Point-Blank 'Chucks

I dared not swat the mosquito that busily buzzed my right ear. Just a stone's throw away, a woodchuck was stuffing itself on succulent green soybean leaves. My rifle had been shouldered for what seemed like an eternity, and the hot sun of a mid-June morning pounded the back of my neck. Meanwhile, I mustered all the patience I could and waited for the opportunity I was sure would come.

The 'chuck finally did what all feeding groundhogs do: It stood up to scan the area for danger. At that moment, the crosshairs of my riflescope found their mark, and my Ruger 10/22 cracked.

Most folks who own a rimfire use it for target shooting and hunting bushytails. It's also a great gun with which to train youngsters on marksmanship and gun safety. But when it comes to varmint hunting, most folks are ready to pull out a bigger gun that will knock down a woodchuck at long yardages.

I discovered many years ago that there is a fascinating challenge in pursuing groundhogs with a rimfire rifle. It might not be for everyone, but it will suit those who look for a good reason to get in the field during the summer and sharpen their hunting skills.

The secret to successful groundhog hunting with a rimfire rifle is getting close; it's not a matter of spotting a 'chuck and testing marksmanship. You must learn what this animal likes for breakfast and dinner, where he sleeps, the trails he walks and the best times to pursue him. If you accomplish this, you're 75 percent of the way to enjoying success. The last 25 percent is up to your ambushing or stalking ability, and of course your shooting ability.

It's no big secret that the best times to hunt summer groundhogs are early morning and late afternoon. If you already pursue them with a big rifle, you are probably aware of this, but there's more to the story.

I've found that woodchucks are much more active when temperatures are cool, but only if it has been hot for several days. This is the time to enjoy midday action. If the late spring and early summer temperatures have been unseasonably cold, count on seeing most of the 'chucks during the midday hours when the temperature first begins to rise. Typically, though, the best hunting will occur the first three hours after dawn and the last three hours before dusk.

While some animals become quite active when weather fronts approach, woodchucks typically do not. But once a rain ends, get ready for action. A groundhog will often leave its burrow immediately to feed on the wet vegetation.

Groundhogs are eating machines. They feed sparingly when they first come out of hibernation, but by late spring and early summer they're chowing down on all kinds of greenery--although they certainly do have their preferences.

If soybeans are available, groundhogs will set up their residences near such a field. They will not travel long distances to reach a field, but they're not averse to moving a few hundred yards when conditions change. Many farmers plant different crops annually in a given field--corn one year and soybeans the next, for example--or they'll plant alfalfa or clover and alternate with winter wheat. I often find fresh burrows near soybeans, but I notice that these burrows become completely inactive when corn is planted the following year.