Insult To Injury

Dogbone · 08-05-2011, 11:36 AM

After one evening off and an evening of rain, I was back to the farm where I shot three ghogs Monday evening. Rain was threatening, but it turned out to be a beautiful evening. The heat finally broke.

I decided to try a different approach. Instead of shooting off the hood of my truck as I have for most of my shots this year, I placed two Therm-a-Rest air mattresses in the bed of the truck on top of the ribbed bed liner, using the cap and the tail gate as a blind. And with a blow up pillow to lean on at the back of the bed, I had nearly a 180 degree view of the field.
The first ghog showed directly to my left. I glassed it at 65 yards and then took my time working my way to the tailgate. After placing a thick towel over the tailgate and finding the ghog with the crosshairs on the 22-250, I watched it pop up and down for a few minutes. Then it decided to turn its back on me. Being highly offended, I let fly the 45 grain hollow point to the back of its head. Oh sweet surrender. This one turned out to be a younger hog based on the size.

Here’s the DRT and then the flip side. That round does nasty things when it hits bone.

The next ghog appeared about a half hour later, this time directly to my right. his one glassed at 120 yards. Again I worked my way to the tailgate, lined up the crosshairs and waited for a good shot. This one was moving around and not standing up to look around, so I had to keep the small dot reticle on his shoulder and wait for him to at least stop long enough to pull the trigger. Finally it did and I did also.

Here is the DRT and the close up of the exit wound. No bone this time, but still dead.

This one was a much larger female than the first so I decided to weigh it with the new scale I picked up at Walmart. Thought it would be heavier than that, but I never weighed one before and didn’t have a reference point. Now that I do, I wonder how accurate I can be guessing before weighing?

The End

**DanSavage** · 08-07-2011, 10:29 AM

Hey Dogbone that's a cool story with nice pic's! I like hunting woodchucks too, I've only got 5 so far this year mainly because I have spent more time developing loads and I started shooting in small 200 yard F Class competition match's which is very fun. I know were there is still some ghogs and your story and pic's has motivated me to get back out there in the fields. Right now I'm shooting a .308 and I had my longest record shot this spring on my first chuck of the year, using by-pod 168gr gold medal match aiming about a foot and a half over the chuck (He wouldn't stand) with no wind and perfect conditions and let it rip. DRT, Gold medal bullets leave a tiny exit hole, but I'll have to show you you what these new 168gr Amax's do, it is detrimental. I'll be posting pic's in about a week, heck maybe I'll get out tonight ;D

Regards Dan

Dogbone · 08-07-2011, 12:39 PM

Originally Posted by DanSavage

Hey Dogbone that's a cool story with nice pic's! I like hunting woodchucks too, I've only got 5 so far this year mainly because I have spent more time developing loads and I started shooting in small 200 yard F Class competition match's which is very fun. I know were there is still some ghogs and your story and pic's has motivated me to get back out there in the fields. Right now I'm shooting a .308 and I had my longest record shot this spring on my first chuck of the year, using by-pod 168gr gold medal match aiming about a foot and a half over the chuck (He wouldn't stand) with no wind and perfect conditions and let it rip. DRT, Gold medal bullets leave a tiny exit hole, but I'll have to show you you what these new 168gr Amax's do, it is detrimental. I'll be posting pic's in about a week, heck maybe I'll get out tonight ;D

Regards Dan

Thanks for the cudos! Yeah, get after them and the sooner the better! Look forward to your stories and your pics!! Good luck!!!

**DanSavage** · 08-09-2011, 05:59 PM

Well, I have a little story. Today I found out that my boss and his wife were going to the doctors office and they would be gone most of the day. My boss is in his 70's and I told him I was going to take care of a woodchuck out back with my .308, and he laughed and said it would be a good day since that gun would scare the heck out of his wife. I work as a auto mechanic and our shop is out in the country a ways, anyhow the past couple of weeks I noticed a big woodchuck out behind the shop at the far end of the back yard. (The bosses house is right next to the shop.) Once in a while I would see this chuck when I would go around back to take a leak, and the chuck would freeze as soon as it saw movement, and I would freeze at the same time. Every time the chuck would freeze he would bolt back into the weeds really quick after about 5 seconds. I have another boss which is the son of the older one who's in his 50's and he didn't care if I used my .308. about 2:00 the rain quit so I opened up the back window of the shop and stuck a mirror out. I didn't see anything so I kept checking in and off until about 3:30 I seen him standing using the mirror method. I had the gun all ready with the by-pod mounted and I quickly threw in a round and snuck around the far side of the shop and got down slithered sniper style just around the corner, and that dang woodchuck froze and be darned he went back in the weeds but I could see the weeds still moving around through my scope. He was only 60 yards away and I had my scope on 16 power. All the sudden it stood up and I could see it clearly in the cross hairs so I let it rip! Bang!!!!!!!!!! I quickly got up and went in the back corner door of the shop catching a glimpse of a Sherif's SUV on the road crap! My younger boss was on the phone with a grin pointing out to the road where the Sheriff was backing up the vehicle, I about had a heart attack and finally the Sheriff sped off. After a couple minutes we went out to check things out and he asked me if I got it, I said yeah there's no way I could have missed that one! It weighed in at 12 pounds but it also ate a lot of apple's from an old apple tree. I only two other chuck's that compared to this in size but there was one about 4 years ago that I know for sure was heavier. Just another quick story about that one, I was scoping out a hay field of my uncle's and the sun was up high. I saw a shiny thing in the middle of the field. I drove slowly up one side of the field and turned left and I could still see the shiny thing that looked the same. I was wondering what the heck is that? Finally I got all the way on the other side of the field, shut my truck off and stuck my .243 out the window and sighted on the mystery light. All of the sudden a huge woodchuck stood straight up. I cycled in a round already figuring about 250 yards and let one fly. The whole time that shiny thing was the woodchuck's eye! I didn't weigh that one but I'm thinking it could have been close to 16 pounds because my wrists started hurting walking it back to the truck.

[img width=600 height=450]http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af240/243Wilson/F-Class004.jpg[/img]

Dogbone · 08-09-2011, 08:07 PM

That's a pig for sure!!!

Enjoyed reading about your escapades! ;D

Tracer · 08-12-2011, 11:23 AM

Now that is a right nice size G....Hog if I ever saw one! I knew right off you had a 12-lb critter in your hand before I ever read your post. Nice shooting by the way, I am still looking for my first this year, been so hot around here lately (heat index 118) I just figure to let em eat the clover until the temps cool down a bit.