Groundhog problem -- how to fix?

[ParadoxFarm]

Has anyone successfully fixed a groundhog problem? We have several and they are wreaking havoc on the farm. They dig under our barn, our hay sheds, etc. One got his head stuck in a saddle rack that was being stored in an empty stall (on the ground), and went running with it stuck on him for a few moments. I only know this because I noticed it was in our wash stall, and I asked my DH if he moved it, and he did not. I then watched my security camera footage, and sure enough, there’s the groundhog running with the saddle rack stuck on.

Anyway, my husband is losing patience. We called a service, and they were pretty expensive. Something like $500 for five days, and if they don’t catch them, they charge another $500, etc. Seemed like it would add up quickly. No guarantees, either.

[endlessclimb]

Honestly just pay the pro. They will set lethal traps if they’re any good, and check them often. Note this type of method doesn’t work if you have outdoor cats because they can get caught in the traps too.

Barring that, a .22

My mom deals with them at her house constantly. Live traps were a waste of time, she pays the pros to keep them in check.

[Tarlo_Farm]

What she said. ^^^^

[ParadoxFarm]

I was afraid of that. Okay, thanks! Do the pros not use live traps?

[endlessclimb]

Not in my experience. They seem to be averse to live traps. They put the lethal traps in their burrows, and they’re so intent on going down there they trip them.

[Dressagelvr]

The good news is there ARE humane professionals out there who will trap and relocate.

Keep looking until you find one.

[exvet]

Between my JRTs and my occasional dachshunds (which were always working dogs too) I seemed to keep clear of them (living in the midwest) while my neighbors property was riddled with their holes.

[ParadoxFarm]

My malinois will run them down, but they just hide.

[endlessclimb]

Relocating a nuisance animal is not only INhumane, it’s against the law in most states.

[Christa_P]

Do you have indoor cats? Try dumping the used litter down the holes to encourage them to relocate.

[ParadoxFarm]

I just lost my last kitty.

[Christa_P]

Sorry for your loss

[candyappy]

@Dressagelvr

The good news is there ARE humane professionals out there who will trap and relocate.

That is not humane to take any wild animal and move it into a totally unfamiliar area. It is also illegal in many cases. The animals have no idea where food / water sources are and you are just putting your problem on someone else’s property.

I don’t know about groundhogs but raccoons can travel 10 miles to get back home…

We have both groundhogs and armadillos which are a real hazard . My son " takes care" of what he can and my dogs take care of any groundhog they can get to.

I hate it and wish they could just live peaceably among us but it seems they can’t. They populate and spread so fast you have to do something.

[luvmyhackney]

I live trap them then 22 to finish.

They are a PITA and unfortunately my dog catches them, plays with them, then lets them go.

Mine love watermelon and berries.

[pluvinel]

@candyappy

We have both groundhogs and armadillos which are a real hazard .

Armadillo’s aren’t just a garden nuisance, they carry disease. The nine-banded armadillo the only mammal other than humans that is known to get leprosy and some papers have estimated that in some areas, 15 – 20% of armadillos carry the M. leprae bacteria .

[candyappy]

@pluvinel

Armadillo’s aren’t just a garden nuisance, they carry disease. The nine-banded armadillo the only mammal other than humans that is known to get leprosy and some papers have estimated that in some areas, 15 – 20% of armadillos carry the M. leprae bacteria .

Well now I don’t feel so bad that my son goes hunting!!

The thing is we never had either of these pests here 20 years ago and now they are rampant. It seems the black vulture is encroaching on us too.

[Foxglove]

I have had 100% success live trapping and dispatching. When I find a hole, I go out early in the AM and look for where the groundhog is going in and out --path made in the dew --sometimes in long grass the path is clearly marked even later in the day. Then I set my trap right in the middle of the trail as close to the mouth of the hole as I can. Sometimes as quickly as a couple of hours, I have my groundhog trapped, and sometimes it takes a day or two. I use no bait. Just the trap in the middle of the groundhog “road.”

Sometimes I catch other animals --raccoons and skunks will live in a hole made by a groundhog --I release them --raccoons do catch mice, so ok with that. Sometimes I catch a feral cat, but I have those neutered and released.

I usually put a camera out with my trap to see what time I caught the groundhog --not always though. I have trapped four this year. The record (when I first moved here was 15. Then a couple of years with none, then a few each year. Last year was only 2. The Amish kids who hunt keep me up-to-date on neighbors’ groundhog holes that might be close to my fence --I will set out traps, but only on my property.

I never relocate groundhogs --they dig holes that can cripple a horse --so dispatch. PM if you want to know how.

[Janet]

@Dressagelvr

The good news is there ARE humane professionals out there who will trap and relocate.

It depends on the state. In VA it is illegal to “trap and relocate” so any professionals HAVE TO use lethal methods,

[ParadoxFarm]

@Christa_P

Sorry for your loss

Thank you. Miss the little guy.

[EmilyM]

my state (PA) has some licensed trappers that can kill them. They use the snap traps I believe. i paid a lot of money one year for them to catch 40. Later years he caught 69, then 80-something then 89. I have reclaimed many beautiful fields but they never go away completely. My dog helps but she hasn’t caught many on the farm since 2020. She has caught them on my business property. I never let her roam when the killer traps were out.

Prior to hiring people I did live traps with cat food in them and called the farmer to come dispatch them for me. This is a lot more time consuming.