Ground hog problem

[RCW]

Anybody ever eat a ground hog?

I never did, but my great grandparents cooked them. My father had it as a kid. Said it was kind of like beef, but had to be careful with some glands as I recall.

Since I shot a lot of them, was asked often. I’ve seen them with Mange, and a bunch of other maladies. People would call me to dispatch crazy ones in their yard, etc. Had them charge me in the snow several times.

Even though I was a Cook, they were Varmints to us and other farmers. I just did a service to get rid of them. Never saw them as appetizing…..

The advent of a sustained coyote population 30 + years ago really knocked down the woodchuck population around here. I might see 50 a year now. Would see that in a few days this time of year back in the day.

 

[skeets]

Anybody ever eat a ground hog?

When I was a kid there was a farm down the road that belonged to an old Russian couple,, and she loved young ground hogs and he loved us shooting the snot out of them. I have been tol they are just like big tree rats,,

 

[skeets]

OH and before I for get, body gripper traps like a Con 220 placed at the hole will work very well,, the 110s work but you really have to catch them behind the head

 

[Papadiver]

It cost me $10k to fix my farm pond. It’s a known fact that they all have a lead deficiency….I enrich there system…..then relocate them. Someone said “I am so glad you don’t kill them”. Lol. My savage axis .223 works very well!

 

[skeets]

Pap back in the day I have taken a ton of rats out of farm ponds, never found any ground hogs in farm pond dams, but that doesnt mean it couldnt happen

 

[Velma]

.17 hmr

 

[Outnumbered]

.17 hmr

I use a .22Mag for close up and my 25-06 to show off and make an impact statement

 

[Gary Olson]

My cats team hunt them. If one gets chased up a a tree, the cats sit on the ground and wait. Either I remove it from the tree from a few yards, or it eventually takes its chances with the cats.

 

[mikester]

My cats team hunt them. If one gets chased up a a tree, the cats sit on the ground and wait. Either I remove it from the tree from a few yards, or it eventually takes its chances with the cats.

Tough cats!

I harassed my GH with my BH.

It had made a home under the wood pile then decided to try digging a home under my barn slab. I removed the wood pile and explored his home with my trenching bucket. The GH home went down 6 feet!

 

[skeets]

Something interesting Mixing bleach and ammonia creates toxic gases called chloramines. Chloramine vapor can form into hydrazine. These gases are very harmful when inhaled. Chloramines are known to be respiratory irritants, while hydrazine is known to cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, and even seizures.
Now if this mixture is injected in to the hole, after you have blocked any other holes, and then block the main hole after you dump it in,,,, Odds are you will eliminate your problem, no muss no fuss,, simple science. though not as much fun as a loud noise but still it works

 

[Elliott in GA]

They sell smoke bombs to kill these types of pests at Lowes and many other places. It is cheap and effective. I used them kill armadillos in north Georgia. One smoke bomb down each entrance/exit during the day followed by plugging it with a plastic bag. If the bags are still in place the next day, you probably killed any critter that was home. Animals like this hide in their holes when they sense danger, and while they hide the oxygen level is dropping, dropping ..... sleepy time.

No mixing / no mess.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/AMDRO-Gopher-Gasser-6-Count-Gopher-Killer/5013197987

 

[Tughill Tom]

Something interesting Mixing bleach and ammonia creates toxic gases called chloramines. Chloramine vapor can form into hydrazine. These gases are very harmful when inhaled. Chloramines are known to be respiratory irritants, while hydrazine is known to cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, and even seizures.
Now if this mixture is injected in to the hole, after you have blocked any other holes, and then block the main hole after you dump it in,,,, Odds are you will eliminate your problem, no muss no fuss,, simple science. though not as much fun as a loud noise but still it works

Dry Ice will do it to.

 

[RCW]

They sell smoke bombs to kill these types of pests at Lowes and many other places. It is cheap and effective. I used them kill armadillos in north Georgia. One smoke bomb down each entrance/exit during the day followed by plugging it with a plastic bag. If the bags are still in place the next day, you probably killed any critter that was home. Animals like this hide in their holes when they sense danger, and while they hide the oxygen level is dropping, dropping ..... sleepy time.

No mixing / no mess.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/AMDRO-Gopher-Gasser-6-Count-Gopher-Killer/5013197987

Grandparents had a few in their garden I could never get with a .22. The bombs worked great.

Sometimes, if you can’t sneak up on them, I would walk straight at them until they went down and I got within range. Then lay down and set up for the shot.

Their curiosity would make them pop their head back out of the hole within 10 minutes. All I needed was a “shaver,” just the top inch of their head.

Their eyes are at the top of their head, so they can peek without being exposed much.

Got some shavers out to 400 yards….. Often they were spooky because they knew I was after them.

@arml, that’s an absolutely awesome 5-shot group!!!!

 

[Biker1mike]

Something interesting Mixing bleach and ammonia creates toxic gases called chloramines. Chloramine vapor can form into hydrazine. These gases are very harmful when inhaled. Chloramines are known to be respiratory irritants, while hydrazine is known to cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, and even seizures.
Now if this mixture is injected in to the hole, after you have blocked any other holes, and then block the main hole after you dump it in,,,, Odds are you will eliminate your problem, no muss no fuss,, simple science. though not as much fun as a loud noise but still it works

Yikes, very deadly to humans too !
Had an EMS call for a women that was told this would unclog her kitchen drain. Kid dragged her out of kicthen and 911 called saved her ass.

 

[Velma]

I use a .22Mag for close up and my 25-06 to show off and make an impact statement

I get it…shock and awe

 

[pigdoc]

Interesting comment on using dry ice! Very sensible solution. I'm going to try it.

Groundhogs seem to have very acute eyesight. They can spot me setting up for a shot from 200 yards away.
Most fun is when they stand up on their hind legs for a better look. I want the crosshairs on the heart, and if I get the shot off, they fall over backwards and don't move.

I use .22LR hollow points. I'm pretty successful at <=200 yards with a bench rest. I'm sighted in for 60 yards.

-Paul

 

[D2Cat]

Here's my highly modified trap. I've caught 50-60 ( I suppose) coons and possums in this thing. I have actually caught possums without bait, they just walk in.

Here's the first one I caught the first day. Nothing since. My neighbor has been putting fresh bait in this trap and one of his and no response.

 

[Tughill Tom]

Interesting comment on using dry ice! Very sensible solution. I'm going to try it.

Groundhogs seem to have very acute eyesight. They can spot me setting up for a shot from 200 yards away.
Most fun is when they stand up on their hind legs for a better look. I want the crosshairs on the heart, and if I get the shot off, they fall over backwards and don't move.

I use .22LR hollow points. I'm pretty successful at <=200 yards with a bench rest. I'm sighted in for 60 yards.

-Paul

Sublimation is bad ass in the correct place. Throw a block or two in each hole and cover with dirt and long dirt nap begins.

 

[pigdoc]

Sublimation is bad ass in the correct place. Throw a block or two in each hole and cover with dirt and long dirt nap begins.

Plus, C02 is heavier than air, so it's going to settle down into the deepest parts of the burrow, where we should expect groundhogs to retreat to when they're threatened...

-Pau

 

[skeets]