Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Mystery of .22 rimfire ammo shortage solved

Thats about the time that I began to notice the drop in chuck numbers,when I began to run into coyotes when hunting.Ive seen several coyotes lying near woodchuck holes waiting for them.Of course the hunter then became the hunted!

Six dogs have been killed in the Duluth area recently by timber wolves.
I wonder if they attack people?

Sounds great John. I don't really care for the new Remington 22lr ammo, but if you run across some old 22 yellow jackets let me know...

Steve, Have you ever seen a knowledgeable scientific report explaining the demise of the southern Ontario woodchuck population? There seems to be lots of theories thrown around but I have never seen the Ministry or anyone else provide sound reasons for the decline.

Jim

Global warming silly! Global warming is the cause of everything.

Where've you been? It's Climate Change now.

That way, they can get you coming and going.

That was deliberate, ya know.

Now, what about that danged RIMFIRE. I want some!

It's out there, just maybe not exactly what you want and surely not for what you want to pay.

I never was one for spraying a bunch of .22s downrange; probably have repressed memories of little cardboard boxes with one or two rounds rattling around inside. As a result, I never was one to buy a bunch of cheap bulk ammo. During Panic One, I did buy a few boxes of WW Expert and (Ugh!) Federal, because I worked nights and passed right by Walmart on my way home. I still have most of that, although I've shot some in my handguns and given some away. Mostly, I shoot good to semi-premium stuff and only a couple hundred per range visit. For hunting, I use RWS SS HPs, but have enough for the forseeable future. Since I'm still trying to determine what shoots best in my new rifle, I'm not likely to make any huge purchases any time soon.

If you know what you want, go to an online supplier and place a backorder or in-stock notification request. It absolutely has worked for me for the stuff I use. Just keep an eye on your email and you'll score.

As far as I'm aware, no studies have ever been done. You and I know there's no money in the budget for studies. Same as the ministry denying the existance of cougars in Onterrible. The cancellation of the spring bear hunt, etc.

No money for any definitive examinations of things like this.

Money collected by the MNR is supposed to stay within the ministry. I do not believe this is so.

Perhaps someone else can shed some light on this...but I doubt it.

Steve - Further to your comment about cougars. My optician has a riding horse which he stables about 20-25 miles from where I live. He told me about his horse being mauled by a cougar as stated by his vet after examining the wounds on the horse.

Then a short time later his brother-in-law saw one in the loft of his barn. They are here, no question about it!

Jim

Brakeclean n Amsoil and CLP work for me

Woodchucks are scarce in Delaware, Chenango and Otsego counties where I shot hundreds of them in the 70's. There are still good numbers of them further north in Cortland and Madison Counties yet there alot of coyotes there too.

It is rather odd that the government denied the existence of cougars for years and years. I don't know if they were concerned with tourism or they genuinely did not believe all the people that were reporting them. It sure makes you wonder who's steering the ship.

In this area they generally DAK of cougars. My son and his mom both them while driving, and my cousin has twice seen one near La Plata, Maryland while bowhunting. The first time, it came near his stand and acted very agressively. La Plata is in Southern Maryland, nor far from D.C.

They are seen occasionally on Skyline Drive, but again the authorities always deny it and say it was a bobcat or something. How many bobcats have long, ropey tails?

Yep, they see them in Pa also. Funny thing is no one ever gets a pic. No one ever can take a GC officer and show them prints. No one ever sees cubs, always adults. 800,000 deer hunters out the first day and no one shoots one or again gets a pic.

Yet some see them on a regular basis while taking a hike.

MD, Glad you found some ammo, but I wanna hear about the 64!

It's in very good condition, the only "flaw" a Pachmayr ventilated pad that was added at some point, though quite professionally. I suspect, however, that the stock wasn't cut when adding the pad, but won't know for sure until the rifle shows up here, as I had it shipped from Kentucky.

Changing farming practices, and actually the cessation of farming in many areas, is the leading cause of woodchuck decline IMO. They could easily outproduce their predators given good habitat.

Farmer down the road used to ask us to shoot Groundhogs and carried a rifle along when on his tractor. Years ago it wouldn't be uncommon for him to shoot around 100 in a year. Nothing has changed on his place that he can put his finger on other than Coyotes.

Asked to shoot them last year and he said go ahead, but there just are not that many.

Picked these up today at Cabelas on a Sunday afternoon in a crowded store:



Things must be getting better if they were still on the shelf on a Sunday afternoon.