Groundhog hunting!

[dnovo]

Man, this brings back memories. I grew up hunting groundhogs on the farm before we had any deer around. Loved to spot and stalk them. This is where I learned the value of some good binoculars to spot them at a distance and plan a stalk. One of my favorites was a stalk I made across an open field on a truck farm. Covered close to a hundred yards in the wide open and shot him at 10 yards.
I would never try to use a hex head blunt for groundhogs. They're way too tough for that.

[TRich]

Your memories are my inspiration! Did you have more success morning or evening on hunts? To be honest I've seen them most in the afternoon around here... but that could just be when I'm mostly out doing stuff.

[supernaut]

I've always had my best success on ground hogs in the afternoon or evening but that is likely because that is when I've hunted them the most. When I was a kid and lived on the farm I always had chores to do in the morning and couldn't get out hunting until later in the afternoon and now it's the same with work. I will say that they tend to hole up during the hottest part of the day once the temps. get up over about 75. They'll still come out but not as often or for as long from what I've experienced.
 

Hopefully Ralph (Riverwolf) will chime in with his morning to afternoon success experience. I know he's killed a pile of them with his bows.


 

[RIVERWOLF]

Not sure if you were asking me , but ..

On the huntable hours or best time of day...Ground Griz are opposite of Badger...They sleep all night while badger generally sleep most of the day . So any daylight hours can be productive for Ground Hog .  On real scorcher days , "Nothing likes that" so best Early/late on those days for sure. Exception being stream/river/lake areas if you can get permission in these type locations. They are very active even on hot days when in the thick canopy of waterways and coolness generated by the water itself .

As you can tell from my top of the line camo above (or lack thereof;^)) Many of my Ground Griz hunts where between other duties/jobs/responsibilities .As in grab the bow and arrows and run to the fields for a quick hunt/rove.  That is one of the beauties of chasing Ground Griz...most states have a year round open season for the cost of a basic hunting license . Most farmers will also give you a pass to hunt them even if they don't want you to hunt other critters.

Roving and Ground Hog hunting go hand in hand  and nothing polishes hunting/shooting skills more than those two activities . Roving for the shooting..ground Griz for the hunting aspect..


Best with your quest my friend .....

[RIVERWOLF]

Sorry about that Jim, We must have hit (post) the same time 

[supernaut]

All good my friend! I knew you'd have some excellent insight.


 

[Keith Zimmerman]

Dead woodchucks claimed many a arrow growing up in the neighborhood.  Not many times I recovered an arrow from a hole.  If I did it was laying at the top part ways in.  What fun.  Great memories.

[TRich]

Saw a 'hog basking in the road at my neighbors property today... was gone before I could get my bow, but at least I know some whereabouts! 

[dnovo]

I'm about to get back after one. I had one last summer that dug holes under my fence to get into my garden. I was able to block him but could never find him to get a shot. Well I've seen him twice this week nibbling on grass in my yard next to garden. I'll have to keep my bow on the ready to try a stalk.

[TRich]

The hardest part of the stalks around the house is I have almost no cover to move, I'm actually thinking about putting some blind material in strategic places so I can get to my garden under some cover vs on the putting green. The one I got the other day I had a huge stump that was overgrown with 4' poke. So between it and skull dragging behind some hill it was a doable stalk.

[woodchucker]

I Think...??    Woodchucks have very good eyesight, but very poor depth perseption.
I was about 12 years old and hunting woodchucks with my Pop's uncle on his farm. He had a .22 and I had my bow and we were riding around in the truck checking fields. we spotted a Chuck in a fresh mowed hayfield.
I got out of the truck and grabbed my bow and he ducked down the hole. I crawled under the fence, and started walking towards the hole. I saw him Pop his head up and I froze.... I was not wearing any camo, just my daily work clothes, jeans and a white Tshirt. Soon, he came out of the hole, and started eating. I slowly stepped towards him and the hole as he was eating... When he stopped eating, and put his head up to look around, I would freeze, and just stand there, until he started eating again. this went on for about an hour...
Complicated by the fact that once I got about 50 yards away, my uncle would holler "SHOOT'IM!!!"
When I got to about 20 yards him, I figured I was in range for a shot... I slowly raised my bow as he was eating, and he raised his head... I waited for him to go back to eating, and I slowly drew my bow and picked a spot... Ok, The whole woodchuck. Hey, I was 12! The string slipped and the arrow was on it's way...
The broadhead hit mid body,and there was a lot of squeeling and rolling around before he headed for the hole.
I did manage to recover my arrow, blood and hair from the broadhead half way to the cresting.

[Wudstix]

I found through the years in PA that their depth perception was not the best.  We used blue jeans and a dark colored shirt to get close.