Pennsylvania WoodChucks

S

superx

New member
Need some advice, I have a trip out to Eastern Pennsylvania late April and have a Weekend to kill so I thought I would try to do some WoodChuck hunting. Can anyone give me some advise as to where to go and if I need an out of state license (an cost if needed). Also, whats the area like, I live in Oregon and the country is fairly open so there not much worry when using 22-250 or 25-06 on RockChuck over here. Thanks
 
Yes you need a lisence (about 100 dollars,maybe a little more, for non-res) and the big thing you need to know -NO SUNDAY HUNTING!!!!!S.E. pa could be tough to get permission, in the N.E. probably not as hard. Good luck-BUT REMEMBER - WE DO NOT HAVE SUNDAY HUNTING!!!!!
 
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Crow hunting is legal on Sundays in Pa as long as you have the licences and what not.

As for woodchuck, or as alot of us call them, groundhogs, you will have best luck in or close to a vast open area preferably by a bean field. I hunt g-hogs alot here in Pa with a 17hmr, 223, and 25-06 so as you can see by my arsenal shots range from 5 yards to beyond several hundred. Again, this depends on where you hunt. Local farmers around here are generally nice and if you get chatting with them, they will let you wipe out the hogs in thier fields. Make sure you mention safety though as some area's in Pa are being populated unlike how it was back in the day. I like to walk around until I see one on my property but when hunting other land, I will sometimes setup on a place that I know has alot of hogs. At my sister's, I can lay prone on her back porch plinking groundhogs all day out to 250y.

To show you the variety you will get....I have already killed hogs in the middle of the woods. You won't have the best of luck here though and like I said earlier, the bean fields are the best. Many times hogs will live in the 'fenceline' or hedgerow of a field and then go into the actual field to eat and hang out. This is when you will get the shot. I would also recommend a bi-pod. If you dont have one, you can go here to make a set of shooting sticks or as it is called on the site, "bi-fur-pod"..... www.varmintal.com OR www.varmintal.net Under 'page index', click on 'Make a bifurpod'
These are great for when you are out in the field and are pretty simple to make.
By the way, the 22-250 will work excellent for you but if you want them to really fly, the 25-06 is nice /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Edit: When I mentioned crows, it most likely made no sense to anybody who read it. I meant to add that this is one of the animals which is indeed legal to hunt on Sundays.
 
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It will depend on where you hunt as to the firearms you will need. In some counties only rimfires are permitted. In others anything is ok. Some others are split on what you can use. Depends on what part of the county.
Hildy I hunt chucks in Lancaster County. Where are you.
Jeff
 
Hello 19calJeff,

You must be south of me. I'm up here in central Pa....Montour County. The smallest one in the state. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

I hunt in fields ranging from 2 1/2 acres throughout a 50 acre field, or should I say group of fields a few miles from my house.

Looking at your name, I am guessing you have a 19 caliber. How do you like these? I am thinking of somthing smaller and faster (204, 17 Rem, etc). Is the 19 effective on g-hogs at extended range?

Thanks
 
Hildy,
I have a .19 Calhoon (.19 Hornet 0, a .19-223, and a .19 badger (.19/.30 carbine ). my longest chuck was at about 712Yds laser ranged with the .19-223. The .19 Calhoon is a 250 yd. cartridge, and the Badger is a 350-400 yd. cartridge. Just got the Badger this year and have not had it afield yet. These are much more destructive then my .17 Rem. I get .17 velocities with heavier bullets. The .19-223 is pretty close ballistically to the .204.
Jeff
 
I'll be in Allentown April 25- May 6th but don't mind drive several hours to find a good place to hunt. and No I don't have a 19 cal but I wish I did, you never can have to many guns... As far as 22 rim fires, we have RockChuck here in Oregon but their tough and the 22 is a little under gunned. So, having never hunted Eastern Groundhogs, are they up in April? As for RockChucks here, they don't don't like hot weather and are under most of the year except for spring and early summer so I'm not sure how much differnts there is between the two. Again, how open is the farming ground in Pennsylvania, the concern is a safe shooting lane. The ground here is fairly open 100's to 1000's acres so it's not a problem for the most part. Again, thanks for your input! It's to bad about Sunday thou...
 
Memorial Day is the unofficial opening of groundhogs in southeast PA The reason being that it gives the young ones a chance to fend for theirselves. It also helps insure a good supply for the summer and fall.
As far as where to hunt you need to drive around, look for a likely spot, knock on the door and introduce yourself. An out-of-stste license is $101.00.
Jeff
 
"Unofficial" is the word. many land owners will not mind if you shoot before than. Most farmers want them eradicated. I look at it from a sporting point; more 'chucks, more shooting.
Don't take what I say as gospil. Come on and enjoy yourself.
Jeff
 

Maryland doesn't have a season for groundhog, therefore
you can hunt them at anytime without a license including
on Sundays. They have been popping out of their holes on
warm days, but aren't up in full force yet. I can't wait
to get out and shoot a few. I was out last week and found
a lot of fresh dug holes.



PredatorSniper37
 
PA doesn't have a season either. Like I said, memorial day is the "unofficial" opening day in SE PA.
Come to think of it, Maryland is only 11/2 -2 hrs away.
Jeff
 
ive been seeing some sign of chuck activity on scouting trips, yes i scout for groundhogs /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif By April you will find quite a few milling about. I saw one the last few days of February hunting yotes. Some guys around here don't start shooting hogs till June 1st. The area i hunt is an extremely steep slope that the farmer trys to plant with alfalfa, and some of the holes get up to 3 feet around, so that makes for some difficult planting. Therefore, i start shooting when they pop their sleepy little heads out of the ground. I shoot a 22-250 with 50 gr remington v max, eqipped with a bipod and a set of homemade shooting stix. If you would be concerned on the whole shooting a mama , just drop a firecracker down the hole, and when it comes up it wont hear u coming, so u can grab it and check what sex it is quick. heh just kidding,...... bottle rockets work better.. nah, have a good time and good shooting
 
Same Story here in Oregon the farmer sometime buy the ammo, RockChuck and sage rats are big problem to the alfalfa farmers. They tear up the field which ruins the equipment during harvest. Most of the farmer have tried poisoning but that take out the preditors too, so farmers here encourage people to come out and shoot. Plus Oregon passed a law were poisoning is no-longer allowed.
 
I just bumped into guy here at work that lived back East, he says the woodchuck are big, dummy, slow animals, unlike the Rock Chuck over here? He said you can almost walk upon them and there no challenge to taking them, "there no long range to it, unless you make it that way". From what I've experienced with Rock Chuck their very wary if they had any hunting pressure at all, and it's a waiting game for one shot then a 20-30 minute wait. The Chucks here are quick and there down their holes. I guess I thought the animals were the same except bigger and since I going to be in PA I might well try and see what Woodchucks were like. Its hard enough to get a kitchen pass as it is so I thought I'd give it a try. I have to travel 3-6 hours to hunt Chucks from where I live, I heard PA has Chucks all over the place but I might have a hard time finding a place to hunt around Allentown. I've never be to PA so I'm looking for advise what the story? 2 hours to Maryland sound great to me for two days of hunting. If I have to take a rig through the airport these days, I sure would like to use it.
 
SuperX,
I would have to say your Buddy at work is dead wrong on woodchucks. They have good eyes and don't like people walking up on them. I've had them see me at 200 yards before, the only good thing about them spooking and running down thier holes is that they will sometimes come back up and stick there heads out the hole to get another look at you. Thats when you blast them. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
You will be hunting a good time of year because the fields are not grown up very tall yet. But it is our spring gobbler season and you are not allowed to hunt for anything after 12 noon. So all of your woodchuck hunting will have to be in the morning.
A .22-250 works great on woodchucks, its what I use.
I have never been turned down by a farmer to hunt woodchucks. They hate them and want them wiped out. So you shouldn't have any trouble finding a place to hunt.
As far as terrain goes, I'm not very familiar with that part of the state, but in the southern part of Pa we have alfalfa fields that are over a mile long if that tells you anything.
I would recomend hunting Pa over Md. Md is a good state to hunt in, but it is very difficult to get anyone to give you permission to hunt. And it gets worse the farther east you go. The cost of a non-resident license in both states is the same.
Good Luck!
 
Thanks, sound like Eastern Ore. huge alfalfa fields with big turrets. Most farmer don't turn on the water until the 1st week in May so the fields are short which makes Sage rats hunting good if the temperature is above 55 degrees and wind is less than 10 MPH. The Rock Chuck here also have very good eye and take off as soon as they see you. Most of them I've hunt are in the rock out crops in the foot hill, I just setup and wait and usually shoot some distance the trick is the wind doping since it can be real windy at times. That’s why I like the 25-06 over the 22-250. Man you guy in PA have too many rules, when turkey season over? Also, do all hunters have to wear orange, with the license on your back and is the 12:00 noon the law year round for everything? What about Coyote/bobcat/coon hunting can you hunt at night?
 
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I just bumped into guy here at work that lived back East, he says the woodchuck are big, dummy, slow animals, unlike the Rock Chuck over here? He said you can almost walk upon them and there no challenge to taking them, "there no long range to it, unless you make it that way".



this is because he's never hunted them... don't have a clue... he's used to seeing the dumpster hogs in the city... out where they have to watch out for hunters, 2 legged, 4 legged and winged, they are a lot more wary.. if they've been hunted and shot at before you can bet you'll need to put the sneak on them to get a shot...

you'll need a flourescent orange hat for groundhog hunting...

if you like to fish, being in Allentown, it's a short ride to the Delaware or the Schuykill for shad and stripers about that time... and the license is a lot cheaper... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Just wanted to say thanks to everyone, looks like we're talking about the same kind of hunting just larger animals. $101,the hassle with getting a rig thru the airport and finding a place to shoot the night before, for 6 hours of shooting sounds a little much for this trip. Any of you guy get this way let me know I'll hook you up. Coyotes and Cat and be hunted at night, shoot all week on varmints. Rock Chucks are coming out about now and will be good until it get Hot, Sage Rats is just starting (weather got to be above 55, low wind, and some sun to have a good day) the big males are what out right out about now. The Farmers are happy about any help with the rat and Chuck problem....No one I've ever heard is worried about next years crop. Oregon has a lot of Alfalfa feild, BLM, and Forest Service Land
 
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