Woodchuck season 2020

[dbHunterNY]

Not a lot around which must be a good thing. Shot 1 and missed 1. Unloaded a few hay wagons into the barn and been here all morning. only second time out but dont have time to stay longer.

 

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[Lawdwaz]

Love it and miss the crap out of it!!

[Nytracker]

Tell us about the rig .....

[dbHunterNY]

Tell us about the rig .....

Savage Arms Model 12 chambered in .223 Remington. Shoots 60gr Hornady VMax loaded by Black Hill Ammunition well. Just under 1/2 MOA if I do my part. Talley single piece rings/bases. Nikon 6-18x40mm scope. Slogan Ultraflex sling making it easier to carry without beating you up, as its heavy. Caldwell over 20" (dont remember length) pivoting bipod that seems to work just as good as a Harris.

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[airedale]

 Woodchuck hunting has provided me with great memories and taught me to shoot well at game under field circumstances, I lived and breathed it for many years and it is my favorite kind of hunting.

Al

[mowin]

Haven't hunted ground grizzlies in a long time. Lots a fun. 

[squirrelwhisperer]

Never had the opportunity. Sounds like a blast...see what I did there? 

[Nytracker]

Hard to find a good spot with chucks. Between farming practices changing and yotes there definitely  isn't as many as there use to be

[dbHunterNY]

Hard to find a good spot with chucks. Between farming practices changing and yotes there definitely  isn't as many as there use to be

Find any farm land and they're there to some degree. I'm not really vested time wise in recent years but still provides lots of trigger time. I really only hunt them on our farm. I've hammered every chance I could so usually only get a couple dozen each year now.

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[Pygmy]

1 hour ago, dbHunterNY said:

Find any farm land and they're there to some degree. I'm not really vested time wise in recent years but still provides lots of trigger time. I really only hunt them on our farm. I've hammered every chance I could so usually only get a couple dozen each year now.

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I don't even SEE a couple dozen in hayfields during a summer anymore...There are still some around, but they live mostly in roadside ditches and under people's buildings.... I think it is because the coyotes ( which were non-existant back when I hunted woodchucks)  have become very adept at hunting woodchucks in hayfields... In the summer of 1966, when I was 16, I killed 75 woodchucks, mostly with my Winchester M69 .22 rimfire...I had a Rem 722 in .222 rem, but the cartridges cost $3.15 for 20 rounds, and I could buy a box of .22 LR hollow points for 85 cents...nearly all of them were shot on local pastures and hayfields..Today I seldom see a woodchuck den in a hayfield..

[Nytracker]

Farmers now rotate  hay fields... so now they are turned under every couple years . Same as the other food crops. Alot of the farms are making giant fields removing hedge rows.  Or farms have gone out and the fields are over grown.

[BizCT]

I haven’t shot woodchucks in years, but I grew up shooting them at long distances as a kid 1-2x per week as a kid growing up. It was great practice shooting all the time. Weatherby .224 Magnum was the Gun I used since I was around 4 years old.

 

 

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[dbHunterNY]

I don't even SEE a couple dozen in hayfields during a summer anymore...There are still some around, but they live mostly in roadside ditches and under people's buildings.... I think it is because the coyotes ( which were non-existant back when I hunted woodchucks)  have become very adept at hunting woodchucks in hayfields... In the summer of 1966, when I was 16, I killed 75 woodchucks, mostly with my Winchester M69 .22 rimfire...I had a Rem 722 in .222 rem, but the cartridges cost $3.15 for 20 rounds, and I could buy a box of .22 LR hollow points for 85 cents...nearly all of them were shot on local pastures and hayfields..Today I seldom see a woodchuck den in a hayfield..

They definitely stick to certain spots you mentioned out this way too. Often the spots that are easiest to setup on get burnt out.

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[SpacemanSpiff]

They are enemy number one on my farm. My grandfather drives around to known locations and waits in his pickup while listening to Rush Limbaugh. I bought him a Ruger American compact in .17 hmr topped with leupold vx-2 4-12. Works great close to buildings, no ricochet. I prefer my remington 700 .222 remington with a zeiss 4-14. Makes a real mess of them!

[squirrelwhisperer]

Not that I have the opportunity, but would my Ruger 10/22, .22LR work for the varmints, or would I need a diff caliber? 

[airedale]

5 hours ago, squirrelwhisperer said:

would my Ruger 10/22, .22LR work for the varmints, or would I need a diff caliber? 

As Pygmy stated above a 22 LR with good shot placement and keeping shots within it's range can be effective and fun, and because it requires a bit of stealth to sneak up on a sharp eyed Woodchuck in an open field you are learning and honing both good hunting and shooting skills. There are some stout 22 LR loads available today like CCI Stingers, Remington Yellow Jackets, etc that have better punch on Woodchuck and also add a bit more range.

I will warn you, Woodchuck hunting can be very addictive.

Al

Edited June 14, 2020 by airedale

[dbHunterNY]

11 hours ago, squirrelwhisperer said:

Not that I have the opportunity, but would my Ruger 10/22, .22LR work for the varmints, or would I need a diff caliber? 

Al and Dan said it's all about shot placement and I agree. it'll kill a chuck if you hit it in the vitals but won't put it down at all. best get within 50 or so yards and hit it in the head if you're using a 22LR. I flooded one out from under my garage at my old house. I used my Ruger 22LR pistol and to be safe I aimed for vitals and it took a handful of shots but only slowed it down a little. I know where I hit it because it was my competition pistol and I was only a few yards away.

[squirrelwhisperer]

Now I have an excuse to buy another rifleI won’t use, lol. .222rem?

Mrs Squirrel: How many guns do you need?

Me: At least one more! 

[dbHunterNY]

Now I have an excuse to buy another rifleI won’t use, lol. .222rem?

Mrs Squirrel: How many guns do you need?

Me: At least one more! 

.222 Rem isnt common these days for ammo. Honestly any real accurate deer rifle works if you can afford and get ahold of ammo it likes. Look up varmint rifles and you'll see a trend in calibers.

 

My gun has served me well but I wouldn't go with the stock I have. Getting good repeatable cheek contact is tough vs say a nice adjustable raised comb.

 

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[dbHunterNY]

With the one miss high right I thought I'd go to the range to check the gun. Verified drop with furthest 300 yard target and zero at 200 yards. Turns out the miss must have been all me. White target is 300 with a high left screw up. Shot broke and i just didnt have crosshairs on target. 200 yds is black used up shoot-n-c. I had to use crude felt lined wooden blocks at range as i couldnt find my shorter range bipod. My natural aim was low and forcing it up for bottom 4 shots. Top few shots i tried to adjust but little awkward hold to get elevation.


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[wolc123]

16 hours ago, squirrelwhisperer said:

Not that I have the opportunity, but would my Ruger 10/22, .22LR work for the varmints, or would I need a diff caliber? 

That is all I use for chucks, since I traded away my Ruger M77 22/250 a few years ago.    All my shots are under 50 yards, so that 22/250 was overkill and buying that expensive ammo was a waste of money.   A nice thing about that gun was that they never even flinched after taking that bullet from less than 50 yards (aim-point center of mass), and it never left a mark on them.  I suppose it turned their insides to jelly when the bullet exploded internally.    Most of my shots are from my bedroom window, so the noise was also an issue.   You should definitely aim for the head with the .22 LR, if you don't want them to make it back to their hole.    

I usually kill a few every year and they love living under my old barns.  I have been seeing a few this year but have yet to get a crack at one.    My 10/22 and a clip of yellow jackets is at my bedside now, just in case one gives me a chance.   

[Dinsdale]

For those with "just" a 22lr.

CCI standard velocity all lead is the only thing run through my 22's.

65yds in the ear hole off hand, finally caught this one right at dark....

[squirrelwhisperer]

5 hours ago, Dinsdale said:

For those with "just" a 22lr.

CCI standard velocity all lead is the only thing run through my 22's.

65yds in the ear hole off hand, finally caught this one right at dark....

Well done, friend!!

[Shoots100]

I used to sit for hours shooting chucks all weekend after cutting the hay at my relatives farm.

Now I sit for hours in a lazy boy, after taking some aspirin and nursing a cold beer or two.

.22 hornet was my caliber of choice, then I moved up to a heavy barreled 6mm rem 40XC to make the longer shots.

Now I just carry my 44 mag revolver and let one or two shot's fly, if I see one running around.

They have a better chance of getting hit by lightning, than getting hit by one of my shots, but it breaks the monotony of sitting on the tractor for hours.

Keep slinging lead boy's, as someone has to show them who's boss.

SJC

 

 

[Team Hoyt]