What would you be willing to do with a predator?

[416bigbore]

I adore my ducks and will do anything for their well-being.

X2 !

 

[DucksOhio]

Well, update. We got a havahart trap, and were able to trap him this morning. My husband took care of the rest. He and I never want to do that again. Not easy emotionally.

 

[DaisyG2317]

Shoot it!

There are many super fun varmint calibers out there. 17HMR is a zipply little guy!

 

[Birdielee]

Well, update. We got a havahart trap, and were able to trap him this morning. My husband took care of the rest. He and I never want to do that again. Not easy emotionally.

Yeah. I agree. Life wants to keep living. Problem with groundhogs is they're not willing to share. They have to take one bite out of 4 tomatoes. Instead of eating one. Or two.

 

[DucksOhio]

Yeah. I agree. Life want to keep living. Problem with groundhogs is they're not willing to share. They have to take one bite out of 4 tomatoes. Instead of eating one. Or two.

Still, hard to kill an animal. My husband did it and is kinda traumatized by the experience.

 

[Chickstarrs]

Still, hard to kill an animal. My husband did it and is kinda traumatized by the experience.

Yes, I would find that hard as well. If it makes him feel any better, moving the groundhog to another location this time of year would likely lead to a longer, more painful death. The groundhog would have no home for protection from predators or the elements. He would have to find a new food source quickly to make sure he had enough fat to last hibernation, and that would only be if he could find or dig another den. As hard as it was, (and I don't know if I could do it) it was probably better in the long run for the little guy.

 

[One Lucky Momma]

Still, hard to kill an animal. My husband did it and is kinda traumatized by the experience.

I am sooo sorry you guys have had to go through this.

We have done the same with possums and raccoons, as well as groundhogs. I‘m not sure it gets any easier. But I do know groundhogs have babies who grow up to be just as destructive as their parents. You can dispatch them now, or you can dispatch them later.

Your husband sounds like a really nice guy.

 

[RobertaD1]

Well, if it's any consolation, other predators will take up residence in the abandoned burrows of a groundhog. So disposing of it was for the best. We have had raccoons and fox is old burrows around our farm. Keeping them away and disposing of those you find is for the best. Its hard... yes. I cant do it, but my husband has no trouble with it. Your birds will thank you later. Now, you have to find his homes...and fill the holes.

 

[Birdielee]

Still, hard to kill an animal. My husband did it and is kinda traumatized by the experience.

Yeah, I understand. As a teenager, I found a tiny little songbird that got hit by a car. It was still alive and flapping about on the sidewalk but its' neck was flopping helplessly and it was obviously time to kill it quickly. I tried and I tried and it just wouldn't die. I felt so bad and i cried and tried to kill this little bit of a life and it was so difficult to make it die. There have been very few living animals I've actually killed (except mosquitoes) but I learned with that half a handful of tenacious life that life really wants to live.
I'm not minimizing the difficulty of having killed something. I agree that it's really hard.

 

[Ebony Rose]

Groundhog Stew, with Bacon and Parched Wild Rice


Marinate the woodchuck, brown it, braise in stock, remove meat from the bones, then sweat some diced vegetables, add back the meat and cooking liquid, along with some rice, season it up, and voila. Have some good bread around, you're going to want to wipe the bowl clean.



Prep Time12 hrs
Cook Time30 mins



Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Groundhog, Small game, Stew, Woodchuck

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• One roughly 2-3 lb groundhog skinned, gutted, rinsed and quartered (see photo above)

Marinade

• 3 cups dry white wine
• 1 bulb of garlic cloves lightly crushed with the back of a knife
• 1 large sprig rosemary leaves torn off the branch
• a small handful of fresh thyme sprigs roughly 6-7
• 2 fresh bay leaves optional
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup blended olive oil or neutral vegetable oil

For the Groundhog Stew

• 3 cups mixed vegetables diced 1/4 inch (I used a mix of carrots, potatoes, onion, celery and fennel)
• 1 large tomato
• 3 qts chicken stock preferably homemade
• 4 ounces smoked pork belly or slab bacon diced 1/4 inch
• 1/4 cup wild rice flour for dredging the woodchuck, optional
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic minced
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 1/2 cup parched wild rice or 1 cup cooked wild rice
• 1 ear of sweet corn
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Tobasco to taste, optional
• Sliced scallions 1/4 inch, tender white and green parts only, optional

Instructions
Marinating

• The night before hand, trim the groundhog pieces of as much visible fat as possible, then season liberally with salt and pepper, toss with the garlic cl0ves, oil, thyme, bay leaves, and rosemary. Put the seasoned groundhog pieces in a wide dish or casserole and pour over the wine. Allow the woodchuck to sit overnight or at least for 4-5 hours, turn it around in the juices now and then if you have time.
• Cut the corn from the cob, then cut the cobb into 2 inch slices and reserve both separately.
• To prepare the stew, render out the fat from the bacon in a wide 10 inch braising pan, remove the bacon and reserve, leave the fat in the pan.

Browning and Building the Stew

• Remove the groundhog pieces from their marinade, pat dry and remove any rogue herbs or pieces of garlic. Toss with the wild rice flour, then brown on medium high heat in the bacon fat. Pour off the spent fat from the pan, deglaze the pan with the sherry, reduce by half, then add the stock, corn cob, cover the pan and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. If you have time, skim the albumen and fat that rise to the surface of the pan occasionally as it makes a cleaner tasting stew. Simmer the groundhog gently for 1.5 hours, or until the meat can be picked from the bones.
• Meanwhile, cook the wild rice in the chicken stock until just done, then strain out the rice and lay out on a plate or cookie sheet to cool. Reserve the wild rice liquid to add to the stew. It adds really good flavor, and that's why you're cooking the rice in chicken stock in the first place.
• Remove the woodchuck pieces and cool, then pick the meat from the bones, give it a rough chop, and reserve. You should have about 2.5 cups of meat.
• Remove the stock from the pan and reserve then strain it. You should have about 1 qts of liquid.
• Wipe the pan, then melt the butter and add the diced vegetables and the garlic. Sweat the mixture until it's well cooked, and the vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes, then add the reserved woodchuck liquid, wild rice liquid and simmer for 15 minutes more.
• Finally, add the woodchuck meat, corn kernels, and wild rice. Season the stew with salt to taste, then serve immediately with some Tobasco on the side. If not serving, chill immediately, transfer to a labeled, dated container and reserve until needed.

Notes
You could substitute another small creature here — rabbit, turtle, duck or goose legs would all be great. There are probably some other little creatures I don't know of that would be good too.

https://foragerchef.com/a-groundhog-stew/