Groundhogs right around the corner

[toadyoforangeville]

I didn't think intentional trapping of chucks was allowed??

No its not. But they have invadded the crawlspace under my house soooo..... I'm gonna trap them.

[knight0334]

No its not. But they have invadded the crawlspace under my house soooo..... I'm gonna trap them.

In that case, I'd probably resort to the same measures too.

[Excel22]

Can someone help out a first time ground hog hunter? I plan on taking my 8 yr old son out this year for the first time. I have plenty of places to hunt but what type of fields do groundhogs like best? Are there certain times of the day that are better then others? Is it best to walk the fields with some binoculars or find a spot and sit and wait. This is all new to me so any help would be great! Thanks!

[toadyoforangeville]

Right now go and walk the feilds and check for holes find a place with a bunch of holes and go there later we mostly watch entire feilds in teams of 2-3. Go in the morning and an hour or two be fore dark. Also after storms.

[XD40coyote]

Toadly please go buy a 160 or 220, a 330 is too big for groundhogs and could get you in doo-doo setting on dry land even if its a hole going under your shed. For the groundhogs sake more than anything, a 160 seems to work best. A 330 is going to catch them by the hips and they will be alive. A 160 has always made them very dead when I have used them. Oh yeah and skunks go in and out of groundhog holes too, you don't want a live skunk in a bodygripper.

[Arch007er]

Can someone help out a first time ground hog hunter? I plan on taking my 8 yr old son out this year for the first time. I have plenty of places to hunt but what type of fields do groundhogs like best? Are there certain times of the day that are better then others? Is it best to walk the fields with some binoculars or find a spot and sit and wait. This is all new to me so any help would be great! Thanks!

When I'm hunting them with a "long" gun, I'll sit on the edge of the woods, or any sort of cover, and just wait with a binos. Make sure that the holes your sitting on are clean, fresh dirt, but I just sit and wait. As far as time of day, I've had them come out at all times (I hunt them in spring and summer), I can't see a "prime time" with hogs. But as stated before, just after a rain will be a good time to see them.

Now if I'm hunting them with a bow or a .22 or even a .17 sometimes, I'll normally try a stalk, but fail most of the time, then I'll get behind the hole if I can, if not atleast to the side, and I'll wait, sometimes they'll be out in 5 mins others take over an hour.

[Koli01]

Can someone help out a first time ground hog hunter? I plan on taking my 8 yr old son out this year for the first time. I have plenty of places to hunt but what type of fields do groundhogs like best? Are there certain times of the day that are better then others? Is it best to walk the fields with some binoculars or find a spot and sit and wait. This is all new to me so any help would be great! Thanks!

Anytime is good hoggin time.

Alway, Always, Always be sure of what it beyond your target. Set up on holes so that you are not shooting towards houses, barns, other buildings. Don't shoot at hogs on the crest of hills. Make sure that your misses will be going into the ground.

Have a blast.

[toadyoforangeville]

Toadly please go buy a 160 or 220, a 330 is too big for groundhogs and could get you in doo-doo setting on dry land even if its a hole going under your shed. For the groundhogs sake more than anything, a 160 seems to work best. A 330 is going to catch them by the hips and they will be alive. A 160 has always made them very dead when I have used them. Oh yeah and skunks go in and out of groundhog holes too, you don't want a live skunk in a bodygripper.

Damn. You rained on my little parade. I have one 330 and a few (11)1.5&#2(3) coilsprings and two #3 coils and a #3 longspring. I just wanted to try it out.. I have found that possums and porccupines use gopher holes. I've only got possums and gophers. I just don't hate them damn gophers And thought it would kill them for me.

[oldzimm]

Can someone help out a first time ground hog hunter? I plan on taking my 8 yr old son out this year for the first time. I have plenty of places to hunt but what type of fields do groundhogs like best? Are there certain times of the day that are better then others? Is it best to walk the fields with some binoculars or find a spot and sit and wait. This is all new to me so any help would be great! Thanks!

I like sitting around fresh cut hay fields or soybean fields, hit the bean fields before they get to high, look for the bare spots in the soybean fields, that is where the ground hogs will be at. keep a eye on the fence rows, other then in the fields ground hogs will have their holes there.

Use a varmint bullet, they are suppose to explode on impact and as said before make sure there is a solid back stop behind the ground hog before you squeeze the trigger.

[cousinvinny22]

I'm seriously thinking of hunting groundhogs this year..I'm I correct in assuming the only places are North or South Dakota or Wyoming? Is there anyplace closer to hunt them? Thanks