Blond colored Groundhog spotted!

[only1harry]

He is purdy one  

My wife yesterday morning was outside doing gardening and tending to her flowers when I hear her say the word "groundhog".  I was inside but heard her through the living room window.  I said "what?".  She said nothing!  I said you said the word Groundhog!  Did you see one?  She said nah it looked like one but I don't think it was.  I knew she was lying, hehehe She knew I 'd shoot it.  I said you know you just signed its death certificate right?  She said "yeah I know, I wish I hadn't said it out loud"!     So she tells me that he was about 50-60yds down and ran across the street and behind the next-door neighbor's house.  She said it looked very light in color, almost blond.  I 've been waiting in anticipation for it to move to my property in a day or 2 where I have all the empty G-holes on the hill and the famous tool shed

Well it didn't take it long and I spotted it this morning on my lawn eating my grass!  A blondish young G-hog!  It looks a little lighter than those cinnamon ones I used to have a while back.  He is not full-grown yet.  Still that's an unusually light colored G-hog.  I make him out to be 6-7lbs.  Looks like new genes are moving in to the neighborhood!  He hung out about 40+yds away and would run in the thick cover and trees every time he heard a noise or when a neighbor came out and pulled out in their car.  This was around 10 to 10:30am.  He 'll come back out for dinner later and I just have to restrain myself   Yeah right! hehehe   

Place your bets now!  How long will Harry last before squeezing the trigger on the Groundhog?

[dk1677]

That is an odd color! I will say 2 days  Have 'em stuffed. it would look good next to the fox 

[only1harry]

ok I will try and hold out 48hrs.  This is going to be hard!  

I would have a lot of animals stuffed by now (whole body mounts) if it weren't so dang expensive around here.  It's a very expensive area.. taxidermists want the keys to your car and to sign over your mortgage to them.  It's unbelievable.  How can they look at you in the face and ask for $1K + tax for a small-game critter?  They are crazy.  One thing they all do around here, is that they all send out the hide to be tanned and treated.  I don't understand why they don't do it themselves.  This adds to the cost since they are the middle-man.  Isn't that like almost 1/2 the job?  I know they have to do sawing and cosmetic work, but treating the fur is a major part too.  Maybe they send it out where make fur coats? so they get a quality work done that will last?  I don't know but I know it's 1/2 the price elsewhere in the country depending where you live.

[Froghunter]

Harry,

It's time to burn the midnight oil with the Goddess 48! I think we would all like to read the story and see pictures of the new girl next to a blonde colored chuck!

Froghunter

[Atchman2]

See I'm your good luck charm!  I just knew when you got a new gun a new groundhog would show up.   

[only1harry]

Yes, I will post pics soon, but I 'm not sure if I want to shoot this Chuck with open sights.  I shot about 100 CP's and Superdomes today at 19yds.  After I adjusted the rear sight a few times, the CP's started hitting the bullseye almost every time!  All ragged holes covered by a dime.  Actually the bullseye was just slightly larger than a dime, maybe nickel sized, and I couldn't believe I was getting 1/2-3/4" groups on iron sights!  I could barely see that black dot @ 19yds and with that thick front blade on the 48, I thought I was going to be all over the place, but this gun almost shoots itself!  I would like to shoot the Groundhog with it, but he is pretty far out and I think it's a job for one of the Condors   He hasn't come any closer than 36-37yds.  He was eyeing the shed a couple of hours ago, but did not go closer to investigate and take residence.  The shed is only 21-22yds out.  But he will.  I give him another 24-48hrs, and he 'll move right in   OR, I can just shoot him with the Condor at ~40yds out and just get it over with? 

[Atchman2]

Well if it was scoped up, it would for certain take one out with a headshot out to say 35 yards.  The hardest thing for me to do is to adjust for range at the longer distances.  I find that if I zero my 350 at 20 yards it is one dot low at 35 yards. 

[shadow]

It will get the best of you Harry and we'll see a hunt post here lol. Ed

[longislandhunter]

I've only seen 1 or 2 of those real light colored g-hogs at the duck farm over the years, they do stand out pretty well.  I say let the little bugger live and let him spread his genes around. 

Of course I know that isn't going to happen. 

It would be great if you could get him with the new 48.

Jeff

[only1harry]

Yes he definitely stood out very well Jeff.  He was very easy to spot.  I think that is why a large hawk flew in minutes after he was out this morning.  He probably thought it was a rabbit or something he could take and came in to investigate.  The hawk was on a tree not more than 30yds from the G-hog, and the G-hog was clueless of its presence.  Even when the hawk started making its screeching sounds and whistles, the G-hog kept on feeding.  He is definitely young and inexperienced.  I really thought the Hawk was going to get him so I went and got the Condor, thinking I could get the G-hog first   When I got back, the hawk was gone or somewhere else where I couldn't see it.  I thought it was Goshawk at first because it was blue-gray (I 've seen it a few times before), but I am pretty sure it's a Peregrine falcon because Goshawks are very big (up to 24" long) and this one was just a little bigger than a crow, so it had to be a Peregrine.  They are actually not uncommon here in the Hudson River Valley (and NYC).  It was the same hawk that got the BlueJay last winter while it was stealing my cat food.  They are extremely fast.  It was like that Bluejay got hit by a truck.  All I saw was a "puff" of feathers until I realized what was going on.  Only the Goshawk, the Peregrine and the Cooper's hawks are blue & gray, but the Goshawk is huge - the 2nd biggest hawk in NY state up to 2ft long body (w/tail) and the Peregrine goes up to 18", but it could be a Cooper's hawk as it's the only other hawk with some blue-gray on top.  So at least I got it narrowed down to 2 hawks now and I 'm leaning towards the Peregrine because it was mostly all blue & gray.

[Atchman2]

I'm just surprised that you guys aren't eat up with coyotes and foxes!  I think in TN the number one prey of coyotes are groundhogs. Why not?  Lots of meat, lots of fat, and a bounty with every kill! 

The weather here has been hot again! My friend Shannon wants to take me groundhog hunting so I can get some film of a hunt with airguns.  However, his business is land clearing so he has been too busy to goof off and go hunting like me  

[only1harry]

Randy, you are very lucky that you have friends to take you coyote & predator hunting, deer hunting and what have you, and now Groundhog hunting.  My friends and relatives are all ike this: "are you still shooting Groudhogs in your backyard..?"  I used to have 2 friends that I grew up with that went hunting with me all the time in the 80's and early 90's.  One of them moved out of state, and the other is a tree hugger and calls himself an animal lover because he 's had a couple of dogs..  He even feeds the deer in his backyard which is very dangerous here, because we are plauged with Lyme disease from the deer ticks.  It's funny how people can switch-off like that.  I just know I need to make new friends around here and go hunting with them   Consider yourself lucky!

[Atchman2]

That is an interesting point!  I joined the local Coyote Hunting club "Coyotes Unlimited".  On their forum I've met some great folks and we have club gatherings about three times per year with speakers, shooting, prizes, etc. 

Justin lives over in Louisville where I hunt squirrels so he and I get together the most.  Shannon, I've only hunted with once, but he wants me to film some of his hunts.  Jake and I go almost every Friday when we aren't busy with work or home.  I think the key is joining a local hunting forum.  Also the national Predator Masters forum is a good place to look!  Besides predator hunting, they really have everything on there including some guys from the GTA.  They like the airgun hunts on there too. 

Also, I have coyote hunting business cards now, fliers, and signs to post at places.  That has helped me get several new places to hunt and has made me some friends as well.  This new place I'm going to coyote hunt the guy wants to go with me, so there is a new hunting friend   Honestly I think I can pick up the phone and find someone to go hunting almost everyday! Too bad I not so good at it so much   My friend Jake is convinced that I'm not really a hunter, but I just like the social aspects of hunting.  

[only1harry]

Sounds like you are networking a lot Randy, and that's the way to do it.  I will look for a local hunting club to see what's around here.

I totally agree.  Hunting in the woods is harder than shooting critters in your backyard.  It takes a few field excursions before you get good at it and learn how to stalk the critters, act/react fast, and the right away.