Posted: 5/14/2012 1:04:57 PM EDT
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It's that time of year again.  Looks like it's up to me to start the thread for the year. Been out a few times but haven't had a shot on much of anything but that's about to change because the beans are sprouting here. Drove past a few places and should be able to end my drought soon. A buddy has 3 already and PappyO should have a few by now also. Post 'em up if you got 'em. Be safe out there, sometimes the best shot is the one you don't take. |
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Nice shooting and rifles, what are the specs on them?
Savage 12 VLP .223 24" 1:7 twist. Nikon buckmaster 6-18x40. Leupold mount and rings. Shoots black hills 68gr MHP Cz452 17hmr - not much done to it. Bedded, floated, minor trigger work. Nikon buckmaster 4.5-14x40. Shoots Regular hornady 17gr vmax Rock River a4 varmint 18" .223, nikon buckmaster 4-12x50, Warne rings. Shoots Hornady custom 55gr vmax |
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I hadn't planned on going out but it sprinkled a little rain here and it seemed like a night that they would be moving. First 'hog was a sow I scared back into a weed line, I decided to sit and wait her out and this was the result:  After taking the pic, I did kick her over and it was another nursing sow. The pups should be showing up soon. Range was an estimated 125 yards. Drove down to another place and found this one in a lane out at 221 yards:  I'm using a 2900 FPS 60 grain Vmax load and it's been superbly accurate out of the Savage Precision Carbine 10. 5. |
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Quoted:
I've been fighting the wind everytime I get off work, haven't been doing very well.... http://i947.photobucket.com/albums/ad314/Lungbuster_photos/Hunting/IMAG0422.jpg I saw your pic and was thinking, "man, that looks like an Idaho rock"
Im having the same problem, it's been windy almost every day. PM me if you want to go chuck hunting sometime. |
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Conditions are about as perfect as it gets. Little wind, good light and sprouting beans make for good shooting conditions. I finally broke out the .17Rem tonight. After my cold bore shot offhand from 100 yards went awry, I sat down and played hide and seek with this 'hog at 85 yards:  He kept popping up and down until he stayed a little too long and he got one in his ear. On to the next one. Bad shot here, I had a clean 125 yard shot and hit low:  He made it back into the hole trailing 3 feet of guts but it can't count even though his bean stealing days are done. Last one of the evening was back at the first field @ 154 yards in low light:  Still haven't seen any young and there doesn't seem to be any other Ohio guys shooting any groundhogs this year.  7. |
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Quoted:
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I've been fighting the wind everytime I get off work, haven't been doing very well.... http://i947.photobucket.com/albums/ad314/Lungbuster_photos/Hunting/IMAG0422.jpg I saw your pic and was thinking, "man, that looks like an Idaho rock"
Im having the same problem, it's been windy almost every day. PM me if you want to go chuck hunting sometime. Where you from? Your pics look a little like the Twin Falls area.... |
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Quoted: what ashame before future targets get dropped. I could'nt tell on that green tractor path out about 140-150. shame on me! http://i1089.photobucket.com/albums/i342/lennyzrx/006.jpg Yeah, she was carrying some cargo. |
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what ashame before future targets get dropped. I could'nt tell on that green tractor path out about 140-150. shame on me!
http://i1089.photobucket.com/albums/i342/lennyzrx/006.jpg Yeah, she was carrying some cargo. no excuse. I'm old enough to know better than start before the 2nd week of june here. tough puttin up the numbers anymore? coyotes? hawk's"/no till plant'n...... I have no answer why were so shy on chuck's anymore? When I was a young man a 100 was pretty simple in the summer. I'm not sure I could hit that huntin full time on 20 farms! 
Trust me the targets just are not there anymore 
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: what ashame before future targets get dropped. I could'nt tell on that green tractor path out about 140-150. shame on me! http://i1089.photobucket.com/albums/i342/lennyzrx/006.jpg Yeah, she was carrying some cargo. no excuse. I'm old enough to know better than start before the 2nd week of june here. tough puttin up the numbers anymore? coyotes? hawk's"/no till plant'n...... I have no answer why were so shy on chuck's anymore? When I was a young man a 100 was pretty simple in the summer. I'm not sure I could hit that huntin full time on 20 farms! Trust me the targets just are not there anymore I'm not doing it for the numbers, 38 is my best for one season and I hunted a lot to get that. I'd be happy with 20 a year or just knowing I helped out their crops some. It's an interesting observation that the groundhogs are down because I'm seeing a bunch here and with time could hit mid 30s or so this year plus it's an off year for me to field wise. I've been hunting the same County year in and year out with 2 or 3 other dedicated varminters hunting the same lands typically. We don't seem to be making a dent and there's no shortage of red-tailed hawks or coyotes around here. |
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Maynard. back in the mid and late 70's. I could spot 12-15 in the evenings at most farms I hunted. Some of those farms are housing developments now. Some of the farms I still hunt. The son's took them over.
I did over 100 a season way back when. lots more hay fields back then. Most farmers raised they're own beef around here then. not so anymore.
all cash $$$$ crops now. I lost 2 more hay fields to corn this year kids off to college and they got rid of their sheep they used to show at the Fairs
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Where you boys at in Ohio? I'm up in the NW part of the state here. Haven't got one yet this season. I haven't had time to go out. At some point I need to get an optic as well, so far all mine are with irons. Right now I'm on a mission to hit one with my .45, and until that happens I'm not taking my rifle out. We just cut hay on a field last weekend, and uncovered several holes. Saw one at 100+ yards, but it was too close to the tracks to take that long of a shot with my pistol. I'll update once I smack one. Stay safe! |
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Quoted: Maynard. back in the mid and late 70's. I could spot 12-15 in the evenings at most farms I hunted. Some of those farms are housing developments now. Some of the farms I still hunt. The son's took them over.I did over 100 a season way back when. lots more hay fields back then. Most farmers raised they're own beef around here then. not so anymore. all cash $$$$ crops now. I lost 2 more hay fields to corn this year kids off to college and they got rid of their sheep they used to show at the FairsThat's a huge difference as there's alfalfa everywhere here still.  I've taken two out of this cut field. It's Alfalfa on the right and soybeans on the left. Quoted: Where you boys at in Ohio? I'm up in the NW part of the state here. Putnam and Allen Co. is where I typically hunt. |
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Where you boys at in Ohio? I'm up in the NW part of the state here. Haven't got one yet this season. I haven't had time to go out. At some point I need to get an optic as well, so far all mine are with irons. Right now I'm on a mission to hit one with my .45, and until that happens I'm not taking my rifle out. We just cut hay on a field last weekend, and uncovered several holes. Saw one at 100+ yards, but it was too close to the tracks to take that long of a shot with my pistol. I'll update once I smack one. Stay safe! huron,lorain,medina counties I hunt. maynard. give me a old hay field with a creek cuttin through it. thats where the numbers come from 
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I've been fighting the wind everytime I get off work, haven't been doing very well.... http://i947.photobucket.com/albums/ad314/Lungbuster_photos/Hunting/IMAG0422.jpg I think our buddies out west with these rockchucks are kickin our asses!
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Quoted: Quoted: I've been fighting the wind everytime I get off work, haven't been doing very well.... http://i947.photobucket.com/albums/ad314/Lungbuster_photos/Hunting/IMAG0422.jpg I think our buddies out west with these rockchucks are kickin our asses! You may be onto something there.    The pups are out.  Both these were taken at 200 yards today. There's a few left in that weed line. 9 |
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I've been fighting the wind everytime I get off work, haven't been doing very well.... http://i947.photobucket.com/albums/ad314/Lungbuster_photos/Hunting/IMAG0422.jpg I think our buddies out west with these rockchucks are kickin our asses!
You may be onto something there.
The pups are out.
Both these were taken at 200 yards today. There's a few left in that weed line.
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yep pup's.. about 90-100 yards. I took 1 out of the 4. never seen ma. kinda strange usually ma's close by and I'll take her 1st. then pop the pups as they hang by ma's dead body. kinda does'nt sound nice does it. 
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I'm sure our fellow shooters from out west will be by to post another 1/2 dozen of them rockchuck's just to make me feel bad
lungbuster always put's up big numbers, yotes,chuck's whatever he's chasin he gets her done. It may have to wait until monday, its cold and rainy here. 
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I'm sure our fellow shooters from out west will be by to post another 1/2 dozen of them rockchuck's just to make me feel bad
lungbuster always put's up big numbers, yotes,chuck's whatever he's chasin he gets her done. It may have to wait until monday, its cold and rainy here. oh. I'm sure you and lungbuster will be by to kick our asses
hey. a bad day hunt'n is always better than a day at work I'll be hittin my prime fields here in the next 2 weeks. what few bean fields I have to work with.....
I dusted off a few bolt guns today
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actually I reackon were lucky not that many Virgina boy's post here. if ya follow other boards them fellas kick ass in kills. Pa. boy's are a close 2nd.
I'll just slink my old ass around here  I would'nt dare post up that pup with that crowd  talk about a beat down....
good hunt'n guy's
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I took a newbie (possible future BIL) out today and let him have most of the shots. He didn't manage to put any down but he did have fun.
I whacked the one above @ 90 yards right before we called it a day.
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good shootin. I was out about 6 pm. nothin. they started turn'n ground behind the property I hunt about 7.pm loaded up,headed home.
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Quoted: do they stir all day or mainly only come out early or before dark? They move anytime during the day from early morning to twilight. Wind map: |
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Another evening of perfect conditions and they were everywhere. I saw 8 on the way to a new field near the Ottawa river that proved fruitless for an hour. I drove to a spot farther up river and settled in to a field that has always been well populated. First of the night was 50 yards:  After that I managed a 330 yard shot with the Rock River on a large one:  |
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Hit one with the 1911 at about 40 yards today. Took three shots, however he made it down the hole. With as much blood as I found, he's gotta be bleeding out underground. Was tough to see him, the hay was cut a few weeks back and has grown up a good amount; his head was just peaking up. Hopefully I can get another this week or weekend, there's about three to four holes in this 5 acre hay field. Start of blood trail:  Largest deposit:  Just a foot from the hole:  |
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Quoted: Nice kills. That bottom one is a big boy! Another evening of perfect conditions and they were everywhere. I saw 8 on the way to a new field near the Ottawa river that proved fruitless for an hour. I drove to a spot farther up river and settled in to a field that has always been well populated. First of the night was 50 yards: After that I managed a 330 yard shot with the Rock River on a large one: |
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Quoted: Quoted: Nice kills. That bottom one is a big boy! Another evening of perfect conditions and they were everywhere. I saw 8 on the way to a new field near the Ottawa river that proved fruitless for an hour. I drove to a spot farther up river and settled in to a field that has always been well populated. First of the night was 50 yards: After that I managed a 330 yard shot with the Rock River on a large one: Thank you, the 55 grain Vmax sounded like it hit a bass drum when he got whacked. |
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Fairly slow night but I managed two. The second one was a first for me and something I'm experimenting with as missing at short range has gotten to be a habit. First one was 130 yards with the RRA in a sitting postion:  My hunting buddy called me and we met up at the river. There's a bean field close to a small village that the groundhogs have eaten down badly. I couldn't seem to find a way to kill any of them safely until tonight.  I ran down a weed line and popped out at 40 yards to find two pups eating. Loaded up with 4Buck I managed to take one with my Mossberg 590A1. I'm sure it sounded like hell in the village as the results were spotty at best with 4Buck. 8 shots later and to my amazement, I had only killed one and he died on shot #5 and I had to keep decreasing the distance. I peppered the hell out of the other pup multiple times or so I thought but he kept on trucking. I'm going to give 00 a try and see how that fares. |
