Groundhog infestation IN TOWN

[WestKentucky]

The saga of the rental house never ends. I now have a 8x10 storage shed doubling as a groundhog hotel. At least 7 of them are living there, and of those at least 4 are juvenile. They must be evicted one way or another. Being in town I can't shoot them with a 22 or use kill type traps that might get the neighborhood tomcat. I am therefore pushed off to live traps and have no clue what to use as bait. If push comes to shove I have a .177 break barrel air rifle that claims 1000 fps, which has taken coons and similarly sized critters. There is an open field and hillside behind the yard so backstop is acceptable there for an air rifle. Suggestions on bait or ways to run these jokers off would be greatly appreciated. As for the shed, they are going under it, and mothballs hasn't done the trick in 2 weeks.

 

[nettlle]

Some of the new crossbows are deadly accurate and silent.

 

[desidog]

When you can't shoot 'em, gas 'em.... as per local laws, of course.

 

[TimSr]

My father had one that was eating tomatoes form his garden, so of course, he used a tomato and caught the next day.

Most any fruit will work well, and sometimes corn depending on their mood. Cooked or canned corn seems to work better than ears of field corn.


If you have a trap that is open at both ends, you can usually just butt it up against the opening they are coming out of.

I've also successfully trapped them with a one end open trap, with the open end in the hole entrance. Sometimes you have to stack wood or rocks to force their path into the trap.

 

[HB]

I would contact your landlord before you start trapping and killing the groundhogs.

 

[C.R.]

Dump some Gasoline down the hole the fumes ought to do it . Dont light it,just let them enjoy the smell

 

[WestKentucky]

I would contact your landlord before you start trapping and killing the groundhogs.

I am the landlord...trying to get the house ready for renters

 

[flathats]

#3 Victor Long spring...can't figure out how to post a pic....I am the trapper for our canal company and have caught 80+ rockchucks this spring....

 

[flathats]

#3 victor long spring...can't figure out how to post a pic....i am the trapper for our canal company and have caught 80+ rockchucks this spring....

 

[flathats]

Not to mention the 300+ that I have shot....

 

[Kingcreek]

Apple slices or peelings work. I'm told marshmallows also work.
They will climb a fence to get garden produce. The will also go up a tree if chased by a dog or cornered. They have a lot of fat and a tough hide and an adult can soak up .22 rim fire like nothing.
We had an immigrant priest new to the country and our small town. He had never seen a groundhog before and one was decimating his small garden. Somebody told him to use gasoline on these pests. He poured 2 gal in the hole and tossed a match at it. 30 feet away the garage lifted off its foundation.

 

[oneounceload]

I wonder if the same underground traps and poison that work on moles would be effective on them? Many farm supply places and hardware stores carry that stuff.

 

[jmorris]

Don't have any groundhogs but do have pocket gophers.

I built a plow that drops 5-6 poisoned seeds into a "tunnel" underground every 3ft. Knocks them out better than anything else we have ever used.

Killing is, more often than not, less work than hunting.

 

[WestKentucky]

2 down today. One shot through the chest with him scurrying for cover at 10 yards with the pellet rifle, and another shot standing at 25 yards. Both were very solid hits, but those buggers made it back under the shed before they died. The floor in that she'd is badly rotted so I busted it out a bit and unveiled a groundhog motel. Looked like a drug cartel had been tunneling in under the shed. About a foot wide at a 30 degree angle or so, going back a solid 10 to 12 feet then splitting. Couldn't see much more due to a large dead groundhog in the tunnel blocking the view. I have a serious issue with these jokers. I will take pics once I fish the dead one out tomorrow.

 

[Hookeye]

#3 trap?
I used 1.5's with great success, long and coil.

 

[Grumulkin]

Lots of luck with really getting rid of them. We've had one or more living under our front porch for at least 10 years now and I CAN shoot them where I live. I took the last one out with a 308 Winchester.

I've trapped some with a Have-A-Hart trap using apple and, if I remember correctly, peanut butter.

I also think they stay under ground for LONG periods. Several weeks ago I saw another one under my front porch, It didn't come out far enough to present a shot. I plugged the hole and there was NO sign of activity until 2 or 3 days ago. I have no idea what they eat being under ground for so long. It will come out eventually and I'll kill it but more will come.



Taken out my office window with a 44 Magnum.

By the way, some towns prohibit even the use of bows and air rifles in town.

 

[flathats]

#3 trap?
I used 1.5's with great success, long and coil.

Miss less with the #3....normally kills them on the spot...deeper grab....

 

[TimSr]

#3 trap?
I used 1.5's with great success, long and coil.

Miss less with the #3....normally kills them on the spot...deeper grab....

Traps must have changed a lot since the 70's. Largest i ever used was 1 1/2 for fox. Groundhogs were eaisly had with #1 longspring. Using too large of a trap resulted in a broken leg, which made escape by chewing a foot off much faster and easier.

The trap picture is a double spring.

I've also never seen a leghold trap kill. Are you talking about a connibear?

 

[flathats]

No....Traps haven't changed....I will snap a pic of the next catch...our rockchucks might be a but smaller than your groundhogs...most of mine end up caught with the jaws right behind the eye and mid body....normally dead real quick...and no chewing off legs...

 

[shlike]

Based on advice from a conservation officer, I used watermelon slices as bait in a humane trap. It worked wonders. I was able to get rid of a whole family of groundhogs that had taken up residence under my rear porch in a matter of days. I was also advised to release them at least 5 miles away as they have a very keen homing instinct and will find their way back.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

HOW ABOUT SOME FUN?

RODENATOR

Rodenator "IN ACTION"

LD

 

[matrem]

From either first hand, or in some cases second hand experience from a trusted source:
In town:

1. 220 connibears. (pets are a major consideration)
2 .22 lr CCI quiets.
3 .22 CBs .

4. hoping and praying they leave. (good luck with that one)

 

[22-rimfire]

Since I am pretty rusty with a bow, I suggest a cross bow and it might be both fun and challenging. 22 rifle seems to be out. I don't think your air rifle is powerful enough, and you will likely mostly wound the adults. The kits will die with a solid hit.

A box trap works (havahart type). Apples is what I would use for bait. I don't suggest iron traps due to catching other animals. Conibear type trap (beaver size) would work placed in the hole, but you still might nab some of the local house cat pets.

 

[Hookeye]

I have killed adult chucks and raccoons to 25 yards with .22 CBs.
Target rifles shot them OK, ran 4-12X AO scopes.

Have killed a few with bow.
72# Hoyt Protec and 55# Blackwidow SA2.

Leg hold traps work fine. You just make a depression slightly inside the hole, and lay it in there, do a pan cover and sift dirt over it. The trap should be wired to a decent drag. Place sticks over the hole to make a wall and put dirt over that. Woody comes to clear the "blockage" and bam, you got him.

Sometimes he'll dig without going anywhere, so your drag has a wire/chain going into a nice big pile o' dirt (all you can see). Yeah, tug on that chain a few times and see what pops out flying at you LOL!

Other times they might try for another hole and take the drag (look for tumbleweed).

1/3 of the time they just sit in the hole waiting to see who caught them. They tend to be rather irate when you introduce yourself.

Conibears work too (same covered hole deal if you want to reduce chance of other critters being caught/killed).

As for feral or stray cats, I consider them bonus points.

 

[Hookeye]

House cat.............stays in the house.
If you live on the farm, sure have some mousers.
But don't cry if they wander over someplace else and never come back.

On our farm we never bought a cat, yet had quite a few. Creek nearby, oat bin...........you needed them to keep the mice/rats down.

One problem with lots of cats (today anyway)..........they attract coyotes.

People dumped cats at my one hunting farm. Yotes moved in and got all the satellite ferals. When those were gone, they got the resident mousers. Snatched one off the deck, with the owner's two kids watching (rather traumatized they were).