Author Topic: ..the varmints are upon us (Read 2126 times)

myarmor · « **on:** March 18, 2006, 07:28:33 PM »

The weather is warming up some what and the little groundhogs, rabbits, and other little conders are multiplying.
I took a shot at one today. It was out in the back yard, a good 500yard shot. The wind was wipping like crazy, and the little 45gr JHP just couldn't fight the cross wind, blew it off by a foot to the right, even with me compensating :x . But made the little guy dance a jig thats for sure

So how goes the begining Varmint season for everyone?
-Aaron

mt3030 · « **Reply #1 on:** March 18, 2006, 08:56:22 PM »

The weather is flip flopping here in central Montana. Two days ago we had 63*, and the gophers (Richardson ground squirrels) were out. Tonight it is 20* and snowing. We are already planning our p-dog shoots around the last week of May. By then we will be burning 300 rounds on a good day.

Wally

shaner · « **Reply #2 on:** March 19, 2006, 01:38:47 AM »

same deal here in ohio.
one day 60's next 30's , have been seein a lot of groundpigs out cleaning the holes out, i just cant bring myself to shooting themm this time of year , heck they just woke up , notto much sport forme , plus i wait till i figure the young have hadtime to get on their feet, guess i sort of cultivate the piggys, that wait i always have a supply to shoot at??? is this normal?

:eek:

stimpylu32 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 19, 2006, 01:54:16 AM »

I like Shaner tend to wait till they get a little bigger and the beans are just starting to come out of ground .

Gives me more pigs that way .

MSP Ret · « **Reply #4 on:** March 19, 2006, 02:26:43 AM »

Yesterday was mostly sunny and temps in the high 30's with quite a few golfers on the local course that opened Friday. Today we awoke to an unexpected dusting of snow covering the ground. New England weather is great!!! I feel sorry for our friends from across town who are vacationing in Florida for another week, they have to put up with sunny weather and temps of 80 according to the last message they left us on our answering machine. It was so warm they had to take a walk on the beach to cool off, at least they will return in time to enjoy some nice weather before the summer (and the tourists) hit us....<><.... :grin:

hellacatcher · « **Reply #5 on:** March 19, 2006, 02:38:02 AM »

Called me a big ol coyote in other day blew her off a log at less that 100 ft with a 22-250 50gr sierra wasn't no shooting feat but my first time calling one.

stimpylu32 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 19, 2006, 02:39:24 AM »

MSP Ret

Like they told Bill Murry on caddy shack , you have to kill all the gopfers on the course NOT the golfers , so hold your fire . :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D

MSP Ret · « **Reply #7 on:** March 19, 2006, 02:53:48 AM »

Golfers/Gophers? If they merged would we call them Golphers?....<><....

P.S. - nice job hellacatcher!!! I'd rather be in Maine coyote hunting than here on sunny and snowy Cape Cod!!!!....

mattparliament · « **Reply #8 on:** March 19, 2006, 04:27:29 AM »

MT3030, I know what you mean about this weather, I was SUPPOSED to go shoot my 17 rem today and we have several inches of new snow on the ground with more coming. Hey! I want in on the upcoming p-dog shooting IF I'm invited.

stimpylu32 · « **Reply #9 on:** March 19, 2006, 04:43:12 AM »

hellacather

Good job on the yote , were you using a tape or mouth call to bring it in ?

aulrich · « **Reply #10 on:** March 19, 2006, 05:02:41 AM »

A few have been out on warm days according to my rancher friends but we are probably a month maybe a little more out till it picks up. Can't wait I added a 10/22t to the mix this year.

mt3030 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 19, 2006, 06:37:40 AM »

Matt:
The shoot I was refering to near the end of May is an annual thing where several guys from my company come from Washington, California and New york. It is a almost a week long gig. But my local hunting buddy and I will be doing p-dogs before that. I'll stop by your office in Helena and we can make some plans.

Wally

knight0334 · « **Reply #12 on:** March 19, 2006, 07:16:34 AM »

Its a wee bit too cool for me to be out.. Kinda early too for the whislepigs. Their young need a little more time with momma so I have a ready supply of moving targets.

Coyote will catch a lead pill though.. they've been digging into my stock of groundhog targets.. :evil: I gotta have piggies to shoot at.. thats my life. Darn PA Game Commission wont introduce prairie dogs to this area so I have something else to vaporize.

myarmor · « **Reply #13 on:** March 19, 2006, 07:47:53 AM »

It's kinda strange, here in my part of VA we didn't have a really cold winter, give or take a few small snow falls. So these guys are out a lot more than normal this year. I seen 3 large ones..ones left over from last year, just yesterday within 10 min. Though I respect what you guys say, just try telling that to my papaw :-D he would disown me if I actual LET them mutiply without an assualt!

The coyotes are a wiliy bunch and are hard to spot around here, though I hear them a night about once or twice a week.
I'd like to get a call to bring them in, as stimply stated, what kind of call did you use hellacatcher?

knight0334 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 19, 2006, 08:15:33 AM »

Its just that the piggies are getting harder to find around here on lands that we can hunt. ..just trying to do my bit for conservation. Between my uncles, myself and the coyotes-groundhog are getting less and less.

We used have them all over the place on our farm and neighboring farm lands. Now we're lucky to see one borrowing under the corn cribs or foundation of the barns.

You can take a ride down Beaver Drive in DuBois, PA and see them all over the place. But thats in city limits and commercial property. I've been tempted to run some down with my car at times. ...its like they are playing with my head and gloating over the fact I cant turn them into a red mist legally.

I know I may sound a little twisted in that last paragraph.. I have a case of the Red Vapor Cloud Syndrome... much like some hunters get "Buck Fever". I am seeking help for my disorder.. I'm a member of Handi-holics Anonymous.

mattparliament · « **Reply #15 on:** March 19, 2006, 08:22:02 AM »

Wally, I pm'd you...

myarmor · « **Reply #16 on:** March 19, 2006, 12:20:59 PM »

Quote from: knight0334

Its just that the piggies are getting harder to find around here on lands that we can hunt. ..just trying to do my bit for conservation. Between my uncles, myself and the coyotes-groundhog are getting less and less.

We used have them all over the place on our farm and neighboring farm lands. Now we're lucky to see one borrowing under the corn cribs or foundation of the barns.

You can take a ride down Beaver Drive in DuBois, PA and see them all over the place. But thats in city limits and commercial property. I've been tempted to run some down with my car at times. ...its like they are playing with my head and gloating over the fact I cant turn them into a red mist legally.

I know I may sound a little twisted in that last paragraph.. I have a case of the Red Vapor Cloud Syndrome... much like some hunters get "Buck Fever". I am seeking help for my disorder.. I'm a member of Handi-holics Anonymous.

I hear ya. It's all in the balance of things. But it seems more varmints know it's safer in town than on the farm :?

Especially along the interstate, like here where I #81 burrows are everywhere.
But good luck expaining to the Man, that you just set up across the medum doing a conservation act and that your rifle is a Varmint rig not a Sniper set up :eek: :-D
I guess we best stick to Vehicular ..umm.. Dog slaughter with in town limits :grin: :toast:

mitchell · « **Reply #17 on:** March 19, 2006, 04:43:40 PM »

Quote from: myarmor

So how goes the begining Varmint season for everyone?
-Aaron

groundhogs are out in force here i just got 2 boxes of the 95 grainers for my 243 i'm gona try to connect on a long one before i take off.

cheatermk3 · « **Reply #18 on:** March 19, 2006, 05:19:42 PM »

FIRST BLOOD!!

I killed a fly in my bathroom this evening. But, a washrag isn't a rifle so I guess that doesn't count.

ajshoots · « **Reply #19 on:** March 20, 2006, 09:59:53 AM »

Got the first Hog of the year on March 4 and got another March19. First one was 580 lasered yards and the second was 225yds. 580 is my furthest kill! Both with my Ultra Fluted .204 using 40 V-Max.

nea243 · « **Reply #20 on:** April 04, 2006, 02:08:50 PM »

got my first groundhog today around 6 pm big male. ranged 241 yards 223 50gr win sup. b-tip :grin: wished yall could have seen my little feist dog eli dragin it around after i shoot it. the groundhog was just about as big as he is :lol:

Fred M · « **Reply #21 on:** April 04, 2006, 06:14:30 PM »

It looks like I got lots of time to set up my new 6.5-20 Burris scope on the 6x47. Yes it was cold windy and miserable on our way home in in Utah and Montana and rain in Northern Montana and Alberta, what a shock coming from Arizona.

All stocked up with bullets powder primers and brass for the gophers. Cabello had some light 6mm bullets BT on sale.

Was surprised that nobody would want to buy that 4-12 Bushnell scope I had in the classified. Well I may as well keep it its handy to have spare knockabout scope for testing.

quickdtoo · « **Reply #22 on:** April 04, 2006, 07:56:08 PM »

Welcome back, Fred!!!

Tim

aulrich · « **Reply #23 on:** April 05, 2006, 04:50:44 AM »

Well I made it out, and the world has a few less gophers, the new 22 is working just fine

. Now I got to get some rounds loaded for the handi now that 204 componets are more available i'll have a chance to really see how it works.

Sourdough · « **Reply #24 on:** April 05, 2006, 07:46:16 AM »

Went out last week, saw lots of animals. About 150 Caribou, and around 75 Moose. The only Wolves I saw were already dead, snared by the local trapper. Got up this morning thinking about goint out and try calling on the flood plain nearby, looked outside it's snowing. About 1" of new stuff but falling fast. Went back to bed for another hour. Think I'll go to the range instead. Don't have to skin paper targets.

Need to find out if falling snow affects bullet path. Could a snowflake deflect a bullet? Our never ending quest for knowledge.

Oh and by the way here's a pic of my hunting rig.

Ranger J · « **Reply #25 on:** April 05, 2006, 10:43:24 AM »

It looks like the groundhogs are going to come to me this year. I heard a commotion in the back yard and my four 'fierce' guard dogs had one pinned against the fence. The groundhog was doing fine holding off all four until I interviened with the 357 at a range of about three feet. When the 357 went off every thing but the hog scattered.

Well he sort of scattered too.
RJ

218Bee · « **Reply #26 on:** April 07, 2006, 04:20:07 PM »

Thumped a woodchuck at 500 yds, with the 22-250, yesterday.

Had a blast shooting at ranges of 450-650. Missed a lot more that we hit but it sure was fun. I'd rather take the long shots and miss that hit with a "gimme" at 50 yds.

Shootem up,

Rick

bluebayou · « **Reply #27 on:** April 08, 2006, 05:37:39 AM »

We live at the edge of town in rural OK. I can hear coyotes in the backyard yipping maybe once a week. Why do they yip anyway? Is it so they can coordinate in the dark? Bunch of rabbits and cats around here so I figure food is good for them. It always amazes me how they run flat out for 50-100 feet then look back to taunt you as they slow down to a trot.

myarmor · « **Reply #28 on:** April 12, 2006, 06:38:00 PM »

Sounds like everyones gearing up, in a manner of speaking. I believe I'll try my hand at a few different calibers for hogs this year. They are a little big, but I should be able to work up a good load for the 270 and 308.
Anyone with a good varmint load for these two?

cattleskinner · « **Reply #29 on:** April 14, 2006, 05:51:00 PM »

I guess I might as well bend over and take my spanking, but I got rid of my handi rifle for a savage bolt rifle. Well actually I'm on my third one, since the first two just didn't feel right. Got a mod. 11 22-250 for groundhogs now, plan on making it out tomorrow afternoon as long as I don't get rained out. I've been doing pretty good so far this year, got 3 possums, 6-8 coons, a couple muskrats, and a skunk tonight. Now before anyone gives me a hard time, we have chickens, and the coons, possums, and probably the skunk(haven't verified it but have a sneaking suspicion) have been causing trouble eating eggs, and the occasional bird...so it's war with them. Also got a groundhog with my mkII pistol at about 50-55yds, and one at 225ish yards with a .223. And of course, the muskrats will wreck havoc on the banks of a pond if left unchecked, so they don't get a free pass either. That's pretty much how my years gone so far.

~~~Amos