Chattanooga Times Free Press

This little pig can make you a better hunter

Wasn’t this our goal from the start? “Guns & Cornbread” is written by Larry Case, who lives in Fayette County, W.Va. You can write to him at larryocase@gmail.com.

“Shoulder up your gun, and whistle up your dog,

Shoulder up your gun, and whistle up your dog,

Off to the woods for to catch a groundhog,

Oh, groundhog!” — Doc Watson version of traditional folk song “Groundhog”

I wish we had more groundhogs. Back in the day, and I am talking 40 years ago or more, we had lots (and I mean lots) of groundhogs, whistle pigs, woodchucks (this is probably a Native American derivation), whatever you want to call them. The groundhog was the main target for varmint hunters in the eastern United States. An entire culture of rifle shooters and gunsmiths revolved around this rodent that was loved by us, the long-range varmint shooters of that time, but by the farmers they annoyed, not so much.

For whatever reason, and no one seems to know, the number of groundhogs in my area fell off sharply several years ago. Why? I really don’t know, either, but every last farmer I have asked for the past several years has said the same thing: coyotes. Now I don’t doubt these farmers know their land, but it is hard for me to believe the demise of the whistle pig over such a vast area is solely because of Wile E. Coyote. Coyotes prey on groundhogs, no doubt, but are they the main reason for no groundhogs? I don’t know. I just wish the groundhogs would come back, but I am not holding my breath.

Most of us who think we are serious shooters have a dirty little secret: We do not shoot enough. I am betting you simply do not run enough rounds through your deer rifle in the course of a year. The rut comes around in November, and you are no better prepared than last year. We talk about it, we make a lot of grandiose plans, then spend maybe an hour on the bench all summer. You need a reason to get out there and shoot, something that will get you off that shooting bench and away from the air conditioning.

So rifle shooters, I present to you the lowly groundhog.

He is found over much of the eastern United States and usually seen around fields and farms in agricultural areas. Most farmers and cattlemen have no love for the groundhog and see him as a destructive pest. Groundhogs are voracious diggers, and their dens are considered a threat to livestock, machinery and the farmer’s general peace of mind.

Here is where you come in. This isn’t rocket science. Sight your rifle in and go groundhog hunting. Start early in the morning and make a day of it. Find a good vantage point to begin glassing with binoculars. Open areas next to brushy fence rows, rocky protrusions in pastures and lush hay meadows are all good areas to find the groundhog. Try to relate everything to your deer game. Do you spot and stalk for whitetails? Groundhogs are great practice for this, and a lot of fun to boot.

What is the shooting position you have the most trouble with when you are in the deer woods? Standing offhand? Prone? Work on that in the groundhog field. This is the way to prepare for the deer woods of November. When you are consistently taking whistle pigs with your deer rifle at 200 yards, you are going to be deadly in the deer woods, my friend.

Think about it. This is where you get all the kinks out of the system. Everything from sling swivels, shooting sticks (if you use one), bullet drop and “running” your bolt gun. How adept are you at firing three quick shots with your rifle? A groundhog running at 75 yards is going to give you some answers (as well as a lot of fun).

Once upon a time, I traveled with some pretty fast company in the varmint shooting world. These guys shot heavy custom rifles with scopes almost as long as the barrel. They could take a gnat’s left wing off at 300 yards with some consistency. But this is not what we are talking about here. Using the rifle and sights you will carry in deer season is going to get you ready.

Did I mention this can be heck of a lot of fun? Groundhogs, if you can find some, are still a pest to farmers and cattle operations. If you get the groundhog bug, you are going to be shooting more and burning a lot more powder.

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