Jul 20, 2013 4 min read

It’s just human nature to complain about the weather. It’s too cold. It rains too much. It’s too hot.

I have to admit that sitting in the middle of a field in the sun on a 90-degree day is not my idea of fun.

It seems that any spot that I can watch groundhogs from lacks shade.

When sitting and baking in the heat, ?I often think I should have planted a tree in that spot in my 20s. Had I done that, I’d have some shade.

One thing the hot weather has helped is varmint hunters. With the warmer weather, land owners have been able to cut and bale hay.

It’s hard to see groundhogs in four-foot hay. Some of the fields we hunt have been cut for the first time this summer, and we are shooting the pests that undermine the soil, causing broken legs and tractor damage.

I have seen fields I am afraid to drive in. It can be that bad.

There is some equipment that helps groundhog hunters, and I carry a lot of it in my varmint hunting bag.

We all know you need a good flat-shooting rifle, but it also needs to be topped with a good scope. Depending on the rifle’s chambering, the scope should be at least a 10-power for serious hunting.

In a big game scope, I place dependability high on my want list, but in the varmint scope, weather is seldom a factor. The most important feature of a grounhog scope is clarity and the ability to hold zero.

I have quite a few scopes for my varmint rifles with powers ranging from a low of 3X9 to a high of 32 power.

I find them all useful, depending on hunting location and circumstances. If hunting a big field in which I’ll need to make long shots, I like a lot of power in my optics. The opposite is true in smaller fields.

I once won an award for an article titles, “Take a rest.” The article encouraged the use of a rest when shooting and to avoid off-hand shots. When the piece was published, there were few rifle rests on the market. Today’s hunter finds quite a few offered.

Some are nothing more than shooting sticks that have cradles that move up and down for height adjustments. Many times the ground is so hard that they cannot be placed in the soil, making them all but useless.

My favorite rest is the Harris swivel bi-pod. It attaches to the rifle’s front swivel, although it adds weight, it doesn’t have to be carried seperately.

The biggest problem with the Harris is deciding which height to take along, although they are adjustable. If the grass is high, you need one to use while sitting. Want to lay down? You need a short one. Many times, I carry both in my car.

When staying close to the car and not walking, John Dino and I use a folding table built by out buddy, Russell. It’s light, can be easily carried and is stable. It’s very beneficial when shots are long.

Groundhog hunting is an activity where good optics are needed. You can’t hit what you can’t see.

In brown grass at 400 yards, a motionless groundhog can be almost invisible. Buy the best set of binoculars you can afford. Better yet, buy better than you can afford. They last a lifetime, and cheap glasses cause headaches.

Today, we also have laser rangefinders that tell you exactly how far a shot is. Another handy accessory is a spotting scope. Many times, something brown is seen but can’t be identified. Is it a rock, mud or a motionless hog? The spotting sight can help.

There are other things you can take, such as a cooler with cold non-alcoholic drinks. And don’t forget a stool or chair.

Good friends are the best accessory, as is a good sense of humor. We all have days when we can’t hit the side of a barn.

One thing is for sure. I should have planted some trees 50 years ago. Instead of roasting, I would have had some shade. I lacked foresight.

George H. Block writes a Sunday Outdoors column for the Observer-Reporter.