Shot some groundhogs this weekend (graphic pictures)

[HOOfan_1]

My dad shot this one Saturday with his Savage 65M, .22 magnum. It is the largest groundhog either of us has ever seen.






About 10 minutes later I shot this one at 100 yards with my CZ 550 .22-250. 50 grain Sierra Blitz Kings over 39 grains of H380. These things pretty much obliterate groundhogs. I have shot 4 with this load now. Two of them are already in this thread http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=653923&highlight=cz+550, the first has no head left, the second has the "canoe effect", the third I didn't get a picture of, but I hit it in the underarm. It was a big hog and there was no exit, but I could feel its insides were jelly.

This last one was a medium sized groundhog, and it has basically no head left.

 

[Fremmer]

That first one is a FAT groundhog!

 

[Torian]

That groundhog is huge. Nice catch.

 

[yzguy87]

Very nice!i like that head shot! You eat them?

 

[HOOfan_1]

You eat them?

Nope...never tried groundhog before. I hear some people like it.

 

[lastofthebreed]

Shooting Groundhogs

I just got permission to hunt groundhogs next spring on a farm nearby. In January will work up a load for my 24 Weatherby Mag. and go get 'em later in the year.

Nice shooting, by the way.

 

[HOOfan_1]

Went out groundhog hunting Saturday (no corn is cut around here so dove hunting is futile) sat in a field for 4 hours and saw nothing.

Two days in a row while in the break room at work I saw one and he was running around in the field in front of my building (there is a corn field about 50 yards to the east of my building where he lives).

This sucker likes to climb too. Both days I saw him climbing trees. He actually started crawling along the building under the window too...he was so close and a bunch of us were looking out the window at him and some people were snapping pictures with their phones. I can't imagine he didn't see us, but he didn't seem to care.

 

[matrem]

Third(in some areas) hay cuts & picked soybeans are just around the corner.
Them boogers love fresh picked beans.
And you can easily see em.
Have fun.

 

[HOOfan_1]

Third(in some areas) hay cuts & picked soybeans are just around the corner.
Them boogers love fresh picked beans.
And you can easily see em.
Have fun.

I hunt them in a cow pasture, the farmer cut it once for hay back in May, he hasn't cut it again and the grass is so tall. I am sure they are out there, but can't be seen unless they stand up.

Farmer is about to cut the field across the way for a third time though. He only leases that though and told us not to hunt over there. I am not sure their are many hogs over there anyway.

 

[sirgilligan]

Ground hogs shot in hay fields are most delicious.

 

[Texan Scott]

Dude... I think your dad shot someone's corgi.... that's a big chuck.

EAT THEM? I thought those things carried Plague?

 

[sirgilligan]

Well, if you have plague in your area then it would be carried by anything carrying fleas and ticks I guess.

Ground Hogs in Kentucky in the hay fields are clean little critters, spending there days eating alfalfa sprouts and drinking spring water.

 

[stressed]

Great shoot

 

[BigBore44]

Some day I would love to get into that sport. Wonder if my 45-70 is too much gun. It is after all my "hog gun". Nice shooting sir.

 

[yzguy87]

^^^haha! 45-70 vs ground hog would make for some awesome photos!

Saw a squirrel hit with a 12 ga. copper solid once. That was pretty crazy!

 

[MtnCreek]

They're pretty good when fed a diet of clover too (not much alfalfa around here). Baked groundhog is Sunday eating good.

 

[Outlaw Man]

EAT THEM? I thought those things carried Plague?

I think you're thinking of prairie dogs. There's usually nothing left of those, though.

Looks like fun. I'd like to try that someday.

 

[BigBore44]

yzguy,
I'm gonna do it. And I'll post pics if/when I get one.

 

[Kingcreek]

So I'm guessing that the one shot with the 22-250 did not require much tracking?
I've shot quite a few with a .243 but my most recent problem is one that has taken residence in my barn. I haven't been able to catch him out in the open and I'm trying to figure out what to use to bait him to a trap. I sometimes see him in the big doorway but there's always a tractor or something behind him.

 

[HOOfan_1]

So I'm guessing that the one shot with the 22-250 did not require much tracking?
I've shot quite a few with a .243 but my most recent problem is one that has taken residence in my barn. I haven't been able to catch him out in the open and I'm trying to figure out what to use to bait him to a trap. I sometimes see him in the big doorway but there's always a tractor or something behind him.

I've shot them with .225 Winchester, I've shot them with .223, I've shot them with .22-250. Most were head shots, and the only moving they did was post death twitching. A few body shots, but right in the heart/lung area. The only moving any of them did was falling down an embankment after death.

The one the photo above was kind of hard to find though.....he dropped in his tracks, but the grass was so tall, it took me a few seconds to spot him.

I've decapitated 3 with that gun so far.

My dad has shot several with .22 LR and .22 WMR....his second biggest was with a .22 LR AFAIK all died instantly.

 

[nathan]

Awesome shots. NOthing escapes a good- scoped rifle.

 

[Geno]

HOOfan_1:

That CZ .22-250 rifle is a really nice looking set-up! What kind of groups are you getting on average at 100 yards? For my part, I'm torn 50/50 which is the better projectile, the 50 grain out of a .22-250 or a 58 grain out of a .243. Both seem to be decisive.

Anyhow, congrats on the trigger-pulls, and successful connections. "Long distance; it's the next best thing to being there". Or "Reach out and touch some(thing)". Good shooting!

Geno

 

[HOOfan_1]

Geno, with factory Winchester white box 45 grain hollow points, I get consistently below half an inch.

I use H380 powder for reloads, I did my load development in February, so it was in 30-40 degree weather. With Sierra 52 grain match king and 50 grain blitz king, I was getting about .3 inch groups. I was getting .5 inch groups with Hornady V-max.

During spring when I check the sight in...80 degree weather, the groups seem to be about an inch...H380 might be temp sensative and I should probably redo my load in the summer....but that is when I am out hunting them

 

[Geno]

Thanks for the info!!

Geno

 

[MtnCreek]

I haven't been able to catch him out in the open and I'm trying to figure out what to use to bait him to a trap.

I've caught several using a live trap baited w/ a honey bun. The traps were set on corn in roasten ear that were being damaged by coons, but also caught some groundhogs.