What is this animal?

[1cock2hens]

where is your location? why are you going to trap it? you should check local regulation before doing so. It is illegal in most states to relocate wild animals just fyi and it's as good as a death sentence for the animal.

 

[akamoot]

"Georgia Law allows the taking of certain native species -- namely rats, mice, armadillos, coyotes, groundhogs, beaver, freshwater turtles, venomous snakes, frogs, spring lizards, fiddler crabs, freshwater crayfish, freshwater mussels, and nutria -- because of their status as a nuisance or other reason."
I guess I'll just keep an eye on it and if it doesn't cause problems I'll leave it be... but... should I be concerned about it spreading disease? i.e., rabies, tetanus...

 

[1cock2hens]

groundhogs are just about everywhere and besides being a nuisance by burrowing and nibbling your garden they are harmless as far as I know. just about everywhere i have ever lived there has been groundhogs running and i have never heard anything super negative about them.

 

[Krazyquilts]

I've heard that groundhogs will kill small dogs - I don't know if that's true or not but I'm careful to prevent my Yorkies going anywhere near them. Mostly I think groundhogs are just a nuisance, but the holes they dig can be dangerous to my sheep.

If it were me, any groundhog close enough to see clearly would be shot. Especially after a possum set up house in one of my coops and killed two of my Silkies, I don't take any chances. A dead rodent is a good rodent. (Except for pet rats etc - but those are kept contained obviously.)

 

[1cock2hens]

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/01/groundhogs-in-your-garden_n_2593390.html

 

[Kes]

I've never heard of groundhogs being an issue as far as disease (we have a LOT of them around here) but they can get really nasty if cornered, so be aware of that. I watched one defend itself against our old beagle/lab mix and I believe they could easily injure a small dog or any other small animal that bothered them enough. You might try setting out some ammonia or ammonia-soaked rags in small containers with holes poked in the lids. I've heard the smell is enough to keep most critters away. Pepper is usually also a good deterrent for rodents and you can safely dump it right down their burrow.

 

[OF65]

If you have a litter box for your cat.... empty it in the hole . It will drive him away. I have done this for years and know it works. But for that matter I have heard human urine works likewise .

 

[bobbi-j]

Hey, that's Punxutawney Phil!!!

Send him my way - I need to discuss the weather with him...

"Georgia Law allows the taking of certain native species -- namely rats, mice, armadillos, coyotes, groundhogs, beaver, freshwater turtles, venomous snakes, frogs, spring lizards, fiddler crabs, freshwater crayfish, freshwater mussels, and nutria -- because of their status as a nuisance or other reason."
I guess I'll just keep an eye on it and if it doesn't cause problems I'll leave it be... but... should I be concerned about it spreading disease? i.e., rabies, tetanus...

In my experience, your biggest concern is with him getting into your garden, tunneling under buildings, (potentially ruining the foundations) or making a tunnel for predators to get into your coop/run.

 

[chickeneinstein]

i agree, groundhog, but it could also be a gopher.

 

[PirateGirl]

I agree with @Kes I have seen them be aggressive when provoked. I was once charged by one. I had one stand it's ground and try and fight back against our dog instead of just running away. They can certainly carry disease/rabies. I'm not sure if they can carry plague like other rodents.