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Harvesting groundhogs is the forgotten season

When I was growing up and way younger, it seemed like the only thing I wanted to do was hunt and fish. It really didn’t matter what I was hunting, as long as it was in season.

The year usually started out with the remaining small game seasons, squirrels for a very short period and then a switch to rabbit, while there was snow on the ground which helped with your success rate.

Throw in with that a little furbearer trapping and that would keep you pretty busy for quite some time.

Then by the time those were over, trout stocking usually began. You could fish many of the streams or even go to an iced over lake. That would continue until Spring Gobbler season came and then you could turkey hunt in the mornings, then fishing in the afternoon.

By the time turkey season was over and trout fishing was winding down, you had usually made it to the mid-June.

So, then, with me, that moved us into what seems to be anymore the forgotten season. Groundhog season, of course there is no actual season on the woodchuck, they can be hunted year-round. They are considered a nuisance animal to the most farmers because of the holes they dig around buildings, pastures and hay fields. Not to mention the damage they can do to your gardens. Not much is safe. By this time of year, the young ones are big enough that they are striking out on their own.

I had a friend in Ohio that would hunt them all summer and clean them up, de-bone and freeze them. Then in the late summer, thaw them out, give them a coating and deep fry them for a cookout. Even people who would never consider eating them were quite surprised by their taste.

Although these days most people would never consider it, a young groundhog makes a decent meal.

As with all wild game, this depends on how it is treated in the field and is prepared. My mom always boiled it off in some salt water, before she coated it in a salt, pepper and flour mixture and fried them.

We hunted one area in particular that was large fields and long shots, and we would usually stay all day. We would retrieve the groundhogs almost immediately, clean them and place the meat in plastic bags and place them in a cooler. This was probably the most essential part of proper care.

Most people who do hunt groundhogs, also known as Whistle Pigs, prefer a 22cal or 22mag rimfire. As my friends and I progressed to taking longer shots, we moved up to centerfire rifles. There are many options, but my favorite was my heavy-barreled 220swift.

If you are trying for table fare, head shots are the norm, but if you are just trying to help a farmer clear a field of the hole digging varmints, any placement will do. You may be surprised at how appreciative a farmer can be of getting rid of them. Sometimes this can be a way of securing permission to hunt their land for the fall hunting seasons, be it deer, turkeys or whatever else you might want to pursue.

Given the proper conditions, meaning open pastures and away from close neighbors, you favorite deer rifle can make a good groundhog hunting weapon. It will give you practice and familiarity with your rifle for the upcoming fall deer season.

Whatever the reason, being for food or varmint control, woodchuck hunting can be a way to get outdoors and possibly introduce some new shooters to the sport.

Stay Safe and Stay Outdoors.

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