# Best Times for Ground Hog Hunting



## fakebait

I was wondering what most of you found to be the most productive times were for hunting ground hogs. Early morning, Late morning, Early Afternoon, or late afternoon. High sun or mostly cloudy. What have been your most productive conditions. I do not have alot of time to kill as well as the cost of gas to go out at unproductive times.


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## ronnie_everett10

I have killed a few this year and i think the best time to hunt them is the 2-3 hours before dark period.but dont be fooled i have seen groundhogs out in the middle of the day in 90 degree heat,but the most i see is in that time frame!good luck and shoot straight!


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## littleking

from 2pm - 5pm


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## ODNR3723

afternoon into evening. if it is an overcast day with cooler temps you can hunt all day.


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## BigV

Early morning and evening.
I've shot lots of hogs and early morning seems best. I get out just before sun up and wait. See lots of deer and other critters early as well. Evenings are good too, but my experience is early morning is best.
2 years ago I shot over 70 hogs from a 35 acre field. My log shows between 6:30 AM and 9:00 AM, 51 of the 70 were harvested.


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## Smallmouth Crazy

My best times have been 2-3 hrs before dark as well, I have seen them out in the middle of the day but most of the time thats been in the spring before it gets crazy hot, I shot one once from about 3 foot away, I was walking out of a field and seen him laying there by his hole, I thought somebody else had shot him, so I just walk over towards him to get a look, I get within a couple foot of him and see his eyes slowly start to open, I just sighted down the side of the barrel(way to close for the scope) and help him back to bed, the middle of the afternoon isnt bad either as long as your not talking the dog days of summer, and as its been stated mornings are good as well.


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## backstraps

ok boys lets look i want to get em with my bow. theres alot of em in my old mans back yard. i mean i could get from inside the hot-tubb!!!lol whats a good time? and should i use filedpoint?


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## ronnie_everett10

i use a bow every once and awhile,i always just hunt a couple hours before dark i always find a hole where u know one is get on the back side of it and wait for him to pop his head out.you can use feild points but i always use the judo points because if you miss with a feild point you can lose an arrow pretty easy but with the judo points if you miss the arrow usually sticks straight up in the grass.


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## backstraps

i use the judo to shoot black brids with. i have never had one stand up like that for me yet. but they do stop em.


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## ronnie_everett10

yeah they dont do it every time i dont know if it has to do with the angle of the shot or how high the grass is..


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## CHEFSKIP

Silly question but what do you do with them after you hunt them? A friend of mine says he's got a ton in his fields but i dont know that anyone eats them?


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## BigV

CHEFSKIP said:


> Silly question but what do you do with them after you hunt them? A friend of mine says he's got a ton in his fields but i dont know that anyone eats them?


Actually not a silly question at all.

I generally just leave them lay where there shot unless its on a farmers road used by the farmer to get his tractor from one field to another then Ill pick them up and toss them off the road. I have eaten young groundhogs and there not too bad, but a little on the greasy side. Farmers want them eradicated because the holes made by these varmint are know to cause broken legs to cattle and horses that are unfortunate enough to step into one. They can also wreak havoc on farm machinery when they hit a large hole. I have seen for myself a small John Deer tractor with a broken axle as a result of a large groundhog hole in a hay field. I have never been turned down when asking a farmer permission to hunt groundhogs in his fields. A few of these opportunities have lead to deer hunting permission once the farmer gets to know me better.


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## Smallmouth Crazy

I drop them back in there hole...9 times out of 10 I come back by the next day and they are gone, yote might have found them, maybe a fox or vulture, but they are gone, I noticed that before the yote explosion in this state.


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## ThePhisherman

hey guys, you don't need any kind of license to shoot these on your property do you? Also, do you know if it's legal to shoot in city limits, i live in the "city limits" per se, but i have 2 acres that my house and our landlords other vacant property that shares the 2 acres, but i always throw frisbee and do whatever because no one lives there. But there are at least 20-30 of these bastards making holes under my shed, garage, and dug a huge hole with enough dirt to fill a 3 foot deep grave right against the back foundation of the house. I don't want them ruining his/my property and he said he would get some traps for me to set up as well. And yes i would agree anytime after the hottest part of the day up until dark is when they are most active.


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