May 16, 2015 4 min read

A friend once begged me to go for a ride with him, and I repeatedly refused his invitation. The ride would have taken me through some outstanding scenery and good fishing. But no, I wasn’t going for that trip.

The path, you see, was a river and the vehicle was a canoe. I have a few absolute rules I follow, and one of them is I don’t get in a canoe. That also includes a kayak.

Why you might ask? For one thing, those things don’t look stable. I prefer to stay out of the water.

To reinforce my aversion to canoes, I was reading the latest issue of Pennsylvania Angler/Boater, paying special attention to the article titled, “Recap of 2014 Pennsylvania Boating Fatalities.”

The piece describes places of the accidents and types of watercraft involved. Jumping out at me was the number of accidents that involved either a canoe or kayak. By my count, there were 17 fatalities, 13 of which were canoe- or kayak-related.

While I am shocked such a high percentage of watercraft being used were canoes or kayaks, I also noted alcohol and cold water were two other culprits.

I can’t overemphasize that drinking and boating don’t mix well, and cold water can bring on hypothermia quickly. Now you know why old George doesn’t feel comfortable placing one foot in a canoe.

• Want to go fishing but hate to spend money when you only fish one day of the year? Well, your day is quickly approaching. The first of two fish-for-free days is May 24. On this day, you don’t need a fishing license in Pennsylvania. Of course, the angler must still obey other fishing rules such as daily limits and size limits.

• If April and May are the fishing months, June is when the ethical hunter begins shooting groundhogs. The problem with hunting hogs much earlier is the young are in the dens and depending on mommy for nourishment. Shoot the mother before they are out of the den and feeding on the various grasses and they starve while still underground.

I can’t help but be bothered by that fact.

I have shot hogs with handgun and bow, but find my greatest pleasure in shooting them at longer distances. How far is long? In my opinion, it depends.

Making a hit with the first shot using a .222 anything over 250 yards is a good shot, while making that same hit with a .220 Swift is a piece of cake. For those who read this column but don’t hunt summer groundhogs, this is because the Swift, while of the same caliber (diameter of the bullet), utilizes a larger case which allows for more powder. With the increase in powder, there is an increase in the velocity of the bullet – thus, a flatter trajectory.

While the properly sighted .222 will be down quite a bit at 300 yards, the Swift is almost dead-on. Therefore, which rifle is taken on a hunt might depend on the lengths of the field to be hunted.

When going to a farm where I know shots will seldom stretch beyond 300 yards, the .222 might be the best round to use. After all, it is much easier on the barrel and is comparatively quieter.

There are days when the fields might be longer and the .222 can create little but frustration. A bigger, faster round is needed.

Then, we might consider the factor that humbles many a shooter – wind.

The thing to consider is the fact light bullets are blown off course more easily than those of greater weight. This is always a consideration when choosing the rifle where shots are to be taken at extreme distances and the wind could be blowing.

This is the reason for using the .243, 6mm or the 25-06. Another advantage to these larger, heavier bullets is the ease of seeing the impact of the larger bullet.

Many times, the small .22 bullets don’t throw enough dirt to see where it struck. Did I shoot low or did the bullet pass over the animal? If the impact can be seen, corrections can be made with the next shot.

If your spouse doesn’t think you need more than one varmint rifle, show them this article, I’m sure she will understand.

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