Giant Groundhogs???

[deathwind II]

If I hadn't read it from the godfather of groundhog hunting, Paul Estey (The Woodchuck Hunter, 193?), I'd think it was bull. Apparently there is a strain of marmots in British Columbia, Canada that's half-again as large as even our late-summer Ohio bean-fed 'hogs. Sometimes called Olympic. I'd never be so stupid as to do it, as it would devastate Midwest cropland, etc., but do fantasize about transplanting some down here.
Has anybody ever seen or hunted these?

[T.D.C.]

Let me know when they have a Boone and Crockett rating

[gonedawgn]

http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/detail.asp?shapeID=1038&curGroupID=5&lgfromWhere=&curPageNum=5

Olympic Marmots

[xring]

DII , I never hunted the BC Bigboys , but once hunted Marmots near Lulu Pass as I recall on the Yellowstone Border . Did spot a few of them big buggers , but boy were they ever wary ! They dove for cover whenever I glimpsed one . Never did get a shot . I do remember that I had one awful headache at roughly 10,000 ft. elevation , and 3 Bufferins did'nt help at all . Had fun Exploring a Ghost Town in that area . The biggest Woodchuck I ever weighed was about 10 pounds . Got him at about 3 feet with my unscoped German Shepherd . I was picking berries as a kid and got between the Chuck and his hole . The Chuck made a run for me , but my German Shepherd was a lot faster . I still remember the sound of a lot of bones breaking , and my dog dropped the Chuck at my feet . Biggest I ever saw in the East , so I weighed him . I have also seen 2 totally Black Chucks , but never a White one . I have heard of 12-18 lb. Chucks , but never saw one . I'm guessing the Rebel Chucks have more munch time due to better weather and that's where the biguns are located . :D

[bcp]

From:
http://www.napak.com/marmots_of_the_world.html

Marmota caligata: Hoary or Rocky Mountain Marmot

M. caligata is one of the heaviest marmot species, weighing up to 9Kg(20lbs) and measuring up to 82cm(32in) with an additional 25cm(10in) tail. It has spotty grey fur sprinkled with black and white areas especially on the head and shoulders. Its latin name comes from its darkly couloured leg extremities - giving the appearance that it wears boots.

The eight sub-species of Hoary Marmot are distributed throughout the high pasture lands and the rocky slopes of Montana, Idaho, Washington state, Alaska, Yukon, and British Colombia.

-------------------

Marmota monax: Woodchuck or Groundhog

The Woodchucks themselves are a mid-sized marmot, weighing around 2 to 4.5Kg(4.4 to 10lbs), a body length of 41(16in) to 66 cm(26in), with the tail adding a further 10 to 15cm(4 to 6in). Their flattened heads and comparatively long ears distinguish them from other marmot species.


Bruce

[ThJudg]

What's this Kg and Cm stuff ? This is America and we deal with pounds, feet inches, and yards !

ThJudg (Roger)

[bcp]

What's this Kg and Cm stuff ? This is America and we deal with pounds, feet inches, and yards !

ThJudg (Roger)


Translated/edited it for ThJudg. :D

Bruce

[ArtinNC]

Translated/edited it for ThJudg. :D

Bruce

And for me too.
Art

[Markbo]

Man... i gotta get a bigger dog. Or a bigger gun!

Think I outght to drop the .223's and move up to a .22-.338 Weatherby for those big boys? :D

[FVA]

here are a couple pics of what are big ones for me.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v664/fedsva/woodhcuck12.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v664/fedsva/IMG_1415_edited-1.jpg

[Sav-1Shot]

here are a couple pics of what are big ones for me.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v664/fedsva/woodhcuck12.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v664/fedsva/IMG_1415_edited-1.jpg

...Look's like 6MM 70gr. BT material...:eek: ....

[FVA]

Used a 75 gr. v-Max via 25-284 on the top one. 75 gr. A-max via 223 WSSM on the lower. No doubt a 6mm 70 BT would be up to the task as well.(grin)

[Sav-1Shot]

Used a 75 gr. v-Max via 25-284 on the top one. 75 gr. A-max via 223 WSSM on the lower. No doubt a 6mm 70 BT would be up to the task as well.(grin)

..LOL...If that's all the 25-284 could do, better drag out the .300 mag with some 180gr. BT's...;) ..

[Cajun Blake]

Here is a 16 lb. groundhog shot by my friend Dave Kessler in Ohio. This mule would not fit in a 5 gallon plastic bucket. The 17 Little Nasty anchored this hog from 365 yds with one-shot. 21.5 grs N133 , 25 gr Beger at 4050 fps. I designed the 17 LN which is a PPC case -.180" short.

The rifle pictured is a Stolle Kodiak HBR rifle ... 10.5 lbs.

cb <*)))>{

http://photos.imageevent.com/bowhuntermls/17wildcats/websize/1bighog1.jpg

[Markbo]

75 gr. A-max via 223 WSSM on the lower
It seems the demise of the .223 WSSM has been overstated. :D


This mule would not fit in a 5 gallon plastic bucket.
I do believe that is the first time I have ever heard, seen or read about that particular unit of measurement for a groundhog! :eek:

[JustMarried1013]

To date my biggest was 20.5 pounds killed in lower VA. Granted he was in the middle of a soybean field at the end of the summer, but i weighed him on two scales and sure enough both dead on! Thats just to date my biggest! I have seen a few that could of been bigger, but didnt have a shot!

Andrew

[Redneckbmxer24]

i have heard of groundhogs around here reachin 20+ LBS, but i have yet to see one dead, or alive.

my biggest Ghog so far was just over 15LBS and he was a big one. typically from what ive found they are anywhere from 8-12LBS. i spotted another big one saturday night but was not able to take him, he was about 450 yards away. going to try to get him next weekend, my guess is he is probably in the neighborhood of 13-16LBS. its a big damn groundhog.