More Groundhogs

[TonyH]

I got back last week from another hunt for groundhogs, thought I'd share a brief account.

 

On my first trip in the '90s I immediately loved it – the groundhog (aka woodchuck) is for me the perfect varmint-hunting quarry, sized between a rabbit and a small badger, sometimes easy to spot as they stand up, other times requiring careful glassing of field/forest edges, fencelines, rockpiles.

 

Pic 1: This shows the typical size of adult groundhogs, very solid meaty critters that dig damn big burrows.

 

They're a pest mainly because the broad, shallow spoilheaps from their burrows pose a danger to farmers' cutting gear when they cut alfalfa for hay round about late June & early July; most farmers welcome groundhog hunters with open arms. And Ontario farmland is huge, wide open, very quiet and empty by UK standards.

 

I hunt in part of S.Ontario with my friend Henrik, who's Canada Organiser for The Varmint Hunters Association; he's pursued 'hogs for thirty years, keeps meticulous records, and has shot around 10,000.

 

pic 2: In long alfalfa etc 'hogs often stand up but when the hay is cut they get more shy - this one (ringed) is very typically showing head & neck at just over 100 yards.

This trip, I wanted especially to push out the distance from my previous best 'hogs of 340 yards (with a Rem 700VS in 22-250) and 335 yards (Winchester Featherweight .223); 18 months previously I had Neil MacKillop re-barrel my Featherweight with a Pac-Nor in 20Tac (1:11 twist), and it showed such promise at home that I was very keen to see how it might perform on the long-distance stuff I knew I'd get with groundhogs.

 

(These distances are very modest in comparison with the great accounts we get here sometimes from e.g. Si-snipe, Richness, Alan/Sir Slots, etc; I'd emphasise that I'm not using a heavy-barrel varmint rifle with big 6mm bullets, but a lightweight walkaround varminter shooting the 40gr Nosler Ballistic Tip.)

 

We spent nearly a week shooting hogs, cutting it a bit short as Henrik was disappointed by the hog count: it's a fact they're not as numerous as they were, and some think the expanding coyote population is responsible. For me it was never about numbers, more the nature of the hunting and getting some interesting shots.

It was hot and sunny every day! Coming from a cool, cloudy Devon I welcomed temperatures from the upper 20s to mid-30s, though that meant the 'hogs kept their heads down in the middle of the day.

 

Here's how I pushed out my personal best distance.

 

pic 3: A slight rise gave us great views, and just right of the red "X" at extreme right is where I got a couple of long-distance 'hogs. nb the large electric cooler, full of sandwich ingredients, chilled water, beer...

 

From the start I was plagued by misses, even at close range; the great benefit of shooting with a skilled companion is that he can spot the fall of shot, and I was shooting consistently in line but a fraction high. I wondered if the heat was affecting my chamber pressure... I had to apply fewer elevation clicks so guesswork was involved.

 

So here we were in a great spot, a slight rise giving wide views around, and we spotted 'hogs at between 250 yards and 700+. Early evening, and I glassed one in a cut field – the Leica said 570 yards and I got set up: my clickchart told me 62 clicks and I gave it 58 – just over one full turn of the turret... There was a very slight tailwind, maybe 3-4mph max.

 

Bang! "Right over his back!" called Henrik. Again, aiming at the point where fur met hay stubble. Bang! The hog disappeared...

 

A minute or two later and a few yards right, spotted a hog: same one maybe? A second 'hog? Took the same hold as before, Bang! Damn – just over again! Made a second shot, and the hog collapsed on the spot. A solid hit at 570 yards with the little rifle, and I felt chuffed!

 

pic 4: Henrik with his 612-yard groundhog, shot on the next farm from our position marked "X" in the background.

 

We kept shooting, and Henrik took a couple of shots at a 600+ 'hog, with me calling his very close misses; he's better equipped than me for long distance, shooting V-Maxes and Bergers of around 80-100+ gr in his .243 Ackley, but he was shooting at right angles to a gentle breeze – and in these temperatures, heat haze and mirage are factors at long range. He corrected – and the third shot took the 'hog down at 612 yards.

 

As the light faded we drove across the field, down the long track to the farm, right on the side road, right again into a road leading to the quarry entrance close to my 570-yard 'hog. Scrambling through some scrub and a fence ahead of me, Henrik stood over a hog, calling "Here he is!" "Yup," I replied, "and here's the first one!"

 

pic 5: Two 'hogs consecutively at 570 yards made me a happy man - our firing position marked "X" on the skyline.

 

There had been two groundhogs, 15 yards apart; after correcting for elevation, both were hit dead centre; the 40grNBT had performed perfectly even at this extended range, no exit wound and signs of violent internal blow-up – later, Exbal confirmed that velocity is down to about 1900fps at this distance. We double checked the distance, lasering back to our firing position.

 

I'd pushed out my personal best very considerably, and also confirmed two things in particular: the skill with which Neil M had installed and chambered my barrel, and the quality of that Nosler bullet, a tiny 40gr pill which could reach out a third of a mile with repeatable accuracy.

 

Trouble is, now I know what the rifle can do, I have no excuse for not zapping home-grown varmints at similar distances...

 

If anyone is seriously interested in Canadian hunting I'm happy to explain the formalities and paperwork required.

 

pic 6: Back rifle is Henrik's Sako re-barrelled by Darrell Holland with a fluted heavy Schneider in .243 Ackley, Harris bipod, Jewell trigger, Leupold 6.5-20x50; front is my Winchester Featherweight re-barrelled by Neil MacKillop with a s/s Pac-Nor in 20Tac that's the correct Featherwight profile. It wears the MacMillan stock in their "quiet stock" finish I bought in the '90s, duplicating the Featherweight stock shape down to the little schnabel fore-end; Timney trigger; Atlas bipod from Tac-Fire Systems (excellent product, 100% prefer it to the Harris); scope is a Minox 4-20x50 I bought from Simon (si-snipe) here, great glass and reticle.

[onehole]

I got back last week from another hunt for groundhogs, thought I'd share a brief account.

 

On my first trip in the '90s I immediately loved it – the groundhog (aka woodchuck) is for me the perfect varmint-hunting quarry, sized between a rabbit and a small badger, sometimes easy to spot as they stand up, other times requiring careful glassing of field/forest edges, fencelines, rockpiles.

 

Pic 1: This shows the typical size of adult groundhogs, very solid meaty critters that dig damn big burrows.

 

They're a pest mainly because the broad, shallow spoilheaps from their burrows pose a danger to farmers' cutting gear when they cut alfalfa for hay round about late June & early July; most farmers welcome groundhog hunters with open arms. And Ontario farmland is huge, wide open, very quiet and empty by UK standards.

 

I hunt in part of S.Ontario with my friend Henrik, who's Canada Organiser for The Varmint Hunters Association; he's pursued 'hogs for thirty years, keeps meticulous records, and has shot around 10,000.

 

pic 2: In long alfalfa etc 'hogs often stand up but when the hay is cut they get more shy - this one (ringed) is very typically showing head & neck at just over 100 yards.

This trip, I wanted especially to push out the distance from my previous best 'hogs of 340 yards (with a Rem 700VS in 22-250) and 335 yards (Winchester Featherweight .223); 18 months previously I had Neil MacKillop re-barrel my Featherweight with a Pac-Nor in 20Tac (1:11 twist), and it showed such promise at home that I was very keen to see how it might perform on the long-distance stuff I knew I'd get with groundhogs.

 

(These distances are very modest in comparison with the great accounts we get here sometimes from e.g. Si-snipe, Richness, Alan/Sir Slots, etc; I'd emphasise that I'm not using a heavy-barrel varmint rifle with big 6mm bullets, but a lightweight walkaround varminter shooting the 40gr Nosler Ballistic Tip.)

 

We spent nearly a week shooting hogs, cutting it a bit short as Henrik was disappointed by the hog count: it's a fact they're not as numerous as they were, and some think the expanding coyote population is responsible. For me it was never about numbers, more the nature of the hunting and getting some interesting shots.

It was hot and sunny every day! Coming from a cool, cloudy Devon I welcomed temperatures from the upper 20s to mid-30s, though that meant the 'hogs kept their heads down in the middle of the day.

 

Here's how I pushed out my personal best distance.

 

pic 3: A slight rise gave us great views, and just right of the red "X" at extreme right is where I got a couple of long-distance 'hogs. nb the large electric cooler, full of sandwich ingredients, chilled water, beer...

 

From the start I was plagued by misses, even at close range; the great benefit of shooting with a skilled companion is that he can spot the fall of shot, and I was shooting consistently in line but a fraction high. I wondered if the heat was affecting my chamber pressure... I had to apply fewer elevation clicks so guesswork was involved.

 

So here we were in a great spot, a slight rise giving wide views around, and we spotted 'hogs at between 250 yards and 700+. Early evening, and I glassed one in a cut field – the Leica said 570 yards and I got set up: my clickchart told me 62 clicks and I gave it 58 – just over one full turn of the turret... There was a very slight tailwind, maybe 3-4mph max.

 

Bang! "Right over his back!" called Henrik. Again, aiming at the point where fur met hay stubble. Bang! The hog disappeared...

 

A minute or two later and a few yards right, spotted a hog: same one maybe? A second 'hog? Took the same hold as before, Bang! Damn – just over again! Made a second shot, and the hog collapsed on the spot. A solid hit at 570 yards with the little rifle, and I felt chuffed!

 

pic 4: Henrik with his 612-yard groundhog, shot on the next farm from our position marked "X" in the background.

 

We kept shooting, and Henrik took a couple of shots at a 600+ 'hog, with me calling his very close misses; he's better equipped than me for long distance, shooting V-Maxes and Bergers of around 80-100+ gr in his .243 Ackley, but he was shooting at right angles to a gentle breeze – and in these temperatures, heat haze and mirage are factors at long range. He corrected – and the third shot took the 'hog down at 612 yards.

 

As the light faded we drove across the field, down the long track to the farm, right on the side road, right again into a road leading to the quarry entrance close to my 570-yard 'hog. Scrambling through some scrub and a fence ahead of me, Henrik stood over a hog, calling "Here he is!" "Yup," I replied, "and here's the first one!"

 

pic 5: Two 'hogs consecutively at 570 yards made me a happy man - our firing position marked "X" on the skyline.

 

There had been two groundhogs, 15 yards apart; after correcting for elevation, both were hit dead centre; the 40grNBT had performed perfectly even at this extended range, no exit wound and signs of violent internal blow-up – later, Exbal confirmed that velocity is down to about 1900fps at this distance. We double checked the distance, lasering back to our firing position.

 

I'd pushed out my personal best very considerably, and also confirmed two things in particular: the skill with which Neil M had installed and chambered my barrel, and the quality of that Nosler bullet, a tiny 40gr pill which could reach out a third of a mile with repeatable accuracy.

 

Trouble is, now I know what the rifle can do, I have no excuse for not zapping home-grown varmints at similar distances...

 

If anyone is seriously interested in Canadian hunting I'm happy to explain the formalities and paperwork required.

 

pic 6: Back rifle is Henrik's Sako re-barrelled by Darrell Holland with a fluted heavy Schneider in .243 Ackley, Harris bipod, Jewell trigger, Leupold 6.5-20x50; front is my Winchester Featherweight re-barrelled by Neil MacKillop with a s/s Pac-Nor in 20Tac that's the correct Featherwight profile. It wears the MacMillan stock in their "quiet stock" finish I bought in the '90s, duplicating the Featherweight stock shape down to the little schnabel fore-end; Timney trigger; Atlas bipod from Tac-Fire Systems (excellent product, 100% prefer it to the Harris); scope is a Minox 4-20x50 I bought from Simon (si-snipe) here, great glass and reticle.

 

Hi Tony,,,superb rightup and good to see you performing in foreign lands,,,,,congrats on beating your best!!! regds Onehole.

[6.5shooter]

Thanks for sharing Tony!

Looks like you had fun.

[rabbit fingers]

Awesome. thanks for sharing. Maybe one day..............

[TonyH]

Thanks chaps, glad you liked it. Dave, long time no see, must get down to Zelah soon, maybe meet up there, poss also bump into Martin.

Regards, Tony

[andybrock]

Enjoyed reading that, sounds great sport!

Andy

[tony]

Enjoyed your write up Tony, great stuff, well done on your performance, must be great to have some real open ground to test yourself on.

 

Regards, Tony.

[Barrelsniffer]

Great read and pics..thanks for sharing.

[flyingfisherman]

Nice write up Tony, thanks again for sharing it. Can you give a brief account of how difficult it is to get your rifle to and from Canada, did you take your own ammunition with you, if so, was this difficult? And then how difficult is it to organise a week of hog shooting? Is it expensive, and is it a paperwork nightmare?

 

Thanks,

 

FFM

[TonyH]

Nice write up Tony, thanks again for sharing it. Can you give a brief account of how difficult it is to get your rifle to and from Canada, did you take your own ammunition with you, if so, was this difficult? And then how difficult is it to organise a week of hog shooting? Is it expensive, and is it a paperwork nightmare?

Thanks, FFM

Hi FFM – I'll be as brief as I can but this needs a bit of detail. Answers first. Yes, it's perfectly simple to take your own ammo – but see comments below. Organising groundhog hunting: like any other type of foreign hunt, you need either a commercial concern to do it for you, or personal contacts. In my case, I do it on a personal basis since my Canadian friend showed me the ropes years ago, and has thousands of acres to hunt on. Yes, like any sort of DIY holiday (as opposed to a package) it works out relatively expensive for travel, car hire, accommodation etc – but what else am I going to spend my money on – knitting? I don't do this every year! I love it, and don't begrudge the cost.

 

Paperwork is relatively simple – definitely not a nightmare, just takes some care and advance planning.

 

My experience is based purely on groundhog hunting in S.Ontario, flying from Exeter (handy for me) to Toronto using Canadian carrier Air Transat. If you want to shoot grizzlies in BC, I can't help!

 

When you have a hunt lined up, book your flight – but make sure your airline is OK with carrying firearms & ammo. They should be, and there are IATA guidelines for precisely this; but get written (or email at least) confirmation that they have no sneaky prohibitions of their own. Whoever you speak to will most probably know nothing about carriage of firearms! Persist, and go over their heads if need be. Check the airline's website for specific reference to firearms – it's probably under sporting goods.

 

To take your rifle out of the country you'll need to carry your FAC and a current European Firearms Pass, obtainable free on request from your issuing authority.

 

To hunt with your rifle in Ontario, you'll need two things:

 

- an Outdoors Card

 

- a hunting licence for the appropriate quarry and duration

 

Both are obtainable from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR), and available also from outlets of Service Ontario, plus a variety of retailers including national chain Canadian Tyre (good store, loads of outdoor stuff etc) and Bass Pro Shops at Vaughan on the outskirts of Toronto.

 

Visit the OMNR non-resident licences page for costs – a non-resident 1-year small game licence (applicable to groundhogs) is $112, or if you want a moose it'll cost you $450... The Outdoors Card is under $10 and lasts 3 years.

 

Now for the potentially tricky bit. To get your papers they will want to see evidence that you're a hunter in good standing – a hunting licence. They will sympathise when you tell them we have no such thing as a hunting licence in UK - but will still demand evidence... I used to take a Game Licence, which together with my FAC was perfectly acceptable; now that's defunct, you have to get creative.

 

Since I was already on the OMNR computer system I could apply for my licence/card online this year, but it turned out my info was no longer current so I had to exchange emails with a very helpful person at the OMNR before the system would allow me access. I scanned my old Game Licence, and the front page of my FAC that details exactly what my ticket is for, namely pest/vermin control, fox control, etc – this in effect shows what sort of hunting I do and confirms me as a legitimate hunter. Emailing these scans to my friendly bureaucrat enabled him to update me on the system, and I could get my small-game licence, my Outdoor Card, and a temporary fishing ticket, all online, paying with VISA and printing out the papers to take with me. (I also copied the file onto a memory stick and took that, together with my laptop, as backup.)

 

It is probable that you would be OK just taking an FAC, old Game Licence etc with you and getting the paperwork at Canadian Tyre or Service Ontario; hunting in Canada is no big deal. I would advise contacting the OMNR in advance for guidance. IME they're helpful – most Canadians, including cops and Border Service people, seem helpful and friendly if you are clearly making an effort to do things right. They might even chat to you about guns and hunting or fishing...

 

On departure day, turn up early at the airport, because your hard-cased firearm will need special processing. The check-in desk will send for a security type, who will want (1) to confirm your rifle is unloaded and get you to sign an affirmation to this effect; and (2) confirm your rifle's serial number against your FAC and Euro Firearms Pass. They'll ask you about ammo, and you'll tell them it's under 5kg and locked in its own secure container inside your regular checked baggage. They'll get your rifle onto the plane. Make sure the case is locked: I also put cable-ties round the handles.

 

In Toronto, your rifle should wind up at the separate "large luggage" desk not the regular baggage carousel, so keep an eye out for it. Somebody will be there waiting, and will conduct you to a separate area where Border Service people will check your firearm and take a $25 fee from you. This is where you show them your RCMP Form 909 that you've downloaded and completed in advance:

 

It's simple and straightforward, just basic facts about you and your firearm(s). Once signed off, it becomes your temporary gun licence for the duration of your stay, allows you to buy ammo etc. Again, I take a copy of the PDF file as backup.

 

Then you collect your rental car and head for them thar groundhogs! Or in my case this last trip, get snarled up in the Toronto rush hour just going a little east on the 401, north up the 400 to Vaughan to check out Bass Pro Shops, opened subsequent to my previous trip. It's huge by UK standards, nothing remotely as good here, but frankly I was disappointed, not the same range of stuff as the big US stores... (It puzzles me why the only Canadian branches of Cabelas are out West – they really need one near Toronto.)

 

Hassles - will you get hassled by anti-gun jobsworths? In my limited experience, if you do the really quite simple procedures outlined above, smile, act relaxed, the only minor hassles you might experience will be caused by the almost total ignorance of firearms you will encounter. The overwhelming majority of airline staff and airport security people I've dealt with have known next to nothing about guns and shooting. You might need to show them which end of the gun is which, where the bullets go, the location of the serial number; you might have to answer questions like, "Hey! Whaddya shoot with this - ducks?" As someone handles your high velocity rifle... The Canadian Border Services people in particular are very friendly and relaxed - they too probably know very little about guns, but hey, it's Canada, outdoor sporting HQ. No problems with them at all. On my first trip I made the mistake of carrying my rifle bolt separately since this has always seemed sensible practice. Don't do it! Gun parts alarm the ignorant: a couple of turbanned security gents at Toronto were so alarmed they called the Mounties - who were on my side, and we chatted about guns in a friendly way, but the security goons were not mollified. Keep your rifle all together in its hard case. (nb My case is just a Doskocil "Gun Guard" plastic job I bought years ago - it's survived multiple Atlantic crossings perfectly well.)

 

Afterthoughts, re cars 'n' booze: in Ontario it's illegal to shoot out of a vehicle, or to use one as a rest. And drinking alcohol outdoors, away from a private residence or licenced premises, is illegal... OTOH regular gas is well under a quid a litre, and booze is a bit cheaper than here. And you can ask for ice, and buy it or get it free in motels, without staff head-scratching and glances that suggest you're weird to want such a thing...

 

HTH - Tony

[flyingfisherman]

Tony - Fantastic informative answer on that.. Something ive always wanted to do, especially with my own rifle opposed to going through an outfitter and using their rifles..

 

Food for thought indeed!

 

Thanks again.

 

FFM

[brown dog]

Tony,

Fantastic explanation.

Looks like I'll be blowing the dust off my Manitoba Hunter Safety Certificate!

[nemasis243]

Great read thanks for that and glad you had a great time

[Tank]

I really enjoyed red padding that account Tony. Thanks a lot for sharing. It looks like a great place to shoot. Perhaps I should re-establish communications with my family out there!

[dannywayoflife]

Thanks for that account! I have a friend who lives in Ontario he has in the past invited me out there to do some hunting after reading this I might just have to take him up on it!

[MOOSE]

Hi Tony,

Re the groundhogs - I really enjoyed your post, a couple of questions, are they edible, do they tend to share the same ground as the smaller prarie dogs ie would it be feasible to combine a hunt for both in the same area,

Many Thanks

[TonyH]

I have a contact in North Dakota whom I recently met through the "Long Range Hunting Forum" arranging a prairie dog trip for me next year, there is a major problem with them in North Dakota as you can see in the map below.

 

Prairie Dog Hunting.

 

I have never been before but its is supposed to frantic shooting with an average day consuming 200+ rounds. I am hoping to spend 2 or 3 days shooting them whilst on a North West flydrive.

 

There are a lot of companies out there that can organise these trips for you too.

 

Prairie Dog Hunting.

 

Ronny, I too would like to have a go at prairie dogs, but it's a completely different game to groundhogs. I've been reading about both for many years, probably since I was at school when a friend used to get Field & Stream sent to him by an uncle in the States... The only PDs I've seen were in Paignton Zoo! Tiny things compared with groundhogs, but even so, PD specialists often hit them at improbable distances; as you say it can entail a lot of rounds down range every day, and I've frequently seen ammo consumption figures up around 500 rounds in a day, or even more. Clearly, it's not a game for anyone concerned about barrel life! It's one of the reasons why enthusiasts are increasingly turning to tuned semi-autos such as custom AR-15s, for fast repeat shots.

My friend Henrik in Canada has of course tried it - his first advice would be to ask if there are chiggers, before shooting prone - he and his wife had an attack of chiggers (tiny bugs that burrow beneath your skin to lay eggs) once after prone shooting at PDs and the itching drove them crazy!

Yes, I'd like to try it - though it doesn't have the same appeal for me as groundhogs, partly because 'hogs are bigger but mainly because 'hog hunting takes place in mixed farmland, with hay fields and trees, rock piles, hedges & fences, while PD hunting is out on the comparatively featureless plains, where it is usually windy too.

But give it a go if you possibly can - I certainly will, one day. Do you read The Varmint Hunter? Always stuff in there about PDs.

Regards, Tony

[TonyH]

Hi Tony,

Re the groundhogs - I really enjoyed your post, a couple of questions, are they edible, do they tend to share the same ground as the smaller prarie dogs ie would it be feasible to combine a hunt for both in the same area,

Many Thanks

 

Moose, thanks.Yes, I believe 'hogs are perfectly edible - like squirrels they eat a healthy diet and probably taste a bit like chicken & rabbit combined. But I doubt if many people ever bother... No, PDs and groundhogs are in very different types of country, 'hogs in (typically) rolling farm country such as Pennsylvania and Ontario, PDs out on the plains of the Dakotas, Montana and so on. A double hunt would be a great idea but I think you'd have to transfer between widely separated locations. However, the very similar rockchuck seems to be found further west than its groundhog cousin, so that might be a possibility to combine with PDs without massive extra travelling. I don't know enough about it to offer detailed advice, but would be interested in whatever your researches uncover. Might try doing something similar myself one day...

Regards, Tony

[MOOSE]

Moose, thanks.Yes, I believe 'hogs are perfectly edible - like squirrels they eat a healthy diet and probably taste a bit like chicken & rabbit combined. But I doubt if many people ever bother... No, PDs and groundhogs are in very different types of country, 'hogs in (typically) rolling farm country such as Pennsylvania and Ontario, PDs out on the plains of the Dakotas, Montana and so on. A double hunt would be a great idea but I think you'd have to transfer between widely separated locations. However, the very similar rockchuck seems to be found further west than its groundhog cousin, so that might be a possibility to combine with PDs without massive extra travelling. I don't know enough about it to offer detailed advice, but would be interested in whatever your researches uncover. Might try doing something similar myself one day...

Regards, Tony

 

 

Tony,thanks again for your reply

[foxshot]

Sounds and looks like you had a fantastic time some very useful info as well as how to go about it,hope to experience some overseas shooting myself before i am pushing up the dasies

[Toby]

Hi Tony, thanks for posting a great account of your trip. I enjoyed reading it. Sounds like you had a great time and that the Tac 20 worked well for you. I also agree that for me personally, the woodchucks would get priority over the PD's.

[TonyH]

Thanks for the fresh comments. Yes, I enjoyed myself a lot, Canada gives me the best varmint hunting I've ever experienced. Looking forward to my next trip, whenever that might be.

We get some great accounts here of long-distance varminting by e.g. si-snipe, richness, Sir Slots and others, with pics and videos; can't recall seeing any foreign varmint hunts written up, though this might be my failing memory... Some guys must have done this, and I personally would be very interested to hear from them. I used to be acquainted with someone (met him once, corresponded) who was having a varmint rifle built in (I think) 6.5 Swedish to take to S.Africa for baboons. Now that's something I'd really like to do - though offhand I'd prefer maybe 22-250AI or 6mm AI.

Regards, Tony