Anyone Going After Woodchucks Soon?

[dbHunterNY]

Anyone going after woodchucks soon to pass time before turkey season or simply throughout the summer?  Year to year activity on the family farm for us.  Seems there's not enough time in the day for smoking out enough holes.

[Robby]

I will be. I had one walking over the crusty snow outside my shop door last week. He looked pissed off! HAH!

Robby

[MACHINIST]

I usually carry my rifle with me when scouting for turkeys and deer.I have one farm that has had 1/2 changed hands so I will have to see if the new owner wants them killed.I imagine he will he just farms the land and one spot has been messed up by the grass grizzlies pretty bad

[growalot]

look at the pics I took in the long winter thread....won't be out for a while...may be hunting turkey in a snow suit this year..

[dmandoes]

i'm seeing one or two chucks a day now. they are begging for me to shoot them. snow is just about gone in the fields(4y). dbone, you need to start thinking prairedogs.

[RSRAINS]

I try to let them take care of there pups for know and give'em he_ _ after the first cutting that way there will be some around for the grandchildren.

[dbHunterNY]

I try to let them take care of there pups for know and give'em he_ _ after the first cutting that way there will be some around for the grandchildren.

 

sightings are low in general now has they're coming out from hibernation and seeking each other out to make babies.  I've thought about that before and still do.  The over whelming numbers though usually cause me to get as many as I can early before they do.  fields get terrorized less that way.  still plenty to shoot for youth it seems every year.  I would really like film the outings with them this year to share with the rest of the family.  everyone always has a ton of fun going after them and it's less hay equipment abuse we have to deal with later on.

[wildcat junkie]

After I get my garden planted I will be thinning the herd along the river bank next to the garden. There's quite a colony there. I killed 4 or 5 last year with my 5mm Remington magnum center fire conversion. .204 33gr V-Max bullets traveling at 2450fps makes for an effective 200yd Woodchuck rig for use around settled areas. It's not a whole lot louder than a 22lr HV & it makes a nice smacking sound when it hits 'em!

Terminal performance in barn pigeon @ 35yds

33gr V-Max on the left

100yds

200yds

Edited April 2, 2015 by wildcat junkie

[dbHunterNY]

After I get my garden planted I will be thinning the herd along the river bank next to the garden. There's quite a colony there. I killed 4 or 5 last year with my 5mm Remington magnum center fire conversion. .204 33gr V-Max bullets traveling at 2450fps makes for an effective 200yd Woodchuck rig for use around settled areas. It's not a whole lot louder than a 22lr HV & it makes a nice smacking sound when it hits 'em!

 

yea I've contemplated getting a 17HMR or 17WSM because of the whole populated area thing.  even if i have permission it's not my intention to rattle windows.  my 223 with 60gr vmax at around 3100fps is a bit too loud for a couple spots on the farm.

[wildcat junkie]

yea I've contemplated getting a 17HMR or 17WSM because of the whole populated area thing. even if i have permission it's not my intention to rattle windows. my 223 with 60gr vmax at around 3100fps is a bit too loud for a couple spots on the farm.

The 5mm CF conversion uses 6.8gr of Alliant 2400. It costs me 15¢ to pull the trigger. Twice the Me of the 17HMR. Same energy @ 185 yds as the 17HMR @ the muzzle.

I did the Schroeder CF conversion before the 5mm RF Magnum ammo become available again & I'm not a bit sorry I did it. I looking to get a mold made for hard alloy 40gr lead bullets @ 2100fos for edible small game like Grey Squirrels. I bought the gun new about 1972.

Edited April 2, 2015 by wildcat junkie

[dbHunterNY]

yea I'm looking into reloading slowly.  I've got components right now for the 223 but still need the equipment.  making a cabelas run in a week and will probably pick up some more stuff.  eventually I'll probably pick up a turret press.  i was going to go with a cheaper single stage but i was told change overs between dies and stuff would make me go nuts.  i could probably load down the 223 enough safely if i needed.

[dbHunterNY]

that close quarters situation is limited and more often then not i like being able to send one out there 400+ yards so I'd probably leave it be and match the black hills 60gr vmax load.  now that i think about it I've got 600 of the high BC 53gr vmax bullets so I'd probably use those.

[gfdeputy2]

will be when this snow melts here love taking them with the bow

[dbHunterNY]

will be when this snow melts here love taking them with the bow

 

a simple field point in front of a washer really hammers them.  carbon arrows only.  they'll bend aluminum shafts heading back to the hole.  I really don't use a bow though.  I need to keep efficient with the rifle to stay ahead of them.  didn't before and one sloped 10 acre field is now completely wrecked.  I took probably 50+ there one summer.  now that I'm ahead of them, there's still all the holes, so others are quick to move in.

[grampy]

The farm I hunt has a ton of them. I also have a new 7mm-08 that I would like more trigger time with. Yeah, it is overkill, but will be fun with chucks out to 200 plus yards.

[wildcat junkie]

The farm I hunt has a ton of them. I also have a new 7mm-08 that I would like more trigger time with. Yeah, it is overkill, but will be fun with chucks out to 200 plus yards.

I once shot a Woodchuck with my 7m-08 that was so far away, I was able to see the mist on impact when I recovered from the recoil.

[varmint]

I am available to help with landowners woodchuck problem in the capital district area if anyone is interested.

[varmint]

Any farmers out there needing groundhogs to be gone?

VarmintCallingCard.doc

[dbHunterNY]

my biggest set back is I only hunt the family farms (which I live 20 minutes from) and trying to find time to get out.  last halfway decent take was 82 a couple summers back but haven't had numbers as close since so I think I finally got ahead of them a little.  of course others joined in the fun and I stepped aside to help spot and what not.

[dbHunterNY]

The farm I hunt has a ton of them. I also have a new 7mm-08 that I would like more trigger time with. Yeah, it is overkill, but will be fun with chucks out to 200 plus yards.

 

working on one to best my record that'll be over 427 yards with a 223 Rem chambered rifle.  heat mirage is tough with my 18x scope mid summer during hay season so I'll having to do it soon.

[dbHunterNY]

The farm I hunt has a ton of them. I also have a new 7mm-08 that I would like more trigger time with. Yeah, it is overkill, but will be fun with chucks out to 200 plus yards.

 

I've head shot many with a 30-06 150gr jacketed lead deer loads like Remington Cor-lokts and Federal Fusions.  I won't post aftermath pictures of those head shots but yea they were pretty humane.

[jrm]

I've got one that took up residence around my septic tank. The holes are dangerous - big enough to fall into. I have seen the resident only once or twice, never when I am ready.

Any tips on getting these buggers to come up out of their holes?

[dbHunterNY]

best times are early morning (hour after day light), late evening (hour or two before dark), and around noon if it's not too hot outside.  also they won't stay out in the rain, so if it's rained all day and it stops that's a good time to catch them.  if you see it out right away and it runs into it's hole, wait it out for 20 minutes.  it'll more than likely come right back out unless it's fed for a while.  also if you shoot and miss the same applies.  my uncle just Sunday morning around 11:30 shot at the same one four separate times within a half an hour with his 22-250.  he was on his own as I didn't have my setup with me.

[dbHunterNY]

I don't like to and think it's more humane to shoot them but you can smoke bomb the holes.  it's like $6 for a package of four or so and only takes one.

[jrm]

I don't like to and think it's more humane to shoot them but you can smoke bomb the holes.  it's like $6 for a package of four or so and only takes one.

I was hoping to actually get something to show for my hunting license, and a fur cap seemed like a good trophy. Wanted to avoid things like smoke/gas.

Thanks for the other tips. I tried some of those without success, but I think weather was against me. It was windy and cold most of the time, so that may have kept him underground longer. Won't have a chance again for a few weeks, hopefully with better luck.