Close quarters combat-groudhogs-help!

[MrMajestic]

1600 hrs I call the bewitching hour. I try to setup prior but am typically a little further than 20 feet. If you are that close to dwellings I highly recommend highly frangible projectiles at high velocity. Pushed fast enough the 20 grain V-Max will come apart in grass! Been there, done that. Safety is of the utmost importance!

 

[Ohio Varmint Shooter]

Without knowing more about the layout:

Close quarters combat with a groundhog: Shotgun, full choke, #4 shot or a little larger. It's louder than the 22, but no worries about projectile travel. (Provided they're not underneath a building. You'll end up shooting the building too.)

But get further away than 20 feet. And as others have said, try later in the day. Mid day during August is not the best.

 

[40X Guy]

Get a 10 feet piece of rubber exhaust hose like auto repair garages use to vent exhaust outside. Stick one end on tailpipe of your oil burning Chevy and other end in the hole about 3 feet. Plug escape holes with rocks or dirt and let engine idle for 15 minutes to half hour. If it don't kill them they will move away.

Frank

 

[lpreddick]

A farmer told me his neighbor poured gasoline into multiple holes in a field. His plan was to walk to the holes and light each as he went by them. He did not fully appreciate how extensive these critters will burrow. Many of these tunnels were connected so as he lit them suddenly many, then all caught fire...some degree of exploding and field on fire!!! No buildings were incinerated, and a lesson was learned. Don't think I would try this.

 

[40X Guy]

A farmer told me his neighbor poured gasoline into multiple holes in a field. His plan was to walk to the holes and light each as he went by them. He did not fully appreciate how extensive these critters will burrow. Many of these tunnels were connected so as he lit them suddenly many, then all caught fire...some degree of exploding and field on fire!!! No buildings were incinerated, and a lesson was learned. Don't think I would try this.

lpreddick, we have tried the gasoline thing also plus those varmint smoke bombs you can buy. Neither works. Their burrows have chambers where the smoke bombs or burning gas does not get to. Carbon Monoxide gets into every nook and cranny. Top of the list is still vaporizing them at 4000 fps and thats the method I prefer to use.

Frank

 

[scope eye]

Varmints at 4000 fps yes that's happening,

http://splashurl.com/koybkc4

Dean

 

[40X Guy]

Varmints at 4000 fps yes that's happening,

http://splashurl.com/koybkc4

Dean

Now thats cool!

Frank

 

[LHSmith]

Hands down best GH cartridge for around close neighbors = .17HM2..... quiet, extremely unlikely to ricochet & deadly - never lost one yet.
If you can't use firearms feed it bubblegum.....but it's going to stink for awhile.

 

[joshb]

Hands down best GH cartridge for around close neighbors = .17HM2..... quiet, extremely unlikely to ricochet & deadly - never lost one yet.
If you can't use firearms feed it bubblegum.....but it's going to stink for awhile.

What flavor?😳

 

[snert]

Conibear 220's wired to the center of a 4 foot long branch/pipe/post. You can turn both of the springs to the same side and actually fit the trap inside the primary entrance to the hole (7" X 7"). They may stay down for a day but they get thirsty and will try to push the trap out of their way. Best to put a piece of hardware cloth over the hole and stake it down to avoid catching "non-target" animals.

Get the trap setter also. The 220's and 330's are tough to set without it. Traps are around $15 in small quantities and the setter is about the same.

22 LR and 17 HM2 just aren't enough gun. Even some head shots will make it back to the den, die, and stink for a week. 17 Hornady Hornet works but it's not very quiet. Local farmers all use the traps when the hunters can't get the job done.

Yes on the trap setter! Once saw a fat guy try to hand set one. It went off, caught about 10 pounds of beer belly in the trap. Lots of screaming and crying. Black and blue from sternum to...well you get the idea.

The 330 will kill a 60 pound beaver.

I still think an air-rifle is the way to go. 25 PCP at 30 yards, done deal. No noise and the g-hog will not call the cops.

Snert

 

[snert]

Pellet Gun

Dean

Not where I live.

In NY air rifles are ok on G-hogs. Must have a license. Can be within 500 feet or even IN a building, as long as you have written permission from the resident. I have shot hundreds of barn pigeons (yes, some inside old barns with a shotgun) and around farms. G-hogs and rats too, with various pellet guns. A man must know his abilities and limitations. No issues

 

[LHSmith]

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.

Other than local ordinances restricting discharging firearms, the PGC code allows one to shoot with-in the safety zone (150 yds. of any occupied building) if one has the permission of the occupants.

 

[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.

Other than local ordinances restricting discharging firearms, the PGC code allows one to shoot with-in the safety zone (150 yds. of any occupied building) if one has the permission of the occupants.

I'm well aware of the required permission, LH.

 

[joshb]

Conibear 220's wired to the center of a 4 foot long branch/pipe/post. You can turn both of the springs to the same side and actually fit the trap inside the primary entrance to the hole (7" X 7"). They may stay down for a day but they get thirsty and will try to push the trap out of their way. Best to put a piece of hardware cloth over the hole and stake it down to avoid catching "non-target" animals.

Get the trap setter also. The 220's and 330's are tough to set without it. Traps are around $15 in small quantities and the setter is about the same.

22 LR and 17 HM2 just aren't enough gun. Even some head shots will make it back to the den, die, and stink for a week. 17 Hornady Hornet works but it's not very quiet. Local farmers all use the traps when the hunters can't get the job done.

Yes on the trap setter! Once saw a fat guy try to hand set one. It went off, caught about 10 pounds of beer belly in the trap. Lots of screaming and crying. Black and blue from sternum to...well you get the idea.

------------------------------------josh------------------------------------------------------------

I've had my fingers whacked a few times by a conibear. Thought they were broken, it hurt that much. I ran a trap line when I was a kid, for muskrats. My Father didn't believe in 'allowances'. He showed me how to trap for pelts. Bought my first dirt bike with pelt money. The shotgun is out. They built about 40 Mcmansions, next door to my house, full of doctors and lawyers and executive types. Not the 'hunting crowd'. Gotta stay relatively quiet about this. What's the old rule? They can't get your location with one shot?
-----------------------------------end josh--------------------------------------------------------------







The 330 will kill a 60 pound beaver.

I still think an air-rifle is the way to go. 25 PCP at 30 yards, done deal. No noise and the g-hog will not call the cops.

Snert

 

[fredo]

A conibear type trap set for a 'chuck in a residential setting is a disaster waiting to happen. I know NYS has size limitations for conibears set on land, and either way, I'd sure not wanna take a chance of catching a loose pet or other non targeted critter in a kill trap...

IMHO, the 'haveaheart' live trap is the safer plan. Good advice to let 'chuck get used to it, then bait it in and catch it. 'Course some discreet interaction via RWS would be a whole lot more funner, if it can be done legit...

3rd option, get ya a well bred Patterdale terrier and get ready to rumble! Just have couple good shovels handy to dig that little demon out after it handles business...

 

[22XC Guy]

When my dad didn't have a clear shot due to pepper or tomato plants height in his garden, he would buy a bag of bubble gum.. He tossed 3-4 pieces down each burrow, most rodents couldn't digest it or the bubble gum would swell up from the stomach acids..

Steve

 

[LHSmith]

What flavor?😳

Why Bazooka Double Bubble brand of course

 

[bheadboy]

I have taken a bunch of them from my wifes garden with CCI mini mag and subsonic 22's head shots.

Bob