one and the bullet entered just above his nose and traveled along the top of the skull and stopped under its skin on the back side of its skull. A direct shot to the face, and this woodchuck would have survived had I let it get away. It appeared to be unconscious and I had to finish it off to put it out of its misery.
Has anyone else found this to be true, or had similar experiences with these rodents?
Many times, when there are other nearby houses, I use my 22 Target pistol (as opposed to a high-powered rifle).
Last summer, I took three shots at the top of a woodchuck's head which was happily eating bird food that was on the ground. I was no more than 20 feet away, and I was resting the gun on a large tank. Anyway, I thought with the first shot, that the woodchuck would collapse, however it just laid there, eating, with the top of its head squarely facing me! Shot two and shot three had the exact same results, although I think I could have knocked him unconscious. Anyway, it saw me and scurried off.
Two weeks later, same location, I shot a woodchuck with the same gun, this time it was a shot to the side of the head. Upon close observation, I could see healing wounds (like front-to-back lines in the fur) on the top of this woodchuck's head! I didn't think much about it at the time.
Last week, I happened to be reading about woodchucks, how they make their dens, how they live, habitat, etc. What stood right out at me was the fact that their skull is apparently much thicker than other animal skulls of about the same size! The article even stated that, where a lot of other animals would die from some kind of hit to the head, many times the woodchuck will survive that same hit!
I immediately thought of all the times I "KNEW" I had hit the animal, yet it ran off! In fact, several weeks ago, I shot one and the bullet entered just above his nose and traveled along the top of the skull and stopped under its skin on the back side of its skull. A direct shot to the face, and this woodchuck would have survived had I let it get away. It appeared to be unconscious and I had to finish it off to put it out of its misery.
Has anyone else found this to be true, or had similar experiences with these rodents?
