ARGH! Groundhogs!

[theFox]

I get those lovely critters around here, they always seem to operate on a fairly reliable schedule so I manage to dispatch them using a straight pipe and some number 6 shot short brass in 16 gauge and occasionally the .22 (depends upon what is closest at the time). Works just fine, it isn't to protect the chickens but the gardens.

 

[njduck]

pour some gas into both holes for the den. stand back a few feet and throw some fire on the gas (remember both holes) sucks the oxygen out of the den and they are dead. groundhogs are cute at first then they turn into big problems. they breed faster then rats. 1 will turn into about10 by next spring. if you have a garden and feed them they will all stay.

 

[BroosterSpringsteen]

Quote:
Oh my! Well, I don't think this will work, as the borrow is built on the river, and I definitely don't want to pour gas into the ground next to the river.

These are all good ideas, so my current plan is:
-Buy a cage trap, and catch them one by one. I live a few miles from the Appalachian Trail, so these's plenty of open wild area to release them into.
-Reinforce the coop top to bottom with welded wire or hardware cloth. I think I need to dig around the base and bury the wire.

I store the feed inside the house for now, because I have younger chicks in the house brooder. When the chicks in the house are bigger, I'll hang the feeder. Right now they wouldn't be able to reach it. But I like the trashcan storage idea. This groundhog has wasted a LOT of chicken feed. On a positive note, at least it's a groundhog showing me the weakenesses in my coop, and not something deadlier.

 

[Allsardane]

Quote:
Heh.


My Aunts new husband did that to get rid of moles. He might have been a little too enthusiastic though as the gas explosion ruined about 1/3 of the landscaping in his backyard.

 

[woodmort]

Quote:
Heh.


My Aunts new husband did that to get rid of moles. He might have been a little too enthusiastic though as the gas explosion ruined about 1/3 of the landscaping in his backyard.

Obviously you people have never seen "Caddyshack"

 

[Slim Chickens]

Yep. or you can cut it up & feed it to your birds! Now that's revenge

Now THAT's funny!!!

 

[BroosterSpringsteen]

So here's an update:
Last week, I reinforced the whole coop with welded wire. Of course, the next morning he dug right under it. So then I dug a trench and buried a 10" skirt of welded wire around the whole perimeter, and covered it back up. That semmed to stump him for a good 5 days....but then he dug under that too.

How deep do I need to go?

I also set up a trap, and have been trying to catch the guy. I've tried different locations, covering it with branches, baited it with everything from chicken feed to cantaloupe to marshmallows, but I just can NOT catch this guy. Any more suggestions?

You should see my garden. It looks like I tied a weedeater to a pig's butt and set him loose inside the fence. This is one hungry groundhog!

 

[dretd]

Quote:
You could try not going deep, but out. They will keep going deeper and deeper until they get to the bottom if its vertical. Try removing a top layer of soil out several feet from the edge of the coop then lay the wire flat on the ground and bend it up at a right angle a foot onto the base of the fence (so its L-shaped). Affix/staple it on the fence and use landscape staples to secure it down to the ground. Then cover it back over with the soil you dug up (or just lay it on top and cover it with a new mount of mulch or soil). I would then use a landscape timber over the wire at the base all along the perimeter.
Quote:
You could call in a professional. Or call your county extension agent to ask what type of bait would work best for your particular critter or other advice specific for your case. I don't know if the trap you are using will actually work on ground hogs. In general, if you are trapping it is advised to pre-bait the trap with food but not set it until they get used to the trap as a feeding station. If they first try to go in and it springs then they will be scared off and may not want to go back, no matter how delicious you make the bait.
Quote:

I mean

 

[theFox]

Well I'd try the ole shot gun or rifle on that 'hog. Then you can put the hog on the grill if you wish.

They are very good at digging and unless you plan on going down very deep or laying down a barrier flat on the ground that has a lot of width to it you are better off getting a couple of live traps and baiting them with something like revenge woodchuck bait or if you know what the beast is fond of today (they change their tastes) use that as bait (the last one on this lot was going for raspberries and raspberry plants when my shotgun last spoke).

I had two last year that were murder on squash vines and one that was trying to climb the pole bean vines.

Enjoy your hunting/trapping/exclusion project.

 

[they'reHISchickens]

Going out isn't going to help... their tunnel openings are 30-50 feet apart. Going down won't help either. They can dig deeper than you can.
Can you find all the holes in their system? They usually have at least 3 exits 10-50 ft apart. You can buy ground hog "bombs" at tractor Supply or any good farm store. Cover all exits but one with dirt. Light the smoke bomb fuse and put it as far down the remaining hole as you can and immediately cover that hole with a plug of sod. It should kill the rascals.
*should*
Some groundhogs have 20 lives.
Your best bet is a good dog. A good dog will deal with the problem quickly and efficiently.
If neither of these is an option, you need a good aim,a reliable firearm, a comfortable chair placed strategically, and lots of time early mornings and late evenings to sit and wait.

Currently dealing with 4(!) grundsows in one area and 5 (!) in another system 200 ft away. Dog died last year and the man of the house is a city boy who hasn't the patience to sit quietly for hours.