Groundhog tactics?

[CNP-Outdoors]

I have a few things I consider when I’m Groundhog hunting. Was hoping to see if you guys have any other thoughts I haven’t heard of?
Here’s what I am trying:
- finding their hole locations (talking with landowners)
- covering up a hole with brush and checking back to see if it gets cleared out.
- baiting them with apples or other things.
- Checking around brush piles, tree lines buildings and equipment where holes may be.

 

[bowhunter1023]

Whistle pigs have been effectively extirpated from the landscape around here thanks to coyotes and red-tailed hawks. Occasionally you'll see one in town, but gone are the days of shooting them as a productive hobby. Used to hunt them in fresh cut hay fields 20 years ago, but it's a waste of time these days.

 

["J"]

Groundhog hunting was my springtime/early summer addiction. Basically sit on a hillside and glass the entire area. Either shoot from a distance in my comfort zone, or put a stalk on them and try to get closer. Definitely easier after the first hay cut, especially when the round bales were left out in the field for a couple weeks. Stalk the field keeping the round bales between me and the groundhog I was after.
My weapon of choice early on was my .22 mag. I could knock them down out too 125 yards on a calm day. Later in life I broke out the .243 and sis some longer range carnage. I had a few threads for my groundhog seasons earlier on the site.
Was always a relaxing form of being outdoors without the stress and overthinking and waiting on a deer coming by.

 

[Gern186]

Wait until soybeans start coming up. Look for missing patches of soybeans along creeks and woodlines. A groundhogs presence will be easily seen.

 

[CNP-Outdoors]

Whistle pigs have been effectively extirpated from the landscape around here thanks to coyotes and red-tailed hawks. Occasionally you'll see one in town, but gone are the days of shooting them as a productive hobby. Used to hunt them in fresh cut hay fields 20 years ago, but it's a waste of time these days.

I have got 3 on a property in the past couple of weeks but it sounds like it’s nothing like it used to be.

 

[CNP-Outdoors]

Groundhog hunting was my springtime/early summer addiction. Basically sit on a hillside and glass the entire area. Either shoot from a distance in my comfort zone, or put a stalk on them and try to get closer. Definitely easier after the first hay cut, especially when the round bales were left out in the field for a couple weeks. Stalk the field keeping the round bales between me and the groundhog I was after.
My weapon of choice early on was my .22 mag. I could knock them down out too 125 yards on a calm day. Later in life I broke out the .243 and sis some longer range carnage. I had a few threads for my groundhog seasons earlier on the site.
Was always a relaxing form of being outdoors without the stress and overthinking and waiting on a deer coming by.

I have my 22-250 and got 1 furthest out at 303 yards a couple weeks ago. Happy with that flat shooter.

 

[CNP-Outdoors]

Wait until soybeans start coming up. Look for missing patches of soybeans along creeks and woodlines. A groundhogs presence will be easily seen.

Good tip! I appreciate it.

 

["J"]

If you really want to up your game, grab the shotgun and a handful of shells and stalk them when the beans/hay are high enough where you can’t easily see them.
You’ll see their runs through the beans and hay.

 

[CNP-Outdoors]

If you really want to up your game, grab the shotgun and a handful of shells and stalk them when the beans/hay are high enough where you can’t easily see them.
You’ll see their runs through the beans and hay.

That could be a good time. Would have to up the shot size to turkey loads or heavier probably to take down a fat hog I bet.

 

[Wiley E Coyote]

I learned to bow hunt on them in the 1970s. Killed my first one at the age of eleven with a 35# Bear recurve. Very challenging and similar to deer with their ability to wind you. In my young mind I was stalking big game. Was a great childhood

 

[CNP-Outdoors]

I learned to bow hunt on them in the 1970s. Killed my first one at the age of eleven with a 35# Bear recurve. Very challenging and similar to deer with their ability to wind you. In my young mind I was stalking big game. Was a great childhood

That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing.

 

[SNIPERBBB]

No need to fill up holes on a groundhog den to see if it's active. If there's trash in the hole, they aren't using it. I trap nearly all my ghogs. Rarely do I pull out my .22, .17hmr or .223 unless one just happens to not have the smarts to disappear when I pull up in the truck.

 

["J"]

No need to fill up holes on a groundhog den to see if it's active. If there's trash in the hole, they aren't using it. I trap nearly all my ghogs. Rarely do I pull out my .22, .17hmr or .223 unless one just happens to not have the smarts to disappear when I pull up in the truck.

How you trapping?

 

[SNIPERBBB]

How you trapping?

Usually either a cage trap over the hole or a 5x5 or 5x7 in the holes. Will be starting a job in soy wheat fields next week or so to make a bunch of groundhogs go away.

 

["J"]

Usually either a cage trap over the hole or a 5x5 or 5x7 in the holes. Will be starting a job in soy wheat fields next week or so to make a bunch of groundhogs go away.

If you have time take some pictures of the setups I’m curious about this. Thanks.

 

[SNIPERBBB]

I'll send some pics later when I can get on my PC. Don't think I have any pics of my body grip sets for ghogs as 99% of what I do is with cages since most paying customers are in town

 

[SNIPERBBB]

 

["J"]

View attachment 207399

Thanks for the pictures. I may have to get a live trap out for one I have at our creek crossing. Can’t have that peckerwood making itself too comfortable around the culvert….

 

[hickslawns]

I'd be interested in more trapping pics and I do as well. Do you put any bait in there? I've got issues in a couple places where I can't shoot them. Too many people around to safely dispatch this way.

 

[SNIPERBBB]

I'd be interested in more trapping pics and I do as well. Do you put any bait in there? I've got issues in a couple places where I can't shoot them. Too many people around to safely dispatch this way.

I almost never bait groundhogs. The problem with using bait is domestic cats which might get curious as to whats going on, not necessarily that they'll try to eat it and if you set traps late in the afternoon/evening and the groundhog doesnt get caught first, the next morning you'll likely have a raccoon, possum or skunk instead. Fine for if you're trying to get rid of a bunch of nuisance critters from your property but I;m not there usually to catch everything, I am there to catch the groundhog(s) that are digging holes.

The way I trap them is the way I show in the pictures, put trap over the hole, fence the sides/tops as needed and done. The groundhogs must either come out of the hole if they want to eat or make another exit. I've yet to have one make another exit. I set double door cage traps, I use comstock cages. This allows for some reason if there's a groundhog or other critter outside the den when I'm setting to get caught trying to get back in. You can, and I have, used single door traps over the holes if you dont have double doors(i only do so when I run out of em) with fencing.

Only time I entertain the idea of baiting groundhogs is if I've got a place where theres no dens on the property and we have a raiding groundhog and theres no fences or trails that its using, then I'll resort to bait or the guns.