Ontario groundhog hunters~everyone gearing-up for the season?

.22LRGUY

.22LRGUY

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Hey guys, these things might be the bottom of the heap in terms of interest on this forum..but it's the #1 way I like to spend my free time in the spring/summer...it's even eclipsed fishing in recent years! :) Just wondering who else is pumped about some upcoming groundhog hunting, what you use, what the numbers are like in your area, etc. I used to think that they were pretty limited to western Ontario, but have read recently that eastern Ontario (Kingston and north) has a "huntable" population of these varmints. Wonder how many eastern Ontario groundhog hunters there are here.

Cheers,
.22LRGUY

BTW~my rifle of choice is .223, ammo 55gr. Hornady V-Max. Doesn't make for very web-forum-friendly, post-hunt photos though. ;)
 
I hunt groundhogs on my Dad's hay fields near Renfrew.

I shoot between 5 and 10 (or so) a year. Been doing it for more than 20 years.

I use a Marlin bolt action in 22 WMR. I sneak up to around 20 yards or less for the head/neck shot.
 
Hunting Groundhogs

I have hunted groundhogs for the best part of 50 years, love it. I started out with a 22 rimfire and have used lots of centre fires plus bows and shotguns. Best year I shot 402 but things are changed over the years bigger fields and farms are cleared of rock piles, fences etc. also Mr. Coyote who showed up in the late 60's and more cash crops but I still love to get out for a walk after supper and shoot a few and maybe get a shot at Mr. Coyote.

Bill
 
I used to hunt them when they were abundant back in the 80's.
We used bows, shotguns, rimfires and rifles up to 270 for the long range shots. Nothing under 200 yards with the rifles and preferably 300 or more yards:D

If you wait till near last legal light, the bats started flying around and we tried shooting them... its amazing how their radar picks up on incoming shot and they dodged it.. most of the time,.. or maybe we were bad shots as younger hunters?:)..

Now the coyotes have got the most of them around here, and it almost bothers me to see a road killed ground hog, that survived the onslaught of the coyote, thinking they could breed more of their coyote proof genes, if they werent so stupid to cross the road.:(
 
DVXDUDE said:
I'm going to make a couple days out of it this spring/summer. I havn't been up to my honey hole in about 3 years now. It should be ripe for the picking :D
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Nice! I have a hunch you hunt some of the same areas I do... :) Do you use that username on any other forums?
 
In south-central Ontario they are almost non-existant. At one time we never paid much attention to them, now a sighting is worth mentioning. Have heard there are some north-west of Toronto but I'm not interested enough to spend the gas money to get there.

Jim
 
I may do a few hunts for the hell of it but really not that many around my area... they are here for sure but not really "huntable"..... although I may check out some of my coyote grounds for them just for something to do....
 
Superbrad said:
I may do a few hunts for the hell of it but really not that many around my area... they are here for sure but not really "huntable"..... although I may check out some of my coyote grounds for them just for something to do....
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You have groundhogs? The only ones I've seen around here are on the Long Sault Parkway. You stealth hunting? LOL! :ninja: Damn coyotes got 99% of the little critters around the St-Andrews area.

-Jason
 
thebuckhunter said:
You have groundhogs? The only ones I've seen around here are on the Long Sault Parkway. You stealth hunting? LOL! :ninja: Damn coyotes got 99% of the little critters around the St-Andrews area.

-Jason
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LOL..... piles of 'em in the parkway..... no, not many around but a few out around some of the Maxville fields where I hunt yote....
 
When I was young my brother and I made a game of counting them from our Dad's car on the way from Newmarket to Pefferlaw to my Grandparents home. There were literally hundreds of them. I predict my Grandchildren will say to me one day,"Grandpa,what is a ground hog?"
 
I've noticed a big drop in the populations, too. I used to spend my summers up at my uncle's and grandparent's farms in the early '80s. I can remember getting a couple hundred in a summer. Now, if I see 5-10 in a day (and not even get close enough for a shot) I feel like it was a good outing.

I've moved from an old .22LR single-shot Cooey when I was a young kid. Had a tube fed .22LR that I'd borrow from my grandfather. I then moved up to a .22WMR Marlin with a 3X scope. Now I'm reaching out a little further with a .223 Rem 700. I've got to hit the ones I see from further away!
 
I shot over 50 last spring in grey/bruce county, there is lots around if you know where to look.
 
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