Ground Hog Mistake

I was adding some extra cattails to a blind at the marsh this afternoon
Not my blind , no one wanted it
Not the best location , also it is on a dike and stands out
But when there is a East wind , it is great

So I was was done and killing time hoping for some morning doves to come close

When I saw a ground hog maybe 50 yards down the dike
It was standing up looking away from me

So I grabbed my 870 and a hand full of shells out of a box in the back of my Escape

I loaded 3 shells as the 870 had a plug in it

I got to about 20 yards away from the groundhog when it looked at me
So I shot ...... the groundhog rolled and started running :(

I quickly shot the darn ground hog with the the other 2 shells in the gun
Again it rolled and slowed way down
Butttt it kept going

So I ran up to 10 feet , loaded a shell and fired
That time it worked and I killed the ground hog

I got a glove and pitched the ground hog in the tall weeds on the side of the dike

As I walked back to the Escape I picked up the empty hulls

When I looked at the box of shells I had used
I realized what happened

I had 2 boxes of shells sitting in the Escape
1 box was 1 1/8 oz of home made #8 to shoot doves
The other box was 1 1/2 oz of home made #2 for ground hogs

But I had both loads in MTM plastic shell boxes
Both loads were loaded in Federal High Power hulls
Only thing different between the boxes was was a note with the shot size in the lid

But in my haste I had not looked

So YES you can hunt ground hods with #8 shot LOL

John

not the first or last time it has happened.... ducks with #00 buckshot has been known to happen too.

Been there &done that. Now I try to color code the primers or shell head with magic markers or finger nail polish.

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Originally Posted by woody1

Been there &done that. Now I try to color code the primers or shell head with magic markers or finger nail polish.

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"Been there, done that", albeit with central fire rather than scattergun cartridges. After maybe the 2nd time (I'm a slow learner ;)) I started marking loads with Sharpies and Magic Markers, but for some reason while they work "now" -- they too easily fade and/or rub off. (I do colour-code my primers R-G-B-Y to indicate number of reloads of a case) BUT, for the cases/loads, I discovered a nifty, cheap product I highly recommend. Called DYKEM layout fluid it has an unbelievably thin viscosity and wonderfully marks cases. It used to come in red, black, and blue.

I use JUST the red: If I'm making target or plinking loads (e.g., for a grand-kid) I leave the cases as is -- marking the MTM box, as you had. BUT -- any/all full house loads (as we refer to chainsaw chains with a cutter at each link ;)) for HUNTING -- these get coated with Dykem Red.Attachment 305434 -- less than five U S dollars at Amazon; which is enough to last "forever" unless you spill it (another 'been there done that' ;()
geo

We use a black marker on the hull. Bold #4 or #2 or BUCK. Yes I have done similar acts. Do get a good laugh at self and a lonnnng lasting smile.

Was in RSA on a wing shooting safari, we had been shooting Spur Wing geese, big birds. So get to mid day, eat lunch, Carl the PH says we will stop on the way back to the lodge to hunt Guinea fowl with the bird dogs. Going down a dirt road I see a big snake crossing the road, side to side long. Carl pulls up to where the snake was and stops, ah Carl, what kind of snake was that, he says a Mamba. Do not worry about him, the dogs will scare him off. My mental catalogue goes zip, Mamba 15 minutes without treatment. Ok if you say so, since he was going into the waist high yellow grass with us. We go in about 100 yards and a bird comes up, bang, everyone busts out laughing but me. It was a littl quail and now was a hole with a ring of feathers around the hole. 12ga #4 magnum goose load, full choke. Definitely the wrong shell for an upland bird. So made sure the goose loads were in the left pocket of the vest, #6 loads in the right pocket, change chokes to IC.
We moved on about 1/4 mile moving in line behind the dogs, shot a few fowl. We stopped for a few minutes in place to rest and a drink of water.
Bobby L next to me in line says to me, you see that oak bush over there at 50 yards, yes I see it, it was all by itself in the tall yellow grass. That bush is where I shot my male lion last year...What, wait a minute, you mean I am out here in the tall yellow grass with lions and a bird gun? Yep.
Geez.
Quite a day.
If you want a bird Safari to shoot water fowl and piegeons contact Grassland Safaris in South Africa, that and plains game is what they do.

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Originally Posted by Johnch

.... So YES you can hunt ground hods with #8 shot LOL

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With #8 shot? Well ... it's not illegal so yes, we CAN do that, only proving that flying projectiles can eventually kill almost anything, but extremes are not a very good fall back. I mean we CAN shoot rhinos with a .22 rimfire handgun - and eventually kill one if the rhino is patient enough - but .... it's not for me! ;)