Groundhog in my yard...what to do? Are they harmless/harmful?

[Ashful]

I wouldn't bother with an air rifle. You're likely to just injure it, which is just cruel. Whatever your weapon of choice, do the dumb animal the favor of killing it quickly.

A .22 cal at point-blank range will still sometimes take two shots, if you don't hit him right in the head. A .22 cal at 25 yards will only injure him (learned that as a teenager ).

 

[BrianK]

You need something more than a standard Crossman 10 pump- a pellet from one of those won't do much to a groundhog, even with good placement.

http://www.quackenbushairguns.com/

 

[Adios Pantalones]

http://www.quackenbushairguns.com/

LOL- well, not any more safe than discharging a cannon at that point

Ruger and other companies make some .177, .22, and other caliber air guns that will dispatch a groundhog, but don't have the same energy as a .22 rifle.

 

[MasterMech]

You can get 'em from close range real easy. They're not all that bright. Just chase him back to his hole. When he dives in, position yourself so your out of sight but have a clear shot when he pokes his head out 3-5 minutes later. Which he will do nearly every time. Super easy to dispatch him via pistol, a .22 rifle, air rifle, whatever you have available.

 

[ironpony]

live out in the country, have ground hogs, possum, fox, racoons etc. never seen any reason to kill them. but thats just me..............
can they be a pain somedays? yup, still no reason to kill them......
I'm not a greenie either, just do not kill stuff

 

[Adios Pantalones]

live out in the country, have ground hogs, possum, fox, racoons etc. never seen any reason to kill them. but thats just me..............
can they be a pain somedays? yup, still no reason to kill them......
I'm not a greenie either, just do not kill stuff

I figured out how to really stop them from getting into my garden- I haven't killed one since. I agree with ya. I always felt bad when I did kill one.

I still have to take out a squirrel every now and then, as they try to move into my log home. Silly bahstids.

 

[billb3]

One can wipe out a good sized garden in an afternoon.
I found a fresh hole from where one started digging under a foundation.
I cleared all the weeds from the proximity so it didn't feel secluded and then annoyed the heck out of it by constantly piling the rocks back up over it's entrance hole.
It was a young one and hadn't dug a lot yet so gave up.
It did come back and try again about ten days later but I was watching and kept at it and never saw it again.

One time it was inside when I was piling the rocks and I could hear it moving around.

 

[privatejoker75]

We have them here, they pretty much destroy the yard but wife won't let me kill them. The cool part is that they're constantly digging up dirt and we live in an old mining area so i've found some old keys/glass/metal on top of their dirt mounds (trying to find the positive side of them here)

 

[firefighterjake]

We have them here, they pretty much destroy the yard but wife won't let me kill them. The cool part is that they're constantly digging up dirt and we live in an old mining area so i've found some old keys/glass/metal on top of their dirt mounds (trying to find the positive side of them here)

You need to work with 'em . . . see if they can't dig up some gold nuggets for you.

 

[privatejoker75]

You need to work with 'em . . . see if they can't dig up some gold nuggets for you.

lol i wish. maybe one of these days

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Not if I let it free in my friend's garage while he is away at work

I will see what happens in the next couple of days. My buddy said he will come shoot it for me (he has like 15 guns..) since I don't have a license. Nice of him! It sat in my backyard and ate grass/leave most of the evening. They have quite the hearing ability though!! He could hear me washing dishes at the kitchen sink!

Andrew, do you need a license to shoot on your own place? Perhaps things are different there but we can shoot small game without a license and any time an animal is threatening to do damage or has done damage, they are legal for shooting. For example, what a joke if one were raising chickens and hawks kept picking them off one by one....and that does happen.

Speaking of woodchucks, twice this summer one has came up on one of our porches. Sadly, he got away before I could get out there.

 

[Swedishchef]

Andrew, do you need a license to shoot on your own place? Perhaps things are different there but we can shoot small game without a license and any time an animal is threatening to do damage or has done damage, they are legal for shooting. For example, what a joke if one were raising chickens and hawks kept picking them off one by one....and that does happen.

Speaking of woodchucks, twice this summer one has came up on one of our porches. Sadly, he got away before I could get out there.

Dennis, I do not need a gaming license, I don't have my firearm license for riffles. Lol. Everyone here shoots game, we even have crow hunters! There is a season on those too! Damn smart birds...

The groundhog has a couple more days to leave on his own or I will call a moving company...lol

 

[MasterMech]

Dennis, I do not need a gaming license, I don't have my firearm license for riffles. Lol. Everyone here shoots game, we even have crow hunters! There is a season on those too! Damn smart birds...

The groundhog has a couple more days to leave on his own or I will call a moving company...lol

I suppose you don't carry a sidearm for work? Or would accounting for the round(s) fired be difficult? Easy pickin's within pistol range....

(See Post #29)

 

[Swedishchef]

I suppose you don't carry a sidearm for work? Or would accounting for the round(s) fired be difficult? Easy pickin's within pistol range....

(See Post #29)

I certainly do carry a sidearm. But if someone heard the shot and reported me, I would be in big trouble....our policies are quite strict and we must account for every bullet and it could get me in deep chit...not worth all the paperwork. Sad too, I am a marksman ( I had never shot a gun in my life until I joined the force). I regularly shoot in the top 0.5 percentile....ah well....

 

[mywaynow]

In all honesty they probably do taste good, given their diet. I'd rather eat a groundhog than a possum!

Possum is the only animal I have seen that would try and cross a road with his pal, see his pal hit by a car then eat his pal all in the same 20 minute span.

I spent most of my summer days in hayfields with either a wagon under my feet, loading bales, or with a Winchester 9422 in hand, shootin' chucks! Let it be known there are no ground hogs on my property.

 

[MasterMech]

I've been known to knock em off with a golf cart. You do whatcha gotta......

 

[lukem]

I certainly do carry a sidearm. But if someone heard the shot and reported me, I would be in big trouble....our policies are quite strict and we must account for every bullet and it could get me in deep chit...not worth all the paperwork. Sad too, I am a marksman ( I had never shot a gun in my life until I joined the force). I regularly shoot in the top 0.5 percentile....ah well....

You don't need a lot of knockdown power for a 'hog. A tap to the head with a pellet gun will work just fine. I've taken care of several coons without issue.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I certainly do carry a sidearm. But if someone heard the shot and reported me, I would be in big trouble....our policies are quite strict and we must account for every bullet and it could get me in deep chit...not worth all the paperwork. Sad too, I am a marksman ( I had never shot a gun in my life until I joined the force). I regularly shoot in the top 0.5 percentile....ah well....

Andrew, those laws really suck. I wonder around here if folks had to account for all bullets. There is shooting being done almost daily and lots of shooting too. Well, some of that might even come from me.

 

[Swedishchef]

They are not laws, they are my employer's internal policies ( police force). It helps ensure responsibility and accountability with our actions. It is sometimes frustrating but it is for the best

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Interesting Andrew. I can understand the accountability of the employer's weapon but it seems you should be able to use your own as you see fit and is legal. Here, about the only time we have to be careful is that 5 day period of November 10-14. You could probably get away with it right by the house but one dare not be out in the field. Well, it is okay too if they go to a firing range, which are plentiful around here. Sadly, that is when most people get their rifles out to "see if they are sighted in" for the November 15 gun deer hunting day. Methinks one should do a whole lot of shooting way before then if one wants the best accuracy.

 

[rideau]

I haven't seen a groundhog in about ten years. It's been bothering me. I don't like seeing changes in animal population. Have added turkeys, deer, fisher and bear and ticks in the past ten to 15 years. Would far rather have the (gone) frogs and fox and groundhogs.

 

[Swedishchef]

I think my groundhog is only a visitor...I moved the pile of wood that he hid under. NOTHING. I walked around and didn't find any holes. Maybe he just like the clover in my back yard..lol

I do have a riffle now just in case....