first groundhog of the year....pics

[mauser06]

today i didnt work after school so i went and sat at some of my groundhog fields since it was a beautiful day...pulled in and talked to my friends mom to let her know i was there...and looked in the field and one was standing up...he came back out a while later....came BLASTING out of the brush into the field...i couldnt believe how big it was....i had to make sure it wasnt my friends dog before shooting no lie....then it stood up and looked at me....put the crosshairs on his throat and fired.....fell down i worked the bolt fast as i ever did...got back on him and he bolted back to his hole in the brush....dont know if i hit him...doubt it....just shocked him i think...but no idea how i missed....only 175-200yds out i think....hes a smart old hog....he knew i was there somehow....must been watching me from the hole in the brush...i couldnt see it at the time...but found it later..he had to be a 15+lber....id honestly say he came upto my knees easy standing...so i moved to another field....pulled in and saw 2 take off....i had to meet my buddy at 430 so i didnt have long....set up the stix and scanned the area i saw them in....one was still there....feeding..barely seeing his back....finally he stood up 15mins later.....put it on his lungs(standing broadside) and let him have it....the ole mauser in 3006 dropped him....i thought it was only about 100...but man....i stepped it off and came to 175 long stretched paces....which i measured once and it was real close to a yard.......crazy how it looks close over a long flat field....heres a link to his pic....*warning*....its the EXIT wound of a 150gr 30cal bullet...... theres a few other pics from today if you goto page 4 of my hunting pics.... http://community.webshots.com/photo/...17741520jVcXZK ......good to break the ice today.....

[Red Hawk]

I checked out the site, very cool

Good shot on that groundhog. I doubt he felt too much after that one

[mauser06]

thanx for checkin out the pics....i update all the time when i hunt or fish...check it once in a while...link is in my sig pic....thats how all my hogs look after gettin barked at by the mauser....thats why i know i missed the big one....or just grazed him...i really hope i didnt wound him bad and he dies in the hole....hes huge....i want him weighed....and im not tellin my buddy about it whos farm it is....he missed him last year....that hog is SMART...sneaks on a knoll of a hill so shots are hard to come by....and hes always standing up and looking.....one of the few hogs ive seen around here that are ALWAYS looking around.....most burry there heads in the grass and eat away...i cant get em to stand most of the time....seems i miss most standing shots...even though horozontaly im always on...figure standing i have more verticle error....who knows....they definently dont feel anything after bein bite by the mauser.....cant wait...maybe tomarow after work ill head back out....i dont know....im sure ill be beat....i got all summer.......i just want to get a few before the hay grows and trout and turkey seasons are here.......after that ill have to wait till probably june or so for the first cut.......

[live2hunt743]

Nice shot, wow, dont think he felt very much. But I took a gander at the pic. of one of the fields and i was wondering how many hogs you have out there? also, what kind of grain is enough for a hog? stupid questions, i know, but i've never hunted them. looks fun though.

[mauser06]

ive killed grounghogs with 22lrs...im shooting my deer rifle...3006 with 150gr bullets.....if i reloaded id load some really light 30cal bullets..but i dont...223, 22-250s ect are more suited for long range hog shooting....but i dont own one....and the 3006 is all i got that will reach out and touch them.....way overkill.....but it works dont it??? that field is the one i missed the big one out of.....theres more field to the left of the pic.....another...200yds or so and 200yds out.....we killed about 10 out of it last year.....thats just ONE of our many fields....more fields above there.....across the road.....down the road....and many many other places....its a blast laying in a field playing sniper.....waiting for the shot opprotunity....and touching off on a hog way out there.....

[i shoot stuff]

sweet

[ImportSlayer503]

this is my first real year of seriously hunting the bastards, i've killed em before and have two rifles more than capable... i got the gear, what tactics/tips can you guys give me? anything helps...

[mauser06]

hmmm tips...find fields they use....look for their holes....look for their trails coming out of the wood line....some live right in the field...some will hide in the woods and come into the field to eat....i kinda like my friends farm because theres many fields in a small area....i can just keep walking around setting up and blasting the one thats out....then moving to the next field to let that one cool down....but if i have a field with many holes ill set up and watch the holes.....my favorite field had about 6 diffrent colonies of them things.....many holes for each colony...wasnt 20 mins between shots....best time to go is evening imo.....but they can be seen all day usually.....just seems most come out in the evening when it cools off some....probably mornings too....but i know farmers dont want to listen to the 06 barking all morning at sunrise...so i wait till later in the day to head out....try to set up in the woodline or something...they can see well.....wear your camo....try to sit as still as you can....but keep glassing....between clumps of dirt and hay ect them spots could be hogs or dirt ect.....my eye actaully gets tired..i dont own a good spotting scope or binos....so i just use my rifle scope....and it takes a toll on my eyeball!! good luck