Ground hog eating garden

[DR ARNETT]

BUY 10 #'S CHEAP WHITE FLOUR & SPRINKLE AROUND PERIMITER, THAT WILL SHOW TRACKS . I USE TO TRACK KOYOTES JIM- 5$GRAND-- U IN PONGSTAWNY PA OR WHAT. NEVER HEARD OF RODENTS BEING PROTECTED SPIECES, GBA

 

[jimfromliny]

We see that wretched little terrain terrorists during the day. I have an air rifle and if they are in the clear.....they go to groundhog heaven. I stopped mowing the lawn near the shed about 2 months ago and the entry was under the shed. They hate the high grass. I've tossed peanut butter loaded with rat poison and other goodies and they either dont eat it or it has no effect. The chlorine gas though....that is pretty thorough. If I pick one off with the air rifle, then the carcass goes into the woods and the coons and fox have a meal.

 

[aart]

If i caught the groundhog, it would be shot, skinned, gutted, cooked and fed to the animals. I need some return on all those veggies.
I forgot to say we are on 13 acres of land on a river with steep banks, almost completely wooded and hilly. For probably 100 years no one has done anything in the woods except hunt , drink beer and build a cabin. There are old dead trees laying around all over the place. The only thing i can say about the location of the den is , it is not inside the garden or under the house. I have not seen the animal or any tracks. Just disappearing veggies

Might not be a groundhog then? They are hard to shoot, skittish....they run when the window opens to shoot, not like rabbits who freeze for an easy target.

 

[Ridgerunner]

It's been about a month, don't you have the charger yet? How is it set up?

Groundhogs are tough. They have excellent eyesight so it's really hard to see them before they see you. They can climb, dig, and even force their way under a fence if there is just a small opening. They normally have a den with lots of escape holes where they live and raise their families (often there are several in there) but they also dig escape holes they can run to if they are caught away from their home den. It can be quite challenging to find that home den, let alone all the openings.

They are generally not active at night but can be at dawn and dusk or during the day. If you can determine where they are coming from and where they are getting in, maybe you could be out there at dawn and dusk in a blind to get a shot. They do have excellent eyesight though. I don't know what shotgun you have but go with heavy shot and a powerful charge, depending in what your gun can handle. I's not like shooting a rabbit.


If you can find their home den and all the escape openings you can get a gas bomb to kill them inside. Block all the escape holes and toss the gas bomb in the last hole and quickly cover that up, which means have the loose dirt ready. To help you find all the openings maybe toss a smoke bomb down the hole and block the hole. Observe where the smoke comes out.

One problem with poisoning them is that they need to eat enough to kill them. It's a dosage thing. They are a lot bigger than mice or rats so they have to eat a lot more for it to kill them.

I've never had any luck baiting them into a trap. I've tried really ripe peaches and apples with a dash of vanilla. I've gotten a raccoon but not a groundhog. I've read that if you can put the trap on top of the hole they'll blunder in trying to get down the hole but I've never tried it. When I find their holes they are usually in a place where I can't fit the trap on top.

I've tried coyote urine and dog hair to discourage them. Once I put the remains of butchered chickens down the hole and covered it up. Didn't work.

Hopefully that electric wire will work. Good luck!

 

[DR ARNETT]

I use one of those ''game cameras' like people track deer with to see where koyotes are getting in. since u cant sit there all day watching u might try that the're only bout $0 or maybe cheaper if u hunt the internet GBA

 

[CapricornFarm]

It's been about a month, don't you have the charger yet? How is it set up?

Groundhogs are tough. They have excellent eyesight so it's really hard to see them before they see you. They can climb, dig, and even force their way under a fence if there is just a small opening. They normally have a den with lots of escape holes where they live and raise their families (often there are several in there) but they also dig escape holes they can run to if they are caught away from their home den. It can be quite challenging to find that home den, let alone all the openings.

They are generally not active at night but can be at dawn and dusk or during the day. If you can determine where they are coming from and where they are getting in, maybe you could be out there at dawn and dusk in a blind to get a shot. They do have excellent eyesight though. I don't know what shotgun you have but go with heavy shot and a powerful charge, depending in what your gun can handle. I's not like shooting a rabbit.


If you can find their home den and all the escape openings you can get a gas bomb to kill them inside. Block all the escape holes and toss the gas bomb in the last hole and quickly cover that up, which means have the loose dirt ready. To help you find all the openings maybe toss a smoke bomb down the hole and block the hole. Observe where the smoke comes out.

One problem with poisoning them is that they need to eat enough to kill them. It's a dosage thing. They are a lot bigger than mice or rats so they have to eat a lot more for it to kill them.

I've never had any luck baiting them into a trap. I've tried really ripe peaches and apples with a dash of vanilla. I've gotten a raccoon but not a groundhog. I've read that if you can put the trap on top of the hole they'll blunder in trying to get down the hole but I've never tried it. When I find their holes they are usually in a place where I can't fit the trap on top.

I've tried coyote urine and dog hair to discourage them. Once I put the remains of butchered chickens down the hole and covered it up. Didn't work.

Hopefully that electric wire will work. Good luck!

The hot wire has been up for a while now. I turn it on faithfully every evening. I don't think the critter has been in the garden lately, but we will see soon because my beans and peas are coming up. I have three wires around the fence , two close to the bottom and one near the top. I have rocks all the way around the fence on the outside. If my veggies get eaten this time, i am going to cage in my raised gardens with hardware cloth.
I am going to get a game camera, but i am investing in building materials right now. Planning to build a 10x20 goat shed as soon as i finish the chicken coop.
After the veggies die off the fence charger will go to work protecting the chicken yard where my guineas, chickens and rabbits live. The neighbors say we have a lot of coyotes. Plus the bears, but at least bears hibernate.

 

[DR ARNETT]

Wildgame terra 8 trail camera on amazon for $49.99 is 1 of the cameras I use takes stills or 15 sec video. must order a little card w/ it 16gb is good chicken wire is cheaper that hardware cloth for keeping out varments & a 1 foot wide strip around the bottom of your fence about 2'' off the ground hooked to your charger works better than 2 single strands. I don't shut off my fence charger as koyotes hunt in daylight too. someone mentioned shotgun, I use shells loaded w/ # 4 buckshot easy to find in most common gauges good for Texas jack rabbits up to -yup- bucks. plumbers smoke bombs are safe to use & easy to find to locate den openings if u find the den.

 

[DR ARNETT]

'I SHOT THE KY--OTE, BUT I DID NOT SHOOT THE DEP U TY'. I got the koyote that ate my broody peahen & her 5 eggs, sure enough someone called the sheriff. yeaa!!--& boo. also got the rockrat [ground squirell ] that was eating through the plastic garbage cans I store chick feed in. good day all 'round for gettin' rid of varments [ except the deputys ] . u still lossin veggies to ur ''varment''? GBA