!@#! Groundhog

[LilRedmamma]

Dern critter has dug tunnels under the chicken run and coop, dirt piled 2 ft high inside the attached shed. Even dislodged a small concrete chunk I put in its entrance in my frustration. The hubby installed a deadly clamp-trap... nada. It's war... I was outdoors cleaning my pond mess, tearing it down when one hen made that unmistakable startled cackling, wings thrashing, "get the H out of my house!" racket. I knew that was no little food-squabble but I couldn't see anything-- but she was near the hole I had been suspicious that it was a coon. Till dirt mounds appeared in the night, up to 2 ft high. The hubby said cat, till he saw the dirt pile.
Stepping into a tunnel in the run was the last straw. GOTTA get rid of this groundhog! My only consolation is they supposedly don't kill the birds, being herbivores. Dog poo and hair from the vacuum has not deterred it. Grrrr So far, the clamp-trap hasn't caught it and to prevent my dog from being killed, I instructed him to release the trap jaws till he can set it again where Rocky's curiosity won't get him instead.
This definitely promotes a strenuous housecleaning, hauling wheelbarrow fulls of dirt to the garden-- not my idea of how to spend a beautiful spring day.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Dern critter has dug tunnels under the chicken run and coop

1/2 inch hardware cloth skirt dug down 4 feet will STOP it. Might be worth the effort.

Otherwise bait a live (raccoon size hav-a hart style) trap and dispatch yourself.. doesn't sound to hard.

 

[LilRedmamma]

Hubby thinks it’s too big for our live trap. Today I’m finishing up the smaller coop to just move them out temporarily. My back couldn’t dig that much lol. Ty
Mho I think he could set the clamp trap in the biggest hole underneath the big coop after I move the girls out. (Hope)

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

As the other person said, make a hardware skirt and your problem is solved. Groundhogs are not going to harm your chickens but don't want holes underneath. 2 or 3ft out Hardware skirt, asap.

 

[aart]

Destructive batfastards!!
No they won't hurt the birds, but their tunnels may provide chicken eaters to enter.
They are hard to trap. I have a situation where I can shoot them with a .22 from my window.

 

[Geena]

Destructive batfastards!!

Here our dogs usually keep them at a tolerable level. But when needed, we use a .22 as well. They are very difficult to trap and I'm not sure even hardware cloth would stop the little devils.

 

[Old Spice]

Pour a pint of gasoline into the hole and then cover the openings. The critter will go to sleep and never wake up. I've handled them this way for years. It seems fairly humane to me.

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

Pour a pint of gasoline into the hole and then cover the openings. The critter will go to sleep and never wake up. I've handled them this way for years. It seems fairly humane to me.

not great for the land though..

 

[LilRedmamma]

UPDATE @ critter: We found out it wasn't a groundhog -- it was a big mamma rat! My (GSP) dog caught it, broke its neck -- dropped the bloody vermine at my feet as I was raking leaves. I froze it in a bag, then dropped into the trash barrel. No more tunnels... uhh no pic here.

 

[TwoCrows]

UPDATE @ critter: We found out it wasn't a groundhog -- it was a big mamma rat! My (GSP) dog caught it, broke its neck -- dropped the bloody vermine at my feet as I was raking leaves. I froze it in a bag, then dropped into the trash barrel. No more tunnels... uhh no pic here.

Glad the vermin is dead!