No matter how many we shot, there were always more. Today, long range cartridges and good quality optics have changed woodchuck hunting. With a bipod on the rifle, creating a solid rest, groundhogs can be taken even farther. Six hundred-yard shots are not uncommon, but this sport has its limitations today. There are fewer farms and less open land.
Population growth keeps eating away at the available habitat.
Another factor that affects the woodchuck population is the coyote. Due to the increased number of these cunning hunters, fewer groundhogs can be found. We, as hunters, were never able to keep their numbers under control, but nature's predator certainly can. Times were a lot simpler, when I was young. We didn't spend hours in front of the TV, video games or the computer.