Annual Groundhog tally for 2012

Catshooter, I started to notice a few years ago when I started to get more confidence and shoot farther that I had a tendency to shoot high to the right. I bought a bubble level on a whim and instantly saw the difference when I followed it. I've been lazy here lately and haven't gotten one for my new 30mm scope. I also never really understood the importance of angular shots versus flat shooting until the ranges got extended. As you probably noticed looking from the hole back to the shooter location, that was a pretty steep hill. I bet 1/4 MOA less would've planted him like the first. I'll will be ordering a level this week before we get much further into the season. I love this game with the chucks, especially since I got the 243 rebuilt and running.
 
I went out with a good friend on Friday and there were a few out. I didn't bring enough gun. Most shots were over 300 yards and I had my 22H. Jimmy busted one at 550 yards with his 6.5. I'll post a picture when i get home from work.

Eric
 
Thanks for the Good Friend that means alot . Guys Eric is a super person .We met a year ago or so from this fourm . I've lived on the lake going on 12 years I value my hunting grounds since 1 my hunting land is my neighbor and the only time i have to travel to hunt is when i want too. When i first saw Eric I was saying ohboy another going to be snooping around it scares me when i see locals . Somehow we started chatting then 1 day we decided to go to GreenTop Eric had never seen me . I met him at his house I drove 1 reason Eric didnt know but I was a paraplegic I'd had a terrible accident in 94 from a fall . He never blinked and eye . I was saying thats cool this guy is at ease around me or appears to be . Then we decided to try our luck at Crow hunting 1 Saturday morning well neither got anything that was fine. Then durning this past summer we had the maga east coast earthquake [beeep] ground was bouncing up and down . Phones were down but as soon as they were up and going Eric was calling me with a voice of concern .offering me and the Mrs a place to stay if our home was damaged . Yes guys i feel good when i heard my friend and we met here or from this site talking about Varmint hunting .
Jim Wallace
 
Big Jim busted this one at 550 yards. Heck of a shot and I can only wish to be able to shoot those kind of distances. I missed one on the run at 234 yards with my 22 hornet, it was a poke for that rifle. I showed up at a groundhog fight with a BB gun and should have brought a howitzer. LOL

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Hey Thanks Eric , Was trying for a head shot oh well you know better . I gotten a little close to this 17 , 18 lb gun . It might burn barrels in the long run i'm enjoying the ride 2 this week at 500 + . Guess i'll need to start practicing a little farther out . Thanks ,
Jim
 
Nice shooting Jim. I had a similar looking hog on Sunday, but only from 100 yards. 40 gr v-max went in his ear and aired out the back of his brain. I'm pretty sure I missed my first one of the season from 150 with the 17hmr. Misjudged the distance, but he sure levitated before heading underground. Lost another to wind; that's something I really want to get better at this year. The last one I can not believe I missed. It was from no more than 15 yards with the 22. Once again, up in the air and then down into his hole. No blood, no body, can't count him, but no sign of bullet impact in the dirt either. Oh well, the season is just getting started.
 
Took one last run at the hay lot that I lose this weekend. No takers yesterday after work. Then the new owner drove his truck around the field checking it over, so it was done for. Not wanting to waste the trip I slipped into a honey hole I keep just over the ridge. Right off the bat I spotted a bright orange chuck at 311yds. Dope chart said 2.7MOA, dialed 2.75MOA and went prone. My feet were actually uphill and my head was down hill with the Atlas bipod fully extended, talk about being bowed up
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. He had seen me in the edge of the woodline trying to get a good safe backing for the shot, but wasn't sure what I was. He layed facing me on the edge of the hole only showing his head and chest I put it just under his chin and touched it off hearing the smack at the end of the boom and saw him roll back to the hole. Found him laying in the mouth of the hole with a hole just under the chin where I aimed and no exit, #2 for the year with the 243. The 87 V-max is becoming a new favorite for me. Shot taken from center of screen at the wood line in the shadows.
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The victim. The Cerakote finish in Coyote Tan that Controlled Chaos Arms did for me blends well with the dried grass. I may have to go away from black and tan and finish the rest of the rifle now that I see it in the field.
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A possible farewell to the land I lose this weekend. An unfortunate sign of the times.
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Thanks Dogbone. Losing this place has me sick to the stomach. Especially since I've walked the tightrope to make sure I don't lose it on my own. My own brother isn't even allowed to know the location where I hunt to keep my secret safe and now something stupid like inheritance taxes threaten the whole thing. I just hope this rifle doesn't become a $3500 paper puncher. I plan to put up some flyers to find new ground. It's tough with all the subdividing and developing going on anymore. Luckily the land was transferred to another farmer and not a developer. Maybe I can wear him down and get my foot back in the door with this property again someday, so far I've had no luck with him.

Originally Posted By: wahoowadDang! You fellow Virginia guys are leaving me in the dust! That seals the deal....I'm going out tomorrow!
I normally wouldn't be worried about going yet, but I had to try to get what I could before Sunday. I'll hit a few of my early no mow spots that are too rocky for the farmer to work. After a while you can't shoot them due to high grass for the rest of the year. Some of the hay is already borderline too tall to shoot now.
 
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That's some beautiful country - I know it's hard to loose it.

My state used to have lots of farms like that, but no more, now they are corporate headquarters and sub-divisions
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I smoked my first of the year yesterday. Nothing out of the ordinary other than at was only about 45 degrees out when she was spotted.

I think this is going to be a continuance of training for a running to decoy dog conversion with my Mt Cur.

She was on her making sure the flag didn't fly anymore, in nothing flat!
 
First of the year and first with my 17FB in the new Boyds stock. Not a very attractive combo but not really an attractive thing I'm out doing with it
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Could have used you and that nice new gun today, Corey. Had a wide open shot over a 1000 yards, took me quite a journey to get close enough to try it under 400. He's still out there!
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Virginian and I picked up a few more last couple days shots were anywhere from 150 something to 300 . He may want to share pictures I didnt have the stomach to look at them. To me head shots are a little gross.
 
Saw one of those myself wahoowad when I was out. Only problem was that the shot would've crossed 3 property lines, 2 roads, and a powerline with cows on the ridge behind it. I thought better of taking the shot, but man did I wish I could. My Monarch 1200 wouldn't even range the trees near it. It must have been well over 1000yds. The first road was around 700yds and he was well past it.

That 17FB might not win any beauty contests, but it is ugly enough to be deadly. Pretty don't kill sitting in a gun cabinet. How far was your shot on this one?

Good job getting the dog out Dale. I saw while hunting with Tony that the dog learning to run to the shot was a very important part of recovery work. Don't see why you can't teach that using chucks.

Catshooter, subdivisions are my worst enemy here. I don't know where they are coming from and who has the money, but they keep popping up like weeds.
 
I'm glad to see everyone out busting pasture poodles!
Blueridgeboy took a mental health day from his law practice yesterday, and I had a day of last year's vacation I had to burn, so he came East, instead of me going West. He got his first of the year at just over 320 yds. Then I shot one around 150 yds. We headed back toward an old vacant house, and BRB spied one on an old well casing in the edge of the yard. No safe shot because of other houses across the field, so he got the Marauder out of the truck and made a stalk to within 45 yds. and took the shot! The groundhog got down the hole, so we have the "boat rule", if it's not in the boat, it doesn't count! We left that area and both killed another hog each. We headed into town and got lunch, then returned to the little house area to scan the fields for more targets. I scanned and BRB returned to the well casing.....this time he lifted the metal cover and inside was more of the den hole....and his pellet rifle groundhog! That made three for him and brought me to eleven for the year.
Today I had what seemed to be a dozen different things to do, but I managed to get back to the farm to look for some targets of opportunity. I only found one, and it was close to me, and the road! The distance was about forty yards, and the Air Arms 410 did the job!
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That made six in the back of the truck(five from yesterday...pew!)
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Now I've got to get rid of them and get on with my day, so I dumped them in the usual area that I use for disposal:
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Then went about my errands..........
Errands done, I returned to the area around 6 PM, looking for a late afternoon hog, which I found, but also saw that the buzzards had found the feast that I laid out for them earlier, and had dragged them all out of the grass:
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Look closely, as one of those "buzzards" is a little funny looking
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Here's a little better look:
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It seems those turkey buzzards were giving the "funny buzzard" a wide berth! Wonder why
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I took the pictures from close to 70 yds. away, so they're not the greatest, but everyone can easily see what's going on here!
No picture of the last one of the afternoon, except on the cell phone...lucky #13! again with the pellet rifle...
Hope I didn't put everyone to sleep with the long post.....
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That "buzzard" has a hog in each tallon and looks like he's ready to take them to a more secluded place to eat.
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Great picture! Love eagles!!!
 
I always crack up seeing Bald Eagles eating with buzzards. Folks always make them out to be much more noble than they are. Contrary to popular belief, they're terrible fisherman too. Pretty birds none the less and a little camera shy, nice pictures
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. You and BRB are off to a good start F1. The air rifle looks like a fun way to hunt those questionable spots. Keep up the good work everyone
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'That "buzzard" has a hog in each tallon and looks like he's ready to take them to a more secluded place to eat."
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I watched for several minutes before starting to take pictures. The eagle was taking hunks and strips of meat five or six inches long off the groundhogs! It was getting full right there!
This is not the first time I've had eagles feast on groundhogs that I've killed....but that was on a different farm.

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