I ran across these pictures taken several years ago and thought they might be worth a chuckle or two.

My wife had been losing a considerable number of her prized flower bulbs and we were trying to figure out what was digging them up. I suspected groundhogs, but we never see any on our property. One morning my wife called me to the door to see what was on my shooting back-stop.



Now my wife thinks groundhogs are "cute" and likes to see them along roadways and such, but even she has her limits when it comes to her prized flowers. It didn't take long to unlimber a .223 and get into position. Pretty obviously figuring distance wasn't an issue.



Needless to say, my wife's bulbs stopped disappearing.

He may have been the world's smartest groundhog, but suicidal.

1 SHOT 1 FLOWER BED SAVED HOOAH!

My wife's flower buds went missing earlier this year. I've taken out 9 or 10 groundhogs this year within shooting distance of my house and a few days ago ANOTHER one moved in under my front porch but hasn't given me the chance to shoot it yet.

I am envious of your private shooting range!

Of course your solution to the SWMBO gardening trouble,
created another excuse to augment the gun safe

Photos like the first one upset me.
It reminds me of the ducks and roos at my local range.
They know its a wildlife sanctuary and will figuratively sit in front of your target and give you the bird.

Glad to see you have no such stress........

You are right Pete...the roos out at Ripley can be a tad annoying...but they have nothing on the roos at our Clays Range in Redcliffe.

Last weekend we shot a couple of rounds of Double Rise and a few rounds of Down The Line (Trap), and the whole time w were shooting we had between 20 and 30 kangaroos laying on the grass out in front of our Traps about 10 yards past where the missed clays were falling...we were actually shooting over the top of them. Some of them were right at the back edge of the range laying in the shade under the trees and every now and again the shot must have been falling on them because you would see them give their head a bit of a shake after a shot. They didn't care because they know they are safe...we are not allowed to shoot at them.

This will give you an idea of the range and where the roos sit.

www.huntingnut.com/ind...pic&t=7718

Cheers, Vince

I know the frustration. A few years ago a very nice whitetail eight-point buck stood right in front of that same back-stop like he was posing for a picture. It was opening day of deer season but my wife would have divorced me for shooting a deer on our property; regardless of any incidental damage to flowers, shrubs and so on. Wouldn't anyway. Kind of like the locals for scenery.

Vince wrote:

You are right Pete...the roos out at Ripley can be a tad 20 and 30 kangaroos laying on the grass out in front of our Traps about 10 yards past where the missed clays were falling... the shot must have been falling on them because you would see them give their head a bit of a shake after a shot. Cheers, Vince

Great visual. The infield at my spot fills up with w/ a few inches of rain water and the ducks take it over and chase lost birds when they *plop!* on the surface, and do the head shake thing too....pretty funny.
And tempting!

At the rifle range I shoot at there are BIG signs, "if you wound or kill a mammal while on this range you are guilty of poaching and the police and warden will be notified". Seen some jack's and lil mulies on the back 40 @ 600y+ that really book it accross the canyon during a cease fire, I mean they are hauling! It's like they are que'd up watiing for the cease fire. Funny stuff. They are just too lazy to go around the range- so they wait and bail accross the range to get to the other side.