Dealing with Problem Groundhogs

D

Darren R

New member
My stepdad's sister has a problem with groundhogs tearing up her garden from about May to late September. While she would rather trap them (she has tried and does not move them far enough away) my stepdad has given me permission to shoot them since they create holes around the property. Noise is an issue and I am more than likely going to use a .22 rimfire, shots will be short, maybe 30 yards since they walk right by the garage where we are always working. Would a .22 short work at these ranges or would a long rifle be more suited?
 
shorts probably just dont have the gusto to get the job done. even 22lr can be a difficult one shot on something that size. obviously shot placement will be key.

i've taken a couple with 22lr subsonic HPs and they make em dead, but with any critter that size when shooting with a 22lr my philosophy for a long time as been "keep shooting until they quit wiggling"

good luck!
 
If noise is an issue it may be hard to use an effective round. Even a full power 22 LR is barely enough, crawl offs are likely.

Trapping should be much more effective, if the goal is to eliminate them. I'd use a sturdy leg hold and anchor it so it can't be pulled in the hole. Then use 'Super Colibri' 22 ammo for dispatch, or a shovel.
 
You can also get an airgun more than capable to stop them in their tracks. Of course then you will have a whole new hobby as airguns can be quite addicting. That said, unless you are shooting a bunch of groundhogs in a row the pop from a 22lr shot here or there is manageable.

.22 airgun Benjamin NP Trail XL - clean kill with headshots. A breeze at 30 yards.

JHGKHX4.jpg
 
Last edited:
Shoot them out of the trap. A 22 short will work great at that distance. It seems trapping is working on some of them anyways.
 
I second the air rifle recommendation, with a good quality rifle you can dispatch of many varmint and game animals at a fraction of the cost of .22 ammo especially with the inflated prices we are seeing now. Pellets can be found at any sporting goods store or even walmart. Although I will also warn you they are addicting I just ordered another last week, I should be receiving it soon. Good luck and happy hunting.
 
I third the air rifle... and you have not experienced a New addiction like you will with a GOOD air rifle...it puts the fun back into shooting...ENJOY.
 
I have not tried these on groundhogs. They are accurate and work VERY WELL on feral cats and the occasional crow in the backyard. Possibly use them for head shots on the groundhogs. You will need to re-sight your rifle, as they shoot a bit lower. I have a .22 dedicated to the CB, CB Long, Quiet-22. They all shoot to the same point of aim in my rifle.
http://www.cci-ammunition.com/products/detail.aspx?use=3&loadNo=960

I haven't shot/tried these yet. These should work VERY WELL also. They are a bit pricey.
http://www.cci-ammunition.com/products/detail.aspx?use=2&loadNo=0970

I am using CB Longs on the crows as they SEEM to be more accurate than CB Shorts in my rifle. I will continue to use the CB Longs for crows as the Quiet-22 penetrate better and the Segmented are pricey. I have switched to the Quite-22 Solids and will try the Quiet-22 Segmented for the bigger stuff.
 
my only concern about using the quiet series - even the segmented ones if you can find them - would be the high probability of a crawl off. shot placement would be 100% critical for a DRT type situation. since they're just a CB short in a longer case (identical ballistics), the only difference is the fact that they will feed in magazine fed platforms.

in my experience, groundhogs are a lot tougher than a feral cat or crow.
 
Shot placement has always been #1 for me, no matter what I'm using or shooting at.

Killed lots of them with 22 LR mini mag HP. Best to date is 160 paces.
 
Thanks for all the input. After talking it over, she agreed the best plan is to shoot them rather than trap and relocate. Why she even thought that was the best way is beyond me (too time consuming for me personally). So she's not going to complain about the occasional "pop" from the rifle. The airguns are a good idea as well, but I can't really afford another hobby at the moment.
 
Plant.one Said....
since they're just a CB short in a longer case (identical ballistics), the only difference is the fact that they will feed in magazine fed platforms.

Wrong... the CB's And CB Longs are a 29 grain bullet with 32ft lbs of muzzle energy. The Quiet series are 40 grain with 45ft lbs of muzzle energy. Which is about 40% more muzzle energy. That makes for a big difference in the ballistics. Trajectory IS almost identical. The Quiet-22s hit WAY harder and penetrate much deeper than the CB series.
 
my sumatra air rifle shoots 32 gr pellets at 976 fps, which is like 67 foot pounds of energy... killed wild feral hogs DRT with head shots... should work on groundhogs as well.... and heck... what is one more hobby... just something to look forward too...LOL.
 
I'll try head shots with high velocity hollow points to start and if that doesn't work, there's a 22 mag at a local shop that I've had my eye on.
 
Originally Posted By: Darren RI'll try head shots with high velocity hollow points to start and if that doesn't work, there's a 22 mag at a local shop that I've had my eye on. In that case you need to go get the .22 mag. Another good excuse for another gun. .22 mag is hard to find right now around here.
 
Originally Posted By: yotekiller47[/quote]In that case you need to go get the .22 mag. Another good excuse for another gun. .22 mag is hard to find right now around here.

When you put it that way...
 
Darren:

I killed 57 groundhogs last year; I kill 70-80 most years.

For hunting over a garden and around buildings, I typically use my .22 Rimfire (RF).

The ammunition you want is either the .22 CCI Stinger HP, 32 gr. bullet at 1650FPS or the Aguila .22 LR Super Maximum 30 gr. HP at 1750 FPS. Aim right for the ear (or any where else on the head) and the game is over. Both work well in any .22 RF, although sometimes the first Stinger from the clip can be persnickety to feed (the Stinger case is a smidgeon longer than the typical 22 LR case)

Both the Stinger and Aguila shoot considerably flatter than the typical .22 RF High Velocity so you will likely have to re-sight your scope if it was sighted in shooting .22 Long Rifle Standard or High Velocity.

If Mr. Groundhog shows at 4 PM then it will likely show the next day at 4 PM, so ask your sister to keep her watch handy. [You want to be there at 3:30 and set-up before he comes out] And, they will start to show when the first crops are an inch up after planting...and can chew off the whole row in one feeding.

If a groundhog is eating the garden they will do so all year until the garden is ALL gone, so go get em'! And, there will likely be more than one...so be vigilant after the first kill.
 
Last edited:
Darren- you should really check out a Benjamin Marauder in
25cal. Deadly!!!! And I'm not talking at paces...yards!!!
50 ain't unheard of AT ALL!!! Been there, done that.
 


Write your reply...
Back
Top