GTA
All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => Hunting Gate => Topic started by: only1harry on August 29, 2010, 02:57:47 PM
-
Just when I thought I was all done with the Groundhogs this year and was starting to get used to the idea that I won't see them until next year or a very long time, I got that strange feeling this morning when I woke up, which I usually get before shooting one. Some 6th sense told me that I may have another one living with us on the property.
I checked the yard around 9am and nothing. I then got drawn to the shed again and walked over to check for any signs. The grass in front of one hole under the shed was nice and flat like something had been going in and out and I was hoping it was not a skunk. But then I little fly flew out of the hole! That is one of the signs there may be a Groundhog down there! The probability of having one when 1 or more flies are around the entrance is >99%.
I checked the shed again from a window at 9:30 and 9:45 but nothing. I figured it was either out this morning already and I missed it, or there 's nothing down there and it's just my imagination, or my addiction and withdrawals are coming back to haunt me.
At 10am I decided to check one more time before resuming the "search" in the afternoon. I 'll be danged! There he was - a good-sized one just inches from the shed looking around. He had just come out. He started feeding on my grass and clovers, and getting farther out from the shed but mostly turned away from me. I waited until he was 25yds out and quickly put the screen window up. He stopped and looked up as he heard the noise, and I froze. After a minute he resumed feeding and distancing himself so I backed off from the window. I set up on the window sill and rested the TT Condor .25 on it. I started following him with the crosshairs adjusting the A/O as he got farther out. When he got to 29-30yds, he started changing direction and little by little he was almost broadside but still at an angle. I decided to take the shot and with crosshairs between eye & ear I squeezed the trigger. I faintly heard the impact of the 31gr Kodiak amongst the sound of the hammer hitting the valve, and the Groundhog dropped on its side. He never moved again. It was one of those very quick/instant kills I get with about 1 out of 8-10 G-hogs.
The shot was precise and no different than other times, with the POI right between eye & ear, except this G-hog was not completely broadside so the Kodiak exited near its mouth on the other side. Anyway, this full-grown adult Male weighed 11.2lbs so it was a good sized one. I am glad they are still visiting from near-by who knows where. They just can't resist my tool shed ;D This was #96. #100 won't be until next Spring/summer unless a group of youngsters moves in the next couple of weeks ;)
PS.
Since Randy asked me where the weekly G-hog is, I had to shoot 1 more :)
(http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd48/only1harry/Hunting/2010%20off-season/2010%20Groundhogs/G-hog%20Aug29/20100829_0746.jpg)
(http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd48/only1harry/Hunting/2010%20off-season/2010%20Groundhogs/G-hog%20Aug29/20100829_0748-1.jpg)
(http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd48/only1harry/Hunting/2010%20off-season/2010%20Groundhogs/G-hog%20Aug29/20100829_0753.jpg)
(http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd48/only1harry/Hunting/2010%20off-season/2010%20Groundhogs/G-hog%20Aug29/20100829_0749.jpg)
(http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd48/only1harry/Hunting/2010%20off-season/2010%20Groundhogs/G-hog%20Aug29/20100829_0751.jpg)
-
thats a fat boy good shooting.
-
Fine shootin Harry and great pics as usual. Personally I think you'll hit 100 this year :)
BTW. I will try and get the condor pics and measurement today, sorry it took me this long but I've been busy as a bee the last couple of days. Again, good shooting buddy.
Jeff
-
Thanks guys. It was a decent size one but not as fat as that other female a couple of weeks ago. Still any Groundhog over 10lbs is a worthy prize ;D
-
good job
nice shooting!
-
Nice shooting Harry! Glad you got another Ghog fix! ( I thought about your Ghog hunts today as I was getting of an exit of the thruway I saw a nice big one at the edge of a parking lot)
-
Maybe my memory is faulty, given that it was around 25 years ago, but I recall that my Dad killed a pregnant female with his rimfire .22 magnum, and we weighed her on an old baby scale at 25 pounds.
Is that even possible?
I do know she was huge, though.
-
That is possible although rare. I have had a couple of Groundhogs that were 16lbs, but not sure if they were pregnant or not, but some did look pregnant. I have read that the biggest G-hog in captivity was 30lbs, but he proably ate a lot more than normal being in captivity. There have been reports of 20lb G-hogs and I have no doubt about that if I can shoot 14-16lb G-hogs on my property. I have seen a couple of G-hogs a few blocks away that feed regularly out in the open near the road, and they look like they could be 20lbs, so 25lbs is realistic if one of those big bruisers is pregnant and almost the "full term".
-
i shot a 19 lb whistle pig up in the hills of PA with my stepdad off a vegitable farm in the fall. it was fattening up for its winter sleep. we weighed it on a fishing scale my dad always kept in the truck. just massive. it was so heavy, when i picked it up by its tail, the skin ripped, and i "stripped" the tail of its fur. this was about 9 years ago i think. and i used a .22 WMR
-
Wow 19lbs! It's amazing how fat they can get. They are definitely the heaviest in September before their hybernation. I can sympathize with that. I have torn many a hair off a G-hog's tail when I picking up big ones. Some of the heaviest just slipped through my hand, and all I was left with was hair. I usually just grab them from both hind legs when picking them up, although their tail is very strong and well attached to the rest of their body. You will hear the tail bone stretch and the muscles rip however from all the weight, when picking them up from their relatively small tail. Same with raccoon.
-
WOW! I must have had a premonition! Great job! And you got a MONSTER! :)
-
Randy I think your brought me luck. Please ask me again in another week where the obligatory weekly G-hog is, hehehe :)
-
Great shot on that phatty. Awesome blow gun!
-
It looks like a stick/tube attached to a tank, doesn't it? That's because the Talon Tunes shroud is just way too long. I 'll be putting the Airhog shroud back on which is at least 4" shorter, and I 'm working on getting an even shorter one that is hopefully just as effective.
-
Great shooting and pic's bro and they just keep coming out of the woodwork for you. :D I have a good sized one that I've been trying to drop but he likes to come out about every several day's so I'm getting his schedule down. Ed
-
Thanks buddy. He is out there, just not when you are there :D
They come out twice/day to feed, but will easily alter their schedule if they think someone or something is out there, or if it's too noisy out. Make sure you are downwind too. They have a great sense of smell. They often hang out just below the surface of the burrow entrance for a few minutes to smell the air first, before coming out. Try putting a piece of eggplant 2ft away from the hole, or a zucchini if you don't have eggplant. I have never tried it.. never had any problems getting G-hogs on my property (hehehe), but I know they love eggplant and many other veggies. It will most likely smell it (instead of you) and come right out while you are there. Try it and it should speed things up for you.. because I can't wait. I need to see pics of dead G-hogs! ;D
-
G-hog's also like the scent of Vanilla and really like cantaloupe. :D Ed
-
ok so put out a Vanilla scented candle then. I heard they prefer the ones with 2 wicks :D
-
Harry you have stacked up quite a few of those ground hogs so far. And everytime I see your weapon it just makes me want one more. I've been really good and not purchased any new air rifles in a while. But my birthday is just around the corner and I've been dropping hints like crazy. I just finished a second night hunt down at the dairy farm and just racked up raccoon number 2 and 3 for the year. The Discovery does fine, but I bet the AF Condor would do better. Nice shooting and keep the hits coming.
-
ok so put out a Vanilla scented candle then. I heard they prefer the ones with 2 wicks :D
I've heard you can get the candles at the same Ebay web store you, Shadow, and LongIslandHunter get your nail polish from! :P
-
Yes, we probably can! Thanks Randy! :) Please tell Ed to stop posting the same frozen bandit over and over with nail polish in a different spot ;) ;D
Dave,
Sorry buddy, but I have that effect on people when I post Condor kills :) Jeff and others couldn't take it any longer and went out and got one. Just do the same, and you won't regret it. You only have to fill it to 2400-2500psi to get LOTS of power, so if you have 3k Scuba tank, it will work out well for about 10 fills (or 400 shots) and then use a pump to top if off, if you can't see yourself spending the $ for a 4500psi tank. I have to because I have several PCP's, so no pumping for me :) A Condor .22 is just an amazing hunting tool for those medium-sized critters and you don't have to get up too close. Just make sure you use the heavier pellets like Kodiaks and 28.4gr EunJins. I can see your pics now right after Christmas! That's when Jeff got his too :)
-
I'm going to write it one thousand times...."I'm not jealous of those that have Condors, I'm not jealous of those that have Condors,etc"
(Atchman writes notes to self: "Remember to re-freeze the same bandit after every shot". "Take pictures of it at different angles so that folks think it is a different one". "Slightly vary the color of the nail polish and take a picture with a new gun everytime-title it "insert gun name here" STRIKES".)
-
Now you are getting the hang of it Randy!! hehehe ;D I must say, I don't think Ed would be too happy you are giving all his secrets away :P ;)
Unfortunately I don't think it's about jealousy, but what you really want.. so you can write that down 10k times, I don't think it will help! :D