Trad Gang

Last year I was introduced to groudhog hunting, and now I find myself constantly searching the fields for these little buggers. I've already been out once this year and I have a few days off towards the end of the week and intend on hunting whistle pigs at least one of those days. Just wondering if how many other members get excited about groundhog hunting?

got recipe?   :coffee:

I love to hunt them, as crumby as it is here now I saw two of them today.

We used to have tons of them. The farms are mostly gone and so are the chucks. I would love to spend a day or two hunting them. Shawn

I love it. Got 3 dens I've built small blinds near, ready to go. The males have started roaming out a bit but not enough to ensure a shot if set-n near a den. another week or so of good weather and it's ON! Don't limit yourself to the ones you see in open fields, in my experience for every den in a field theres 3 or more less than 30 yds in the woodline surounding it.

jct, I argree the woodline is good, I have been scouting for dens throughout the winter. I have never hunted them from a blind. I kinda like still hunting for them.

Woodchuck hunting is very challenging here. Where I hunt them, you got to sneak up on them and catch them feeding. They don't venture too far from their holes. I love it, great way to keep sharp.

I have one in the woods behind the house..I missed him last year when sitting in my ground blind waiting for a deer to walk by.

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Here is a few shots of my son and I out groundhoggin. Lots of fun and a regular pastime come spring and summer. No shortage of them around here.

Love it but havent tagged one yet.I hunt them while walking the 3D range at my club when its just my son and I o the property.Lots of fun.

We have a small orchard and our yard is quite large. We occaisonally have a family or two show up each year so I hunt them in order to protect our garden. One summer I got 6 of them. I used to go out and look for them but farming is dying out and they are hard to find. Coyotes have also taken their toll on them.

I just love "chuck" huntin! When I get the chance I chase them in the rocks of Wyoming...Rockchuck, Marmota Flaviventris, Yellow belly marmot.
  (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/rockchuck1a.jpg)

Of course I go way back hunting Woodchucks
...groundhog, whistle pig, Marmota Monax...  in my home state of Missouri
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You find them in isolated pockets anymore. Other than a "honey hole" they are widely scattered and more a target of opportunity.
  (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/charlie/SilexGroundhog.jpg)

Last year I had one living in my pond dam and if he shows again this year, he's toast!
  :archer:

Fine hunting and good eatin.

Dave, maybe we need a groundhog safari when ya'll thaw out up there?   :rolleyes:  I'll show you how to cook em.

JC, you gotta pass on the recipe....

Charlie, those levies along the rivers used to be full of them....

Kevin, search the recipe forum...you'll find some good ones there.

Ground Hog hunting is going to be my story when out in the woods and fields this spring and summer.  Here in NJ, we can't stump shoot on public property, but woodchucks are in season almost year round.

I didn't harvest a deer this year, so ground hogs will be my quarry until next fall. Spending time in the woods, hunting ground hogs, stump shooting, learning more about deer teritory, what more could you ask for?

TJ

P.S. Don't ask my wife this question

You mean there are people who don't hunt groundhogs with their bows?

I love hunting ground grizzlies around home. We have plenty of them in my area and here's one that I shot last spring.
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10-4, Joe, I found it...  :thumbsup:  

My wife comes from a long line of Missouri hillbillies (self-admitted) so we've had opportunity to eat a number of things, but never groundhog...

I know the boys will eat anything, but sometimes she tries to deny her roots....  :D

Just waiting for another opportunity to get ahold of the one next door.

Keith

I cut my bowhunting teeth on groundhogs in Virginia in 1969/70. It is a great sport. Very challenging with traditional archery equipment I might add. Sorry to say, I have not found the whisle pigs in Texas. Prairie dogs, yes, ground hogs, no.  :banghead:

We too used to have bunches of them here........but that was then and this is now.


I would love to hunt them again. Man we busted a tons of wood shafts on those ground grizzlies.

I've had more whistle pigs duck my shafts than deer! That thread on low profile feathers /high FOC arrows got me thinking... they hear it coming?

now if I could just hunt along the wide areas along our bypasses, I could limit out! Last week's quick warm spell had em out along the sidehill about one to every 75 yards for 3 miles!   :banghead:    

JC,

Any time you want, your welcome. Not sure you can get enough arras cross the border for a hog safari. Homeland Security might start asking questions. We take the smokepoles out and can get 120 to 150 a day! Hoggin is real hard on arras.

Where I grew up in Southern Pa seemed to be the birthplace of the ground grizzly, and the last time I was there the local population seemed to be doin just fine.  But I'll be darned if I can find one down here in the Lowcountry of SC.    :confused:

I haven't bowhunted them since the 1960's. After reading this thread, I'm rareing to to go.

Just a little question , can you hunt them all year long in NY state  or there is a season ?
Because , i know my neighbors will be glad to get rid some of them and keep our gardens in better shape !
Eric .

I was planning on trying it this year. What type of points/broadheads do you recommend? I am shooting a 50# ACS-CX, with Safari Grizzlystiks (506gr total). I was thinking of using the Bunny Busters by Ace, or a broadhead with the Adder points behind them. Thanks, Duane

Dagwood64, Woodchucks are extemely tough an anything but sharp broadheads won't do, an then you may need to run a few down. Thats why there called pasture grizzly, tuff tuff tuff. Don't under estimate ther nose, surviors of rifle hunters can be as wary as any whitetail. Good Luck an Good Hunting.   Bob

Dagwood64 for sodhogs may I suggest the cheapest arrows and broadheads you can find. I use stumpin arrows either of wood or alum with various (cheap) broadheads. I am still relatively new to groundhog hunting but I have spent some time with someone who has been doing it for years, and as many have already noted here, Groundhog huntin is hard on arrahs!  Oh just so you know they may take your arrow down there hole before they die, and unless you got a backhoe you will never see it again.

QuoteOriginally posted by outbackbob48:
Dagwood64, Woodchucks are extemely tough an anything but sharp broadheads won't do, an then you may need to run a few down. Thats why there called pasture grizzly, tuff tuff tuff. Don't under estimate ther nose, surviors of rifle hunters can be as wary as any whitetail. Good Luck an Good Hunting.   Bob

Thanks for the info. I already know of their craftiness and toughness. I used to hunt them out at my Grandparents farm when I was in my teens, using a 20ga shotgun, mostly stalking or ambush. Shot a few. They didn't die easy with #6 shot or 0000 buck. Just was wondering what everyone else used. Thanks, Duane

Drew first blood on a ground hog. (Think I'll start calling them grizzlies). Have taken 2 of them. The third took two arrows down the hole with it. Found them chewed up pretty good later. The ones that didn't get away were shot with a woodsman. The first was a 26 yd. shot!
:archer:

Try this tactic. When you see a groundhog in a field, just casually start walking slowly straight towards him. When he sees you, he'll make a quick dash for the hole. After he is underground, then you jog quietly and softly around to the back side of his hole making sure you stay at least 15 or 20 yards away from him so he won't hear you. Now you should be 180 degrees from where he last saw you. In a few minutes, he'll get curious and pop his head and look where he last saw you. But, he won't see you and then will climb out further for a better look exposing his back side. The rest is up to you.

MAn I love hunting those suckers. We don't have many where I am now though. The young ones sure taste great. I am jealous
Have fun guys!

WANTED:
A friend or 2 or more to go hunting for Ground Hogs in NJ. If you have a place or a few places and would like company I'd be willing to go with ya.

Larry

Chuck

As you know, hunting sod poodles is my passion! I'd give up deer hunting if I had to choose between the two.

We WILL get together again this summer! Best time is mid to late June. My daughter's wedding may have to wait if the hogs are runnin'!

Dave

I grew up hunting them in Ohio.
I enjoyed that as much as any hunting I have ever done.
There are not many groundhogs here in Alabama. I miss it.

Hey Red!

Got a few ground grizzleys venturing out down my way! I plan on spending a few hours tomorrow in the woods to see if I can find some fresh holes.

I'm looking forward to our hunt this summer.

PS See ya in a few weeks!

Chuck

Just as much fun as bow fishing

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Man I miss hunting woodchucks.  Growing up in northcentral Ohio we had plenty of them.  I spent MANY hours hunting chucks back in the day-  groundhogs taught me how to bowhunt.  Dad always said if he were king of the world you'd have to bring him 20 groundhog tails you killed with your bow before you could buy a deer tag - you'll learn more hunting chucks hard for a couple years than shooting 3-D and watching hunting shows on TV for 20!  My last year in high school (1992) I really got after them in the spring and summer and killed an even 50 with my bow, a good hand with a 22-250 would work hard to kill 100 in a summer around home so I felt pretty good about that.

Now I live in west-central Indiana and they are few and far between.  I'd feel bad killing one around here.  I have released a dozen or so on my property that a friend box trapped out of his hay fields but they don't last long with the 'yotes around.

Ryan

All our hawgs in Texas live on the ground.  Do those count?

These critters are off limits in Wisconsin. Cannot figure out why? They are all over the place.

Just like wolves! Maybe this will change too?

Went out for some still hunting around noon today, and very slowly worked a hillside where I know there are several holes. Didn't see a single G-hog, but I did see two hen pheasants (rare for this area), a woodcock, one deer, and had the pleasure of listening to a Tom gobble for about 45min. Pretty good for a only few hours out!

I hunt em but I leave em for the buzzards. It's a good way to get entry onto some huntin land. Farmers love it when you kill em.

My first trad kill was a groundhawg. Farmer laughed when I got my recurve outta the truck after I asked him for permission. An hour later I brought one to his door that was almost decapitated by a Zwicky. Been huntin on that property ever since.

Leave em?   Nah - they are pretty good in chili (but then, what isn't).  :-D

Ryan quote: "I have released a dozen or so on my property that a friend box trapped out of his hay fields"


Relocating groundhogs – That's gotta be a first...8^)

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This is the best way to stay sharp in the offseason!

I love huntin' some ground grizzlies!
They arent bad on the table either...

Well,at the risk of sounding like braggard,I'll just say I've lost count of the groundhogs I have shot with a bow.And with all the houses and roads going up in farm country the rifle is getting a bit dangerous to use anyways.Groundhogs are one of my favorites to hunt.

I nailed one today, stand-n proud at the mouth of his hole on the bank of the river. The hit was perfect but I just up and shot not remembering to wait till he was at least a few yds from the hole, down in there he went. Dam it ! I know better than that. Anyhow an hour of digging and nutt-n. I'm beat, and I love it.

I think Bret ( bmfer ) single handedly keeps the Wrightsville groundhog population in check  :thumbsup:

No chucks that I know of here in Oklahoma.  We like to chase tree rats when turkey and deer are closed.  Thanks for the pics.  Looks pretty fun.  I particularly like the one of the archer outside the cave w/ the chuck peeking his head out.

Got this young male this morning!  :)  
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Got 2 last year.I think i had a 2to13 ratio.Seen a lot of holes being cleaned out.Got the one hide tanned.Would like to get one mounted this year.Also gotta get closer shots.Some were out their for a long shot.Thats why i had a bad ratio last year.Lots of fun!  :bigsmyl:

I went out again today after the rain. Not really hunting just get-n out with my new dog. ( 3 yr old J -Russell, the previous owners had no idea how good a dog she is, unbelievable hunter) Tryed a couple stalks with no results, then geting ready to leave saw one where I could use a ditch line for cover, left the bow and leashed the dog for the stalk. Got 40 yds and let the dog see it and then turned her loose, man you should've seen that! She did'nt get there in time but talk about fast, the dog and the g-hog. Mother nature sure is something. To much fun !

BTW, 2-Big, thats a good un. Nice shot to. Boil the head for a unique eruo mount and soak the tail in denatured alc. for a few weeks for another unique trophy. Thats what I do.