I’ve seen him 3 times. Fat sucker seems to be living under my corn crib which should be going away in the next few weeks. But I want HIM gone away. While I’m ok with a gun, shooting what seems to be a moving target is tricky… that is when I see him AND have the gun handy. I’ve thought about trapping him, but have no idea what to bait the live trap with that won’t attract any of my 6 barn cats. Any ideas?
Apple slices
I’ve heard cantaloupe works well. They are vegetarian so really there should be no overlap between cat-appealing foods and groundhog-appealing foods.
They are quite wary of people. I get them by being cagey and quiet and downwind, so I notice where they like to feed and when, and with some patience I can line up a sure and safe shot.
We were overrun with groundhogs when I first bought my farm. I looked into “humane” options and they weren’t practical. Ground hogs are hard to catch in a humane trap, especially if you need to catch like, 25. Short of killing or relocating them, they will not leave and they make LOTS of babies.
So, the best way to kill them is to set a body grabber style trap over one of the openings of the den. You stake it there and then block all the other entrances and exits to the den with plywood or something like it. The groundhog will get caught in the trap either entering or exiting the den. It is humane in the sense that it kills them almost instantly. I have found it to be safe for non-burrowing animals like cats because it is set right in the hole and only closes when something goes in or out. You can buy these traps from Amazon and they are cheap and effective.
Put used cat litter down their den hole and they will leave. More effective than shooting or poisoning, I’ve found. I’m not kidding – do a search on here, there have been many threads about this.
Shove the dead GHogs back in the holes…friends will vacate…
They come out at first light, and go back in just before dark. .22 Magnum from a hundred yards or so.
