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SingleShotLover Super Member
Joined: Dec 26, 2007 Posts: 1005 Location: Illinois
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Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 11:17 am Post subject: First groundhog of the year |
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And "first blood" for my Ruger .45 Colt restoration. Saw this critter creeping along my fence line. I was able to sneak to within 25 yards without him seeing me and get into a steady position. A cast 255-grain RNFP at 850 fps did the rest. If you look real close, you might be able to see the entrance wound right above the rear sight. The exit isn't suitable for a family-friendly forum.
Hope the year continues like this!
_________________ If you can't hit it with one, you probably can't with two either!
The biggest problem with a closed mind is that it never seems to come with a closed mouth.
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lesterg3 Super Member
Joined: Nov 30, 2008 Posts: 1328 Location: Dixie
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Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 1:14 pm Post subject: Re: First groundhog of the year |
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Nice chunky chuck. Good going.
_________________ "A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine. "--Thomas Jefferson
The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government. -- Thomas Jefferson
"Americans have the right and advantage of being armed - unlike the citizens of other countries whose governments are afraid to trust the people with arms."--James Madison
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." Thomas Jefferson.
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Aloysius Super Member
Joined: Nov 03, 2009 Posts: 2440 Location: B., Belgium
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Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 1:29 pm Post subject: Re: First groundhog of the year |
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Is a .45 LC enough gun for such a nasty creature?
I think it's good thinking: a bigger bullet means less space to miss...
nice shooting!
And sneaking till within 25 yards? At that distance they'll hear the cracking of my bones when they are not freshly oiled.
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Ominivision1 Super Member
Joined: Sep 20, 2010 Posts: 2984 Location: Iowa
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Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 1:47 pm Post subject: Re: First groundhog of the year |
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Good shooting there, never got that close to a live one!!
_________________ Regards
Limitations are but boundaries created inside our minds. |
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slimjim Super Member
Joined: May 16, 2009 Posts: 8316 Location: Fort Worth TX
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Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 8:30 pm Post subject: Re: First groundhog of the year |
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that is one BIG woodchuck!! Congrats, SSL!
_________________ "To anger a conservative, lie to him. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth." - Theodore Roosevelt
"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." - Albert Einstein |
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Elvis Super Member
Joined: Jul 27, 2008 Posts: 9261 Location: south island New Zealand
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Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 8:33 pm Post subject: Re: First groundhog of the year |
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very nice. that ruger looks fine too, good on you for getting it out and using it so much more of a challenge than a rifle.
_________________ You shot it You pluck it !
Them who eats the most duck eats the most feathers! |
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Vince Site Admin
Joined: May 25, 2005 Posts: 15725 Location: Brisbane AUSTRALIA
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lesterg3 Super Member
Joined: Nov 30, 2008 Posts: 1328 Location: Dixie
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 3:19 am Post subject: Re: First groundhog of the year |
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Slimjim and Vince bring up an interesting point about the size of the critter. I lived and hunted in SW Michigan for 18 years and now I'm in South Carolina and the difference in the size of the wildlife is interesting. Deer in Michigan were twice as big in general as they are here, and squirrels 2 to 3 times larger then here. Haven't ever seen a SC chuck so nothing to compare there.
Has anyone else noticed the size difference?
_________________ "A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine. "--Thomas Jefferson
The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government. -- Thomas Jefferson
"Americans have the right and advantage of being armed - unlike the citizens of other countries whose governments are afraid to trust the people with arms."--James Madison
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." Thomas Jefferson.
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SingleShotLover Super Member
Joined: Dec 26, 2007 Posts: 1005 Location: Illinois
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2012 8:23 am Post subject: Re: First groundhog of the year |
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Aloysius wrote: |
Is a .45 LC enough gun for such a nasty creature? |
I'm an equal opportunity 'chuck shooter...I usually use one of my .17 Remingtons. If it gets them off my property, I'd use a hand-grenade!
The story behind this one is that there has been an abandoned house across the road and down a hundred yards or so from my place. It has been empty for probably 20 years and the critters (skunks, opossums, groundhogs and racoons are simply over-running the place. Now they are trying to find more space and unfortunately I'm it. I'm pretty sure this groundhog is the one I have been watching grow bigger every year for the last 4 years. He has always been too smart to let me get a shot and I usually only see him when the season is closed. I'm guessing that the sudden bit of nice weather made him decide to do a little lady-groundhog hunting and his mind wasn't necessarily on survival. Come to think of it, I've known a few human males that description fits.
Lester...I can't recall the name of the theory, but it proves that northern animals tend to grow bigger than those in southern zones as a heat-generating mechanism for the cold. What you noticed has basis in fact.
_________________ If you can't hit it with one, you probably can't with two either!
The biggest problem with a closed mind is that it never seems to come with a closed mouth.
SSL |
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Elvis Super Member
Joined: Jul 27, 2008 Posts: 9261 Location: south island New Zealand
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Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2012 3:58 am Post subject: Re: First groundhog of the year |
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theory goes something along the lines of... bigger animal has LESS surface area to body weight than a smaller one so it can stand more extremes in temp.
_________________ You shot it You pluck it !
Them who eats the most duck eats the most feathers! |
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hunterjoe21 Super Member
Joined: Mar 30, 2007 Posts: 1486 Location: Miles City, Montana
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Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2012 8:19 am Post subject: Re: First groundhog of the year |
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lesterg3 wrote: |
Slimjim and Vince bring up an interesting point about the size of the critter. I lived and hunted in SW Michigan for 18 years and now I'm in South Carolina and the difference in the size of the wildlife is interesting. Deer in Michigan were twice as big in general as they are here, and squirrels 2 to 3 times larger then here. Haven't ever seen a SC chuck so nothing to compare there.
Has anyone else noticed the size difference? |
One theory is referred to as "Bergmann's Rule", although there are several other schools of thought.
_________________ My 1911 is more effective than your 911. |
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SingleShotLover Super Member
Joined: Dec 26, 2007 Posts: 1005 Location: Illinois
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hunterjoe21 Super Member
Joined: Mar 30, 2007 Posts: 1486 Location: Miles City, Montana
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Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2012 1:22 pm Post subject: Re: First groundhog of the year |
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SingleShotLover wrote: |
hunterjoe21 wrote: |
One theory is referred to as "Bergmann's Rule", although there are several other schools of thought. |
That's the one I was trying to remember! Thanks! It's rough getting old. |
No problem...
Nice shootin' by the way. I haven't seen any live whistlepigs yet this year, but did see a dead one along the road this week. Seems as though they like the warmth of the asphalt.
I have 75 pieces of 22-250 brass ready to load for woodchucks, I just gotta clean the "winter accumulation" of the reloading bench.
_________________ My 1911 is more effective than your 911. |
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SingleShotLover Super Member
Joined: Dec 26, 2007 Posts: 1005 Location: Illinois
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Elvis Super Member
Joined: Jul 27, 2008 Posts: 9261 Location: south island New Zealand
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Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 1:33 am Post subject: Re: First groundhog of the year |
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I wonder if he would be adverse to having it removed??? the local fire brigade just love to have a controlled burn of a house it is great training for them.
_________________ You shot it You pluck it !
Them who eats the most duck eats the most feathers! |
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