Ground Hogs (aka Wood Chucks) Digging in Pole Barn

[deerseeker001]

I had one a few years ago would only see him towards dusk.had to be very sneaky or he was gone.he had tunneled under the cement in pole barn.they will undermine the cement and it will crack cement.

 

[whistlepig]

If it has been a dry spell and it rains they will always come out quickly afterwards. For the tender grass. Or you can sit close to the mouth of their hole. They lay mostly in the mouth of their holes when not out in the open. Not underground.

 

[sixdogs]

Woodchucks have very poor eyesight so as long as you don't move or are directly in the open they will come out and move round long enough to catch them off guard.

 

[Notforhire]

Just wondering. At what latitude does a groundhog become a woodchuck?:laughing:

 

[PAGUY]

I first practiced my bow shooting skills until they wised up and knew when I was around. Next step was to buy some wire snares and set-up where they entered my yard under the chain link fence. No need to wait them out. They end up choking themselves to death. Easy-peasy - :thumbsup:

 

[sixdogs]

Just wondering. At what latitude does a groundhog become a woodchuck?:laughing:

Good thinking. The ones that forecast six more weeks of winter are the bad ones.


PAGUY--How does the snare thing work and how do you set it up?

 

[Gary Fowler]

IIRC mixing bleach and ammonia creates chlorine gas. Just put a container in one of their holes, pour in some of each and cover the hole. They will either come out or expire in the den. Have your shotgun or .22 rifle handy to dispatch anything coming out of the hole(s).

 

[smstonypoint]

Just wondering. At what latitude does a groundhog become a woodchuck?:laughing:

Great question. Does longitude matter? Apparently groundhogs/woodchucks are also called land beavers and whistle pigs.

We can advance science by conducting a survey to determine how the common name of Marmota monax differs by region. I will start.

I have lived a year or more in NC, SC, VA, and MD and have always heard "groundhog."

Steve

 

[the old grind]

My top choices for MI 'chucks' are: Ruger 10/22, 77/22H, and conibear #160 for 'remote control' when time-wise unable to stalk. You'd want to stake your coni down so that critters won't run off with your trap and kill. That said, I've never seen a coon, muskrat, feral cat, or groundhog make it to the end of the chain. Once in a while you'll get a coon or skunk that's checking out a new hole. GHs are less likely to run off if hit poorly with a rimfire, less tracking than with coons or cats when that happens.

'Giant Destroyer' and other gas cartridge's are easily diminished by the physical volume of an established deep den and work best if dropped into all openings leading in or out. Look for leaves or duff at the entrance to see if a hole is being used or not. Fill 'em in, and they'll re-dig to let you know they're not all gone. (nuthin' wrong with using a .410 when they're returning from the garden.)

If you live-trap to release elsewhere, make that 5 mi away minimum for groundhogs vs the 15 or more it might take to keep a coon from coming back in a few days. They gotta go, and IMO "You never stand so tall as when you stoop to stomp a varmint".

 

[Notforhire]

Great question. Does longitude matter? Apparently groundhogs/woodchucks are also called land beavers and whistle pigs.

We can advance science by conducting a survey to determine how the common name of Marmota monax differs by region. I will start.

I have lived a year or more in NC, SC, VA, and MD and have always heard "groundhog."

Steve

You may be right about it being regional. I think they are ground hogs in Ohio and Penn., but may be woodchucks in NJ like they are in (some, most, all?) of the New England states.
Anyone from NJ?

Bill