The Ubiquitous Groundhog
And The Curmudgeon Guide Member Francis DeVito
yes, he does look a little like Santa Claus. But the similarities end there. I have had the opportunity to hunt groundhogs with
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Mike Gruff of North Central Ohio Varmint Express a number of times. And, if this article does not ban me for life, I hope to do it many more times. In my later life (i.e., eligible to collect social security) I
have realized that to me the shot is more important than the kill. I fancy myself as a long-range varmint and sometimes predator shooter. I regularly go to South Dakota to shoot prairie dogs. I
set up at 300 yards and try to shoot out to about 600 plus-or- minus yards with some reasonable degree of success. I believe it is a little unfair to shoot those furry critters within 150 yards with today’s modern rifles and scopes. Now, note I said I go to South Dakota, the prairie dog
capital of the world, to “shoot prairie dogs.” That is because prairie dogging is a shoot, while groundhog is actually a hunt. In a prairie dog shoot, I set up on a portable shooting bench and may spend the entire day in one spot rotating 360 degrees shooting dogs in a prairie dog town all around me. I average about 175 shots a day, assuming single-shot rifles and no ARs. Otherwise, double that number. On a groundhog hunt, you must either walk or drive and glass various loca- tions throughout the day. You often will return to a spot a few times a day to see if Punxsutawney Phil or his progeny has decided to finally come out to feed. Fortuitously, when the weather is not too hot (over 85°), the groundhog will be active throughout the entire day, offering multiple opportunities at targets. But generally you get only one shot per groundhog. Did I tell you they are easily spooked and are very leery? A close miss that throws dirt on the groundhog will cause him to rocket into his hole and you will not see him again for hours or until the next day. Not so with prairie dogs. They will stay there, particu-
larly if you are shooting into the wind and the shot is high. They give you the opportunity to correct your shot placement. This is especially true if the wind is blowing strong in your face and you are shooting beyond 200 yards. They do not hear or react to the shot. But not so with Mr. Groundhog. If he hears a car, tractor, or the gun shot, he is “out of Dodge City” for a while. If he is not too badly spooked by a short shot that threw dirt on him you have a good chance of him returning within minutes. I engage Mike Groff at North Central Varmint Express
to guide me because I have limited time to hunt and I do not want to waste it on trying to find good places to shoot. Mike has that all covered in advance. He has access to thousands of acres of prime farm land that are home to Mr. Groundhog. Most of his sites are in the Bellville and Mansfield area of
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es, Virginia, there actually is a real live groundhog guide (and maybe the only one in the U.S.A.) and
Ohio. Mike and his guided shooters are welcomed guests on these sites. The owners/farmers are happy to have someone who is gun responsible to rid them of these crop-damaging marauders. It is estimated that a groundhog causes approximately
$200.00 each in crop damage alone. This does not take into consideration livestock who break their legs falling into a groundhog hole and have to be euthanized, or farm vehicles being damaged or even rolled over from falling into a hole. So Mike, aka “Mad Dog,” is a welcome visitor. I have personally met a number of these farmers and they all are happy and gracious when we arrive. Mad Dog provides them a count of all the groundhogs
he culls. At $200.00 in prevented damages the farmers get an almost immediate direct infusion of cash by the elimination of Mr. Groundhog from his farm. The culling of a mere 20 groundhogs represents an almost $4,000.00 gain in crop sales. This is money that can be better used in the operation of the farm than feeding this furry beast. But the other side of that coin is we need them to “live and prosper” so we can have fat targets, and I do mean fat as some of them can reach 25 pounds, plus or minus, after a long summer of frenzied eating. Groundhogs can be seen at almost any time of the year.
However, the alleged best times are April at the end of the harsh winter just before the planting season, and June just as the recently planted crops start to sprout tender leaves. In April they have emerged from their holes with a vengeance and a hunger and start to feed on what is left in the bare field after the snows have gone. In June the new sprouts offer irresistible treats. What is common to both is you can see them feeding in the fields. In late summer and thereafter until October, the weeds and crops are too tall to see them unless they stand up to wink at and tease you. Then they drop down to feed … not to be seen again in the same spot. October is also a good month because all the fields have been harvested and are bare. Typically, where you are shooting on any given day is
totally dependent on whether the farmer has cut the fields. It is not unusual to have new fields open up every day. Mad Dog stays in touch with his farmers and generally knows when a field will be harvested. As soon as it is cut, he hunts it because it offers the best shooting opportunities. Now, I fancy myself as a long-range varminter. Long
range is a relative term and means different things to differ- ent shooters. To me it is 300 yards out and not taking any chippy 100 to 200 yard shots (got to be a little fair). Now, I am not an accomplished long-range marksman. I have been at this for only about 10 years. To date my best confirmed hit is 648 yards on a groundhog with a 6mm-284 with Mad Dog and a shooting partner spotting. My best prairie dog hit was unconfirmed at 710 yards in Wyoming with a .223 AR heavy barrel. The difference between confirmed and unconfirmed
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