Annual Groundhog tally for 2012

Originally Posted By: wahoowadThat sure sounds like a great day, Corey, even if it was only half a day. Your camera does good too. Do you use an auto-focus camera and accept the standard settings?
I pretty much go with the dummy setting, seems fitting
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. It's a Konica/Minolta Dimage Z10 I got on a closeout at Walmart several years ago. It is 8x optical with 3.2 megapixel. I'd love to get a better camera, but I'm too hard on my stuff. I beat this camera to pieces in my backpack and it keeps on going. Takes AA batteries which was a big plus for me.
 
Corey, great hunt
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I get frustrated when I have a good place with plenty of targets, and have to pass on a bunch of them for safety concerns, but that's life! No way is taking a risky shot ever worth it, but think of all the exercise we get skulking around trying to get a safe angle
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!
Corey is setting the bar, guys and girls.....we gotta work harder!
F1
 
Thanks guys. F1, I pass almost as many shots as I take anymore. Seems there is a road, cow, house, truck, barn, horse, or something everywhere you look now. I like very frangible bullets for that reason, but at a distance the ones that are very explosive don't fly too well. I had some concern with the 87 V-maxes being too big out of the 243, but they do pop quite well. I still backup all my shots with a hill or tree with anything I shoot. Once I get the video compiled, you'll see the backdrop for some of the shots I passed. I could pop the chuck in the eye at that distance, but safe is safe and that one will be seed for next year if I don't get a better angle. Ask David Vance(6mm06) what the knees on my camo look like at the end of a day of hogging. I do quite a bit of belly crawling to get safe shot angles. As for you guys catching up, I lost a lot of ground this year. I don't think you'll see big numbers from me. But I sure have fun getting the ones I do
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2 more this afternoon and 1 more feral 281 yard was the long shot. Back at it tomorrow afternoon if weather permits . While i agree on the backstops I do like the heavey's for wind . LoL Corey I remember 25 - 30 years ago crawling on my belly knees you name it when GreenTop use to offer a Remington 700 for the largest Groundhog we would use 22 long rifles .I've crawled threw mud , briars ,cow manure and no telling what else to get shots . Shame them GreenTop boys stopped that contest. In fact I remember as a young lad when GreenTop was in the now Frat Boys BBQ building Mr Miller climbing up on the roof of GreenTop and shooting a Groundhog in the field across RT 1 that was when Cecil owned it . Lots have changed since thos days .I agree safty is # 1 . I'm lucky to have big open farm land to hunt with no houses around .
 
Jim,
281 yds in todays wind was a very good shot! That must have been the 6.5x284!
Yes Greentop was quite different when Cecil Hopkins ran the entire show. Keeping all the other little Hopkins' (Pat, Vance, Barry, and Joe) in line was no small task, either
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F1
 
I see you know the GT Hopkin's boys also . I was talking to Pat not long ago sounds like things are changing big time around there . Pats a great guy ,Vance was a heck of a skeet shooter in his day ,Barry aint seen much of him since he went in back years ago and Joe will be Joe. Those boys and 1 or 2 others built 1 heck of a business with their uncle. Yes it was the 6.5 i did some practicing the other day in the wind at these distances i had very little wind issues and with being 17 + pounds and a rubber recoil pad it is a pleasure to shoot just alot of noise with the Via brake .
 
Originally Posted By: jim wallaceI've crawled threw mud , briars ,cow manure and no telling what else to get shots .

I had to laugh, at that. When I was getting setup on my second one Saturday, something was in the way of my leg from going prone and squaring up. I gave it a nudge with my knee and settled in for the shot. When I got up, I saw it was a half dried cow chip
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. After that you'd think I would look before going prone, but layed on a thistle on the very next shot. Some people are just dense I guess
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. Good shooting on target of opportunity at 281yds. We use to have the hog contests here years ago, but people started pen raising them and filling them with lead and it turned out to be a mess. Shame you can't have an honest, fun contest like that anymore.
 
Sony Handycam DCR-SX44. It has a 60x Carl Zeiss optical zoom with a 2000x digital zoom. Another close out deal, but at Best Buy this time for about $200. It is an awesome little camera for taking on the hunt. It is the size of my palm with the largest battery they make for it. I love being able to share videos after all these years of hunting alone. I may not be able to take you guys on the farm in person, but I can take you along on the internet
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. Now I need to get better at editing. I hope to have some turkey footage Saturday also if all goes well
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Nice video, Corey.

I can indeed vouch for the knees of Corey's pants. That grass stain will never come out, just makes him blend in even better.

Eric, that's one heck of a nice looking rifle.
 
Thanks guys. I'm hoping to take the camera with me as much as possible throughout the year. I feel it adds another dimension to the hunt.
 
Haven't been able to get out to the fields lately with my father being very ill. Well he passed away yesterday morning in his home so I thought I would hit the fields this morning and think about the good times we had while hunting and fishing.

Got to the farm about 9:00 and started off to the knoll I like to shoot from. Sat there about 25 min. and decided to take a little cat nap. Started glassing when I awoke and spotted on coming across a field to his hole on a fence row. He popped up from a hole on my side of the fence so I got in position and ranged him about 245yds. Had some large weeds to shoot between but when I felt comfortable I squeezed the trigger and heard the impact of bullet meeting bone.

Poodle was just to the left of the fence post in middle of pic with dark area to the right of it.

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Here he is taking a dirt nap in his hole.

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The aftermath of the 204.

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Sat for almost an hour when I saw one making his way across the field in front of me.Ranged him about 320yds. Got situated, held just over him and touched one off. Right over the top of his head!! He did not stick around for a follow up.
Sat there for a while longer and saw one in the orchard behind me.I saw him once last year but could not get a clear shot on him. Ranged him about 420yds. Got in position, put the mil dot right on the top of his back and squeezed. Saw him jump and I new I shot just underneath of him. He made a quick retreat to his hole by a pile of brush and he stopped and stood up to see what was going on. That's all the time I needed. Put the mil dot just over the top of his head and let one fly. Heard the "thump" and saw him do a death roll. Wanted to take some pics of him but he was two fields over and I would have had to cross two electric fences to get to him so I passed.

Shot him by brush pile to the left of the white sign in middle /right of pic.

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Sat there for about 30 min. and saw one by a rock break in the field I shot across earlier. Ranged him about 220yds. Got situated and put the mil dot about one inch low of his chest.Sent a 40gr. pill his way and heard the hit and watched him roll off his perch. The dairy cows were starting to make their way into the field to the right of me so I decided not retrieve him.

Hog was to the left of dead tree in middle of pic..

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Saw a couple more but could not get clear shots on them so I called it a day around 12:30. Felt good to have some time to myself and think of my father. Couldn't think of a better way than that!!

Dave
 
Sorry to hear about your dad Dave. Groundhog hunting gives you plenty of time to think. Probably why I like it so much. I lost my dad back in 2005 and think about him all the time while out hunting. Looks like you got the 204 working for you. I'm sure your dad was along with you on that hunt watching you make those long shots.
 
Thanks Corey. It's tough losing him but I was able to spend time with him before his passing.

I'm sure he was with me while out shooting. Probably laughing at me when I missed. LOL

Yeah the 204 is working well. Can't believe how flat it shoots. Hope I can do as well with my "new to me" Savage 223 when it comes in.

Dave
 
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