First Real 'Chuck Hunt In Years

[Unlicensed Dremel]

The supposed "logic" is that if the lead male is killed the group may split into two groups, each with it's own breeding male and the population will increase faster than the single group. Even if that's true, I'm quite sure that "KILL THEM ALL!" would be a better strategy than "Don't kill them so we can make sure we kill them!"

Ha, ha, lefty logic.... Lemme guess - they're gonna catch them all and neuter them, then release! Lefties love that - performing spay and castration surgeries on deer - seems like it was NJ or NY back then too - maybe MD - some gun-hating place.

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

Well, it may just be that those explosive result with the BK were just outliers on the randomness scale.



I got 3 more the other day, at ranges from about 75, 150 and exactly 270 yards and the results were about like I expect from the V-Max.



The 150 yard was the most violent. (Warning graphic)
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/08/a9ygu2a5.jpg



The 270 yarded looked almost like I scared it to death:

 

[22-rimfire]

Sounds like you had a great day. After moving away from PA, I haven't hunted a chuck since. I miss it. Looked forward to groundhog hunting every year then. June and early July, essentially after the hay is cut and still hadn't grown more than 6-8" is the best time and the little ones are big enough to fend for them selves by then.

 

[Doyle]

Rimfire, don't you have some chucks in TN?

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

June and early July, essentially after the hay is cut and still hadn't grown more than 6-8" is the best time and the little ones are big enough to fend for them selves by then.

Yeah, we're just about at the end of the first "season". Grass will be too tall soon and already is in places. They'll cut it again in a couple weeks and we'll be good to go for another month or so.

 

[Colorado Redneck]

Brian--The 39 BK is a great bullet for a .204. They are accurate, have a good BC and hit hard at a long distance. I shot a coyote last fall at a fair distance--maybe 125 yards--can't recall how far. The 39 gr. BK entered the critter in the ribs and didn't exit. Coyote went into the "death spiral" thingie and then fell over dead.

The first .204 Ruger I had loved the 35 gr. Berger bullets best. They would shred prairie dogs as good as the BK's in my opinion. And were super accurate out of that gun.

I agree about not burning up the barrel if you like the gun. Super velocities are kind of like fast cars--they just cause trouble.

Great to hear you had a fun day. Hope you get some more like this one!

 

[Picher]

I used to love hunting chucks in fields, but now they're mostly in the woods, on golf courses, and along controlled-access highways. The combination of hunting pressure, coyotes, and farmer poisoning, are probably responsible.

We started hunting chucks while we were teenagers, as practice for deer hunting. I used a Savage 110, 30-06, with a 2.5x Weaver scope. I averaged 220 yards for the 15 or so chucks I killed that spring.

 

[kayakersteve]

Mostly gone here...

As a teenager in western NY, the grape farmers paid me to shoot the woodchucks. Got $1.00 per tail. Some days were very profitable. Nowadays, I take my son out in the same areas and we are lucky to see one or two woodchucks after a lot of walking. Always been told it was due to coyotes, but never knew why for sure.