Henry Rifle Forums

We have a groundhog problem. This is the worst year in a long time. I have a few acres mostly wooded. If they stay down by the woods I leave them alone. But when they are everywhere or they start for house or porch then they need to be dealt with. I've already had one bust up the lattice already this year to get under the front porch. Every evening lately they are everywhere. Just this afternoon I saw 4 or more adults and 3 juveniles.

So I took a break to get the GB and sit on the back porch for a while. The porch is elevated about 10'-12' above the yard which slopes away from the house. I can safely shoot down most anywhere in the yard. A miss hits the ground. Nothing behind us except woods and fields. I'm out there a lot so most critters from the hogs to deer don't pay me much mind on the porch.

So anyway I loaded a few rounds of American Eagle 38gr copper plated HP 22 lr. It didn't take long before a juvy came up from the wood pile. He was facing me and I was above him. I shot him in the front quarter. It went through him mostly length wise. He was down and twitching. I stood up and shot once more to the head and it was over. Quick and clean. About 30 yds. With the peep sights it was pretty easy to make a precise shot. 1st time I've shot a Groundhog with a 22. I usually use the 44 special.

I walked down with the pitch fork to launch the carcass over the hill. It'll be gone by morning. They always are.

I was surprised at the damage done by those little hollow points. Just opened the little critter up. The 1st shot was 100% kill. The 2nd just made it die a little quicker. I'll be doing this most evenings for a week or so till I get the population under control some. I figure I need to take out at least 1/2 dozen.

The Golden Boy has now proven it is as effective as it is pretty!

Congrats, and that is a beautiful rifle.

Congratulations, +2 on your rifle. I have shot a lot of ground hogs with a .22, mostly with my old Springfield single shot with Winchester Wildcat.

I knew these beauties were good for more than paper punching.

Nice job on that pest. I've only used a .22 lr on those pests. Sometimes a .22 pellet if it's from strong hitting air rifle.

I'm glad to see your Henry is a "game" getter as well as a looker.

Dang. You are going g back to your country roots. Sitting in a rocker on the back porch picking off varmints, all you need is a corn cob pipe.

Might be like uncle Jed and strike oil.

Hack wrote:Dang. You are going g back to your country roots. Sitting in a rocker on the back porch picking off varmints, all you need is a corn cob pipe.

Yup. You'll be a good ol' boy before long.

Wish I had a ground hog problem.

ditto1958 wrote:

Hack wrote:Dang. You are going g back to your country roots. Sitting in a rocker on the back porch picking off varmints, all you need is a corn cob pipe.

Yup. You'll be a good ol' boy before long.

I always have been! I grew up in the sticks not here in the east.

Sir Henry wrote:Wish I had a ground hog problem.

No you don't. They are destructive little buggers. I have a huge wrap around porch. it took me years to get it sealed off from their digging under it. I have a friend who's Father in Law had a porch collapse in a rain storm because they had done so much mining under it. Every time there are more than a few of them around they start looking for a low, protected place to burrow. Under sheds, porches, garages. It's a constant PIA.

Got 4 more tonight and haven't dented the population just in my backyard. Just crazy! When I shot the last one of the evening there were 5 others in the yard at the same time. I saw at least 3 or 4 litters it seems today. I have eliminated one of these so far.

When you get all those, come on to my place. I have several that are just tearing my place apart and I can't seem to catch up to them.

Get them all, or as many as you can. You are right, they are very destructive. Glad to hear the goldenboy is doing a good job.

A friend of mine probably 15 years ago thought he shot his toes off when bushwhacking a ground hog in his garden.

He was setting in a recliner on the porch waiting for the ground hog to show himself. When the ground hog did stick its head up Bob took careful aim and touched off the 243. He got the groundhog but had tremendous pain in his foot. The muzzle was so close to his toes that the muzzle blast instantly melted the nylon sock. He was a while getting those burns healed up. RIP Bob. miss hearing about the things you did.

I try to leave the Lazy-Boy in the house.

I now have competition. This is Ginger. She lives next door. When she is laying in this spot she is hunting groundhogs.


She is the groundhog huntingest machine I have ever seen! She doesn't just hunt and kill them she eats them too. She wastes nothing. We have vids of her cracking skulls with her teeth to get to the tasty stuff. When she gets one the next day you might find a stray bone or tuft of hair. I think she killed 6 last summer that we know of.

She is very patient. She sits in that spot on the hill for hours and just waits until she knows she can run and get between them and escape into the woods. Then she is off like a shot. She gets between them and the woods the starts barking and lunging. This is to get them lined up for a neck strike. 2 good shakes and it's dinner time. She hasn't been over much lately but must have heard me shooting. Dinner bell. She is getting old. But when she was young she was the fastest running dog I have ever seen. We think she is about 1/2 greyhound. Best woods dog I have ever known bar none.

I hope between the two of you, the groundhogs give up and go somewhere else.

Thanks for sharing the story.

And Welcome to the Forum from the Show-Me-State.

Steve wrote:A friend of mine probably 15 years ago thought he shot his toes off when bushwhacking a ground hog in his garden.

He was setting in a recliner on the porch waiting for the ground hog to show himself. When the ground hog did stick its head up Bob took careful aim and touched off the 243. He got the groundhog but had tremendous pain in his foot. The muzzle was so close to his toes that the muzzle blast instantly melted the nylon sock. He was a while getting those burns healed up. RIP Bob. miss hearing about the things you did.

daytime dave wrote:I hope between the two of you, the groundhogs give up and go somewhere else.

Didn't even see one today. I think we have made them skittish. Wiping out your off spring will do that!

Came home from the grocery today and Ginger was strutting around showing off her latest groundhog! It was a big one. Before I could get the camera she had carried it off and stashed it for a while.

I've gotten a couple of more as well. Still way too many left.