Yesterday I had the chance to go back to the hay farm. Most of the fields were cut, it is a good spring for hay in Western PA. It has been raining and the hay was so thick you could not see the dirt and over two feet high. The farmer said "You better get out there soon, the wife took out after a groundhog that was eating her garden. She shot at him several times and missed". I hear she was madder than hell. She says to husband "You better call Mush and get him out here before I lose my whole garden." I went to the farm and she told me she was running 6 feet behind the groundhog with a bolt gun loading and shooting across the field. She asked me if the 30-30 lever action would be better. I did not comment or laugh but said "at 6 feet the 22 would be fine and maybe we could go to the range for some practice before you go to a bigger gun".

She must of scared this one because I went off a couple hundred yards to watch the hole and no sign of him. But I did see his cousin a couple hundred yards off. I went in the barn because from ground level you cannot see his hole across a field and a creek and up a hill to the fence line. He would pop his head up for a second and then drop down, move over 5 feet and pop up again. By the time I saw him through the binocs and pick up the CZ 527 Varmint rifle he was gone. So I held the rifle on an area he was moving around in and after three close attempts he popped up in my scope. At 251 yards I watched him get hit with a 204 Ruger hand load (RL10 and Sierra BK 39gn) picture attached. 20 feet over on the fence line a series of holes had two hogs watching me. A quick shot at one and he dove in the hole. The next one I shot at and he also dove in the hole. I tried to sit down to take the shot. But, to see the holes because of a dip in the ground I had to stand up and lean on a post. I found a blood trail at one of the holes. I have no Idea if it was the second or third GH. But with the thought that a bad day hunting is better than a good day at work my score was one kill, one hit, and I don't know......

Here is the load results from last year.

Ya done good Mush!!

Lots of colors in the fur on that groundhog; might make a good hat.

I think it would.... I stuffed him in his hole. I would bet the coyotes and Turkey Vultures ate him by now......

Nice Mush!!

Two more tonight. The picture shows one that I shot up and out of the hole. The left hind foot is in the hole. You can see the entry just under the chin between the sholders. No exit. The second was hit past 150 yards. He flopped around for a couple seconds, layed there for a while, then dove into a hole. I did not have to bury that one.......

Where in western PA? I grew up in Brighton Township.

I now hunt on a couple farms near Hookstown in Beaver County. I went out last night for a couple hours. Nothing was out but I had a nice walk around the farm.

Sometimes just being in the field totaly relaxed is as good getting a woodchuck.

Miss the Hookstown Fair and horse pulls of the late 1950s. Do they still have the Fair and horse pulls? Miss the food too. JimT.

The fair still goes on. They have a Gun Bash now. Lots of food and beer plus, they give away guns every 15 minutes. It can get very packed with people. It is an all day party.

The 204's flat work. I've been shooting PD's with them for three years and they are devastating. Several doubles and one triple so far.

Greg L.

I love my CZ .204 with maple stock.