KILLING GROUNDHOGS

[kf4uda]

Get you one or two Jack Russell dogs. They will thin them out. My dad had one. It would find a den and drag out the babies. It we had any bears around that dog would have probably dragged home a bear cub. I always said that if that dog weighed 100lbs, we would have to kill it because it would be hunting us. They have no fear or at least that one didn't.

 

[The Deerslayer]

Have the same problem (although) not quite as many as 20). Combination of .22 and Hav-a-Hart traps did the trick. So far, I have not seen any new sign.
I would not be able to use anything flammable as the holes and tunnels are also in my barn

 

[Fuddy1952]

Bubble gum works.
Double bubble seems best. The eat it and apparently it fouls up their intestines. I think they explode when they fart.

 

[MossRoad]

Traps and/or shooting are the best methods.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I hear aspirin also works, course first you got to whack them in the head to give them a headache.

 

[RalphVa]

I need to get serious about eradicating groundhogs (woodchucks or marmots, to some). Has anyone any experience with
the "Rodenator" which is basically a tool to inject propane and oxygen into their tunnels and then ignites it? (Yes, I am familiar
with game laws but enough is enough).
Thanks

Strangely enough, I've tried propane (without the oxygen). Also tried dry CO2. Only thing worked in NJ was ammonia to get them out of their holes. Didn't work here in Va. The ones in NJ would also run away from you about 20 years and then stand up and sneer at you. Guess when they got shot? The ones here in Va never do that. I've even tried those toxic smoke bombs, too. Used kitty litter works for a little while here in Va to run them out of the holes. Yes, I've also stood in wait with 410 in hand until they showed their heads in NJ. Blew away quite a few that way. Never could get ahead of the game in NJ. So far, here in Va, the one away solved my problems this summer.

I used to trap them in a Havahart trap without any bait in NJ. Trapped all kinds of other creatures, too, including the neighbor's cat. They all got released, even the skunks, but the groundhogs developed lead poisoning (or drowning in the bath tub in my wife's case). Had to use a cantalope as bait in the Havahart trap here in Va. Got him/her very quickly. Oddly, he/she got lead poisoning, too.

Ralph, experienced groundhog hunter

 

[Diggin It]

I ain't a 'killin' nothing what's just tryin' ta' make a livin'.



I did trap a dozen or so and moved 'em down the road a piece. Last one was a couple of years ago and I haven't noticed any since fer as I kin recollect. Which ain't all that fer n'more.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Licensed to kill gophers by the government of the United Nations. A man, free to kill gophers at will. To kill, you must know your enemy, and in this case my enemy is a varmint. And a varmint will never quit - ever. They're like the Viet Cong - Varmint Cong. So you have to fall back on superior intelligence and superior firepower. And that's all she wrote. - - Carl Spackler in "Caddy Shack"

Might be the missing part of the equation here....:confused3:

 

[oosik]

Whoa!! A note of caution here. Farmer down the road a piece did something to one of his fields of alfalfa to rid the ground hogs. Worked pretty well but a percentage of the "pack" moved in to his new lawn and underground sprinkler system. Somewhere he borrowed a propane injector system. As you can guess - too much propane, too little knowledge and he damaged his newly installed sprinkler system. Not so much a problem though - he owns a big JD backhoe and the grass hadn't really established itself yet. I wanted to laugh when he told me but he's a whole lot bigger, younger and stronger than me. I almost bit a hole in my lip.

When we first came down from AK in the spring of '82 and started building our home here - my son noticed there were three "groupings" of ground hogs down in the valley by the well. He built a small log wall shelter he could scrunch down behind and over that summer he completely eliminated ALL the ground hogs. They have never come back. In the early morning and evening - there he was with his single shot 22 rifle. He became an excellent shot over the period of 4 to 5 months.

 

[Jstpssng]

I ain't a 'killin' nothing what's just tryin' ta' make a livin'.



I did trap a dozen or so and moved 'em down the road a piece. Last one was a couple of years ago and I haven't noticed any since fer as I kin recollect. Which ain't all that fer n'more.

We recently had a discussion about that "movin em down the road a piece." All that you are doing is dumping your problems onto somebody else. Either deal with them, keep feeding them or get rid of them, we all have problem animals of our own without taking care of yours.