Groundhog

[Penny_Plinker]

Back past the garden, you go up a little rise in the trail and there is a long, narrow field beyond. Every time i crest the knoll, i see a groundhog in the field. So i was doing target practice, trying to see if i could even hit 200 yards with my 10/22. I couldn't. It dropped too much.

So i took my .243 out. When i crested the rise i kept to the high weeds and walked slow and looked way out but didn't see anything. But then i caught movement and a shape closer in, about 75 yards. I rested elbows on knees not my favorite position, but got the groundhog in the sights and shot. It ran about 4 feet and stopped as i chambered another shell. I squeezed that one off and the hog disappeared. Vaporized. Literally allmost, because when i went down and found it in the ditch, there wasn't enough to eat...not that it looked appetizing. One less to be gettin in my garden, though.

Penny

[docsoos]

Good shootin', Penny! ;D

I used to LOVE goin' from farm to farm, years ago, and shootin' 'em by the truckload. Farmers hated 'em 'cause they would get into their gardens, too. Some of 'em said their holes would break cattle's legs, or at least mess them up.

I used a .22-250 or .30-'06. Bet that .243 made short work of 'em, too! :D

DocSoos

[Bwana]

Good goin' Penny! :D

Way to adjust your fire. All that plinking paid off! ;)

Dave

[Penny_Plinker]

Thanks guys! Yeah i wouldn't mind having a 22-250 or a 22 magnum or something like that but no more often than i'd use it the .243 is okay. Good practice for deer season, anyway.

Penny

[lostinthewoods]

Good shootin Penny!

I too have a 243, but I didn't get the same "explosive" down range performance that you got. My hog actually made it back to and into it's hole. My shot was from about 85 yards and was broad side. It left alot of blood and other yummyness where the hog was standing and flug it about 2 feet but it still made it to it's hole.

Glad to here there is another 243 fan here.


lost

[JAK]

I pass a few by on the Hospital grounds on my walk to work each day. They are fun critters to look at and talk to. I would like to try and kill one and eat one some day though. That and grey squirrel. I enjoy the woods mostly for the hiking, but I think learning to find and kill something, with a bow or a stick or a 22, would be a great skill and a good way to get to know the woods better.

I did get a partridge once, a Spruce Grouse, but that darn thing was so drunk on berries I could have just walked up and snapped its neck and saved the shell. Cooked it on a wood stove. Actually plucked it and stuffed it and wrapped a slice of bacon over the wings rather than just pulling out the breast meat. Followed the instructions out of an old cookbook at the camp. Great meal for two as we had plenty of potatoes. :)

It's fun figuring out stuff on your own. Sure you need to learn firearm safety properly, but most of the rest of the stuff you can discover along the way. Even bowhunting I am trying to teach myself. I am a patient man. I will have to kill a few more trees before I go after a squirrel or ground hog though. I understand they are tough to kill.

[jim]

Great work! The .243 is a great round, and is dual purpose. You might consider a 75 gr. JHP for varmints up to coyote size, and the 100 gr. round for deer sized animals.

jim

[Penny_Plinker]

I pass a few by on the Hospital grounds on my walk to work each day. They are fun critters to look at and talk to. I would like to try and kill one and eat one some day though. That and grey squirrel. I enjoy the woods mostly for the hiking, but I think learning to find and kill something, with a bow or a stick or a 22, would be a great skill and a good way to get to know the woods better.

I did get a partridge once, a Spruce Grouse, but that darn thing was so drunk on berries I could have just walked up and snapped its neck and saved the shell. Cooked it on a wood stove. Actually plucked it and stuffed it and wrapped a slice of bacon over the wings rather than just pulling out the breast meat. Followed the instructions out of an old cookbook at the camp. Great meal for two as we had plenty of potatoes. *:)

It's fun figuring out stuff on your own. Sure you need to learn firearm safety properly, but most of the rest of the stuff you can discover along the way. Even bowhunting I am trying to teach myself. I am a patient man. I will have to kill a few more trees before I go after a squirrel or ground hog though. I understand they are tough to kill.

Hospital grounds??? *you're a "patient man?" or just a patient?

[Penny_Plinker]

Yeah, Lost and Jim, big 243 fan here, but thats the gun i have so it's probably a case of "love the one you're with." Works for me, though.

It not any more explosive effect than you're gettin, Lost, it just blew the stomach contents is all.

Penny

[Tuckahoe]

Boy I wish we had em here in eastern NC the guys in western and north west NC have plenty of them. Most of the guys there use that new .17 hornady on em.

[lost1]

The problem with groundhogs around here is they will tunnel under any outbuilding and ruin the foundation and even a concrete floor. A dirt floor can go in a matter of days.
I have a little Henry .17 that will play h%#* with a grondhog and is fun to shoot to boot.
Trouble is there is a shortage of groundhogs here lately.

[Dan_Kane]

I confess to 'keeping my eye in' by bagging groundhogs with my Winchester 70 .270

I figure that if I can reliably nail groundhogs at 150-200, I'm a sure bet for a humane kill on any deer.

That .270 really turns 'em inside-out...

[Star1pup]

Hey guys, ya' gotta load them cannons down a little. Groundhogs make great stew! I keep my .222 shots in the head, but also use my .357 Marlin lever action. You can even load a 30-06 down with a light bullet.

If the chuck is too old for stew he makes great raccoon & turtle bait.

[Penny_Plinker]

If...IF i ever get another rifle...i've got too many already.... it'd be a .222 or a 223.

I have a bunch of beaver meat froze from last year to use for trapping bait. I'm also saving chicken scraps, skin. Been collecting and freezing the white paper like pad that comes in bottom of the chicken to use for scent pads in dirthole sets. Trapping season will be here before you know it. Now's a good time to get dry dirt too. And feathers. I've been saving all them i find to scatter around the sets.

Penny

[Star1pup]

And it looks like furs will bring a higher price this year. Go get 'em, Penny!

[lostinthewoods]

Penny,

I've talked to several trappers that swear by beaver BBQ. :o I've never had the stuff but they love it. I never thought about using the chicken pads though. Pretty good idea. I've had my trapping license for about 3 years onw and have yet to make a set. Hopefully this year will be different.

pup, hopefully those prices will stay up! Would like to make enough to purchase a new gps. (or at least help out anyway)



lost

[Star1pup]

Fur prices go up and down, but trapping is a great way to learn about animals even if you just break even.

I missed a groundhog with my crossbow yesterday. :-[