|
Groundhogs
Aug 29, 2015 12:29:25 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by span870 on Aug 29, 2015 12:29:25 GMT -5
Why so few in Indiana? I have several buddies in Pennsylvania that are pushing 200+ for the year. I've been here for going on 33 years and probably can count on two hands the number I've seen. Groundhog hunting is big time back there. They take it as serious as some prarie dog hunters do with several thousand dollar guns. What gives?
|
|
|
Post by dbd870 on Aug 29, 2015 12:59:32 GMT -5
Don't complain - not many around my place either but I don't have the right land for them. Still killed one and a month or so later the road out front caved in - that one was busy
|
|
|
Groundhogs
Aug 29, 2015 13:28:30 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by span870 on Aug 29, 2015 13:28:30 GMT -5
Just be neat to hunt them. Used to get drug behind dad when he used to hunt them back home. Yeah, they can do some serious damage when they get the mind to dig.
|
|
|
Post by Jamie Brooks 1John5:13 on Aug 29, 2015 13:44:09 GMT -5
I use to watch them where I ate lunch by White River. I think they're cute, but I wouldn't want one in my yard.
I guess people eat them???
|
|
|
Post by jimstc on Aug 29, 2015 13:53:36 GMT -5
Used to have them here. Guess I killed them all. I learned one thing. They don't make a noise when they are killed. Had two pups eating clover between two barns, maybe two feet apart. About 50 yards out from my back porch. Got my .17 HMR and lined up on one. Shot him. Head shot. Lined up on the other shot him. Head shot. Took them out to my back field as coyote bait. Always laugh when I think about that. They don't scream!
|
|
|
Post by swetz on Aug 29, 2015 15:19:28 GMT -5
Be glad. I'm from Pennsylvania and they're everywhere. Yeah, it was kind of fun to sit up on the hill and practice with my deer rifle. Not fun when you're walking along and step in their holes. They were bad for livestock too for similar reasons.
|
|
|
Post by scrub-buster on Aug 29, 2015 15:41:16 GMT -5
There are quite a few in my corner of the state
|
|
|
Post by ukwil on Aug 29, 2015 16:11:19 GMT -5
I live just across the border in SW Ohio. My neighbor across the street has killed 9 or 10 this year that were eating his garden and denning under his shed. One was over 25 pounds.
|
|
|
Post by swilk on Aug 29, 2015 16:18:33 GMT -5
Cause guys my dad's age killed a bunch back in the 60's-70's....he tells stories about driving around all day and killing them.
They are coming back around here a bit though....used to be pretty rare to ever see one but now I rarely go a week without seeing one. Don't kill many though...they seem to like the edge of town and areas it is generally frowned upon to whip out the rifle and pop one.
|
|
|
Post by squirrelhunter on Aug 29, 2015 20:13:45 GMT -5
I hunted them a lot along the railroad tracks as a kid and yes Jon some people eat them. I rarely see them around here now though.
|
|
|
Groundhogs
Aug 29, 2015 20:17:12 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by nfalls116 on Aug 29, 2015 20:17:12 GMT -5
They are good table fair the younger the better like most other mammals
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 29, 2015 20:20:50 GMT -5
I see them fairly frequently while driving stound.
|
|
|
Post by span870 on Aug 29, 2015 20:49:01 GMT -5
It was nothing back in PA to sit in one field and kill 6-10 or more in one evening. The only difference I can see is they are known for growing huge clover fields for hay. Just don't see that big of fields in Indiana. Some of the hay fields we hunted were several hundred acres in size. Sure would like to find a place I could shoot some. Get invited back but it's a bit of a drive just to shoot groundhogs.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 29, 2015 23:03:42 GMT -5
can,t believe no one has said coyote,s. we use to shoot a lot of them in the 70,s in came the yotes out went the ground hogs
|
|
|
Post by Jamie Brooks 1John5:13 on Aug 29, 2015 23:09:16 GMT -5
can,t believe no one has said coyote,s. we use to shoot a lot of them in the 70,s in came the yotes out went the ground hogs My mother-in-law says she hasn't seen a rabbit in several years, because of the coyotes.
|
|
|
Post by nfalls116 on Aug 29, 2015 23:13:46 GMT -5
Only good thing I've seen coyotes do is help control feral cats and dogs
|
|
|
Post by ms660 on Aug 30, 2015 0:12:11 GMT -5
Cause guys my dad's age killed a bunch back in the 60's-70's....he tells stories about driving around all day and killing them. They are coming back around here a bit though....used to be pretty rare to ever see one but now I rarely go a week without seeing one. Don't kill many though...they seem to like the edge of town and areas it is generally frowned upon to whip out the rifle and pop one. ly I bet my Dad and your Dad probably hunted some of the same hogs back in the day. Dad said it was nothing to kill a couple hundered+ each summer. He was born and raised in Princeton and hunted them all over Gibson county in the 50' up into the 70's. I'm starting to see a few here in Pike county, but the yotes play hell on them now instead of guys riding around with 22-250's popping them.
|
|
|
Post by drs on Aug 30, 2015 4:40:49 GMT -5
Back in the 1960's, when I was in High School (Washington High School); I use to hunt them quite a bit on a Neighbor's farm. He had tons of them and I bagged quite a few with various rifles I owned. Had a great time hunting them; as at time there were not very many Deer around Indiana, and my hunting was mostly for Squirrel, Rabbits, Quail, and Woodchucks.
Seems like the Woodchuck population had declined during the 1970's, mainly due to farming practices, Coyotes, Urban Sprawl, and many Hunters killed them during the Spring when they were having their young. Down here, where I live in Ky, I've only seen TWO Woodchucks on my property. Best areas to hunt them is on farms that grow soybeans, with some small wooded lots for them to hide in. Farms around Washington, Indiana were the BEST places to hunt Groundhogs for me, and I bagged a ton of them during the time I lived there.
|
|
|
Post by swilk on Aug 30, 2015 7:31:16 GMT -5
Cause guys my dad's age killed a bunch back in the 60's-70's....he tells stories about driving around all day and killing them. They are coming back around here a bit though....used to be pretty rare to ever see one but now I rarely go a week without seeing one. Don't kill many though...they seem to like the edge of town and areas it is generally frowned upon to whip out the rifle and pop one. ly I bet my Dad and your Dad probably hunted some of the same hogs back in the day. Dad said it was nothing to kill a couple hundered+ each summer. He was born and raised in Princeton and hunted them all over Gibson county in the 50' up into the 70's. I'm starting to see a few here in Pike county, but the yotes play hell on them now instead of guys riding around with 22-250's popping them. Very possible..my dad is from the Princeton / Patoka area.
|
|
|
Post by throbak on Aug 30, 2015 7:55:52 GMT -5
We used to drive around and shoot them .One Day we were out my buddy spotted one around 250 yrds I Shot He said You missed shot 2 more times Then noticed he was laughing Seems he got off wk early killed this one propped it up in the den Then "spotted it" he got me
|
|