Close quarters combat-groudhogs-help!

[joshb]

I live in proximity to other houses, say within 400 ft. My orders from the Queen, are to dispatch all groundhog invaders. I walked around and found 2 burrows. Armed with a 22 lr., and finding a position with a good mound as a backstop, I set my blind about 20 ft. From the 1st burrow at 1:00 pm, and waited, and waited, And waited . 2 hrs. Later. Nothing. What time do these bas!?$ds come out to feed, typically? Should I just nuke the burrow? Josh.

 

[Warren Dean]

20 feet??? They probably smell you......

 

[JRS]

Where I live, we have more ground hogs than I can count. Unfortunately, I can't shoot one that is within 150 yards of a residence, farm house, farm building, etc. I can be outside that 150 yard zone, but can't shoot anything inside the zone.

 

[scope eye]

Pellet Gun

Dean

 

[JRS]

Pellet Gun

Dean

Not where I live.

 

[lpreddick]

I have spent MANY hours studying ghog behavior...like trying to understand women!!! Good luck. Ghog's are very temperature sensitive in that they cannot sweat....they lack sweat glands and tend to take on the temp of their environment. Temps over 80° and they say underground. Occ will see one , but rare. They will just poke their head out to check temp and anything else. If they see something moving...down they go. Something not there yesterday...caution. they can stay under ground for a day or more until they get hungry. Be patient. Make a hide and leave it near their holes and it becomes part of their environment. When the temp goes below 80, esp after a rain when temps drop into the 70s, they will come out. Good hunting.

 

[scope eye]

Pellet Gun

Dean

Not where I live.

WOW I have never heard of such a thing.

Dean

 

[timeout]

22 long CB's if you must shoot. They are very quiet. Use head shots. If my time was valuable, I would have them conibeared in short order.

 

[timeout]

Pellet Gun

Dean

Not where I live.

I'll live in a place like that the day they haul me off to the old folks home. Sadly enough, that could happen sooner than later when you get to be my age :'(

 

[dkhunt14]

Use a box trap and watermelon or sweet corn for bait. We caught lots of them this way. You can then transport them to where you can hunt them. Kind of like stocking. Matt

 

[JRS]

The following states have laws governing the ownership and hunting with pellet guns:

Washington, California, Colorado, North Dakota, Minnesota, Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, Mississippi, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

 

[Bangs OH]

Wait until evening; this time of year - if it's hot - that is the time many usually feed. Also, you might catch one early in the morning getting water from dew-covered vegetation, or soon after a rain. They are creatures of habit, however: if you see one out at say, 10 a.m., chances are good he'll be out same time next day (my wife rolls her eyes when I see a groundhog out and deem him a "morning" 'hog, "evening" hog, "rain" hog, etc...doesn't believe me when I tell her these are probably behavior patterns of those particular critters). More than once I've returned at exactly the same time of day to the site where a groundhog has busted me the previous day and nailed him.
As for pellet guns, I wouldn't recommend one, or even a .22 LR.; .22 Mag, or .17 HMR (slightly less noise and 20 gr. bullets are more frangible and arguably safer) will kill cleanly.

 

[mrmarmota]

Observe around the mounds where your ghog most likely travels to and from. Place a unbaited " live trap" about 10 feet from the hole right on his trail. Leave the unbaited trap in place for a few days for the varmint to get used to it being there. They feed early morning and evening. Some morning before day break slice an apple, rub the slice all over the trap and place in side. You could add peanut butter. They love it. Ghogs are smart enough to know if the trap has been moved so leave it in the same location. They are also creatures of habit. They will not starve themselves just because it is hot outside. They simply feed at night.
After you are successful, beware that ghogs DO BITE. Give him the one way ride to the country, shoot it in the trap and dump him. Buzzards have to eat too.
Not near as much fun as long range shooting. Do what you gotta do.
Good luck.

 

[bheadboy]

used a have-a-heart trap, baited with their favorite from my wife's vegg garden - cabbage, beans, etc.-get them at night when it cooled down, in the am they were there

easy to haul to where you can accidently shoot a gun - hummm.

Bob

 

[hogpatrol]

My brother and I whacked seven yesterday between 4:30 and 6:30. On the stinking hot days, it's the only time we hunt them. Not 100% the case but they seem to stay down in the natural AC during the day. If we don't get them quick enough for the horse farm managers' liking, they gas them.

http://www.amazon.com/Atlas-279001-The-Giant-Destroyer/dp/B000BQLWCS

 

[Savage99]

I envy that you have chucks to hunt!

Here in New England they are gone. The coyote is blamed for killing them off.

We still see a road kill once in a while however the great hunting in the open farm fields is gone.

This was a favorite summer hunt for me. We have books on chuck hunting and the rifles.

 

[justinp61]

My brother and I whacked seven yesterday between 4:30 and 6:30. On the stinking hot days, it's the only time we hunt them. Not 100% the case but they seem to stay down in the natural AC during the day. If we don't get them quick enough for the horse farm managers' liking, they gas them.

http://www.amazon.com/Atlas-279001-The-Giant-Destroyer/dp/B000BQLWCS

Several years ago I knew a guy that "gassed" a ground hog den and burned down his Daddy's barn. ;D

 

[hogpatrol]

My brother and I whacked seven yesterday between 4:30 and 6:30. On the stinking hot days, it's the only time we hunt them. Not 100% the case but they seem to stay down in the natural AC during the day. If we don't get them quick enough for the horse farm managers' liking, they gas them.

http://www.amazon.com/Atlas-279001-The-Giant-Destroyer/dp/B000BQLWCS

Several years ago I knew a guy that "gassed" a ground hog den and burned down his Daddy's barn. ;D

You have to use the gasoline down the hole only on the ones out in an open field. Pulling that trick on a hole under a building is a little sketchy. :'( :

 

[joshb]

Yeah. The napalm idea wouldn't fly. One of the burrows is under a pile of old railroad ties, next to my garage. I was thinking about blocking the holes after a good dose of Halon, or a road flare. Some one told me that dumping a pile of instant mashed potatoes near or in the hole would work. My brother took all the old foot traps and conibears when we cleaned out my fathers house. Could get some new ones.

 

[scope eye]

I would unload some 12 GA shots down the hole, put the shot gun down pick up the rifle and wait till he pop'd out of another hole, which was no long a wait.

Dean