Woodchucks?

[DoubleDose]

When i was young, the old timers used to talk about going "chuck" hunting (1950s/1960s), but a rabies outbreak wiped them out.  This was long range shooting.  Never hear anyone doing this anymore.  Is anyone doing anything like this?  Are there other varmints? 

[airedale]

I would be one of those old timers that hunted Woodchucks during the 50s, 60s, and 70s. It was not a rabies outbreak that killed them off, it was the Raccoons that were decimated by rabies. 

There are several theories on why the Woodchuck populations crashed, changing farming practices, and the explosion of the Eastern Coyote population are the two biggest factors I think. Many farmers would work hard at getting rid of them from their fields, I believe there was some sort of device that could be put down their den holes that would kill them, hunting was probably the least of their problem as it seemed to have zero effect in the places I hunted. I think a combination of all the above knocked their population down big time and it has never recovered.

I was also a big time Raccoon hunter with a kennel full of some pretty fair Hounds and Airedales, I belong to the NY State Houndsmen group and at one of our annual banquets we had a State biologist that specialized in the Eastern Coyote as a speaker. He said they inspected the contents of every Coyote they could get their hands on and during the summer months every single one examined would have Woodchuck in their stomachs. His exact words "if you guys are wondering was has happened to the Woodchucks in NY there is your answer."

As for actually hunting Woodchucks there is no bigger fan and participant than me. Their populations when I was young was huge, just about any hay field would hold a bunch. Some of the best days I have ever had hunting were in the Woodchuck fields. The best part is farmers hated them and I was never not granted permission to hunt them anywhere I went, I had one farmer get me on his tractor with him so he could take me to a field that was infested with them.

You could make the shooting of any type you wanted, some days it was with handguns at fairly close range crawling on your belly to get close enough for a shot. 22 LR rifles was another favorite way to hunt them walking field and fairly close range. Then there was the big guns, dedicated long range precision varmint rifles that could make kills in the field close to 500 yards if you did your part. I even hunted them with archery equipment and the best shot I ever made with a bow was on a Woodchuck.

I feel bad that todays hunters do not have the chance to experience good Woodchuck hunting.

Today if you see a Woodchuck he is living close to a road or someone's house, it is all about safety from predators. I have one living under a shed in my back yard, first wild one I have seen in years, he gets a free pass from me as I enjoy seeing him and he reminds me of days that look to be gone forever.

Al

Edited December 1, 2022 by airedale

[land 1]

yup yotes and farming practices not rabies knocked them way down

[Nytracker]

More yotes than farming. Biggest farming practice changes  have been removing hedgerows.  Now fields are huge no cover . Turning over fields every 2 or 3 years is another big one . Dens get plowed under every couple years as farmers rotate crops . No hedgerows to hide in hogs can't get an established  colony going.

I remember  hunting hogs in the 70s and 80s I had all the holes on the 6 or 7 farms I use to hunt memorized .

[Pygmy]

In the summer of 1966, I killed 75 woodchucks, most of them with my Win M69A .22 rimfire...The hayfields and cow pastures were full of them....It has been years since I've seen  chuck holes in a hayfield..The few remaning live in road ditches and under people's garages

[airedale]

12 hours ago, Pygmy said:

In the summer of 1966, I killed 75 woodchucks, most of them with my Win M69A .22 rimfire

No small feat in my opinion, good hunting and shooting skills required for that tally with a 22.

Al

[airedale]

Some of my favorite most used Woodchuck cartridges. 17hmr, 22LR, 22 mag, 22 Hornet, 223, 222 rem mag, 22-250, 220 Swift, 243, 6mm Remington, 25-06, 357, 44 mag.

If I had to pick one it would be the 220 Swift hands down.

Al

Edited December 2, 2022 by airedale