wood chuck
- Thread starter Bill
- Start date
Don McCombs
501 Club
Get em, Bill. 
SONNY":xkoagip7 said:
Too late. Mother chuck decided to have a litter under my barn. Shot two young ones, shot mama. Got two young ones in "live" trap. Have one young one to go. I don't even close the holes under the barn anymore because the next chuck digs a new one. I don't like killing animals but will not have them living under my barn. I say they committed sucicide. (sp wrong but I'm not going to look up correct) Vern
Don McCombs
501 Club
I use cantaloupe for groundhogs. Works fairly well.
Sardines for raccoons. Works very well.
Sardines for raccoons. Works very well.
I had a Conibear 220 body trap set up and staked at the entrance to a woodchuck burrow under my wood pile. I had been checking it daily for weeks and one day the trap was GONE. I looked around the area and didn't see any evidence indicating which way it went. A few days went by before I picked up a smell. Searching the wooded hillside 50 yards away, I found a very large woodchuck with the trap clamped it on its head. Not a nice way to go, but I'm glad I finally got it and got my trap back!
Lt.Mike
501 Club
Been battling woodchucks for years. There’s two reasons I don’t tolerate their presence. First you can put weeks of work into a vegetable garden and all you need is for one to get into the garden to clean you out in one day. Second and more serious is I get them digging under my barns concrete slab. Without support the slab will crack. They can ruin a foundation this way.
I use apple myself in my cage traps which works well for me because we have apple trees. It’s what their used to eating and expect it.
I’ve loaned traps out and for some of those I’ve lent them too cantaloupe is the go to bait.
When I trap them they are transported to s forest area at least 5 miles away. If I’m not using my pickup I always put cardboard under the trap because these things stink, they’re nasty.
If they don’t go in the trap I figure they skipped the easy choice so if I can draw a bead on them they go bye byes feet up.
I use apple myself in my cage traps which works well for me because we have apple trees. It’s what their used to eating and expect it.
I’ve loaned traps out and for some of those I’ve lent them too cantaloupe is the go to bait.
When I trap them they are transported to s forest area at least 5 miles away. If I’m not using my pickup I always put cardboard under the trap because these things stink, they’re nasty.
If they don’t go in the trap I figure they skipped the easy choice so if I can draw a bead on them they go bye byes feet up.
Don McCombs
501 Club
I'm quite successful using a Conibear for groundhogs. You do need to place them in their entrance hole, however. I've never had one go farther than the 8 foot chain that's attached to the trap.
ScottyD'sdad
501 Club
I learned a trick from a city slicker oman co worker, years ago. She was cleaning her bathroom, using ammonia and bleach. Darn near kilt her. She was in intensive care for a week. So, I use it to gas woodchuck holes. A piece of garden hose, and a funnel. Push the hose as far into the hole as you can. Block the hole with dirt, and block the exit hole. Pour about a cup full of bleach and ammonia (Separately, don't mix them outside of the hole) Pull the hose and step on the hole it left, to seal it. If the rodent is home, he's done.
Ed
Ed
Peter Person
501 Club
tnestell":2xjxq24d said:
Back in the 1950's my Dad had agreements with several dairy farmers in the Catskills to hunt woodchucks on their hillside pastures. He handloaded 22 Hornet rounds, experimenting with different bullets and powders. Found a notebook that he had used to record date, time, weather, distance, and load info. He was having fun and the farmers didn't have to worry about cows breaking legs as much. Win-Win!
Got my one and only woodchuck at my grandparents with a 22LR with open sights when I was about 10. Critter was cleaning out their vegetable garden and my grandfather was not a happy man. Woodchuck rose up on its hindquarters and went down on its back.
Learned my lesson there. Future settings of the trap will include cable tethering to the nearest tree/post/whatever.Don McCombs":1zs9gbdf said:I'm quite successful using a Conibear for groundhogs. You do need to place them in their entrance hole, however. I've never had one go farther than the 8 foot chain that's attached to the trap.
When we lived in our old house we had a ground hog destroying everything in sight. We had transplanted a dozen oak trees that had grown wild in the yard and they were doing great until the big rodent started to feast on them. I knew he was living under the wood pile behind the garage, but never could catch him out. One day he was nibbling on one of our last young oak trees so I went in and got the rifle. When I came out he scrambled for his hole and my daughter, who was about 5 or 6 at the time, asked what I was doing. I told her to stay on the porch until I got back. As I headed for the back of the garage I felt I was being followed. When I looked back Mel was right on my heals. I told her to get back on the porch and kept going. Just as I got there he had come out of his hole and was standing on his hind legs with his back to me. One shot and he was mine. He leaned to the side on one leg and rotated 180 degrees before falling in his back. Never had a problem with them at that house after that. Now that we are in the new house, with six dogs, I have left the rifle in the house.
Don McCombs
501 Club
One met it’s maker this morning at our farm. About a 75 yard shot with the .22. He was on his way to the garden.