Memorial Day groundhogs

[Glen]

Diane & I went out yesterday for a looksee around our killing fields. There were a couple hay fields mowed & the beans are sprouting up nicely now. Hopefully we get some of the rain that is heading our way now. We seen one big hog that made the hole along the woods in a hayfield & it never came back out. So we drove to another farm about 30 minutes away. As we pulled in we seen 2 in the yard of the old farm house & one out back around the barns. Luckily we had a couple rimfires per the Huntress' request. She wanted to have her 17M2 just in case these fields weren't mowed. That way we could shoot around the barns & other outbuildings. We drove out back & waited for an hour but nothing popped out in the semi mowed field. So we drove back out. When we got to the gate Diane walked around an old car & checked the backside of a building. There was a youngun out. She loaded the M2 & walked back over. It was still out. She shouldered the rifle flipping the safety off at the same time & within seconds of getting a good cheek weld she popped it!! 10yds but it was here 1st stalked groundhog!!





I walked out to the front & checked on those 2. One wasn't out so I walked over & found it's hole. This one should prove challenging getting a safe angle with the house & road there but it can be done from 1 spot only. I walked along the front of the house to the opposite side & as I peeked around the bushes I seen a little rascal. There was a motorcycle coming & I knew it would look up so I waited. When the bike past it looked up & went right back to feeding again. I stepped out from behind the bush with the Marlin 17HMR shouldered & on fire. It sat up & looked toward the road & I drilled. 15yd shot thru the chest.





I took the little bugger back to the truck for the photo-op & went over to see how Diane was doing. She was still waiting on the other one to come back out. I told her I was gonna grab my chair & sticks & walk over to another spot & as I was telling her where I would be this BIG male came out of the bushes at 20yds. She locked in immedialtely like a shark in the water smelling blood & popped him in the head with the M2!! This was a big hog & luckily she wasn't undergunned!!


Head shot with the M2 at 20yds sure did the deed!!




I went over to my spot & Diane stayed put telling me the other one was a baby & not that big male. So as I'm watching the weedline for the other hog Diane comes up behind me & asks ahy I didn't shoot the other one out in front of me to my right. Then she realized I couldn't see it thru the brush pile. So I told her to walk straight toward the power pole & when she got there to just side step to her left with the rifle shouldered & on fire & pop it. And she did!! Stalked groundhog #2 in the books!! Just a tad shy of the 35yd mark & offhand!!


This is her take for the day. The middle groundhog was the last one. The M2 bloodied it all up on the underside.





In closing,, and for the few that are still reading ,, I really like the M2 for around the outbuildings & live stock. At 60yds it is death on a laser line & the report doesn't bother anything. Not the sheep or the cattle. The farmer only heard 1 shot out of 3 inside the barn behind us. The 17gr V-Max left no exit holes,, and hasn't yet,, at these short distances & everytime it has jellied the insides tremendously. On the big hog it busted the skull all up.

[Rick in Oregon]

Well Glen, that looks to be a nice little outing with your wife. Mine used to go and spot PD's for me.....you're fortunate yours is into shooting critters, mine will only shoot inanimate targets.

Nice offhand shooting in any man's book! Thanks for sharing the adventure.

[Glen]

Thanks Rick!! I am lucky in that she shoots groundhogs with me too. Heck she went coyote hunting with me back in NMarch with her FireBall & enjoyed it so much she wants to go out again this fall!! But alas I'm bragging now aren't I??

It's great that Mrs RIO shoots tho. Even if it's just paper. I think it's cool to see a Woman behind a gun.

And Diane popped another one that was laying in the hole this afternoon too checking her out with one beady little eyeball. She walked up to within 10-12 yards & did the deed. 17M2 busts another one!! I didn't feel the need,, or the urge,, to go elbow deep in the hole to retrieve it for a pic. We don't know exactly where the 3 younguns were holed up at.

[Sth Oz Dan]

Nice story Glen. Thanks for the read.
My girl has absolutely no interest in shooting, despite her being a very good shot the one time she had a go. I could spend hours with her waiting for foxes to run by if she did shoot. At least I've got my brother for those outings. And she will shine the spotlight around home because it means we're protecting her chooks.

[Glen]

Thanks Dan. Diane had little interest in guns when we 1st got together. But then she shot the Ruger MKII att he range one day. A natural I tell ya!! Her 1st 35yd group of 10 was just under 2". And each group shrank after that til she got them down to 1" for a 10 shot string!!