# Ground Hogs



## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

There are times we had the ground hogs under control,. They are winning again we have to many holes . What is the most efficient way to deal with this pest . I am not talking about sitting on the back porch with a gun . We have at least 500 acres that need some eradicating


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## Bonfire (Oct 21, 2012)

I was gonna say a 22.250, but.....

I have used a Conibear 330 trap. Lay it over the hole. It's illegal I'm sure. Not submerged in water and all. It was my own land. Was aware of the consequences. It was an exception, not the rule.


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## Thorim (Jan 19, 2015)

Bonfire said:


> I was gonna say a 22.250, but.....
> 
> I have used a Conibear 330 trap. Lay it over the hole. It's illegal I'm sure. Not submerged in water and all. It was my own land. Was aware of the consequences. It was an exception, not the rule.


I was leaning towards the .243 lol


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

We used to take the slurry wagon and flood the holes, either they came out and got shot or drowned in some cow sh*t, their choice.


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

Dad told about filling holes with gas and lighting it. You could use the smoke bombs. Take a batch of flat rocks or something else to cover the holes so they can't get out. Stay around in case there was a hole you missed and shoot them.


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

Our place was out of control when I got out of college. I hired a guy that advertised in lancaster farming that had the "rodenator".

http://www.rodenator.com/

He came out and blasted the holes for $3 each. He has since died in a car accident. I can say that this was 100% a turning point in my groundhog problem. I will also say that since I am surrounded on 3 sides by development that I had a few pissed neighbors and the cops made a visit. We were within our legal rights so there wasnt an issue. The guy had the setup in the back of a Kubota RTV. Pretty handy. I can say that this opened my eyes to what explosions can do, and what our troops go through with IEDs. Flood the holed for about 1 to 1.5 minutes. When it was fired the explosion was incredible. My neighbor works in the shop at Binkley and Hurst about 2 miles away and they could hear it. If you stood in line with the opening of the hole it felt like a breeze blew your hair when the explosion went off. Many of the holes were in fence row that had dead dried brush around the hole. The brush would INSTANTLY be on fire due to the heat coming out of the hole. I never saw dead mulifora rose instandly burn...

I think the setup is over priced. Its basically a torch with an exended handle and an electric ignitor....

I keep the population under control now with conibear traps. They work well, but are very time consuming. I also use "Giant Destroyer" smoke bombs. I have somewhat ok results with them....


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

I have a much more discreet, inexpensive way to control them.

Buy a case of big rolls of toilet paper, at least one roll for each hole. 
Get a couple p 5 gallon drywall buckets, fill them about 1/2 full with gasoline out in the field. 
Dunk the TP rolls in the buckets and let them soak a minute, then shove the soaked rolls down every den hole in your area. 
Do it at night and it's even more effective. 
Neighbors won't complain, no explosions, no guns, almost no cost.

The gasoline fumes will kill the ground hogs as long as all holes are sealed.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

If ya do that how the hell ya gonna know ifn it's gonna be a long winter? I mean, I looked on the television a few months ago and they was about 500 or so folk all hanging around a hole waitin for him to come out and see his "shadow".....idk seems like much to do about nothin.....ain't a one of them folk had a gun n they hands, wth were they doing? Did I mention it was cold and white stuff was on the ground.......


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

PaMike said:


> Our place was out of control when I got out of college. I hired a guy that advertised in lancaster farming that had the "rodenator".
> http://www.rodenator.com/
> He came out and blasted the holes for $3 each. He has since died in a car accident. I can say that this was 100% a turning point in my groundhog problem. I will also say that since I am surrounded on 3 sides by development that I had a few pissed neighbors and the cops made a visit. We were within our legal rights so there wasnt an issue. The guy had the setup in the back of a Kubota RTV. Pretty handy. I can say that this opened my eyes to what explosions can do, and what our troops go through with IEDs. Flood the holed for about 1 to 1.5 minutes. When it was fired the explosion was incredible. My neighbor works in the shop at Binkley and Hurst about 2 miles away and they could hear it. If you stood in line with the opening of the hole it felt like a breeze blew your hair when the explosion went off. Many of the holes were in fence row that had dead dried brush around the hole. The brush would INSTANTLY be on fire due to the heat coming out of the hole. I never saw dead mulifora rose instandly burn...
> I think the setup is over priced. Its basically a torch with an exended handle and an electric ignitor....
> I keep the population under control now with conibear traps. They work well, but are very time consuming. I also use "Giant Destroyer" smoke bombs. I have somewhat ok results with them....


I owned a Rodenator for awhile,used it on pocket gophers.It didn't work very well here,I think are ground is to mellow and would not hold the concussion inside the tunnel enough to kill the gopher.It just gave them a headache and they were back digging in 2-3 days.It was set to deliver a mixture of 98% oxygen and 2% propane.10 seconds would deliver a heck of a blast and blow dirt out of tunnels 100' away.No way I would want to be near it if u let it run 1.5 minutes.I ran it about 45seconds down a badger hole and the concussion hurt the bottom of my feet from tunnel below and I think my ears are still ringing even tho I had ear protection on.I either killed the badger or he left the county.I think for them to work well the ground needs to be hard to hold the concussion in.I sold it on Craigslist and got most of my $ back.I just wasn't satisfied with the results on pocket gophers,here.


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## Lostin55 (Sep 21, 2013)

500 acres of ground hogs? I feel for you there if they are anything like our prairie dogs. If we had a 500 acre prairie dog town I dont think we would ever win. 
There was an article in Farm show magazine about making an exhaust set up with your tractor. It looked fairly simple to build.


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

We use anhydrous ammonia on gophers. Gas the little bastards. We take an almost empty tank, put the hose down a hole. Turn on the gas quickly. You'll see it come out the other holes. Done.

Pocket gophers used to be a money making deal for me when I was young. $.25 per foot. Used to check traps religiously.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

stack em up said:


> We use anhydrous ammonia on gophers. Gas the little bastards. We take an almost empty tank, put the hose down a hole. Turn on the gas quickly. You'll see it come out the other holes. Done.
> 
> Pocket gophers used to be a money making deal for me when I was young. $.25 per foot. Used to check traps religiously.


I had some anhydrous blow back at me one time doing that.

Yea .25 per pair of front ft and .10 for a stripey tail.

I think they still have a bounty on pocket gophers.I should of saved the ft I got 144 so far this yr and still counting.


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## panhandle9400 (Jan 17, 2010)

I use a product called Rozol it is used here for prairie rats, works very well . It is a treated wheat seed and it works great to kill mice,rats,pack rats, prairie dogs most any critter that will ingest it. We treat 100's of acres of dogs with it, works good if you do not miss any holes.


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

swmnhay said:


> I had some anhydrous blow back at me one time doing that.Yea .25 per pair of front ft and .10 for a stripey tail.I think they still have a bounty on pocket gophers.I should of saved the ft I got 144 so far this yr and still counting.


Forgot about the tails. I was a rich man when I went to township board meetings with my booty. Got on the school bus more than once with blood and dirt on my hands.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

I am thinking maybe I should just buy the equipment to blow them up . We donot own any anhydrous equipment


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

I'd like to come watch......I like blowing things up (unless it's an internal combustion engine) tanarite works well on beaver damns, which are nothing like ground hogs but, did I mention I like blowing things up?


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

endrow said:


> I am thinking maybe I should just buy the equipment to blow them up . We donot own any anhydrous equipment


For the acreage you are talking about I think the "blow up method" is the way to go. You would have a couple hundred dollars in traps just to make your trap line worth while...

I do think I will try the toilet paper soaked in gas.... That sounds interesting..


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

PaMike said:


> For the acreage you are talking about I think the "blow up method" is the way to go. You would have a couple hundred dollars in traps just to make your trap line worth while...
> I do think I will try the toilet paper soaked in gas.... That sounds interesting..


 Just don't go using any those rolls soaking gas by mistake


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

PaMike said:


> For the acreage you are talking about I think the "blow up method" is the way to go. You would have a couple hundred dollars in traps just to make your trap line worth while...
> I do think I will try the toilet paper soaked in gas.... That sounds interesting..


It works well when there's homes closely. 
Another helper is a great way to insure they're trapped and can't escape. Find an area with several holes and fill them up fast.


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## Fowllife (Sep 10, 2010)

Bonfire said:


> I was gonna say a 22.250, but.....
> 
> I have used a Conibear 330 trap. Lay it over the hole. It's illegal I'm sure. Not submerged in water and all. It was my own land. Was aware of the consequences. It was an exception, not the rule.


220 conni's work just as good and are a lot cheaper. I think in the state of Ohio it is legal to use them on vermin as long as it isn't during trapping season. I like to shoot them, but usually resort to 220's since I don't have the time. 110's are also very effective for rats in a barn, set them around the perimeter right next to the wall.

For Endrow though, it would depend on how spread out your fields are and were the are if I would use this method.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

Found a used Rodenator already got it on the job and this thing will blow them up big time


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Bring that thing on down....looks like fun. 
I'll take a to Chick FIL A for lunch!!!
Nice looking crop!


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

Where did you find one that fast? how much you pay?

I see a side business for you when milk prices are low...


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

PaMike said:


> Where did you find one that fast? how much you pay?
> I see a side business for you when milk prices are low...


I was discussing groundhogs with a local farmer here who just happen to know someone who want to sell one


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## SVFHAY (Dec 5, 2008)

Buddy has a rodenator, he says get under the roof of the utv when you ignite so rocks don't get ya.

Was told grape bubblegum at each hole will kill them slowly, never tried seemed a little cruel.

They're making a comeback here, I may have to try JD's to trick. They were getting pretty think there for a while thanks to the coyote.


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