The farm that is the "groundhog honeyhole" of all time has now rendered up 172 groundhogs so far this year(March 21st until yesterday) We're at 259 total for the year and still have the "sweet stash" left to hunt late August/first September.............not hunted in 2010 yet!! Shot 21 there yesterday in less than 4 hours even with temps in the 90's. Everything yesterday was 22-250's and provided some acrobatics and "dead flops" even with a couple that would probably be in that 12-13 lb range. I am computer illiterate so cannot post pics even tho I have some. Sorry! Having fun shooting just can't take time to learn how to post pics!! GHD

U R as bad as I posting pics.

ghd, you ever need backup, i am not far away from ya.

With me driving back and fourth between NC and WV on a regular basis, im probably pretty close to you. I would like to come up and take out some hogs with the 204 and also take some shots to post up!

GHD,
Does the season continue to be a good one?

lc, Yes the season continues to be good! There have been a couple more outings on that one farm since I posted. The total is now 202 for that one farm. Bobby joined the forum and he put a post on and spoke of our "safari" this weekend. We shot this evening and got 15 at the place we hadn't hunted at all this year. We will hunt tomorrow also and should have a bunch more. I have pictures but unable to post. Maybe I can send them to a member and they will post. The Fireball made 4 consecutive confirmed kills at 317,312,375 and 369 yards this evening! Not bad for a little gun!GHD

Woodchuck hunting had been the best rifle sport for me. For years we had chucks to shoot. Its an accurate rifle sport.

Then the coyote came here to New England. The coyote has wiped out the good woodchuck hunting. Its a great loss.

We always used to see a chuck with its den in the middle of a meadow. Those are gone. There are still a few chucks here and there hiding under the farmers barn.

CR, I think the coyote problem has been overstated as far as woodchuck(groundhog,whistlepig) populations declining. Last year there were 82 coyotes killed on the farm where I hunted today and will hunt tomorrow. This year so far as of 1/1/10- 8/28/10 there have been 51 coyotes killed on that farm. We killed 15 chucks today, saw a bunch more, missed several and tomorrow expect to shoot 30+. Even the farmer/hunter/shooter landowner doesn't think the coyotes have had a terrible effect on the groundhog population. At the farm where we have shot 202 so far this year, coyotes are a common sighting and hearing them is a daily occurrence. If they were as detrimental as some believe, I don't think we would have had the success we have experienced at that location. Don't get me wrong. I think coyotes eat groundhogs but not to the extent they are blamed for. Where I am hunting today and tomorrow is sheep country and there have been coyotes here longer than anywhere else in the state. They started coyote programs back in the 70's here and a lot of the rest of VA never had a coyote until the late 80's or 90's. GHD

Since you seem to have both plentiful chucks and have coyotes too in VA perhaps the lack of woodchucks here in Southern New England has been caused by something else?

I go back to about 1955 on this when I got woodchucks here. There were no coyotes here then. They came here about 10 years ago or so.

I may ask the DEP here or perhaps someone will chime in with the reason.

I've been thinking about the decline and wonder if the use of Roundup to clear fence rows has had anything to do with it.

GH, What would be your estimation of # of groundhogs per the acre over the part of the farm that you guys are hunting?