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Are the groundhogs disappearing in your area?

I've not seen any physical evidence (a coyote with a g-hog in its' mouth), but there's more than one hunter in this area of the state that agrees the groundhog population is dwindling. I used to cover several miles with my vehicle, going from farm to farm shooting groundhogs. I've not seen more than a half dozen while driving around all the areas that I used to hunt.

I made a trip to Maine, several years ago and talked with some of the local hunters there and they said that they have to be carefull to not shoot too many groundhogs. I asked if there was a such thing as shooting too many groundhogs. They told me that if they shoot too many the coyotes would move in and wipe out the remaining population.

This seems to be the trend in this area. :smiley_chinrub:

Do you see the groundhog population in your area becoming less and less?
If so, do you think that the coyotes are the reason?

Your thoughts and opinions are appreciated.
Thank you, Bowhunter57
 

hickslawns

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Ohio
Not sure about the groundhogs. I have still been seeing them. Guess I hadn't thought much about it. What I have been seeing more than anything here lately is raccoons. Seems every time I went road scouting for deer and turkey the last several weeks, all I see are raccoons.
 

brock ratcliff

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My neighbor used to shoot around 100 a year off his farm. He hasn't shot a groundhog in 5 years. We do not have them in any number these days. While on a curvey and hilly road yesterday I saw one and said to my son "there's a goundhog" . He popped up in hopes of seeing it, but did not. He said "Dang, I've never seen a live groundhog". That pretty well put it in perspective for me....he is 8, soon to be 9.
 
hickslawns said:
Seems every time I went road scouting for deer and turkey the last several weeks, all I see are raccoons.
hickslawns,
One of the guys that I work with was going out into several parts of the county to make some business contacts. We were discussing the outrageous population of coons and I made him a bet. I bet him a pop that he couldn't go 10 miles without seeing a dead coon on the road. When he came back he said he thought he had a free pop at 9 miles and all of the sudden there was a dead coon. He'd covered nearly 80 miles within Allen county. Nuts! There needs to be a "no closed" season, on coons.

Another guy that I know that hunts/trains his coon dogs all year long, said that he sees as many coons dead in the woods as he trees with his dogs. He said that they're too far off of the road to have gotten hit and made it back to the woods to die, it's distemper that's killing them. There's just too many of them for a healthy population.

Bowhunter57
 

DJK Frank 16

Senior Member
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Hardin County
I usually don't start seeing a ton of them until the soybeans get 3 or 4 inches high, seems like that brings them out into plain site a little more. I have seen a half dozen or so in spots that I usually shoot them at, but time will tell.
 

Jackalope

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hickslawns,
One of the guys that I work with was going out into several parts of the county to make some business contacts. We were discussing the outrageous population of coons and I made him a bet. I bet him a pop that he couldn't go 10 miles without seeing a dead coon on the road. When he came back he said he thought he had a free pop at 9 miles and all of the sudden there was a dead coon. He'd covered nearly 80 miles within Allen county. Nuts! There needs to be a "no closed" season, on coons.

Another guy that I know that hunts/trains his coon dogs all year long, said that he sees as many coons dead in the woods as he trees with his dogs. He said that they're too far off of the road to have gotten hit and made it back to the woods to die, it's distemper that's killing them. There's just too many of them for a healthy population.

Bowhunter57

I can throw a dog out of the truck on just about any stand of timber or fence row here in clark and tree a coon before you can get a dip in and gloves on.
 

Tree Monkey

Member
1,825
0
NW ohio
I am not sure if they are dwindling.....I am starting to see alot more the last week...with the beans coming up. I stop and glass for hogs and usually see one on a ditch..I just gotta do my part and drop the little buggers with my .243. I missed one lastnight, still not sure how that happened. I am in an Albert Pujols type slump right now!I am up to 9 I think, COULD of had alot more but I am still learning the wind drift.
 

RedCloud

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17,381
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North Central Ohio
Not sure what the deal is with the ghogs around here. On the properties I hunt I have hunted for years for ghogs so I know where they like to be out there. I use to walk and shoot a few hogs everyday and as soon as one would die another would take up the hole within days. Not anymore. It is getting harder and harder to shoot a ghog out there. Holes go empty and even the new fresh dug holes from spring have gone with no new activity in them now. I don't know for sure if it is do to yote or not because like you, I have not seen it first hand but I have my suspicions that is what is going on out there.

Coon, Yeah, we have a ton of them up here and I completely agree they should be open season. Dante and myself was out at the local rez fishing Saturday night and seen one go running up the hill. Little later we had one trying to ninja sneak down the back in front of us. The stupid thing got right in front of us and stood up on it's back legs to see what the light was and what was up there. Crazy fuggin coon. Yelled he ran off and came back about 5 min. later to try and sneak by again lol. Up here in flat land crop country with some pretty good rivers you would not go far without seeing a couple running together around dusk.
 

wdbak

Junior Member
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SE Ohio
It's been a few years since the woodchucks dissapeared here in Athens Co. I suppose the state is happy since they consider them varmits. They are the only thing that digs holes and a lot of other critters used them. I think the coyotes got them. Dumbasses will get the rest.
 

RedCloud

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North Central Ohio
Shot one Sunday running up a tree trying to see what was coming through the brush. I guess I was the dumbass to shoot the stupid groundhog that didn't know to run in the fuggin hole to hide from danger.

I must say. It was pretty darn fun to drop a groundhog out of a tree.
 

Tree Monkey

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NW ohio
It's been a few years since the woodchucks dissapeared here in Athens Co. I suppose the state is happy since they consider them varmits. They are the only thing that digs holes and a lot of other critters used them. I think the coyotes got them. Dumbasses will get the rest.

Who is this joker????,........:smiley_confused_vra,......... Dumbass
 
RedCloud said:
I must say. It was pretty darn fun to drop a groundhog out of a tree.
I took my brother to a place that was loaded with g-hogs, several years ago, to get his first one with a bow. As we were approaching the area, one of the g-hogs spooked and ran up a tree...about 15 feet up. My brother got in a good position for an open shot and drilled him through the lungs. It was pretty cool to get to see my brother get his first bow kill on a groundhog...in a tree. :smiley_bril:

Bowhunter57
 

RedCloud

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First one I shot out of a tree was with my 303 Brit I used to have. Sent that little fella spinning like a helicopter lmao. Never laughed so hard in all my years of hunting them.
 

Huckleberry Finn

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I went out last night and didn't even seen any holes in my best field, nor in two other fields we have shot them out of in years past. Spent all day today in the middle of 2 different prime fields and only saw one.
 

DJK Frank 16

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Hardin County
Beans are starting to come up in a few fields and I seen 3 on the way home from work. Havent made it over to my killin fields yet but 3 in 30 minutes on way home isnt good, especially in farm country.
 

hunna771

Junior Member
I've been seein' just as many as i usually do here!! I shot 3 with my .22 and 20 gauge. My dad shot one with his 7mm. All of them this morning out on our brushpile/ shooting backstop. There's only 1 left... stupid things:smiley_clap:
 

DJK Frank 16

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Hardin County
Beans are starting to come up in a few fields and I seen 3 on the way home from work. Havent made it over to my killin fields yet but 3 in 30 minutes on way home isnt good, especially in farm country.

Made the same drive Sunday and seen over a dozen, seems like every other bean field I drove past had one out eating. The hot weather is really bringing them out around me now.
 

bowhunter1023

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We haven't had a huntable population of groundhogs in years. You could spend a week driving around trying to kill a half dozen of them...