Ontario Groundhogs....

I've been out a few times. Smacked 8 so far, had to pass up a couple shots for safety reasons. But also hunting the same fields I have shot 50 off of in the last 2 summers.
 
At our local club there was a discussion about this issue. It seems in some local areas, groundhogs are near "extinct" while in other areas only a few kilometers away, they are prolific...
 
That is how it is around here. The transcanada seems to be an invisible barrier. For example: One side of the highway there is a 10 acre field I have driven by and seen more than 10 at the same time. 2 km away cross the highway and I have seen only seen 2 or 3 in the past 3 years.
 
I know many farmers that carry ground hog smoke bombs right on the machinery. See a hole, light one, throw in hole and carry on. Saves the grief of keeping track of guns in tractors trucks etc is what they tell me.
 
Recon'd the area I go to... Spotted nine here and there...

Waiting for a good day to head back and do some murdering in the fields.
 
All of the ones I see are on the university grounds or elsewhere in the city! Urban groundhogs, moved in from the country...
 
To many yotes for lots of ghogs. Ive started leaving them alone to try and build up the population some. Hasnt worked well in my parents area. Way way way to many yotes.
 
****WARNING~if you don't want to see photos of dead groundhogs, don't scroll down*******


















1GLOCKAHOLIC said:
Just checking to see if anybody has been out and what you are seeing. Seems there are less and less every year.
Click to expand...

The fewer I find, the harder I look. :) Granted, I think I enjoy hunting these as much, or more than any other kind of hunting...so every hunt is also an opportunity to scout, knock on doors, network with farmers, etc. I've been out only twice this year (the last 2 weekends) and I will say my presence out there...with my trusty .223..hasn't been good for the "hay pigs." Outing #1 on my own~anchored 6 of them. Last weekend, with my nephew and his Axis in .223~14 of them, 6 of which we got in the first 35 minutes. The young bean field they were in was polluted with them. "Was" being the operative word. :) We did spot at least 1 more that escaped and never came back up in that spot. An average day, when things settle down, is normally seeing 5-6...shooting 3-4. And by "seeing" I mean in the fields I have permission to hunt. I see way more as I drive to/from the farms I have permission on.

I think we got a little lucky on the weekend, but maybe these fields are great all the time and it's my nephew's 21 year old eyes that made the difference!

These aren't all the photos (I don't think everyone is keen on seeing the nastiest ones) but a sampling of our hunt from the weekend.

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Awesome pics! My Dad used to go shooting them about 25 years ago, although I never went with him. The thought of nailing one at 300 yds kinda gets the blood pumping a little faster! I'm gonna have to drag the old man out and try my hand at this! Thanks for posting.
 
I was just down in the parts of Simcoe County where I grew up and shot many a whistle pig during high school (hence Chuckbuster). I saw a grand total of 1 alongside a major highway over the course of 3 days of driving through the area. A sad state of affairs indeed. In terms of a fountain of youth, my iteration would be a couple of large fields with 'chucks popping up or grazing here and there and the opportunity to pot a few on a daily basis.

In terms of edibility, I have heard through the grapevine that they can be quite toothsome. I decided to try one myself during those halcyon days of high groundhog numbers during the 80s and 90s, but was put off the idea when as a teenager, I took out my knife to clean one I had just shot, only to see some rather large and engorged ticks both attached and walking around on it. I realize ectoparasites like ticks don't affect the edibility, but at the time...it made the thought unpalatable.
 
Saw one in town last time the weather was warm enough. About a month ago.
More that Wiley finds 'em easy to catch.
2 klicks away can have totally different soil. Groundhogs dislike acidic soil. So if that 2 Km means there are pine trees, you'll be unlikely to see 'em there. Although it could just be a big dog lives there.
 
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