Posted: 10/10/2012 7:13:09 PM EDT
|
Hey folks,
I got to talking to someone in my gym who has a farm near Purceville and she is really upset about the destruction groundhogs are doing to her farm buildings/animals etc...etc..Of course I asked if I can help with some "eradication"  . She said no problem, she and her husband are not "gun folks" but they didn't have any problem with it. In fact they want to learn how to shoot too. So I've set up a couple of dates in the next several weekends before these critters go hiding for the winter (do they? LOL). So here are some questions:
1. Are shooting destructive groundhogs in a large farm good to go in loudoun? I plan to use primarily .223, after all this is ARFCOM. She can see these "bastards(her words)" from her house come out right around 330pm so I am assuming I don't need too much magnification. 2. Anything else i need to know aside from the usual but very important safety issues? 3. I picked Saturdays - dunno if Sundays are an issue. BTW she said her farm neighbors shoot guns all the time (you know who you are) so she doesn't anticipate any issues with any of them with gunshots coming from her property. Thanks and God bless, Gene/DD |
|
I used to go back to my old digs in PA and help a farmer with an orchard there.
He had a groundpig problem as well. A decent AR with a scope, bipod and some sandbags made quick work of that. I always shot down from the top of a hill to minimize rounds escaping. Good times. |
|
I've spent many hours just laying on top of a large hill in the middle of a pasture and killed many many ground hogs
if you miss just wait they come back out of their hole - just be patient early may/june works well as the young are really dumb and make a smaller target (more challenging) have fun as it is getting harder and harder to find land and owners willing to allow ground hog shooting I've used everything from 22-250, .223 , 12 guage shotgun, and various handguns to hunt them |
|
Quoted:
I have a friend that owns about 100acres,he stands on his porch and takes them out with an OLD who knows who makes it .308. There is not a lot of groundhog left when he's done. Lol. Growing up in Pennsylvania, I used a 30-06 on woodchucks . . it was all I had. Fun times. |
Thanks for the responses guys. My stupid phone won't let me log on arfcom and my office blocks it so i could't get a response out throughout the day
I will look into how many folks i can bring with me. Right now there are 2 or 3 of us so I'll sound out farmer lady (who is trying to learn Muay Thai - kudos to her) as to her comfort level. i have never met the husband so i have to approach this carefully - as i want to come back over and over and over and over 
Believe or not - 'cept for my 50bmg (which would be overkill LOL) I actually don't have magnification on any of my other toys.So i'm hoping these little piggies are not too far away. I guess i can try to eat these critters - i'm a gook after all  !
gene/DD |
|
Problem with teaching the home owner to shoot groundhogs is that you end up losing a place to hunt groundhogs.
Had that happen to me, friend with 27 acres had ground hog digging under the shed and wanted them gone. I went out with my son and he killed one. Then her daughter's wanted to shoot one so I taught them how to and they each shot one. Their uncle bought them a .17 hmr and now they shoot the groundhogs themselves. |
|
Quoted:
Problem with teaching the home owner to shoot groundhogs is that you end up losing a place to hunt groundhogs. Had that happen to me, friend with 27 acres had ground hog digging under the shed and wanted them gone. I went out with my son and he killed one. Then her daughter's wanted to shoot one so I taught them how to and they each shot one. Their uncle bought them a .17 hmr and now they shoot the groundhogs themselves. Bummer - shooting is addictive so i can't blame them if they pick it up. Good but sad story though. Maybe i will have to pull the "here try this little rifle (870 12 ga with slugs), it doesn't recoil at all" trick
|
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
I didn't think shooting groundhogs was a issue on Sunday because they're pest. There is NO Sunday hunting except for raccoons until 2am on Sunday. I'm with WShifflett.. You are not hunting, you're just getting rid of pests. Unless I'm mistaken and I've read the 2012 hunting regulations, it's ok to take shots at pests on Sundays. |
|
Small game Hunting Seasons
Groundhog Season: - Continuous open season on private lands. - Groundhog hunting on National Forest lands and Department lands is permitted from September 1-March 9 and during the spring turkey season. - Groundhog hunting is permitted during the spring squirrel season only on Department lands that are open for spring squirrel hunting. - Groundhog hunting is not permitted on National Forest lands during the spring squirrel season. Furthermore: General Regulations It is unlawful to: Hunt wild birds and wild animals with firearms or other weapons on Sunday, except on licensed shooting preserves. Raccoon hunters may hunt until 2:00 A.M. Sunday mornings. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
I didn't think shooting groundhogs was a issue on Sunday because they're pest. There is NO Sunday hunting except for raccoons until 2am on Sunday. I'm with WShifflett.. You are not hunting, you're just getting rid of pests. Unless I'm mistaken and I've read the 2012 hunting regulations, it's ok to take shots at pests on Sundays. I'd agree with this, and I'd point out, that we really need to lobby our representatives to get rid of this bad law. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
I didn't think shooting groundhogs was a issue on Sunday because they're pest. There is NO Sunday hunting except for raccoons until 2am on Sunday. I'm with WShifflett.. You are not hunting, you're just getting rid of pests. Unless I'm mistaken and I've read the 2012 hunting regulations, it's ok to take shots at pests on Sundays. Then you would be wrong. Groundhogs are listed as a nuisance species, but there is nothing in va law that allows hunting on Sunday for any animals except forracoins up until 2 am on Sunday morning. Show me the va law or game regulation that allows you to hunt groundhogs on Sunday. |
|
Since no one has addressed this, I'll add MHO.
We eat all the groundhogs we shoot, grew up eating them. If you get a young one, you can quarter and fry it, just like rabbit. If its an old one, boil it to soften it up some, and then you can either roast it in the oven or make a rabbit stew out of it. The meat is like rabbit, so if you like rabbit, you'll like ground hog. Like most other things, don't bust the guts or you ruin the meat. Head shots are best for this. |
|
Quoted:
Since no one has addressed this, I'll add MHO. We eat all the groundhogs we shoot, grew up eating them. If you get a young one, you can quarter and fry it, just like rabbit. If its an old one, boil it to soften it up some, and then you can either roast it in the oven or make a rabbit stew out of it. The meat is like rabbit, so if you like rabbit, you'll like ground hog. Like most other things, don't bust the guts or you ruin the meat. Head shots are best for this. And watch out for the glands on the inside of each leg near the foot. Do NOT nick them when skinning. Cut off at the last joint (diagonal cutters work fine) and THEN skin them. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
I didn't think shooting groundhogs was a issue on Sunday because they're pest. There is NO Sunday hunting except for raccoons until 2am on Sunday. I'm with WShifflett.. You are not hunting, you're just getting rid of pests. Unless I'm mistaken and I've read the 2012 hunting regulations, it's ok to take shots at pests on Sundays. I'd agree with this, and I'd point out, that we really need to lobby our representatives to get rid of this bad law. they tried to introduce a bill this year but pulled it in Feb. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
I didn't think shooting groundhogs was a issue on Sunday because they're pest. There is NO Sunday hunting except for raccoons until 2am on Sunday. I'm with WShifflett.. You are not hunting, you're just getting rid of pests. Unless I'm mistaken and I've read the 2012 hunting regulations, it's ok to take shots at pests on Sundays. I'd agree with this, and I'd point out, that we really need to lobby our representatives to get rid of this bad law. they tried to introduce a bill this year but pulled it in Feb. The horsey folk and the churches make a strong lobbying block. And there are even a lot of hunters against it. |
|
Quoted: I have a tool for the job! http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/silentbushmaster/photobucket-44331-1328585727661.jpg Very nice Mine  |