Groundhogs are a family meal sized squirrel that should get more respect. They hang onto life, and a heart-shot groundhog can often make it back into his hole. They are challenging game because they are extremely wary and will alarm at greater distances than most deer. Groundhogs replaced squirrel hunting for me because of the challenge of hunting them in the woods, and because you get much more meat for your effort. One groundhog makes a meal, plus leftover meat for sandwiches for two people. I recommend that you don't use a .22 Long Rifle, but a centerfire instead, because you want the groundhog to go down quickly. Center on the heart or just over the heart for most shots. Use a ground blind at close range, or lie down behind cover with the groundhog hole in good view. Get in position early, be quiet, do not smoke. The hog will smell you! Here are the typical postures you will see when hunting groundhogs. Go left to right, top row, then bottom row.
1) Head on, head up. Aim for the head, or below, just above the heart.
2) Quartering to you. Place the bullet where the neck meets the shoulder, sending the bullet through the top of the heart and out the offside lung. Quartering away, go through from the back of the ribcage and out the opposite shoulder.
3) Sideways to you, the heart is behind the shoulder and front leg. Go through the shoulder, midway up the body, or in the ear.
4) Standing, turned slightly, go inside the near shoulder.
5) Standing, straight on, go for the top of the heart.
6) On the ground, face to you, do the head shot. This one was just off center on the right side of his nose.
Some groundhog fans eat the brains. Aim accordingly....
If your groundhog gets back in his hole, find a length of old barbed wire or a greenbriar, and run it down into the hole while you keep it rotating. When it contacts the dead hog, keep twisting and then pull your groundhog out. Yes, this method really works!
4 comments:
What sort of centerfire to avoid vaporizing the game?
Recipes?
I have used 22 LR, 222, and 223. Most of the meat is in the loins and hind legs. A shot through the ribcage won't destroy meat. 22-250 is too much for up close woods hunting. You should be close enough to thread the needle 50 feet to 50 yards. Skin it, trim most of the fat. Soak in salted water. Put it in a roaster with potatoes, carrots, and onions. Season as you like for beef. Young ones can be fried like squirrels.
22 WMR and 38 special from a 357 carbine would also be good choices.
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