# Groundhogs



## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Used to have several guys around that loved shooting groundhogs to the point where we hardly ever had a problem with em, where those guys are at now I'm not sure.

Anyways, have a partial tank of anhydrous and a hose made up that I'm gonna use to gas em out, also have one to take care under one of our grain bins as well as a rental farm.

Question is this, I've never paid much attention to em other than trying to run em down when there on the side of the road, when are the nasty little buggers at home? First thing in the am? later in the day? late evening?


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

Pretty much in their hole unless you see them around close to their den. How many pocket gophers will you trade for your family of groundhogs? LOL


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Let me think about it, I'll get back to yah.


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## Rodney R (Jun 11, 2008)

Not sure if it's an option, but I've been using traps. That way the traps are working for me all day long, even right now.  Like was said above, I think they're around most of the time, but something I've found here is that one animal might have several different holes. But it sounds like you only have a few holes, so that won't be a problem.

Rodney


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Most of em I'm after is out in a hayfield I just rented this spring. I suppose if I flagged the traps I'd be able to find em once we get some regrowth.


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## Blue Duck (Jun 4, 2009)

NDVA HAYMAN said:


> How many pocket gophers will you trade for your family of groundhogs? LOL


I would be willing to trade some coyotes! A few weeks ago me and my boy were out baling some hay that dad cut and raked and there was an old coyote hole that had grass grown up in it so it was very hard to see. When we hit it the tractor bounced around pretty bad and knocked my boy out of his seat but he did not hit the floor because he caught himself with the lefthand reverser lever. Unexpected direction changes are not fun! But now I don't have to tell him to put his seat belt on.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Trouble with dirthogs in this part of the country is that they have taken to burrowing into and underneath barns and buildings due to pressure from coyotes digging them out of their burrows. Really annoying. I have started gassing them with about a six foot hose, 1/2 gallon of gas, and then shoveling dirt in each end of burrow. Fumes overwhelm. Regards, Mike


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

The first Ground Hog I seen was about 20 yrs ago.Very seldom seen one but now see about 1 a week.They are some tough sob's.Mixed up some Goldin Malrin and corn and they ate it and didn't even phase them.Catch them in a box trap and they rip it up.Pan trap next to hole doesn't work bad but make sure you have a good chain on it.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Yah, takes a hella of a dog to get a groundhog, almost as a good as a one to take a raccoon out. We used to have an aussie that weighed about 35 pounds, she absolutely loved killing groundhogs and raccoons.


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## Rodney R (Jun 11, 2008)

If they rip up a box trap then either you have grizzly bears for groundhogs, or have crappy box traps. I'm no longer 100% certain, but I think mine are 220's, and I've caught about 7-900 over the years. They have a 'spring' on each side. I've lost about a dozen traps, mostly cause something tears the stake out of the ground. I try to keep about 20 in my box on the back of the 4-wheeler. Most of our ground is all continuous, so I can just use the 4-wheeler to check them, and I use a flag to mark them, cause I can't remember where they are all at. 

Rodney


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## SVFHAY (Dec 5, 2008)

Rodney, We are talking leg hold not conibear (sp?)? What for bait, peanut butter or a slice of that high $ horsey hay?

I've heard a piece of grape bubble gum outside the hole will "gum up" the inards of a hog in a week. Seems a little cruel and slow compared to a 100 grain lead injection.

A friend of mine has a rodentantator. Mounted it on a gator with a roof so he can get under it to avoid falling rocks after detonation. I costs quite a bit in consumed fuel and is about %70 effective on the first trip. I think its pretty cool but he says it turns into work after the first few hours.

Kelly


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## Rodney R (Jun 11, 2008)

Kelly,
Mine are all conibear, but I've heard guys calling them box traps. Not sure why, or even what the others are called. I think they're nearly foolproof, as the groundhog HAS to walk through them. I know we had put a few of the old traps out one time (stessing the ONE time), and the problem that I saw was that the freaking critter was NOT dead, and it would chew it's leg off to get out. I wanna see dead groundhogs, and know that they're not going to dig another hole. Can you tell that I really hate the suckers?

Rodney


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Here Box traps are live animal traps.At least if you get a cat in it can be released no harm done.I usually use cat food for bait or have used marshmellows,catch less cats.









They seem to like high moisture corn out of silo.I just set a trap in skidloader bucket after chores.Missed him last night with a pan trap.(leg trap)


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## rgnesda (Feb 19, 2009)

We moved into an run down old dairy farm 7 years ago. We have several old barns around the property. I have lost count of how many Ground hogs and racoons my dog has killed. He loves hunting them so much i've thought about taking him to friends houses that have problems with ground hogs.

We usually get a few every year that try to move into a barn, it dosn't take long for them to find out it was a bad idea as they are getting shaken to death in the jaws of my dog. There was one fat old one that it took about a year for the dog to catch in the wrong place at the wrong time. That old one was so smart. As soon as i would open the back door he would head for his hole before you could step outside. My dog is a mutt that part great dane, he is about 120 lbs and very fast.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Got him.








Leg trap gave me a non moving target.








And cause of death was lead poisoning.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

"At least if you get a cat in it can be released no harm done.I usually use cat food for bait or have used marshmellows,catch less cats."

Free roaming cats do a heck alot of damage to the environment. They kill hundreds of song and gamebirds in their lifetime, not to mention hundreds of many other forms of small wildlife. I have no use for a free roaming cat. Yes, they can be great ratters, but the cost is simply too great. I have the same amount of concern for free roaming felines as I do free roaming ground hogs. Before anyone gets their drawers all waded up, this is simply MY OPINION, nothing more and nothing less. Regards, Mike


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Stray cats make good target practice.


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## Marshall (Jul 22, 2009)

I would be willing to travel up from GA to shoot all your groundhogs during the day, as long as I could shoot a nice buck in the morning, or afternoon. ?









Marshall


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## raptor660jarhead (Jul 19, 2010)

I would put a ad in the paper or on the elevator. Here in michigan I have seen guys pay upwards of 20 bucks a dog just to shoot them. I personally shoot them with my 22-250. Or whatever I have in my hands at the time. The promblem with trapping is that you sometimes get nontargeted animals. I have caught stray cats and dogs in 220s all the time. I have also used leg holds and thats even worse with cats. Good luck and if your in michigan or close get back with me and my rifle.


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## SVFHAY (Dec 5, 2008)

Wow, at $20 bucks a dog I am sitting on a gold mine. That's it the equipment and trucks are for sale and I am going shopping for camo, gonna be a huntin' guide! Who cares if the weatherman got his degree from the back of a cereal box, we can hunt with a 40% chance of showers.

Kelly


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

Rodney R said:


> If they rip up a box trap then either you have grizzly bears for groundhogs Rodney


Many years ago we got transfered to NJ. We had never seen the things before and my kids wanted to see one up close. It took me a number of tries but I finally caught one. That's when I found out that they are nothing but claws and teeth with a bit of hair in the middle. My kids got to see it but I just shot the nasty things after that. Texas pocket gophers are a pain, but they are a lot easier to deal with.


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